Gamemaster Reference

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    1/27

    Gamemaster Reference

    Introduction

    Gamemasters are volunteer helpers who play a vital role in Tibia's rule enforcement. To this end,

    their accounts are endowed with extensive special rights that allow them to effectively monitor and

    control the community. Due to its far-reaching power, the position of gamemaster is one of special

    trust, and only the most dedicated and reliable players are chosen to fill it. The gamemasters' work

    is highly appreciated by CipSoft, but of course, it also requires careful monitoring in order to

    guarantee a consistent and high standard of quality in Tibia's rule enforcement.

    The Tibia gamemaster team is taken care of by CipSoft's customer support department. One

    member of the customer support, who holds the title of "head gamemaster", is specifically assigned

    to the task of assisting gamemasters at day-to-day issues. He is also responsible for overall quality

    control of the gamemaster team, and all gamemasters report directly to him. Note that at least onemember of customer support will also be active as a gamemaster at any point of time during

    CipSoft office hours.

    Below you will find important reference information for all gamemasters. Note that the information

    given here is not intended for the public and should never be forwarded to regular players.

    Contents

    1 Duties and Limitations

    1.1 Duties

    1.2 Code of Conduct for Gamemasters1.3 Limitations

    2 Vacation, Retirement and Dismissal

    2.1 Vacation

    2.2 Retirement

    2.3 Dismissal2.4 Reinstatement as a Gamemaster

    3 Technical Details on Gamemaster Accounts and Characters

    3.1 Gamemaster Accounts

    3.2 Talking Options3.3 Gamemaster Characters

    3.4 Apprentices and Account Groups

    3.5 Gamemaster List

    3.6 The Gamemaster Board

    4 Punishment System

    4.1 Processing Reports

    4.2 Gathering Evidence

    4.3 Performing Banishments

    4.4 Banishment Resolution4.5 Criminal Records

    4.6 Banishment Information4.7 Complaints

    5 Gamemaster Directive

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    2/27

    5.1 Names

    5.2 Statements

    5.3 Cheating

    5.4 Gamemasters5.5 Player Killing

    5.6 Destructive Behaviour

    6 Quick Reference6.1 Gamemaster Account Spells

    6.2 Gamemaster Character Spells

    6.3 Teleportation Marks

    6.4 Talking Options

    1 Duties and Limitations

    1.1 Duties

    a) Enforce the Tibia Rules

    This is your main task as a gamemaster. Monitor the community and process rule violation reports.

    If you find players who violate the rules, punish them according to the regulations given in the

    gamemaster directive (see section 5). Gamemasters take a central position in Tibia's rule

    enforcement, and the community's eyes will consequently rest upon you whenever you are active in

    the game. Make sure to be consistent and just in your decisions at all times. Please keep in mind

    that the guidelines for name and board reports that are laid out in thetutor guide fully apply to

    gamemasters.

    b) Report Back Regularly

    Gamemasters must report all rule violations, bugs, general problems of the game etc. they find.

    Reports should be precise and, wherever possible, based on well-established proof. Moreover,

    gamemasters are required to keep in touch with their fellow team members and with the responsible

    head gamemaster in order to ensure that gamemasters always act as a team. Discuss any new

    questions or problems you have come across with your fellow team members on the private

    gamemaster board. Also, report back to the responsible head gamemaster on a regular basis,

    preferably no less than once per six weeks. Reports should be made via email or via direct contact

    in the game. A good report typically contains a brief summary of your recent gamemaster work as

    well as any problems or questions that have recently come up during your work.

    c) Take Care of Counsellors and Tutors

    Look after the counsellors and tutors and guide them if necessary. This includes answering their

    questions in the game or on the boards, clarifying or correcting wrong statements and also warning

    and reporting them in case of rule breaks or inappropriate behaviour. In urgent and severe cases you

    may dismiss the tutor yourself by inserting a notation or a banishment into his account before

    reporting the matter on the gamemaster board. If a counsellor is involved, get in contact with the

    gamemaster he reports to or with the head gamemaster to resolve the problem.

    d) Be Well-informed

    Gamemasters must often make difficult decisions or help tutors and counsellors to resolve trickysituations. Therefore, it is important that gamemasters are always up-to-date. Remember that, after

    CipSoft, gamemasters are the final authoritative source of information in Tibia, and often it will be

    http://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide
  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    3/27

    up to you to decide what is right and wrong. For this reason it is imperative that gamemasters know

    all relevant documentation beside this reference, including the quickstart,manual, FAQ, security

    hints, tutor guide and, most importantly, the Tibia Rules and its comments. Moreover, gamemasters

    are also expected to know and to understand the website, the various service functions, the client

    and, of course, the game itself. Always make sure to keep up with current developments so you can

    provide regular players, tutors and counsellors with correct, up-to-date information.

    e) Be Active

    Due to the important role of their position, gamemasters are even more required to maintain a

    reasonable level of activity than other helpers such as tutors or counsellors. Tibia needs active

    gamemasters, so make sure to be online regularly to help ensure a decent amount of game

    monitoring at all times. Remember you need not always be active as a gamemaster when being

    online, but even while you are playing you should keep a wary eye on the community. As a rule,

    you are expected be online for at least half an hour every day, but no less than a total of 3 hours per

    week. A gamemaster whose online time in the game falls below the limit of 3 hours per week is

    considered to be inactive.

    f) Observe the Code of ConductGamemasters should act in an appropriate, dignified way befitting their position. There is a special

    code of conduct which gamemasters should follow at all times when communicating with other

    players. Please see the following section for these guidelines.

    g) Answer Complaints

    Log into your account on the website and answer all messages (complaints) sent to you, preferably

    each day, but at least once a week. In your first answer to a complaint you should briefly explain the

    reason for your banishment. Moreover, respond to specific statements made by the player in his

    complaint so he will be able to understand your decision. Of course, you must correct your mistake

    if the complaint of the player is justified!

