Exclamation The Settlers Online Code of Conduct,Broken down, explained and defined !

This is the rules, told by BB_Azariel, and I thought i would breake them down and define and explain, when, who or what they mean! Feel free to correct, I have been very nosy and I would like to thank the mods for their patience ! :)


Exclamation The Settlers Online Code of Conduct, Forum and In-game Chat Rules

The moderators and administrators on the Settlers Online (TSO) forums can gather the relevant data which, if necessary, can be used to identify any users responsible for infringing any of the rules. Access to and use of The Settlers Online forum can in no way be demanded, insisted upon or forced in any way. The forum administration reserves the right to withdraw the privilege of using the site from certain users either temporarily or permanently, without stating the reasons and with no prior warning.


All the rules outlined below are also valid in their entirety for the chat room and the message system in the game.


Netiquette
We do not wish to see any insults, abuse or similar conduct on these forums and any disregard of this rule will entail a warning or exclusion by the administration or moderators.

- This means, that you DO NOT insult in any way, trolling is also not allowed, not even in small bits, the cute ones can be looked through fingers given rare occations, but they DO have the right to not tolerate it, and even the cute ones can be (As trolling are) anoying if the persist.

Also, please make sure you speak English on the forum and the in-game chats. Use of other languages can result in a temporary ban as we need to know that what is said respects the rules of the game.

- I think we get that, just speak english and you should be fine.

Any insults directed at the moderators will not be tolerated. Moderators contribute to this forum voluntarily, and can do without abuse from users. The administrators and moderators on this forum will take immediate and appropriate action against any violation.

- Mods are humans too people !

Bad/Sick jokes in global chanels
Players who say bad or "sick" jokes in the global channels can be banned for a short periode of time. The ban and length of ban will be the Moderator's decision: be carefull of what you say! What you may see as a joke can hurt other people.
These can include jokes about racism, specific political subjects, illnesses, mature subjects etc...

-This also applies to thoose ''hidden'' mature jokes, even though a 13 year old kid might not get it, his or hers parents might.
And swearing, you may not say F***, S*** and... You get the picture.

Complaining about moderation
We will not accept any complaining about the moderation, the moderators or the rules on the public channels and any such behavior will result in an ban!
If you wish to report abusive moderating please send a personal message on the forum to one BB_Ravel or send a ticket to Support.
Remember to stay objective and constructive in your messages. Rude or insulting languages to or about any of the TSO team will only result in your message NOT getting an answer.

-At the moment, there is only 1 guy looking into tickets, so you need patience, Mods is often very patient, but if you persist being hostile, they will ban you, and you dont want that. If you think a mod is abusing his/hers powers, submit a ticket and ignore them, there is a little button in the top right corner of the chat window that will minimize the chat, or if you are at a higher lvl, just switch to the trade box.

Spamming / Flooding

The creation of spam and/or flooding posts is not permitted and may, depending on the circumstances, result in a 24-hour ban and even exclusion from the service (game/chat room/forum).

-Keep asking the same question over and over is also spamming, goto the help button, ask you question, if you dont get a reply, try to wisper a Mod, they are also great at helping, but do NOT spam them or any other.

Use of capitals/Caps-locks

Excessive use of capitals or caps-locks can result in a short to long term ban. Length of the ban will be decided by the MODs present and is not up to debate.
Common expressions or abbreviations usually written in capital letters are of course allowed as long as the player does not abuse of them.

-''THIS IS SPARTA !!!'' Will useally give you a warning, if you persist you might get banned from the chat.
- If you mind where you put the caps, it is fine ex: Listen, I did NOT do that. Or: I AM doing it right, YOU are doing it wrong.
- Also excessive use of !!!! and ??? Is also seen as either spamming or caps abuse.

Trade

The Settlers Online players take to trading like ducks to water and, to offer the best possible support to players who want to pursue this activity, Blue Byte has also integrated a system into the game which players can use to trade with other players. However, to enable trade to be carried out in an orderly manner and without encroaching on the game enjoyment of others, trade should be transacted exclusively using this function, the message system or whispering, and not in one of the other chat rooms.

