Investigation & Evidence Gathering
Chapter 8 — How to investigate grief, theft, and cheating reports with the tools available to staff.
Federal SMP does not run a block-logging plugin. There is no per-block history and no automated rollback. Investigations rely on punishment history, direct evidence, and good judgement.
NO BLOCK LOGGING
Because there is no block-level logging, prevention matters more than investigation on this server. Always encourage players to claim their builds. Unclaimed builds are significantly harder to investigate.
Investigation Workflow
Step 1 — Check Punishment History
Run /history <player> on the suspect. A clean record does not mean innocence, but a history of offenses tells you this is a pattern. Use /blame <player> to see which staff member issued prior punishments and when.
Step 2 — Gather Direct Evidence
Build a case from what is available:
- Screenshots or recordings from the reporting player — ask for them explicitly
- Timestamps — when did the victim last see things intact? When did they discover the damage?
- Chat logs — check Discord for any incriminating messages around the time of the incident
- Witness statements from other players who were online
- Anti-cheat alerts — if the suspect was flagged for fly, speed, or reach around the same time, that is circumstantial but relevant
Step 3 — Make the Call
STANDARD OF EVIDENCE
You will sometimes encounter cases where you are fairly sure who did it but cannot prove it conclusively. Do not punish on suspicion alone. Document what you have in the staff channel and keep the player on your radar. A pattern across multiple reports is stronger than any single inconclusive case.
- Clear evidence (recordings, confessions, screenshare findings): Apply the punishment scale.
- Strong circumstantial pattern (multiple independent reports, matching timelines): Bring to a Senior Moderator or Admin for a decision.
- Weak or single-source evidence: Document everything, inform the reporter honestly, and monitor.
What We Cannot Do (And What to Tell Players)
- We cannot roll back grief. Damaged builds must be repaired manually.
- We cannot see exactly who broke a specific block. We work with evidence, history, and gathered testimony.
- We cannot recover stolen items with certainty.
When a player asks "can you just check who did it?" — be straightforward. Explain what we can do and walk them through providing evidence. Players appreciate honesty far more than vague promises.
Quick Review — Q&A
Q: A player reports grief. What is the first thing you do?
A: Ask for coordinates, timestamps, and any evidence (screenshots, video, suspect names). Then check /history on any named suspects.
Q: You are fairly sure a player griefed but have no hard proof. What do you do?
A: Document everything in the staff channel and keep the player on your radar. Do not punish on suspicion alone. A pattern across multiple reports is stronger evidence — bring it to an Admin.
Q: Why can we not roll back damage like other servers?
A: Rollback requires a block-logging plugin, which this server does not run. All repairs must be done manually. This is why we push players to claim their builds.
Q: A player has been reported three times by different people, but each case is individually weak. What do you do?
A: Document every report with whatever evidence exists. A pattern of reports from different, unrelated players is itself significant. Bring the pattern to an Admin for a decision.