    1.2 Code of Conduct for Gamemasters

    Gamemasters should observe the following guidelines at all times:

    a) Be Polite

    Maintain a polite and neutral level of conversation with players as well as with your fellow team

    members. Remember that you are expected to act as a role model and deal with problems on a

    professional basis.

    b) Be CalmDo not haste your answers. Take your time. Answer only one question at a time and think carefully.

    If you know you will have to leave soon, it is better to leave that extra question to another team

    member rather than trying to answer in a rush. Also, do not lose your temper if players interfere

    with your work or harass you. Avoid pointless discussions in the game or the forum. It is usually

    better to simply ignore accusations, but if you do feel you must reply, be brief and matter-of-factly.

    Of course, if players start insulting you or committing other rule violations, you should not hesitate

    to punish them according to the rules.

    c) Be Brief

    Some players may try to involve you in pointless discussions. Unless you have plenty of time and

    energy to waste we suggest you do not encourage such players. Try to identify his question andanswer it in a brief, concise statement.

    http://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=quickstarthttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=manualhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=manualhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=faqhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=securityhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=securityhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiaruleshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=quickstarthttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=manualhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=faqhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=securityhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=securityhttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiarules
  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    4/27

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    5/27

    2 Vacation, Retirement and Dismissal

    2.1 Vacation

    Of course, gamemasters are free to take breaks without having to give reasons. However, any

    absences that exceed two weeks in length must be announced in advance in the gamemaster forum.Also, please understand that there must be certain vacation limits to ensure a reasonable amount of

    activity. More specifically, gamemasters must not be inactive for more than a total of 12 weeks a

    year or more than eight weeks in a row per year. Repeated incidents of inactivity will lead to a

    warning and possibly even to a dismissal from service (see section 2.3).

    2.2 Retirement

    Always keep in mind that Tibia needs active gamemasters. If you find that your time in Tibia

    becomes too limited to fulfil your duties regularly, you should consider resigning from your

    position. Of course, you are also free to resign at any time without the need to give reasons. If agamemaster steps down from his position, his account will be reduced to the status of a free player

    and all gamemaster characters will be deleted. Also, you may be invited to become a senator.

    Senators retain an advisory function, and they have access to a special senator board on the forum.

    However, senators no longer hold any other active powers of gamemasters, and they are considered

    to be regular players in all other respects. Please note that the decision as to whether or not a retired

    gamemaster is invited to become a senator rests with CipSoft. Please note that CipSoft may remove

    the title if a senator severely misbehaves.

    2.3 Dismissal

    CipSoft reserves the right to dismiss gamemasters at any point of time without prior notice.

    However, unless a gamemaster has seriously betrayed CipSoft's trust he will be given the

    opportunity to make a statement to the head gamemaster. Also, in case of a minor misconduct a

    gamemaster may receive an official warning rather than being dismissed at once. In such a case, the

    head gamemaster will discuss the problem with the respective gamemaster and give him advice on

    how to improve his performance. Note that gamemasters who have received official warnings may

    also be given a deadline, at the end of which they are expected to have improved the aspect

    criticised by the head gamemaster. Gamemaster warnings remain valid for a duration of one year

    after they have been given. If the concerned gamemaster continues to behave in an unsuitable

    manner, he can be dismissed without further notice.

    Reasons for dismissal from the gamemaster position include, but are not limited to, neglects of the

    gamemaster duties, violations of the gamemaster code of conduct, transgressions of the limitations

    etc. In the following you will find some conceivable scenarios of gamemaster misdemeanours as

    well as short outlines of how CipSoft would react in these cases:

    Inactivity

    A gamemaster will be given a warning by the head gamemaster if he noticeably falls below

    the required minimum amount of activity and has not announced to be on vacation. If other

    problems follow, or if the situation does not improve, he will be dismissed without further

    notice. As a rule, dismissals due to inactivity are considered to be honourable dismissals.

    Bad Standard of Knowledge

    If the head gamemaster finds that a gamemaster is consistently unaware of important current

    developments, or if a gamemaster repeatedly leaves a bad impression in personal interviews,

    the head gamemaster will try to help the gamemaster to improve his knowledge. In severe

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    6/27

    cases or if the situation does not improve the concerned gamemaster will receive a warning.

    If other problems follow or if this problem cannot be removed, he will be dismissed without

    further notice.

    Favouritism

    If the head gamemaster finds that a gamemaster neglects his duties when dealing with

    personal friends in the game, the gamemaster will receive a warning. If he is repeatedly

    caught extending favours to friends, or if there are further incidents of misconduct, thegamemaster will be dismissed dishonourably.

    Bad Quality

    If a gamemaster's work consistently does not meet the required standards, i.e. if he

    inadequately answers complaints, deals with players in an unprofessional manner etc., the

    head gamemaster will contact him and try to help him to improve his standard of work. If no

    substantial improvement follows, however, or if there are other problems, a warning and

    eventually even a dismissal from service will follow. In severe cases such as rude

    misbehaviour in the gamemaster team the dismissal can be dishonourable, and account

    punishments may be imposed.

    Abuse of the Gamemaster Position

    If a gamemaster clearly transgressed the gamemaster limitations, i.e. by abusing his specialrights in order to gain a personal advantage inside or outside the game, he will be dismissed

    without further notice. The dismissal will be considered to be dishonourable, and further

    consequences for the account are sure to follow.

    Violating the Tibia Rules

    If a gamemaster violates the Tibia Rules, he will be dismissed without further notice. The

    dismissal will be considered to be dishonourable, and further consequences for the account

    are sure to follow. Of course, in severe cases such as account sharing or trading the account

    will immediately be deleted.

    2.4 Reinstatement as a Gamemaster

    If a retired gamemaster wishes to return to active duty, he must take up the tutor career again. If he

    has successfully served as an active tutor and senior tutor for some time, his application will be

    considered by the head gamemaster. Please note that CipSoft is under no obligation to reappoint a

    player as a gamemaster, although such players can be sure that their previous achievements will be

    taken into account. Of course, only those former gamemasters who have been dismissed honourably

    are eligible for reappointment. If a senator wants to do so, he has to contact the head gamemaster to

    become a regular player in order to be able to become tutor.