-Dont just add another person if you wish to trade, chat with him first, or keep it in the chat box, Global-7 chat channel is for trading, but you can also just chat in there to persuade, haggle or friendly conversation, just keep in mind that people want to trade in there, so dont flood it with long conversation that might block trading.

Please note:
Questions on or conversations about trading that take place in another chat room may annoy other players and, depending on the situation, the moderators may be prompted to issue warnings. Failure to comply with such warnings could result in a temporary or permanent exclusion from the chat.

-Begging or asking for a handout is considered a trade request, so keep that in the Global-7 Channel.

Cheats

The public denouncement of cheating is not permitted. If you suspect a particular account belongs to a cheat, you should forward this information direct to the moderators and admins. Cheats should only be reported to the Support team.

Exploits/Cheats
Any discussion or circulation of exploits or cheats is not permitted here, and may lead to exclusion from the service. Cheats and exploits should only be reported to the Support team.

-So you may NOT use a bug to your advantage, no matter the size or how innocent it might seem.

Multi-accounting

Having multiple accounts is a serious offence in The Settlers Online as it gives one player a distinct advantage over the others. The TSO team therefor monitors account creation and bans players using this as a cheat/exploit.

-If you and your brother/sister or what so ever use the same computer, it is NOT considered multi-accounting, and neither is helping him/her building his empire. However if he/her stops playing, and you use his old account to farm, it IS giving yourself an unfair advantage to others and can result in permanent ban.

Competitions in the chat room or forum

Competitions of any kind must be always approved by the admins to avoid any potential malpractice or unfair gain at the cost of other players.

In general: Participation in any competitions that have not been organized by Ubisoft/Blue Byte is at the player’s own risk. Any claims for damages must be directed to the organizers of such competitions.

-That means if you make a friendly wager unfriendly, it is YOUR loss, and you are responsible for your own actions.

Silence on the part of the admins and/or moderators must not be assumed as consent. The administration reserves the right to remove threads that invite players to participate in unauthorized competitions either directly or indirectly, or which could encourage players to take part in such. The member responsible will be notified of such removal by private message.

-Simply, if the mods see it as a thread to other people with high losses of ex. Resources, they have the right to delete it and you will recieve a message of such.

Software piracy, illegal software

Any requests, promotion, advertising or linking of content protected by copyright for illegal purposes is strictly forbidden. The linking, naming or discussing of crackers, cracker crews and/or download networks is also prohibited. These rules also apply to leaks and other Internet software obtained illegally.

- No links to cracks, phising (Hacking you, while you are on the computer, between you loading) And links to homepages that you can dowload illegal from/ Download illegal programs to do it for you.

Discussions about the consequences of a leak are permitted, depending on the circumstances.

Illegal activities

Any invitation to carry out, or planning or execution of any activity which, in accordance with prevailing law, could be categorized as unlawful or illegal is strictly forbidden within the discussion forums, in-game message system and chats, and may be immediately stopped by the moderators or administration at any time without prior notice.

-No settlers may commit terrorisme propaganda !

We also reserve the right to instigate legal action, particularly if the physical integrity of an individual is threatened.

- You will be held account to your actions !

Petitions and calls for a boycott

Any reference or invitations to petitions and boycotts will be stopped, depending on the type and situation, and may result in a warning or a final expulsion without prior notice.



Lack of reference to the theme

Should a discussion stray too far from the actual theme of the forum, it may be either moved, edited, closed or deleted in its entirety without prior notice.

Racism and malicious incitement

We accept no malicious incitement, racism or political propaganda, so kindly find another forum on which to conduct this kind of discussion. We will take immediate and appropriate action against any violation of this rule! We reserve the right to delete/remove or edit any posts that invoke racial hatred and malicious incitement and also to prosecute for such entries. The same applies to usernames (nicknames) or Guild identifiers that relate to such and/or otherwise breach prevailing legislation.

