With your use of the "The Settlers Online" services you also confirm that you have read, understood and accepted the general rules of conduct as well as the game and forum rules, whereby the general rules of conduct apply to all aspects of the "The Settlers Online" project.
The moderators and administrators of 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.
The Settlers Online is a PEGI 7+ rated game.
All the rules outlined below are also valid in their entirety for the chat room and the message system in the game.
- Multi-accounting
- Netiquette
- Use of chat channels
- Trolling / Flaming
- Spamming / Flooding / Scamming
- Use of capitals / Caps-lock
- Bad / Sick jokes in global channels
- No political / religious conversations / discussions / debates
- Complaining about moderation
- Exchange with Support / Mod / Admin is private
- Guild recruitment
- Trade
- Cheats and Programs
- Competition in chat or forum
- Software piracy / Illegal software
- Advertisement / Links
- Illegal activities
- Petitions and call for boycott
- Lack of reference to the theme
- Racism and malicious incitement
- Pornography and eroticism
- Discrimination
- Data protection
- Profile, signatures, avatars
- Company-related or protected nicknames
- Individual cases that are not covered and the decision-making authority
- Rules for minors
- Warning
- Note
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 therefore monitors account creation and bans players using this as a cheat/exploit.
Netiquette
Any form of cyber bullying/harassment/verbal or written violence is strictly against the rules and should be reported to Support immediately with evidence.
Admins and Moderators reserve the right to apply a permanent ban if such a situation occurs.
Insults, extreme profanity (even masked), abuse or any similar conduct on these forums or in the chat channels are forbidden. Any disregard of these rules will entail a warning or exclusion by the administration or moderators.
Any insults directed at the moderators will not be tolerated. Moderators are volunteers and can do without abuse from users. The administrators and moderators on this forum will take immediate and appropriate action against any violation.
Please make sure you speak English on the forum and in the default in-game chat channels. 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.
If you wish to use content that is from another user e.g. images in a guide, you are required to give full credit to that player and link the thread it originated from. Failure to give proper credit may result in moderation of the thread/post. Additionally, it is considered good-manners to ask for permission to use another player's assets; if they request for their content to be removed, the post may be moderated.
Use of chat channels
You can find a full list of the different in-game channels here. Please stick to the assigned channels unless instructed otherwise.
Please use the appropriate channel. Using the wrong channel (for help, trade, guild requests etc...) will be perceived as spam and can result in a ban.
For help, please use the Help channel; for trading, please use the Trade channel.
The Trade channel is for trade only: any dialogue that isn't directly related to Trade can result in a ban.
The Roleplaying and Events channel (global-2) is available and players will be redirected to it when the amount of roleplay in another channel exceeds acceptable limits. During Events, this channel can also be used to help coordinate and communicate on certain topics.
Trolling / Flaming
Do not post in order to anger other members or intentionally cause negative reactions. For a given post, this can be a subjective call, but a pattern of such posting or an especially egregious case will get you banned. Do not troll, do not flame period, it is a bannable offence.
This also includes "Alt+F4" jokes, as that will close the current window of a player who applies the shortcut without knowing what it is for.
Spamming / Flooding / Scamming
The creation of spam and/or flooding posts is not permitted and can result in a 24-hour ban and even exclusion from the service (game/chat room/forum). Unwanted in-game messages with guild invites are also considered spam.
Frivolous, off-topic comments will be considered spam and removed.
Scamming is strictly against the rules and can result in a permanent game ban.
Use of capitals / Caps-lock
Excessive use of capitals/ constant use of caps-lock can result in a short to long term ban. Common expressions or abbreviations usually written in capital letters are of course allowed as long as the player does not abuse them.
Bad / Sick jokes in global channels
Players who say bad or "sick" jokes in the global channels can be banned for a short period of time. What you may see as a joke can hurt other people.
This can include jokes about racism, specific political subjects, illnesses, mature subjects etc.
No political / religious conversations / discussions / debates
Topics such as religion and politics are deemed too inflammatory/controversial and provocative. They have no place in The Settlers Online in-game chat or forum and the topics are forbidden. You will be warned to stop; if you persist, this could result in a ban.
Complaining about moderation
We will not accept any complaining about bans, the moderation, the moderators or the rules on the public channels or on the forum and any such behaviour will result in an ban.
If you wish to report abusive moderating please send a ticket to Support using the contact form here.
Remember to stay objective and constructive in your messages. Rude or insulting language to or about any member of the TSO team will only result in your message NOT getting an answer.
