Community Rules

Server Integrity
• Staff decisions are based on realism, fairness, and enjoyment.
Just because you don't benefit doesn't mean the decision was made to negatively affect you directly.
• Loophole abuse is prohibited.
Using reasons such as "yeah well power gaming by definition only states ___ therefore i can do ___" does not apply.
• "It's not in the rules" is not a valid defense.
If something needs to be added that you believe would benefit the community, ask or post a suggestion in our suggestions forums.
• Horizon RP is not a 1:1 recreation of real life.
For example, obviously in RP if your GTA character is tased, they will naturally get back up and they're able to move around. However, this is a roleplay server; our rules come first, gameplay mechanics second. Always prioritize following the rules and staying in character.
• Our goal is to provide an environment where losing a gunfight or a chase isn't a punishment; it's an opportunity for engaging roleplay that rewards every party involved.
You should not have a "win-only" mentality in RP, even if you lose out on money, items or even status, its an opportunity for better RP.
• We encourage roleplay over rule play.
Our rules exist to protect the experience, not micromanage it. Play through the scenario in front of you. If there is a rule break, report it after the scene has concluded. Talking out of character is a massive problem we won't tolerate."My controller died", "I misclicked" - it doesn't matter, stay in character no matter what. If something out of character happens, use our out of character (#o-o-c) channel.

Racism, Hate, Prejudice.  
• Hateful conduct that ruins the spirit of the RP and clearly has hateful OOC intent is prohibited.
• Use of racial slurs - of any kind.
• Sexist or gender based remarks.
• Remarks regarding race or ethnicity.
This applies to in- and out-of-character.

No Real-World Political or Discriminatory Roleplay 
• Discrimination against players for any real-world political, racial, or identity reasons is prohibited.
• This applies in every direction. You cannot play a victim of these issues, accuse another character of them, or use them as a storyline device.
• In-character bias and rivalry toward fictional in-game groups such as gangs, towns, factions, or professions is permitted as normal roleplay.
• If you experience this behaviour from another player, do not engage with it in character. Open a support ticket immediately and staff will handle it.

Roleplay First 
• You must be in character at all times. Play through the scenario in front of you and report rule breaks after the scene has concluded.  
• Reciprocate roleplay when it is offered to you. Grinding does not exempt you from this. 
• If you are committing a crime and police engage you, give them something to work with. You are not required to comply, but you must engage. 
• Violence and being the victim of violence are expected parts of this server. RP through it. Do not let in-character events affect you as a player. What happens to your character is not happening to you. 
• Do not cop bait. Intentionally going out of your way to get police attention with no in-character reason is punishable; it wastes their time and yours. 

Harrassment 
Harassing other players is strictly prohibited. This covers behaviour directed at a player as a person, not at their character.

This includes: 
• Sexual harassment of any kind
• Continuing to contact a player via DMs or OOC after they have made clear they do not want to hear from you
• Sending unsolicited DMs with romantic or sexual intent to players you have met through RP
• Sustained intimidation of a player with the intent to drive them off the server
Aggressive roleplay between characters is not harassment and this rule cannot be used to avoid the consequences of your in-character actions.

If you feel you are being harassed, open a support ticket and staff will advise you on a path forward.

Toxicity
Toxic behaviour is any conduct that creates a hostile, unfair, or unpleasant environment for other players. This includes but is not limited to:

• Sustained or targeted abuse toward other players in OOC chat or on community platforms
• Deliberately griefing or acting in bad faith to ruin other players' RP experience with no intent other than to cause frustration
• Malicious conduct toward staff or the server, including targeted harassment, deliberately spreading misinformation, or coordinating efforts to damage the community's reputation

Constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged. Direct it to our suggestions channel, not through public attacks on the community.

Exploiting
Do not exploit game / server mechanics or situations for unfair advantage. If you find a mechanic that is broken or over-tuned, stop using it and report it to staff. This includes:

• Combat logging (leaving RP) to avoid the consequences of an RP situation.
• Running major crime mechanics like robberies / heists or smuggling, ect to maximise money made.
• Transferring money, items, or goods between your own characters is not permitted in any form, including through third parties. Your characters do not know each other.  