-So if your nickname say ex: Support Ronal121, Ihateblackppl, Mourninghardwood. You can prepare your butt to be banned.

Pornography and eroticism

Any links, advertisements and images relating to erotic content or content that is unsuitable for minors will not be tolerated. This also applies to usernames (nicknames) that contain or describe pornographic elements or elements that are unsuitable for minors.

-Pegi 13, let the kids be kids and mature on their own.

Discrimination

Discrimination against minorities or physically or mentally disabled persons or socially disadvantaged groups or others will not be tolerated here, and will be immediately penalized.

-In other words, keep your pettiness to yourself.

Data protection

Please send any questions on the subject of data protection direct to our head office, and do not discuss them in the forum. Such threads will be immediately closed or deleted. Please contact Blue Byte GmbH, Adlerstraße 74, 40211 Düsseldorf, Germany for issues relating to data protection.

-Do NOT give your password or others, to other people.

Profiles, signatures and avatars

We will react immediately to any violations of the rules in the user profile or user signature. The administration and moderators will decide when a signature is no longer acceptable, and the relevant users will be instantly notified and will be asked to take immediate and appropriate action. However, the administration and moderators also reserve the right to shorten and amend profiles without prior notice.

-Just dont overdo your profile, and stick to the rules while doing so.

In general:The signature graphics may not exceed a maximum file size of 100 kB, and a signature must not exceed a total size of approx. 500x150 pixels (including all images and text). Your avatar can be no larger than 80 pixels by 80 pixels. Any avatars that are uploaded may not exceed 20 kB.

Company-related or protected nicknames

Only employees of Ubisoft and Blue Byte may use an "Ubi_" or "BB_" abbreviation in front of their usernames. If this appears in the names of “normal” users, the account may be immediately deleted/renamed to avoid any confusion with official employees or moderators.

We reserve the right to exclude usernames from the chat, either temporarily or permanently which, owing to their naming or spelling, could be mistaken for official Blue Byte or Ubisoft employees or members of the moderator team, insofar as no change of username is carried out in compliance with the rules of conduct by the relevant users. Furthermore, the conscious use of a guild name that could give the impression to the relevant guild members that they are dealing with official representatives of Ubisoft or Blue Byte or their moderators/administrators, is not permitted.


Moreover, we reserve the right to the exclusive use of Ubisoft or Blue Byte logos in our avatars to identify our colleagues as potential contacts. Players who use a similar avatar without having an official role at Blue Byte or Ubisoft may, depending on the circumstances, lead to a ban or to permanent deletion of the avatar, and may result in legal action. The use of legally protected company or brand names and institutions is prohibited.

-You may NOT pose yourself as a Mod, Devs or BB ! It is okay to help, warn, or otherwise being a saint. But if you do not work for BB or are a mod, you will be delt with.

Individual cases that are not covered and the decision-making authority

The administration will make a decision based on the available facts for individual cases that are not covered by the rules set out in this notice. In all cases, the ultimate decision-making authority shall rest with the administrators and moderators.

Rules for minors

Minors require the consent of their parents or guardians to:

1. Take part in competitions
2. Be contacted by email
3. Register on the site
4. Create any entries, posts or comments.

WARNING:
The administration reserves the right to amend and add to these rules. We would also ask you not to challenge or test our tolerance levels. Moderators and administrators reserve the right to modify the official forums and/or chat rooms at any time at their discretion and without prior notice.

-Ask your parents if you are a minor kid !

This one keeps popping up and the rules are a bit un-telling:

Drug rules:
ANY refernce to illegal drugs and drug activities are considered VERY banable, Alchohol, your own medicine, and cigarrettes are tolareted, but you may NOT encourage other to do so, saying you are stoned, wasted and otherwise intoxicated IS against the rules.
And it doesnt matter if cannabis is legal in YOUR country, it is illegal mostly worldwide and therefore illegal in the chat, forum etc.
Therefore none drug reference what so EVER !