    3 Technical Details on Gamemaster Accounts and Characters

    As soon as an account is promoted to gamemaster status it receives additional special rights and

    abilities on top of the rights that are held by tutors, senior tutors and counsellors. If you log into

    your account on the website, you will see more detailed information as well as various additional

    buttons on various pages of the website. For instance, you can inspect criminal records, view the

    private gamemaster board or perform actions such as deleting inappropriate character or guild

    information. Note that the head gamemaster and other members of the customer support hold even

    more extensive rights which include the viewing of deleted banishments, characters, accounts and

    of complaint threads by regular gamemasters.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    7/27

    3.1 Gamemaster Accounts

    Gamemasters have special rights that help them fulfil their duty when being logged into the game or

    their account page. Since the main task of a gamemaster is to enforce the Tibia Rules, banishing

    accounts is probably the single most important activity. For details on the banishment process

    please see section 4.

    All gamemaster accounts automatically receive premium status. Accounts of gamemasters cannot

    be banished and the names of their characters cannot be reported.

    When they are logged into their respective account page on the website, gamemasters

    can create gamemaster characters (see section 3.3)

    can view criminal records (see section 4.5)

    can edit and delete punishments imposed by themselves(see section 4.6)

    can process complaints concerning punishments they have imposed(see section 4.7)

    can delete character information

    can delete guild descriptionscan report bad posts and threads on the forum (see tutor guide section 7)

    When they are logged into the game, all characters on a gamemaster account

    have additional talking options (see section 3.2)

    can process rule violation reports (see section 4.1)

    can impose banishments, insert notations and report character names (see section 4.3)

    can kick characters from the game

    can teleport players to their home temple

    can place bug reports (see tutor guide section 5)

    For a list of the corresponding spells please check the quick reference (see section 6).

    It is also possible for gamemasters to multi-client, i.e. to have several active clients on the same

    computer at the same time. To do so, you must prepare your client first. Right-click onto your Tibia

    desktop icon, select "Properties", then add the term "gamemaster" behind the target directory. You

    will now be able to open several clients at a time by repeatedly clicking on this icon. However, keep

    in mind that you will only be able to log into these clients with your gamemaster account. Note that

    it is considered to be acceptable for gamemasters to be online with a player character and with one

    or more gamemaster characters at the same time.

    3.2 Talking Options

    Just like tutors and counsellors, all characters on gamemaster accounts also automatically use

    orange font in the help channel. Moreover, gamemasters and counsellors have access to individual

    channels on the client. Counsellors can join a specific counsellor channel, while gamemasters can

    enter both the counsellor channel and the gamemaster channel.

    The following options are available to counsellors and higher ranks.

    a) Broadcasts

    You can reach all players on a world at the same time by making broadcasts (syntax: #b [message]).

    Broadcasts should be used sparely and only in urgent and important cases of public interest to make

    sure that players always realise the importance of the gamemaster's message. If you do a broadcast,you can safely expect to be flooded with private messages for the following couple of minutes.

    http://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide#oardreportshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide#ugreportshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide#oardreportshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide#ugreports
  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    8/27

    b) Red Warning in a Channel

    You have the option to send a red message into a channel to remind all players in this channel of the

    rules or to emphasise information (syntax: #c [message]). This comes in handy e.g. in cases of

    repeated spamming or offensive statements.

    c) Red Warning in a Message to a Player

    You may warn players who do not obey the rules by messaging them in red (syntax: @name@[message]). This special kind of private message will be displayed to a player even if he has put you

    on ignore. Again, do not overuse it. If players get too used to being messaged in red, they might not

    respect it as a sign of authority anymore.

    3.3 Gamemaster Characters

    If you create a new character in your gamemaster account, you will find a special option below the

    server choice to determine the position of the new character:

    None(Normal character without any special gamemaster rights):

    This is the type of character which you are used to. However, all of those normal charactersare able to perform special actions as described above.

    Gamemaster(Character with special gamemaster rights):

    Gamemaster characters have a number of special attributes and abilities as listed below.

    Gamemaster characters

    are invulnerable

    wear a special outfit

    glow in the dark

    are not deleted, even if they are not used for a long time

    cannot attack players or creatures

    are ignored by creaturesare unaffected by logout blocks

    will not appear in any statistics on the website

    are not considered for the limit of 20 characters per account

    cannot carry items

    can adjust their walking speed

    can teleport to other characters

    can teleport to special marks

    can disintegrate movable objects

    can use rope spots without a rope

    can open loose stone piles without tools

    can cut jungle grass and harvest ripe wheat without tools

    For a list of the corresponding spells please check the quick reference (see section 6).

    If you choose to create a gamemaster character, the prefix "GM" will automatically be added to the

    name you enter, e.g. entering "John" and choosing the gamemaster option will create a gamemaster

    character called "GM John". To avoid confusion among the team members, please create and use

    mainly characters which contain the name of the character you are listed with in the gamemaster list

    (e.g. "GM John of Rubera"). Note that we recommend choosing a name that differs from that of

    your favourite game characters to make sure you can go on playing peacefully, especially if your

    home world is on a PvP or a PvP-enforced server. Needless to say, the name should also comply

    with our Tibia Rules.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    9/27

    3.4 Apprentices and Account Groups

    There are currently five types of account groups: customer support, gamemasters, counsellors,

    tutors and senators. Gamemasters are appointed by the head gamemaster. Players can advance to the

    rank of a tutor automatically, provided they meet certain requirements and pass the tutor exam.

    While some gamemasters still have counsellors as apprentices, they are no longer entitled to hire or

    dismiss counsellors. Similarly, they may not appoint tutors, although they can cause any tutor'sdismissal by giving him a notation or a banishment if the tutor does not attend his duties correctly.