Green Zones
Conflict in and around government buildings (police stations, hospitals, and courthouses) must have a genuine RP foundation behind it.

• Repeated or low-effort breakouts, shootouts, and robberies with no prior story behind them are fail RP.
• Conflict that erupts from an active scene already unfolding in the area is permitted. 
• Getting into shootouts or robbing players in obvious hotspots where players hang out is prohibited unless there is only 1 person present that you can see. 

Value Your Life
If you are held up or unarmed, you must surrender. The only exception is if your weapon is already drawn and the threat is directly in front of you.

• This extends to the lives of those your character would value, including friends, hostages, and civilians in your care.
• Characters may value their freedom. Fleeing from police is permitted. 
• Even if you are armed, matching one gun against several is not a fight your character would realistically pick. 
• Being taken hostage can be stressful, but it is a prime opportunity for high-quality passive roleplay. 
• Cars in GTA are incredibly durable, but human bodies are not. If you crash a vehicle you should react in a manner that is sensible. Not continue driving just because the car is fine. 
• When fleeing from rival gangs / players or the police, your escape routes must still respect basic human survival. Driving up a mountain does not.

No Metagaming
Metagaming is acting on information your character did not obtain through in-character roleplay. This includes information from streams, Discord, or any out-of-character source.
• Using information indirectly still counts. If your character would not have taken that action without outside knowledge, it is metagaming regardless of whether you stated it out loud.
• Clout chasing is metagaming. Giving a streamer special treatment, aid, or attention with no in-character reason to do so is not permitted.
• Streamers may not use their own chat to gain in-character advantage. This includes fortifying a position ahead of a raid, travelling to receive specific RP, or contacting another character based on chat information.
• Group chats or anything external to do with the server, including gang servers / group chats, are prohibited to avoid this.  

No Powergaming 
Powergaming is removing another player's ability to influence or respond to a situation. You must leave others with a meaningful way to react, even in hostile situations like robberies, kidnappings, or executions.
• Do not use /me commands to force actions onto another player. Any /me that affects another character must give them room to respond. For example, "/me slits throat and walks away" is not permitted.
• Do not chain actions together with no opportunity for response, such as tying someone up, looting them, and shooting them in the same sentence.
• Consequences resulting from your own in-character choices are not powergaming.

No Random Deathmatching
You cannot attack or open fire on another player without prior verbal RP interaction or being actively initiated into combat first.

• This includes drive-bys and using a vehicle as a weapon.
• The other player must have a genuine opportunity to respond before you escalate to violence. 

Off-Server Conduct
We do not mediate personal disagreements between players. However, we reserve the right to remove anyone from the community for off-server conduct that threatens the safety or health of the community. 

Erotic Roleplay
Erotic roleplay is not permitted on this server. This is not an ERP server. 

Fail RP
If you openly distort the world for others through low-quality roleplay or obnoxious behavior, we reserve the right to remove you from the server.

• Your character's appearance must meet a realistic and immersive standard.
• Attire associated with  "sweats", "Try hard" or other subcultures designed to mock the server environment is not permitted. 
• Costumes and bit outfits are fine.  A character identity built entirely around disrupting immersion for those around you is not.
• Players who bring no discernible value to the RP environment are subject to removal. This includes win mentality, rushing RP mechanics, excessive grinding, and a shooter or combat-only approach to the server. 
• Hunting rifles are used for hunting, not killing other players. 
• During civilian work / jobs you must be dressed appropriately for said job. 

Bans and Appeals
Ban appeals must be submitted through the ban appeal function in the appeal channel. Do not contact staff or other members directly about your ban / strike or warnings.

• Do not publicly litigate, misrepresent, or stir drama about your ban, directly or indirectly. This includes posts, comments, conversations on any platform.  

No Vehicle Deathmatching
Do not use your vehicle as a weapon against another player.

• The only exception is when striking a player with your vehicle once is the only realistic means of escape, and only when staying would put your life at risk.
• This does not apply to staged or pre-arranged executions. Only active or freshly initiated conflict. 

Player Robberies
Do not take the majority of a player's items when they are down or being robbed without RP justification.

