Ikariam US

Game Rule Clarification Guide

In this thread you will find information on the various rules explaining them in more detail where needed.

Index

1. Multi-Accounting
2. Account Sharing (and Sitting)
3. Account Exchanges
4. Bashing
5. Pushing
6. Bug Using
7. Scripting
8. Proxies
9. Abuse of the Rules and their Applications
10. Real Life Threats
11. Spam
12. Content
13. Language

If you find anything that you have a question about in the rules, and it isn't already in this thread, please poke a staff member and they will see that it gets added.

Quoted from "Lissala"

I. Multi-Accounting
Each player is allowed to control no more then a single account per World (Server).

If two or more accounts are usually, occasionally, or permanently being played from the same network a GameOperator must be notified, without exception. In these cases the accounts will not be able to have fleet contact while on the same connection.

Q: Can I have two accounts on a server if I don't play them at the same time?

A: While it says ".. control no more than a single account" it does not mean that you can have two accounts if you aren't logged into them simultaneously. If you have two accounts on the same server that are playable (IE not set for vacation mode or deletion) then you WILL get banned by a GO.

This is the reason that you need to contact a GO for account sits, exchanges, etc. (Read below in the Account Sharing & Account Exchanges section.)



Q: What does it mean by "same network" and "same connection"?

A: Both of these phrases refer to your internet connection. If you live or work with someone who plays Ikariam on your computer or on another computer sharing your IP, then this rule applies to you. This rule also applies to people who play from a communal internet location such as cybercafes, colleges, work centers, etc.



Q: What would happen if I didn't notify about sharing an internet connection with another player?

A: The GO may mistake you for being the same person and ban you. These bans are difficult to get removed, so it's always best to notify a GO. Additionally, if you play on a widely used internet connection you may want to notify a GO of this as well just for good measure.



Q: If I share a connection with another player, do I have to wait before a GO gives me permission to login?

A: No! This is a widely spread rumor, but is completely false. GOs don't want to impede the playing process of people who haven't broken rules, so you do not need to wait on their approval before logging in - just make sure that they are aware of the situation.



Q: What exactly is Fleet Contact?

A: Fleet contact is any time that your fleet interacts directly with that of another player. In the case of persons on a shared connection, it is prohibited while the connection is shared.

Some examples of fleet contact are:

• Trading with each other (whether via trading post or port)
• Attacking each other's towns
• Defending each other's towns
• Joint attacks versus another player
• Joint defends of another player's town

Members on the same IP are, however, allowed to send each other ingame messages, be in the same alliance, attack the same players (NOT jointly!), have a cultural goods treaty, and trade with the same people.



Q: If I occasionally share an IP with someone, can we have fleet contact while NOT on the same IP?

A: You are free to be on the same IP while the fleet is on the way back to your town from the foreign destination, just not while the fleets are enroute. In other words, you will need to be on separate IPs from the moment the fleet is sent until the moment it arrives at the foreign destination.

This particular issue stumps a lot of people, so I will give an example:

Let's say that Dwight and Jim share a connection when they are at work, but not at home. At 5:07 AM one morning before work, for whatever reason Jim decides to send some sort of fleet to one of Dwight's cities. If the flight takes two hours, the ships will arrive TO Dwight's city at 7:07, and then (in this scenario) will return BACK to Jim's originating city at 9:07. At what time would Jim and Dwight be able to share a connection again?

The answer to that question would be any time AFTER 7:07, providing there were not other missions being sent. As you can see, the mission does not have to be fully COMPLETED before the connection can be shared, but it does have to reach its destination first.



Q: If I don't notify of a connection sharing, can we have fleet contact?

A: Not at all, if you don't notify you could get banned. If you have fleet contact you will definitely be banned if we find out.



Q: What exactly counts as "fleet"?

A: Fleet includes all ships and army.



Q: I want to trade with someone on my connection, is there a legal way to do this?