    For in-depth information on the tutor system, the requirements for becoming a tutor as well as a

    detailed description of their duties, rights and limitations please see thetutor guide. The honorary

    title of a senator is bestowed by CipSoft upon former volunteer helpers who served the Tibian

    community well. Senators retain an advisory function, but they no longer hold any active powers of

    their former positions. They are considered to be regular players in all other respects. Please note

    that only retired gamemasters, counsellors or long-term tutors may become senators. The decision

    as to whether or not a former helper is invited to become a senator rests with CipSoft. Note that it is

    not possible to be tutor and senator at the same time.

    Note that confidential information given to gamemasters must not be forwarded to counsellors,tutors, senators or players. Also, every team member has to cooperate with superiors according to

    the hierarchy.

    3.5 Gamemaster List

    On the website in the community section you can find up-to-date lists ofgamemasters and

    counsellors. Note that the gamemaster section divides into a list of all regular volunteer

    gamemasters such as yourself and a list of all members of the customer support. Also, if you are

    logged in with your gamemaster account, you will see the name of the customer support member

    the various gamemasters are assigned to. This customer support member is typically the currenthead gamemaster. By clicking on the button "View" you can access the character information page

    of the corresponding person.

    3.6 The Gamemaster Board

    As a gamemaster, you have access to the private gamemaster board. This board is the meeting place

    where gamemasters can resolve day-to-day issues or discuss specific issues with each other. Also,

    this is the official place to contact the head gamemaster, so whenever you have problems or

    questions about your work this is the place to turn to. Moreover, the private gamemaster board is

    the place to request final warnings, deletions or additional investigations. Note that there are specialthreads reserved for these topics. All gamemasters are expected to maintain the thread discipline.

    4 Punishment System

    The gamemasters' main duty is to enforce theTibia Rules. They play a vital role in the processing

    of rule violation reports, the gathering and evaluation of evidence, the punishing of accounts, and

    the answering of player complaints. The standard penalty handed out by gamemasters is the

    banishment, a temporary exclusion of an account from the game and the forum. However,

    gamemasters can also make any kind of report tutors, senior tutors and counsellors can do, i.e. they

    can report illegal names and board statements to the customer support. Please keep in mind that the

    guidelines for name and board reports that are laid out in the tutor guideand the various references

    on the tutor board also fully apply to gamemasters.

    http://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=gamemasterhttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=counsellorhttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiaruleshttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiaruleshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=gamemasterhttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=counsellorhttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiaruleshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide
  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    10/27

    4.1 Processing Reports

    Rule violations are typically reported to gamemasters or counsellors via the rule violation channel

    in the client. The rule violation channel in the game shows all rule violation reports that have

    recently been submitted by players on the current game world. They will be displayed until they are

    removed by a gamemaster or counsellor, or until the reporting player closes them or logs out. To

    open the channel, press the key combination Ctrl+O or select it from the channel list. To attend arequest, right-click onto it and choose "Process [player]". A new private message channel opens in

    which you can talk to the player who made the request and help him with his problem. Your name

    will be displayed to him as "Counsellor". This is a protective measure because it is often better for

    gamemasters to remain anonymous. However, keep in mind that you are under no obligation to

    keep this anonymity.

    As a rule, you should only process requests about rule violations or questions concerning the rules.

    Any other topics should be referred to the help channel or the documentation on the website.

    Answer the request briefly and politely. Explain to the player what you will do concerning the

    request or why you cannot help him. Do not let yourself be caught in an extensive discussion and

    lead the request to a quick and precise result. If a player starts switching to a topic that does notconcern a rule violation, refer him to the help channel.

    You may remove senseless rule violation reports without talking to the player by right-clicking

    them and choosing "Remove [player]". The concerned player will receive the message that his

    request has been finished. However, this should not become a habit since it is quite impolite. It is

    only acceptable in cases of senseless spam or insults. Keep in mind that players who repeatedly

    abuse the rule violation report function despite having been given a clear warning can be banished.

    A word on private messages: Players are not supposed to message gamemasters directly, so you are

    under no obligation to answer. Of course, you are free to reply if a message seems promising orcredible. However, in this case it is a good idea to tell the player to make a regular rule violation

    report first, as players should not be encouraged to send private messages to gamemasters.

    Apart from using the rule violation channel, players can also make rule violation reports by posting

    on the public gamemaster board. Gamemasters are expected to keep an eye on this board while they

    are online and to process the reports that are posted there. Remember to post a brief reply on the

    respective thread whenever you have dealt with the reported rule violation, so the player and other

    gamemasters will be able to tell unattended reports from attended ones.

    4.2 Gathering Evidence

    As has been stated in the gamemaster code of conduct, gamemasters are required to gather solid

    evidence before banishing. Verify reports personally and gather evidence. Do not trust in

    screenshots, chat logs, tibiacam files, or similar kinds of evidence as they can be faked easily. Keep

    in mind that despite their role as reporters of bad names and bugs, tutors as well as counsellors are

    considered to be regular players. For this reason reports made by tutors and counsellors should be

    approached with the same kind of wary caution as reports made by any other regular player.

    Only the testimony of customer support members or of gamemasters such as yourself is accepted as

    solid evidence. Consequently, there is no need to gather additional proof or to start investigations if

    you have credible evidence. Keep in mind, however, that gamemasters have to answer to the head

    gamemaster, and complaints will be checked carefully.

    Needless to say, the best kind of evidence you can get is when you catch a player red-handed.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    11/27

    However, any evidence provided by the player himself is also considered to be fully credible. This

    includes confessions to the gamemaster and statements or links on the player's account page. Note

    that subsequent claims by players to have lied, to have been sarcastic etc. are not accepted.

    Once you have come to the conclusion that a player deserves a punishment, contact him and inform

    him about his rule break before actually banishing, as this helps a lot to avoid questions and

    complaints. This is especially important for notations, as players do not get a message whenreceiving them.