• Maximum 2 item may be stolen.
• Maximum $75,000 cash.
• Cannot take items off of a dead player.
• Vehicle/property keys cannot be stolen.
• No robbing the same player twice in a row.
• Inventory metagaming is prohibited. (watching what others own to prioritise who to rob)
• Store robberies are limited to a maximum of 2 robbers.
• Bank robberies are limited to a maximum of 3 robbers.
• Robbers / people you plan on paying may not act as hostages during robberies.
• Hostages must be uninvolved civilians and may not be members of the robbery crew.
• Hostages must be selected naturally through roleplay and cannot be pre-arranged.

Endless Conflict
Every conflict must have a realistic path to resolution.

• Repeatedly engaging in a conflict that causes ongoing harm to your side without any attempt to end it is not valuing your life.
• Repeatedly targeting a group or individual without offering them a realistic way to end the conflict is griefing.  

Government Rules
Government mechanics inherently give power to those enforcing the law. Government players must still make an effort to offer counterplay wherever possible.

• Using government authority to consistently target a specific group or individual without a legitimate RP foundation is fail RP.
• Undermining or sabotaging your department for out-of-character reasons is fail RP. If you have an OOC issue with your department, open a staff ticket.
• In-character complaints and internal conflict are fully permitted.
Corruption:
• Government employees cannot provide false information for subpoena or warrant requests.
• Corruption is a permitted storyline. However, if you engage in large-scale criminal corruption, you must accept the full consequences, which can include imprisonment, removal from your government role, and being barred from holding a government position on that character. 

Metadumping
Criminal mechanics and story must develop organically through in-character roleplay.

• Do not dump large volumes of criminal information to police in a single sitting. Informing is permitted but must be gradual and well RP'd over time.
• Criminal how-to documents are strictly forbidden. This includes guides, wikis, or any written or shared reference detailing criminal mechanics, including content shared in private chats. Criminal knowledge must be learned in character through direct teaching.
• Recruiting strangers into criminal activity with no consideration of whether they could be an undercover officer or informant is fail RP. Trust must be established before bringing someone into criminal operations. (for clarity this excludes hostages) 

Character Names
• Your character's name must be original. You may not use the name of a real-world celebrity, public figure, fictional character, or content creator.

Twitter 
• Posting to our Twitter channel is for RP purposes only. 
• Photos taken must be from your in-game phone's front camera and only a photo of your screen. Many posts showcase their bedroom / set up, and it greatly ruins immersion

New Life Rule
Your character's memory after incapacitation depends on how they were downed.

• Knockout (melee): Full memory retained.
• Critical (gunshot or serious injury): Memory is fuzzy. You may recall details of the conversation or a vague impression of the person, but not their full identity.
• Unconscious (bleed out): No clear memory. Only hazy, unreliable details remain.
• Death: No memory whatsoever. Your character wakes with no recollection of the events leading to their death.

Permanent death is solely the decision of the player whose character it is.   

Reporting Rule Violations
Reports and tickets regarding rule violations must be submitted within 48 hours of the incident. Include any relevant evidence such as POV recordings.

• This window does not apply to serious offenses, including harassment, hate speech, or other egregious community and conduct violations. Report those immediately. 

No Advertising
• Do not promote or advertise other game servers, Discord servers, or communities. This applies in public channels, private messages, and in-game. 

Ban Evasion and Alt Accounts
• Do not use alternate accounts to evade a ban, monitor community spaces, or manipulate social interactions. Any alternate discord or other accounts must be disclosed to staff. 

Ticket and Channel Use
• Use tickets and channels for their intended purpose. Keep reports clear, respectful, and on-topic. 
• Use of roleplay channels in any way, shape or form is prohibited if you aren't in an active roleplay.
• Do not spam, submit joke reports, or argue with staff in tickets. Misuse may result in restrictions or disciplinary action. 

Server Events 
• Do not intervene or interrupt server-wide events (concerts, debates, funerals, and similar) until they have concluded.
• Serious RP storylines that intersect with an event must be approved by senior staff beforehand. 

Convoy Rule
A maximum of 3 vehicles may be used in a rolling shootout. Police are exempt and are guided by their SOPs.