A: Conducting a trade through a third party is legal, however MUST be acknowledged to a GO if you want to avoid being banned wrongly. GOs aren't mind readers, and typically any third party trade will be unfair to at least one of the parties involved.



Q: I want to attack the same target as someone on my connection, is that legal?

A: This is perfectly acceptable as long as the attack is not a joint attack. If both of your names are on the combat report, in other words, you will be banned.

Quoted from "Lissala"

II. Account Sharing
Each account is entitled to be played by a single player at a time, account sitting being the only exception.Account Sitting is allowed.
Account sitting entitles a given player to have his account watched over under the following regulations:

• A GameOperator must be informed before the sitting takes place, for example by IRC or opening a ticket.
• No troop movements are allowed while the account is being sat unless an attack that may raid or crash the account is incoming, in which case you may save your troop(s) by deploying or transporting to a city owned by the account being sat. You may not ninja an incoming attack in cases where you would need to move troops for it.
• An account may only be sat for a maximum period of 12 continuous hours (GameOperators permission needs to be obtained in cases where a time extension is needed).
• The sitting period will be considered over if the actual owner logs in.
• No account may be sat during the first 3 weeks of a new World (Server).

The sitter may, on the account being sat and while the sitting period lasts:

• Spend Ressources on buildings or researches.
• Save any troops that imminently endangered by an incoming attack, only with a deployment or transport mission to one of the accounts own cities.
• Place an account into vacation mode.

The sitter may not:

• Transport resources, neither between cities of the account being sat, nor to any other city.
• Spend Resources on defensive structures or troops.
• Sit an account if he sat another one within the previous 7 days.
• Sit an account that was sat within the previous 7 days.
• Remove an account from vacation mode.
• Change / delete any account characteristics

Q: What exactly is Account Sharing?

A: Account Sharing is when one player logs in to another player's account for any reason outside of an Account Exchange (wherein they are taking over the account, see the next post) or Account Sitting for the owner of the account.



Q: If my friend in real life asks me to do something on his account while I am at the computer, and he is next to me in the room, is that legal?

A: Technically that is also Account Sharing as you are the one in charge of the account. There should be no reason that the other player cannot do this himself, and so there is no excuse for you to EVER be logged in for anyone else, to know their password, or to make changes to their account outside of Sitting situations - with or without their permission.



Q: One of my alliance mates is having RL (real life) issues and cannot come online to put the account into vacation mode, can a GO do this for him?

A: GOs will not put vacation mode on an account without express permission from the player in question. Moreover, we only do this when the player cannot go into vacation mode when a bug in the game is not allowing them to enter normally.

While we do understand real life problems, this is what sitting is intended for and players will want to be prepared in advance for such crisis to occur by having someone that they trust on standby for some form of emergency contact



Q: My friend has left me in charge of his account, do I really need a GO's permission before logging into the account?

A: Unfortunately yes. As there are strict limitations on when and how an account can be sat, it is required that you wait on a GO before logging into the account. If you don't, you may end up with a ban on both accounts for Account Sitting Violations.



Q: My alliance mate has gone into the armed forces for two months, is there no way that I can sit his account for this period or for a GO to ensure that it will not be deleted or removed from vacation mode?

A: Unfortunately the rules apply to these players as well as all others, and no one is above the rules regardless of the circumstances. Account sitting may last no longer than 12 hours without getting an extension from a GO (which will not be longer than 18-24 hours in itself) and there is no way that we can make exceptions.

Additionally, GOs cannot abuse the vacation mode of an account to keep a member on the server. In the future, vacation mode will probably not stop an account from being deleted so, short of an Account Exchange (see the next post) there is nothing that can legally be done.



Q: The rule says that you cannot remove vacation mode from an account when doing an Account Sitting. How am I to know if the account I sit has vacation mode on it or not?

A: Yet another reason that you will need to contact a GO before the sit takes place. GOs can tell you that the account is in vacation mode and does not require a sit.



Q: The rule also says that no defensive structures can be built, does this include Walls?