    Finally, a word on names: Before reporting a name make sure that it actually violates the Tibia

    Rules. Remember that you risk getting a bad report if you repeatedly report names which are

    definitely not against the Tibia Rules, and bad reports will be taken into account by the head

    gamemaster. Needless to say, reports of borderline names will not lead to a bad entry in your

    record.

    4.3 Performing Punishments

    Once you have gathered solid evidence and informed the player, you can proceed to the actual step

    of punishing the player. All punishments and name reports are made in the game using a special

    client dialog. Open the dialog "Banishments & Namelocks" either by hitting the key combination

    Ctrl+Y or by right-clicking on a player you wish to report or punish and choose "Rule Violation"

    from the context menu. The dialog consists of the following parts:

    a) Name

    Enter the name of the player that should be reported for a namelock, banished or get a notation.

    When you open the dialog by right-clicking on a player, the name of this character will already be

    inserted in this field. Note that you cannot leave this field empty.

    b) Reason

    This menu lists up to 29 potential punishment reasons that are based on the Tibia Rules, including

    the individual numbers of each rule:

    1a) Offensive name

    1b) Name containing part of sentence

    1b) Name with nonsensical letter combination

    1b) Invalid name format

    1c) Name not describing person

    1c) Name of celebrity

    1c) Name referring to country

    1c) Name to fake player identity

    1c) Name to fake official position

    2a) Offensive statement

    2b) Spamming

    2c) Advertisement not related to game

    2c) Real money advertisement

    2d) Non-English public statement

    2d) Off-topic public statement

    2e) Inciting rule violation

    3a) Bug abuse

    3b) Game weakness abuse3c) Macro use

    3d) Using unofficial software to play

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    12/27

    3e) Hacking

    3f) Multi-clienting

    3g) Account trading

    3g) Account sharing

    4a) Threatening gamemaster

    4b) Pretending to have official position

    4b) Pretending to have influence on gamemaster4c) False report to gamemaster

    Destructive behaviour

    Tutors and counsellors can use a limited version of this dialog which only allows them to report

    names (1a to 1c). Of course, they are not allowed to hand out notations or banishments.

    Please select the applicable punishment reason from the menu. If a player commits several rule

    breaks at once (e.g. spamming insults), choose the rule violation you consider to be the most serious

    in the case at hand. In such cases it is a good idea to add an explanatory comment which mentions

    potential other rule breaks committed at the same time as explained further below. Make sure to

    select the correct reason for your punishment to avoid confusion and discussions due to suchmistakes.

    If none of these reasons adequately describes the offence, you may select the reason "Destructive

    behaviour". This should only be used as a last resort since most possible offences are covered by the

    other reasons. It is required to add a detailed comment to the banishment to explain the nature of the

    destructive behaviour.

    c) Action

    This menu is used to select the action that needs to be taken. Depending on your position and the

    punishment reason chosen you will see the following options:

    Notation:Notations are entries in criminal records that can be handed out for any offence. Unlike

    banishments, they usually do not result in a player's exclusion from the game or the forum.

    They should therefore be given to players as a warning to follow the rules in future.

    However, as they are considered to be official punishments you should take them into

    account when forming your opinion on a player. Always make sure to check an account's

    criminal record before deciding on what punishment to give. If a player has one or more

    previous notations, he may be banished even if his most recent offence was comparatively

    minor. Also, as players do not receive automatic messages upon receiving a notation you

    should make sure to tell players when giving them a notation.

    Note that notations that are being given by the system for spoiling house auctions are

    actually taken into account for the banishment progression. A notation for spoiling auctions

    will automatically result in a regular banishment if there already are two previous notations

    for spoiling auctions on the account's criminal record.

    Namelock:

    Use this option to report a character name to the customer support. Upon reporting the name,

    the character will not be kicked from the game. However, once the name report has been

    approved by the customer support, the character cannot log into the game or be used to post

    at the forum until it has been successfully renamed. This option is available to tutors,

    counsellors, gamemasters and the customer support for all punishment reasons concerning

    violations of the name rules. If the name has already been reported or confirmed as valid,

    you will receive a message. Please keep in mind that the guidelines on reporting names thatare detailed in the tutor guide and the name report reference apply for all name reporters,

    including gamemasters.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    13/27

    Namelock/AccountBan:

    Use this option to report a name to the customer support and to apply an account banishment

    according to the banishment progression. The concerned player is forced to leave the game

    immediately and remains excluded from the game as well as from the boards. The duration

    is determined according to the banishment progression by default. Players should be

    punished like this if they have intentionally created a character with an offensive name, or if

    they have tried to fake the name of another player or an official title in order to fool others.If the name has already been reported, you will receive a corresponding message, but the

    banishment will be carried out unless the player is also banished already. If the namelock is

    not approved by the customer support, the banishment will automatically be lifted. This

    option is available to gamemasters and the customer support for all punishment reasons

    concerning violations of the name rules.

    Namelock/AccountBan + FinalWarning:

    This is an additional option only available to the head gamemaster and to other customer

    support members. All that has been said concerning Namelock/AccountBans also applies

    here, however, a final warning is also added to the successfully executed banishment. The

    banishment is automatically set to a duration of 30 days.

    AccountBan:This is the standard banishment type used for most rule violations. The concerned player is

    forced to leave the game immediately and is excluded from the game as well as from the

    boards. The duration is set according to the banishment progression by default, but you may

    adjust it in important cases on the website as explained below. If an account has already

    been banished, you will receive an according message and no additional banishment will be

    carried out. This option is available to gamemasters and the customer support for all

    punishment reasons except for violations concerning the name rules.