• If a vehicle is disabled during a conflict, stealing a replacement to flee is permitted so long as you use the correct commands.
• Roaming the map in a convoy of supercars to chase down targets is low-quality RP and will be treated as fail RP.  

Post-Conflict Behavior 
Your character is still alive and aware while downed / dead. Stay in character.

• Do not trash talk, complain about mechanics, or go AFK while downed unless your character is unconscious.
• If you are being revived or treated, respond in character accordingly. 

Item & Vehicle Ownership
• Use only vehicles you own or have keys to in your inventory.
• Lockpicking NPC vehicles requires lockpicks and the use of /action.
• Vehicle keys can be obtained through the /shop dealerships
• All items you buy from shops require a photo of you at the respective location showing you went to buy said item.
• Only inventory-listed weapons exist.
• Missing inventory items cannot be used.
• Looting requires photo proof.

Gangs & Faction Roleplay
• No claiming towns, highways, beaches, or public businesses.
• Territory must be legitimately owned or controlled. A controlled gang turf means you must have substantial RP behind why you and your gang are there, not "my grandpa owned it and passed it down to me." You would have needed to have had scenes there prior.
• Gang conflict must develop naturally.
• No attacks based solely on colors or affiliation.
• You cannot bring your entire gang to rob a store/bank. You must still follow robbery rules.
• A maximum of 6 members can participate in a single conflict. This prevents 20-man groups from overwhelming everyone.

Violence should never be the first option.

Before a shootout, there should be:
• Conversation
• Threat
• Demand
• Opportunity to comply

Randomly opening fire should only be acceptable during active robberies or when someone has already escalated the situation.

If you have gang territory:

• No permanent ownership.
• Territories can be challenged.
• Cooldown after losing territory (48–72 hours) before it can be re-contested.
• Require RP before attacking territory.
• Winning should require objectives rather than simply killing everyone.
• Hold the location. If your gang did manage to kill every other member present you can wait for 10 minutes, if nobody has arrived to contest it, your gang now controls it.
• Two gangs shouldn't fight every day. 

Criminal Roleplay
• Crime must have realistic motives.
• Profit, influence, or survival are valid motives.
• No cop baiting.
• No pursuit farming.
• No reckless crime solely for attention.
• A high command officer sergeant or higher must be present for a robbery (stores, banks, ect) 

Businesses
Players may head to the town hall and purchase a business license to run their own custom business.
• You may only have 1 active business
• You cannot change your business for at least 30 days, doing so otherwise will result in removal from and of your business. 
• If you buy a license from the town hall you are only permitted to open a small or medium business. Not a large one. 
These businesses are as follows:

Small:
Corner convenience store
Small mechanic garage
Food truck
Tattoo shop
Coffee shop
Barbershop
Cleaning company
Landscaping business
Small fishing company
Pawn shop
Car detailing service
Small clothing store
Medium:
Restaurant / diner
Towing company
Dealership (used cars)
Security company
Delivery company
Auto performance shop
Nightclub
Construction company
Small trucking company
Real estate agency
Large:
Luxury dealership
Large trucking/logistics company
Casino-style entertainment business
Shopping plaza/company chain
Large construction corporation
Resort/hotel business
Major nightclub brand
Private aviation company
Media/news company
Large shipping company

Evidence Roleplay
Every crime leaves evidence:

• Security Cameras
• Witnesses
• Fingerprints
• Shell Casings
• Vehicles
• Social Media Activity

Evidence must be logged instantly using /me in our interactions channel.

Example: /me leaves fingerprints on door handle.

Example: /me drops three 9mm shell casings in the grass.

Complaints & Server Drama
• Server-related complaints, reports, disputes, and drama must remain within support tickets or direct messages with the appropriate parties.
• Do not publicly discuss ongoing investigations, staff actions, reports, punishments, or unresolved disputes in any server channel.
• Do not attempt to rally support, start arguments, or create public drama regarding server matters.
• If an issue can be resolved, it must be brought to a support ticket.
• Publicly airing grievances, accusations, or personal disputes will result in moderation action.
• Once staff provide a resolution, continued public discussion of the matter is prohibited.

▼ Keep It Private
↳ Tickets exist to resolve issues fairly and professionally.
↳ Public channels are for community interaction and roleplay, not personal disputes or server drama.