A: No. Walls are counted as a building. The rule only refers to ships and/or troops in this aspect.

Quoted from "Lissala"

III. Account exchange
Account Exchanges within a single world must be done with the assistance of a GameOperator.

No complaints will be processed in cases where the players do not change their e-mail addresses after inter world exchanges or free accounts giveaways. Note that the only complaints considered will be the ones that come from the owner of a given accounts permanent email address.

Once a given account changes its owner, 28 days must pass before it changes ownership again. After a new owner takes over a given account he should change the dynamic e-mail address within the first 12 hours after the account switched owners.

Q: What is the proper procedure when doing an Account Exchange if the player taking the account already has one on the server?

A: This process is one that tends to get overcomplicated quite a bit, but is actually very simple. The necessary steps for an inter-server account exchange as as follows:

• The player who is leaving the account needs to stop logging in, and give the login information to the other player
• The player taking over the account must set their old account for deletion (unless a new player is taking over that one, then vacation mode will suffice)
• The players taking over accounts must login and change the email address and password immediately (within 12 hours of logging in)
• Someone (does not matter who) needs to submit a ticket to a GO notifying that an exchange is going on, what accounts are involved, including current information where possible for username changes and any other relevant information

Q: What would the procedure then be if the new player did not already have an account on that given server?

A: Notifying a GO is not technically required for these transfers, but they are encouraged as they can help you to avoid being banned for Account Sharing (as your IPs would usually change location.)

Other things still apply, like the email and pass will need to be changed within 12 hours, and once the new player starts logging into the account the old player must not login to it again without GO permission.



Q: An alliance mate of mine is taking over a higher ranked account on this server and I want to take over his account, is this allowed?

A: The more accounts in question, the more complicated it gets for you and GOs to sort out but YES, this is perfectly allowed. Just try to keep the tickets simple with the current account names of all accounts involved so that a GO does not have to hunt for them.

This is more a courtesy we ask of you than a requirement, but if a GO cannot find them without a response ticket from you, they cannot make a note on the accounts and thus they may end up banned. So keep GOs in the loop.



Q: I had Ambrosia left on my account when I traded it, is there a way to get it transferred to a new account? Or how do I go about getting a refund?

A: Ikariam.com staff cannot handle or process complaints/requests about Ambrosia purchase, however Ambrosia is nontransferable to another account. Since Game/Board staff are not able to process your questions, we suggest that you contact http://support.gamepay.de for information on how to get refunds and when they are available.



Q: Why exactly does the email address have to be changed? What if my email address is in use, am I required to change?

A: Yes! This is an extremely important part of the account exchange process. The email address holder is considered the owner of the account. This means, if you do not change the email address you are a) Account Sharing or b) subject to lose the account if the previous player changes their mind.

Additionally if you run into a problem where you are unable to login for some reason, there is absolutely nothing that Game Staff can do to help you remedy this problem, nor can they help you if you are banned for some reason or encounter any number of other problems. We only talk to the owner of the account, and the owner of the account is the email address holder.



Q: If I recently took over an account and I find a new one, can I take over the new account or do I have to wait 28 days?

A: The 28 day limitation only applies to the account, not the person who owns it. HOWEVER, if you take a new account the old one will have to either be set for deletion or be placed into vacation mode until the 28 days is up so that a new player can take it over. You will want to confer with your GO over the best course of action in this situation.



Q: You mentioned in the last post that extended Account Sits would need to be classified as an Account Exchange. How exactly would that work?

A: This is a complicated scenario, but it can work for players who have to be out of commission for more than a month and (understandably) don't want to lose all of the work that they put into the account. Basically, you would have to give the account away and follow the procedures of an actual Account Exchange, but with the understanding that the player will be nice enough to give it back when you return from your hiatus.

Please understand that the 28 day limitation applies, if you log back in before the 28 days is up you will be subject to a ban for Account Sharing. Additionally, the email address has to be changed within 12 hours of the Exchange, so Game Staff cannot force the person to give the account back when you return. For this reason, you should only do this if the person is someone you trust.