    AccountBan + FinalWarning:

    This is an additional option that is only available to the customer support. Everything

    concerning AccountBans also applies here, however, a final warning is also added to the

    successfully executed banishment. The banishment is automatically set to a duration of 30

    days.

    d) Comment

    In this field you can enter a comment concerning the punishment to provide further details for

    purposes of reference (e.g. part of offensive statement). Explanatory comments are especially

    important if a player committed several rule breaks at once, or if you have selected the reason

    "destructive behaviour". Note that you must not leave the comment field empty when reporting

    names. This field is available to tutors, counsellors, gamemasters and the customer support for all

    punishment reasons.

    e) IP Address BanishmentBy checking this box, you can apply an IP address banishment in addition to an account

    banishment. It has a standard duration of 24 hours and cannot be adjusted or changed anymore

    unless the whole banishment is deleted. During this period of time no account playing from this IP

    address can log into the game. This option is available to gamemasters and to the customer support

    for all punishment reasons. Note that this kind of banishment can only be used if the character is

    online. Also, please keep in mind that this kind of banishment should be used with caution, as it is

    possible that more players are affected than the one who committed the rule violation. It is

    recommended to hand out IP address banishments only if a player keeps on violating the rules using

    different accounts despite having been banished already.

    After checking the entries you made click the button "Ok" to submit the punishment or to report thename. Note that you have to provide at least a name, a reason, an action and, if the rule violation

    was connected to an illegal name, a comment before you submit, else the banishment cannot be

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    14/27

    performed. You will receive a message informing you about the success or failure of the action.

    Keep in mind that it is not possible to banish an account while a previous banishment is still active,

    although namelocks or notations may still be given. If you find a player has already been banished

    for a different rule violation, simply extend his banishment. For instructions on how to modify

    banishments please see below. Also, note that it is not possible to namelock, banish, or give

    notations to gamemaster accounts. A tutor, counsellor or gamemaster who attempts to do so will

    receive a corresponding error message. Finally, if you change your mind, click button "Cancel" todiscard all entries and to close the dialog.

    4.4 Banishment Resolution

    Whenever a player is banished, the system automatically reviews the account's criminal record and

    determines the banishment duration accordingly. The duration increases with each banishment, until

    the account is eventually deleted. This is the so-called "banishment progression".

    The standard banishment durations are automatically set in the following way:

    First offence: 7 daysSecond offence (different rule violation): 15 days

    Second offence (same rule violation as with first offence): 30 days and final warning

    Third offence (no previous final warning): 30 days and final warning

    Fourth offence or previous final warning: Infinite banishment duration. The account is

    reported to the customer support for revision. Unless the punishment is unjustified, however,

    the account will be scheduled for deletion.

    The idea behind the banishment progression is to make sure players who violate the rules repeatedly

    or in a systematic manner are dealt with effectively. Note that no difference is made between free

    and premium accounts. Keep in mind, however, that notations, namelocks or IP banishments do not

    count towards the banishment progression.

    Account deletions are usually preceded by so-called "final warnings". These warnings are added if a

    player receives a second banishment for the same rule violation, or if an account is banished for the

    third time. This final warning will be displayed in red letters in the criminal record to make the

    player understand that further rule violations will result in permanent exclusion of the account from

    the game. Note that if a rule violation is especially serious (e.g. account trading or the use of

    macros), a gamemaster can also request a final warning for the account, even though this is the first

    banishment for the account. Requests for final warnings must be made on the corresponding thread

    on the gamemaster board. If the head gamemaster agrees that a rule violation justifies a final

    warning, he will manually add the final warning and extend the banishment duration to 30 days.

    Although gamemasters cannot add final warnings themselves, they can adjust banishment durations

    if they feel the seriousness of a rule violation justifies such a step. If you think that a player's

    banishment should be reduced or extended, you can subsequently change the default duration. To

    do so, view the banishment in the criminal record of the player as explained further below in section

    4.6. Note, however, that this has no effect on the banishment progression. For example, if you

    change the banishment duration of the first offence from 7 to 20 days, the next rule break done by

    the player will be punished normally with either 15 days or with 30 days and a final warning,

    depending on the type of rule violation as explained above.

    Unless the punishment was a namelock, you can also delete entries in the criminal record if it

    should prove to be unjustified, or add, remove or edit the comment of the criminal record entry.However, regular gamemasters can only adjust their own punishments, and only within the time

    frame of a certain objection period as explained below. The head gamemaster and other members of

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    15/27

    the customer support are allowed to edit all punishments (except for namelocks), even if the

    objection period has passed.

    If an account with a final warning in its criminal record is banished again, the banishment duration

    will be automatically set to infinite. Also, a deletion information will be added. Once the objection

    period has passed the account will be automatically reported to the customer support. Once the

    deletion is confirmed by the customer support the account can no longer be used by the player, andit will not be displayed to other players anymore. Note that gamemasters also can request immediate

    account deletions on the gamemaster board if they feel the seriousness of a rule violation justifies

    such a step, or if they believe that the respective account is a worthless account that has been

    created for the sole purpose of creating trouble ("trash account"). However, the final say on when an

    account is deleted always rests with the customer support.

    4.5 Criminal Records

    Every account has a criminal record which lists all punishments applied due to rule violations of the

    player. If an account has not received a single punishment yet, or if the last rule violation is olderthan 6 months, no criminal record for this account will be shown. To inspect the criminal record of

    a player, first log into your account, go to community/characters and enter the name of a character

    the player uses. The character information page will show the criminal record of the account

    containing this character.

    Criminal records consist of the following parts:

    a) Date

    The time and date when the punishment was performed.

    b) CharacterThe name of the character which received the punishment.

    c) Type

    One of the following types of entries:

    AccBan: Banishment of the complete account. For the duration of the banishment no character

    of the account may log into the game or post on the forum.

    IP: Banishment of the IP address for 24 hours. During this time no player using this IP address

    is allowed to log into the game.

    Namelock: Change of character name due to a violation of a name rule.

    Notation: A comment or warning in the criminal record without any immediate consequence

    except for tutors, who are dismissed automatically upon receiving a notation.

    d) Reason for the Banishment

    One of 29 predefined reasons as explained further above as well as possibly an additional comment

    shown in brackets and/or a final warning displayed in red.

    e) Duration

    The length in days or the status of the punishment (if applicable). Namelocks can have four

    different status types:

    Reported: The corresponding name has already been reported, but the namelock has not yet

    been approved by the customer support. The character can still log into the game.Locked: The namelock is approved by the customer support, but the player has not yet

    suggested a new name. From this point on, the character is blocked from the game until it

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    16/27

    has been successfully renamed.