Exchange with Support / Mod / Admin is private
Any discussion or exchange with a Support agent, moderator or admin is considered private. It is forbidden to copy/paste your exchange on the forum or on the chat.
Complaints about support should also always be discussed within the according support ticket.
Guild recruitment
Please remember guild recruitment takes place on the forum, or in whisper if you want to ask specific people to join. In any case, guilds should not be discussed in global. Any blatant recruitment/invites will induce a ban, while other smaller infringement still will induce a ban, albeit a minor one.
Depending on the world you are playing on, you can consult the Guild Information & Recruitment for Newfoundland, Northisle or Sandycove.
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 trades to be carried out in an orderly manner and without encroaching on the game enjoyment of others, trade should be conducted exclusively using this function, the message system or whispering, and not in one of the other chat rooms (except the Trade channel).
Buffing in the Trade Channel- Please note that if an item is transferred from one account to another, that makes it a trade. That includes buffs as they are also being transferred in the same way. Rarely are buffs sent without the expectation of something in return. To conclude, buffing requests should only be posted within the Trade Channel.
It is forbidden to sell or exchange in-game content (gems, codes, accounts, vouchers, guilds etc...) for real money or digital goods. Any type of purchase/exchange/trade that isn't fully supported by the tools provided by Blue Byte is at the player's own risk.
Gems, voucher codes and accounts cannot be traded for other in-game content on public channels, and any private trading of such items is at the player's own risk. Resources can only be exchanged for digital goods that exist within this game.
Screen shots showing your current offers in the Trade Office should not be posted in the Trade Channel or any other of the Global Channels. All trades should be typed out in the appropriate channels. This protects players in case of dispute as screen shots can be either manipulated or removed. Please note that the posting of screen shots relating to trades can result in a chat ban.
Questions or conversations about trading taking place in another channel may annoy other players and any lengthy conversation or debate regarding trades should take place in global-3. 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.
The market place section on the forum can also be used for advertising, repeat trades, debates and anything else trade related. Depending on the world you are playing on, you can consult the Market place for Newfoundland, Northisle or Sandycove.
You are only allowed to repost your trade advertisement if it's been at least 5 minutes since your last advertisement OR there has been at least 15 messages in the trade channel since your last advertisement. Failure to abide by this rule can result in a temporary chat ban, with further moderation for repeat offences.
Cheats and Programs
Any type of macro, script, bot or other program that can change the way the game interface works is strictly forbidden and could result in an immediate ban.
In regards to third-party extensions (like Chrome), we highly recommend users don't install software that can interfere with "The Settlers Online". While they may seem beneficial, they can jeopardise the security of your data, such as your login details. It's also a breach of our Terms of Service, which can result in action being taken against your account.
Whether it be multi accounting, trade scamming or any forbidden activity, denouncements and accusations regarding cheating are not permitted either in game or on the forum. Depending on the context, this may be considered harassment, and handled accordingly.
If you suspect a particular account of cheating, please take a screenshot and send it to support along with any other useful information. Cheats should only be reported to the Support team.
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.
Competitions in chat or forum
Competitions of any kind must always be 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.
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.
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 cracks/hacks, crack crews and/or download networks is also prohibited. These rules also apply to leaks and other Internet software obtained illegally.
Advertisement, Links
Advertising anything that is not clearly TSO related can result in a ban. Advertising other video games, any other websites, social media channels or any products is forbidden.
Third party web links, urls, etc are forbidden unless specifically authorised by the Admin/BB Staff or Moderators.
Discussions about the consequences of a leak are permitted, depending on the circumstances.
If in doubt, whisper a MOD and ask for validation regarding an external link before posting in chat.
Illegal activities
Any invitation to carry out, 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.
We also reserve the right to instigate legal action, particularly if the physical integrity of an individual is threatened.
Also, as this is a PEGI 7+ game, the promotion of alcohol, drugs, pornography or any other mature content will be considered as an illegal activity.
Petitions and calls for 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
When on the forum, please post in the appropriate section AFTER searching for an existing thread.
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/chat 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.
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.
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 penalised.
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.
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.
In general: Images on signatures have been deactivated, only the admin or the moderators reserve the right to use images.
Writing text is still available.
Company-related or protected nicknames
It is forbidden to impersonate a Blue Byte/Ubisoft/forum or chat moderator, administrators/moderators reserve the right to permanently ban anyone for this offense.
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.
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.
Note
Any breach of the rules during your forum activity that leads to the removal of your post will be brought to your attention by the moderating team via a forum private message (top right corner of your screen, under Notifications). Forum warnings and infractions received will also be announced in the same manner.