Q: A friend of mine was recently permanently banned and I am quitting the game. Is he allowed to take my account?

A: Yes. While the Terms and Conditions make it clear that GameForge's approval has to be granted for an Account Exchange to take place, the rules are also clear about the procedure under which GameForge's approval is granted. In other words, as long as the proper procedure is followed when doing an Exchange, it does not matter who the account goes to. In the end, Game Staff ban accounts, not people.



Q: I am going to be taking over an account ingame, but it is still in vacation mode and cannot come out for X amount of time. How will I remove vacation mode in time to change the email and password information within 12 hours? Can a GO do this for me?

A: Without a ticket from the email holder we can't take the account out of vacation mode or change the email address to match yours, BUT we do understand that these things happen and information cannot be changed immediately. The 12 hour limitation starts once you LOGIN to the account, not once you have the information in your hand.

Quoted from "Lissala"

IV. Bashing

It is not allowed to attack any given city owned by a player over 6 times in a single 24 hours period.

Bashing is only allowed when your Alliance is at war with another Alliance The War must be announced on the official Ikariam.com board, in the correct forum and must comply with the boards specific rules.

Note: Attacking troops that are completely destroyed do not count towards the bashing rule.

Q: How do I report bashing?

A: To report bashing you need to send screenshots to the GO for your server using the ticket system

The screenshots you need are:

- A view of the Military Adviser, where you see the list of Combat Reports
- A view of the Mayor/Town Adviser which can be found here:

If you clicked the right area, the screen will show this at the top:

You can find a guide to taking screenshots here: How to make a screenshot

Please be advised that your Game Operator may ask for more screenshots than listed here if more information is needed to fully interpret the situation.

PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY -- DOING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME CAN POSSIBLY SAVE YOU RESOURCES!!!



Q: Someone has attacked several of my towns more than six times! Is this bashing?

A: This depends if the 6 attack limit was broken on any given town or not. The bashing rule allows a player to attack an individual TOWN no more than six times in 24 hours. The count is per your individual TOWNS not your entire account.

If you feel you've been bashed, first check to times and what town they were to before going to a GO. If you still aren't sure and need further clarification, please feel free to contact a member of the Game Staff



Q: A player sent more than six attacks at one of my towns, but the attacks were sent from more than one of HIS towns.. Does this still count as bashing?

A: Yes, definitely. The bashing rule is per attacking PLAYER - irregardless of town - to defending TOWN. Defending town matters, attacking town doesn't.



Q: Several members of an alliance are attacking me repeatedly, do this count as bashing?

A: The bashing rule counts attacking PLAYER to defending TOWN. The alliance that the attacker(s) are in only matters if they are at war with your alliance (see the next question)



Q: I'm at war with another alliance, how does this change the bashing rule?

A: Once a war is declared, there is a 12 hour waiting time before war official starts. While your alliance is officially at war with another, the bashing rule does not apply to attacks between that alliance and yours.



Q: Can a single player declare war on an alliance? (Diplomacy issue - Not necessarily bashing related)

A: No, only alliances can declare war. Please see the diplomacy rules for more information: Diplomacy Rules (as of 1st May)



Q: Can a one man alliance declare war? and Can an alliance declare war on a one man alliance? (Diplomacy issue - Not necessarily bashing related)

A: One man alliances are still counted as an ALLIANCE, so yes they can declare war and be declared on equally in turn. For more information see the diplomacy rules: Diplomacy Rules (as of 1st May)



Q: Are we allowed to bash players who are inactive?

A: No, absolutely not. The bashing rule applies to inactives and this CAN get you banned.



Q: Do sea battles (blockades) count towards bashing?

A: Sea battles no longer count toward the bashing rule, no.



Q: Do reinforcements count towards bashing?

A: This point should be pretty easy for us to define at this point.