    Pending: The player has suggested a new name which has not yet been accepted by the

    customer support.

    Renamed: The player has suggested a new name which has been approved by the customer

    support. The character is renamed and can log into the game again.

    If the banishment duration is shown as infinite, the player is either banished for invalid payment or

    the account is investigated for a probable deletion due to too many rule breaks. A banishment due toinvalid payment does not count to the banishment progression and will lead to a deletion in repeated

    cases.

    f) Gamemaster

    The name of the gamemaster who performed the banishment or the name of the tutor or counsellor

    who reported a name. Please take note that this information is confidential and not to be given out

    to the banished player.

    4.6 Banishment Information

    By clicking on the button "View" in the line of an entry in a criminal record you can display further

    details of the punishment and adjust them. Please note that not all of the details mentioned below

    are viewable for you or displayed at all, depending on the type of punishment and on your position.

    a) Type

    A short description about the type of the punishment and its effect.

    b) Warning or Note (red text)

    If a final warning was added to the account banishment, the text of the final warning will be

    displayed here ("Account will be deleted in case of further rule violations!"). If the banishment is

    infinite due to a rule break committed after a final warning, the account deletion is announced inthis line ("Account scheduled for deletion!").

    c) Modified by (red text)

    The name of the last gamemaster who modified the punishment.

    d) Modification date (red text)

    The date when the punishment was last modified.

    e) Character

    Name of the character who received the punishment.

    f) Reason

    One of 29 predefined punishment reasons as explained further above in section 4.3.

    g) Comment

    This field displays additional explanations or details concerning the punishment which the

    gamemaster specified when performing the banishment as explained in section 4.3. During the

    objection period, gamemasters can add, remove or edit the comment. Customer support members

    can add, remove or edit all comments to a banishment for an unlimited period of time unless the

    banishment is deleted.

    h) Gamemaster

    The name of the gamemaster who performed the punishment. In case of namelocks you will find

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    17/27

    the name of the reporting tutor, counsellor or gamemaster here.

    i) Date

    The time and date when the punishment was performed.

    j) Until

    The time and date when the banishment will be lifted.

    k) Duration

    This pull-down menu is used to modify the length of the banishment by either the gamemaster who

    performed the corresponding banishment or any customer support member to anything between 1

    and 30 days. It is possible to set a banishment with an infinite duration to a certain amount of days,

    but not vice versa. After the objection period has passed, the banishment is finalised and cannot be

    changed anymore by a regular gamemaster. However, the customer support can still modify all

    banishments for an unlimited period of time unless the banishment is deleted.

    l) Warning

    This check box can only be seen by the customer support. When checked and submitted, a finalwarning will be added to the corresponding banishment. By unchecking, you can also remove final

    warnings. If a banishment was deleted, the check box is not available anymore.

    m) Deletion

    This check box is displayed for the gamemaster who performed the banishment as well as for all

    customer support members. By checking and submitting, the entry in the criminal record will be

    removed. Only the customer support can still view deleted banishments, which will be displayed in

    grey. However, they cannot be edited anymore. Note that a deleted entry cannot be restored

    anymore.

    By clicking on the button "Submit" which only appears if you have the right to modify the

    banishment, the changes you made become active and the banishment is adjusted. If you click on

    the button "Back", you return to the overview of the criminal record and possible changes are

    discarded.

    Additionally, the customer support and the gamemaster who performed the punishment can read the

    complete complaint thread in this view.

    4.7 Complaints

    Starting from the day the punishment was performed a player has seven days to complain if heconsiders a punishment to be unjustified. If no objections are being raised during this period of

    time, the punishment will be finalised and it can neither be adjusted, deleted nor complained about

    anymore. Only the responsible head gamemaster or another customer support member will be able

    to modify the punishment.

    Once the player has complained the objection period is paused until he receives a reply from the

    corresponding gamemaster. When the answer of the gamemaster arrives in his account the objection

    period is reset to seven days. This means that a player can continue the discussion until he does not

    take any further action for at least seven days, or until the complaint has been closed by the head

    gamemaster or by some other customer support member.

    Note that players are not allowed to file complaints about namelocks, auto-banishments or about

    punishments performed by the customer support.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    18/27

    When answering complaints, stay polite and answer any questions that the player may have

    concerning his punishment. There are a number of very common points raised in complaints,

    including questions concerning the violated rule, claims that somebody else actually committed the

    rule violation, and many more. The standard answers supplied on the private gamemaster board

    cover all common lines of argument that can be found in player complaints. They should help you

    to handle most common cases efficiently and correctly. Keep in mind, though, that the answers areonly standard replies. You are encouraged to adjust them according to each specific case.

    Furthermore, keep in mind that a good reply to a player complaint should also contain a brief

    summary of what has happened from your perspective. Remember that complaints are often

    forwarded by the player to the head gamemaster for revision. Since players frequently do not give

    coherent descriptions of what has happened the head gamemaster often has to rely on the

    gamemaster for detailed information. For this reason obscure statements such as "You know why

    you are banished" will not be appreciated. Always keep in mind that head gamemasters can check

    the complaint thread belonging to a punishment anytime by viewing the entry in the criminal record

    of a player as described in the previous section.

    If a player should commit further rule violations in his complaint, e.g. by making offensive

    statements or by admitting to further rule violations, you should clearly warn him and in severe

    cases also add a banishment or extend the existing banishment's duration.

    5 Gamemaster Directive

    The aim of this section is to give practical hints and advice concerning individual rule violations.

    For this reason, the following structure mirrors that of the Tibia Rules. The first five sections cover

    the same types of rule violations as the rules, while the final section focuses on a number of special

    cases.