One combat report = One attack

This may mean that there are more pillages in the the Town Adviser than the Military Adviser has combat reports for - these generally have the same timestamp and are considered reinforcements and do NOT count toward bashing (subject to change).

Combat reports are what matters, so count these if you want to find out if you were bashed or were bashing.



Q: The rules say that attacking troops that are completely destroyed do not count towards the bashing rule. Does this count for the defender as well?

A: No. I'm not even sure why anyone would think that, but it got asked so it's included. If you destroy your defender, it counts. If you lose the attack (and lose all your ships) it does not.



Q: My town has been occupied, can I try and retake my town more than 6 times in a 24 hour period.

A: Yes, you can attack as many times as is necessary to retake your OWN town



Q: It says in the rule 6 times in 24 hours.. Is this a day or a rolling period? And how are we supposed to keep track of the attacks we send?

A: The time period is a rolling period. Picture it like strips of paper lying on top of each other. Attached to every attack, there is a 24 hour period attached where only 5 more attacks can fit in legally. This goes from EVERY SINGLE attack you do, not just the first!

There are some ways to keep track of it. First there's the very basic method of simply using notepad or excel - you may think it's a pain to do this extra work, but this little bit of work can save you from being banned.

An easier method may be using the Ikariam Attack Calculator to keep track of it for you. A big thanks to the people who created this calculator for the use of all Ikariam players.

Quoted from "Lissala"

V. Pushing
It is not allowed for any account to obtain unfair profit out of a lower ranked account in a matter of resources.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Resources sent from a lower ranked account to a higher ranked one with nothing tangible in return.
• "Loans" that are not returned within 48 hours.
• Trades in which the higher ranked player does not return the resources within 48 hours.
• Trades that mean an unfair profit to the higher ranked player by make use of range of ratios which are far off the world-specific ones.

Notes:

• Extorting a player or alliance for resources is not permitted.
• If you unexpectedly receive resources from a lower ranked player, you cannot keep them. Contact your GO immediately and send the resources back to a citiy owned by the player who pushed you.

After a pushing ban is over you MUST send the resources back to the player who pushed you.

Bounties:

• Bounties need to be acknowledged to the GameOperators before they happen. They can only be paid for after the conditions of the bounty have been fulfilled.

Q: Is there a limit on how much gold that can be charged in exchange for wood/lux goods? (Same question for wood/lux good trades rather than gold.) What ARE the official trade ratios?

A: Currently there are no official trade rates, but the rules still apply. We are all expected to use common sense and reasonable trades. Hoepfully it will be more set in stone soon, but the rule will still be in effect (and enforced) until such a time.



Q Is it legal to send resources to an inactive, or otherwise defenseless town, for the purpose of a higher ranked player to raid it?

A: This is very much illegal and the GOs will check for this, so I would suggest not doing it.



Q: I've heard that pushing does not apply when the players are in the same alliance, is this true?

A: This isn't stated in the rules because it DOES count as pushing.

It is not allowed to send free resources to a higher ranked player, regardless if he is in your alliance or not.

We understand the brunt placed on the founder, and we also understand that you want to help rebuilds or in wars, but we cannot allow the rule to be broken in this way. It would be too easily exploited.



Q: Is trading allowed while sharing the same connection with the other player, as long as the pushing rule is not broken?

A: The rules state that fleet contact while sharing a connection is strictly prohibited. Fleet contact includes trades, pillages, espionage, blockades, etc.

Being in the same alliance is fine, but trade/military treaties are out of the question of course..

Just to clarify, joint attacks on other players counts as fleet contact! As does defending a town of someone you share an IP against.



Q: What about third party trading for those sharing a connection?

A: This is a very grey-area issue. It's best NOT to do this sort of thing, because all similarities between accounts on the same connection make you seem all that more suspicious to the GOs.

However, if player A and B share a connection and both are friends with C, we won't stop trades from players A > C or B > C.

Be very careful that you aren't using this sort of thing to circumvent the rules when doing this sort of thing, it will most likely get you banned if that's the obviously intended purpose.



Q: I was blockading someone and they sent me a transport(s) - Do I have to send the resources back to them?

A: No! This is is the intended function of blockades. When you place a blockade, all transports going to that town get rerouted to your town instead. This is 100% legal.



Q: What do I do if a player sends me resources unexpectedly?

A: Check scores, first, if the player is lower ranked than you simply send the resources back. If the player is far away from your town, talk to the GO of your server (found here: Game Staff) and they may be able to help you figure out an easier solution for you.

Quoted from "Lissala"

VI. Bugusing
Using a bug for anyones profit intentionally or not reporting a bug intentionally is strictly forbidden.

Q: How will I know if I am Bug Using? Is there some sort of list of exploitable bugs that I can cross reference?

A: Not particularly. You can check the Bugs and Complaints boards for common bugs, but typically we hide bugs that are known exploits. (Though to be honest, there are not that many.)



Q: The rule says intentional Bug Use, how do Game Staff know whether or not someone is meaning to abuse any certain bug?

A: The bugs that fall under exploitive purposes are not things that you can easily do. If you are using a bug to gain profit, you are fully aware that you are doing so. There is no need to worry as long as you aren't a cheater.



Q: Do Game Staff also ban for players using bugs where there is no profit, or only if they gain resources?

A: The profit does not have to be strictly monetary. If using a bug gives one player an advantage over another player, their account should be banned to account for that. This is to keep the game/server fair for everyone.



Q: I don't see a lot of Bug Use bans, do they ever happen?

A: As said a moment ago, there are not a lot of bugs TO exploit. We have banned in the past however for some more serious instances of Bug Using. It isn't something we like to do without thoroughly checking matters out and without solid proof, of course, but the bans do happen.

Quoted from "Lissala"

VII. Scripting
Using a program as interface between the player and his game is prohibited. Any other form of automatically generated information generated for a group of players advantage with malicious intentions is forbidden as well.This includes but is not limited to:

• Bots
• Macros
• Automated island databases.
  
  
  Only exceptions to this are programs that are expressly approved by GameForge.

Q: How do I know what scripts are approved for use?

A: This is simple Go to this forum for a list of scripts that have been approved for use on this community.



Q: If I am a script writer, how do I get my script approved? Who does that?

A: Technically Administrators are in charge of ensuring that scripts are approved, however on this community our SGO BrianC has a lovely program going in which he helps to get scripts approved/tweaked for approval and supporting script writers. Contact him for more information.



Q: Can you tell me some of the guidelines that are used to deem if a script is approved or not?

A: The basics are in the actual rule, the basic concept is that nothing that gives you a large advantage over the other players is allowed to be used. Small things like aesthetic changes or convenience things of an extra link or two is perfectly fine. Automated functions or functions that duplicate premium features are not allowed, however. For more information, you should contact BrianC or an Administrator



Q: I am having a problem with a script, what can I do to fix it?

A: Ikariam.com staff unfortunately do not offer support for user created scripts, however you can post in this forum and other script users/creators or the author himself may offer optional troubleshooting.



Q: Some of these illegal scripts sound neat and I would like to try them out, what would the punishment be if I were to do this?

A: The punishment for using an illegal script is an irrefutable permanent ban.

Quoted from "Lissala"

VIII. Proxies
A player logging in through a cell phone must notify the GameOperator of the world(s) he may be playing in.

Q: How can I be sure that I will not be banned for using one? What if my work uses one?

A: If you don't know what it is, you are probably not employing the use of one. Quite often you will find that companies use proxies, but if you play from a large company where others may also play Ikariam you will want to notify of the IP sharing anyway and you should have no problems.



Q: I do know what a proxy is, can I use one to have fleet contact with someone that I would otherwise share an IP with, or even to have multiple accounts on one server?

A: Using a proxy without permission of a GO will get you banned. Using a proxy (or any other means) to bypass any rule will still get you banned.



Q: If I choose to play from my cellular phone, why do I have to notify a GO?

A: Often times cellphones have IPs from locations that are not even close to where you live. If you don't notify, you could get banned wrongly for Account Sharing.

Quoted from "Lissala"

IX. Abuse of the rules and their applications
Any form, way and or any attempt to get personal profit unfairly out of any staff member's decision is forbidden.This includes but is not limited to:

• Non English messages sent to obtain vacation mode.
• Reporting messages that do not break or point at any breaking of the rules.
• Impersonating or claiming to be staff with or without intentions of personal profit.

Q: What sort of profit could possibly be obtained from Abuse of the Rules?

A: As stated earlier in this guide, the benefit does not have to be solely monetary. Trying to get someone banned wrongly is also against the rules, regardless the purpose for doing so.



Q: The rule says that you can't send Non-English messages to another player in order to obtain vacation mode, does that mean that I can send insulting messages or commit bashing/pushing in order to get a temporary ban?

A: Not in the slightest. If you are caught trying to do this particular form of Rule Abuse you will be banned, but without vacation mode.



Q: What if we tell a GO that we have a bug that is keeping us from going into vacation mode? Is that also illegal?

A: Exactly the same as the previous point, except doing this will get you a permanent ban instead of a temporary one.



Q: The rule says that we cannot report messages that don't break the rules. What if I accidentally report a message via the Message or Player Report Tools?

A: We allow for some mistakes, but doing these things in excess CAN get you banned for Misuse of the Report Tool.



Q: What would happen to me if I reported someone for bashing and they weren't?

A: This would depend. If you were simply misunderstanding how bashing works and thought the player WAS bashing you, then we would simply not ban the player and explain the rules to you. However, if you falsify reports or try to trick a GO into banning a player who did not bash in any other malicious way, then you WILL be banned permanently.



Q: What exactly is referred to when it says 'Impersonating or claiming to be staff' - Will I get banned if a staff member has a name similar to mine?

A: Typically no, but you may be asked to change. However if you outright claim to be a GO, or claim that you have information FROM a GO when you do not, you are subject to being banned.

Quoted from "Lissala"

X. Real Life Threats

• Voicing the intention to find and do harm to another person (for example user, team member or Gameforge representative) within the game, forum as well as the official IRC-Channel is strictly forbidden.

Q: What exactly counts as a Real Life Threat? Where is the line drawn?

A: Unfortunately this is one of the contextual areas of being a member of the Game Staff. We don't want to ban people who are merely saying "omg you destroyed my fleet, you are SO dead!" but we do have to take all comments such as this very seriously. I urge you all to be extremely careful when making any comments referring to death or finding anyone or ANYTHING remotely in this ballpark. If you think it is questionable: Do not say it!

The ban for this is a universal Ikariam.com ban on all servers, possibly including the board and IRC as well, so be careful and think before you speak.



Q: Someone is threatening to hack my computer/account, what can I do?

A: Again, this is very contextual. I would recommend going to an SGO or Administrator immediately.



Q: Someone is seemingly stalking me and finding out my personal information, what do I do?

A: Contact an Administrator immediately.



Q: Someone threatened to find and kill me or my family, what do I do in this case?

A: Don't panic, the chances that they will actually do this are slim but on anything remotely relating to this topic, contact an SGO or Administrator immediately.

Quoted from "Lissala"

XI. Spam
Any situation intended to saturate a players interface through any method is forbidden.This includes but is not limited to:

• Personal Messages spam
• Advertising other games or content

Q: If I want a friend that I have on Ikariam to try another game with me, am I allowed to give him the link?

A: This depends, if the other game is in direct competition with GameForge (IE a browsergame or MMORPG) then no. If the game is another GameForge game, yes.



Q: I am part of another online gaming community that does not actually have any games, but has a nice community base. Am I allowed to invite my friends to join that?

A: Unless the website is inappropriate in nature and not asking for money or some other nefarious purpose then it should be fine. If you have questions and aren't 100% sure, you should contact a GO.



Q: What if I want to invite everyone in my alliance to another website? Or random people on my island?

A: If you get reported by a few people for advertising other websites, you will be banned for Spam.



Q: Can I get banned for sending too many ingame messages to someone? Alternately, what if someone is sending me a lot of useless ingame messages?

A: This is another contextual thing, I'm afraid. If it is obvious to the GO that you are sending messages to someone solely for the point of filling up their inbox or harassing them, you are subject to being banned.

Quoted from "Lissala"

XII. Content
Anything that causes offense by being of an unacceptable quality that may hurt an individuals integrity is strictly forbidden. The standards in the game environment will be set by the game team to meet the users moral views. Content might be censored, punished in a temporary or permanent basis; no complaints will be processed about this and as always the final word will be with the game team.

Q: Exactly whose Moral Views are used as the standard for Inappropriate Content/Insult bans?

A: The Administration of this community are from America or other English speaking countries. For this reason, we try to reasonably set the restrictions for GOs to enforce on users. If you get banned for something and feel that the GO is wrong, you will want to first take it to the GO. Then to the SGO, and then to the Administrators.



Q: Another player called me names! What do I do?

A: First you should know that name calling is not actually against the rules. The insult bans are typically for inappropriate language, insulting words, more than actual insulting names. So if someone called you an idiot, a moron, or any other form of childish name calling then you will simply have to deal with them yourself.

If a player is swearing at you or saying offensive things, then go to this thread for details on how to report it.



Q: What exactly are Light and Heavy Insult bans for? And wherein lies the difference?

A: Insult bans, as said a moment ago, are more for insulting language such as swearing, lewdness, universally offensive things. These bans are NOT for name calling.

The main difference is obviously that Heavy Insult bans are more offensive, usually aimed at a player rather than swearing in general, and are placed without vacation mode.



Q: I saw someone on the server that I believe has an Inappropriate Town Name/Username/Alliance Information. How do I report this, and what are the standards?

A: The standards here are basically the same as with Insult or Racism bans, except perhaps a little more strict. (See the next question)

Also see this post for information on how to report such things.



Q: Someone made their Username/Town Name/Alliance Information to mock me or my alliance. Can anything be done?

A: Once again this is somewhat contextual. Report it using the Player Report tool (FAQ in the previous question) and a GO will check it. If nothing happens, contact them via the support system at http://support.ikariam.com and ask them officially there to step in.

Quoted from "Lissala"

XIII. Language
The game publisher reserves the right to exclude players from outside the publishing country or these ones who are not able to speak the respective native language.
This includes but is not limited to: Game, Board and IRC official chat-rooms.

Q: This seems a little harsh, does that mean that you can only play if you can read and understand English? Do you have to be American to play this community?

A: The general meaning of this rule is that messages and texts are to be kept in English on this community. That means that all ingame messages you send have to be written in English, or you will receive a ban. This also includes Alliance external texts and descriptions.



Q: When you say that all texts must be written in English, does that also apply to Town, User and Alliance Names? What about Non-English characters?

A: Unless the subject at question is offensive, lewd or swearing in another language we do not censor it on this community. The same goes for Non-English characters. As long as you are not being offensive, we will not ban you for this.



Q: I'm in an alliance that is consisting mostly of people who are not from the United States and speak poor English. Are we allowed to communicate within our alliance in our native tongue?

A: This is kind of a complex issue, even though it seems like a minor one. If the person you are speaking to is fine with you speaking your native tongue, they will not report you and we will not ban you. However, if they DO report you - intentionally or otherwise - Game Staff will have to ban you for this as well.



Q: Well again, my alliance consist mostly of people from one specific region and we all speak the language of that country, is it allowed to have our alliance page in said language?

A: External texts must be kept in English or you will be asked to change them. This includes alliance descriptions, but not internal text. For the most part, internal text is the business of the alliance itself and not subject to the same standards. (Unless extremely offensive.)