    5.1 Names

    Names that violate the Tibia Rules should be reported to the customer support via the punishment

    dialog as explained above. This will not remove the character from the game or influence him in

    any way. As soon as the name report is approved by the customer support (usually within the next

    24 hours), the character cannot log into the game anymore or be used to post at the forum until he

    has been successfully renamed.

    Once a name has been approved by the customer support, it is not possible to report it again.However, if you have serious objections against a name which was approved, please report the

    approved name and explain. If it is not obvious why the name violates a rule (e.g. name in a foreign

    language or name of the faked character), please use the comment field to explain the violation.

    Moreover, double-check reports of such bad names made by players to make sure the reports are

    correct. Please note that all reports of approved names must be made on the thread on the tutor

    board that is reserved for this task, including reports made by gamemasters.

    For a full description of the process as well as for useful hints on when to report names please see

    the tutor guide as well as the name reference on the tutor board. Note, however, that even though

    the process of reporting names is identical for all classes of helpers, gamemasters have the privilege

    of being able to apply banishments in addition to namelocks if they find a name justifies such astep. Three kinds of name reports may be accompanied by banishments: Offensive names, names

    that are intended to fake the identity of another player, or names that have been created to fake an

    http://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiaruleshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/community/?subtopic=tibiaruleshttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide
  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    19/27

    official position.

    Reports of namefaking should always be accompanied by banishments once you have established

    beyond doubt that the player intentionally and with malicious intent faked another player or an

    official position. Mildly offensive names may be let off without a banishment, but any name that

    clearly violates name rule 1a should be banished according to the progression. Note that it is never

    necessary to re-edit banishments for illegal names, as any such banishment is reviewed by thecustomer support during the name process anyway. The corresponding support member can adjust

    the banishment duration or, if necessary, even delete concerned accounts at once.

    A word on guild names: Finally, please note that the name rules also apply to guild names, guild

    ranks and guild titles as described in the comments. Contact the leader of the guild to remove a

    name problem. In severe cases or if the guild leader does not cooperate, banish the guild leader and

    remove the bad titles or ranks at the guild page (you have to be logged into your account for this

    action). In case of the guild name the head gamemaster or any other customer support member

    should disband the whole guild after a warning to the guild members.

    5.2 Statements

    Statements that violate the rules can be found in many places, including the forum, character

    information on the website and, of course, in the game itself. Note that statements made by players

    can be used as valid evidence against them. Subsequent claims to have been ironic or sarcastic are

    not accepted, although you should, of course, always consider the context of the statement when

    banishing. Also, keep in mind that attempts to render statements more harmless by using wild-

    characters or abbreviations (e.g. "f**ker", "stfu!") should not be rewarded.

    Gamemasters can report illegal statements made on the boards just like senior tutors and counsellors

    can. For details on making board reports please see the instructions and guidelines provided in thetutor guide as well as the board report reference on the tutor board. Again, please keep in mind that

    the guidelines that are laid out in the tutor guide fully apply to all classes of helpers, including

    gamemasters. There is no need to provide any extra rule enforcement, as the customer support will

    process the report and, if necessary, apply punishments to the posting player.

    As far as the website is concerned, any text, link etc. that can be edited by players is considered to

    be a statement, and if any of these statements violates the rules in any way, the player may be

    punished accordingly. Evidence that is provided by players against themselves is considered to be

    valid. Thus, character comments such as "new owner" are sufficient reason to banish the account, as

    are links to images that clearly show the character violating a rule. If a different character is shown

    while violating a rule, you may consider handing out a punishment for "Inciting rule violation",provided the image has clearly not been attached with the intention to criticise or accuse the player.

    Keep in mind that the evidence provided by such screenshots must be unambiguous. If you cannot

    establish beyond doubt that a rule has been broken, you must not punish the player.

    Once you have handed out a punishment to a player for an illegal statement on his account page,

    character comment or guild page, you should remove the statement. However, remember to leave a

    note in the banishment comment that the respective statement has been deleted to inform any future

    gamemaster or customer support member who checks the players criminal record.

    Finally, some comments on statements made in the game. Needless to say, the points that have been

    raised at the beginning of this section also apply to statements of this kind. However, even thoughthey are considered to be valid evidence, gamemasters should respect the privacy of players. For

    this reason, they should not attempt to sneak into private chat channels or guild chats to serve as

    http://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguidehttp://www.tibia.com/guide/?subtopic=tutorguide
  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    20/27

    witnesses while other players try to trick alleged rule violators into confessing. Only statements that

    are directly made to gamemasters may be used as evidence, as are all kinds of statements that are

    made in the public.

    As a rule, we suggest the following procedure for public statements in the game:

    First off, give a clear warning using red text. You may also consider handing out notations to

    players to add weight to your warning. In this case you should make sure to inform therespective players of their notations, though. Also, check the player's criminal record

    beforehand to see if he has made illegal statements before.

    If players do not heed your warning, you should apply account banishments according to

    progression. Needless to say, statements that seriously violate the rules should result in

    instant banishments.

    Also, the special problems posed by individual statement rules must be taken into consideration.

    Offensive statement

    Statements can vary greatly in offensiveness. For this reason, punishments may be anything

    between mere warnings and 30 days + final warning. Examples of extremely offensive

    statements include seriously racist remarks, extremely foul insults etc. Note that, as a rule,

    statements that are meant to attack or insult others are considered to be worse than, say,

    simple exclamations of disgust or anger. Thus, of the two common exclamations "Stfu" and

    "wtf", the first one is definitely more insulting and thus more offensive than the second.

    Spamming

    Even though there are technical impediments, it is still possible to spam in Tibia. Examples

    of spamming include excessive repetitions within single statements on the trade channel

    ("Buy Sword!Buy Sword!Buy Sword!Buy Sword!") and the use of so-called ASCII art.

    Moreover, if players deliberately and systematically repeat statements within the allowed

    frame of the automatic spam control over and over again, they may also be banished.

    Punishments for spamming should range between notations and banishments according toprogression.

    Advertisement not related to the game

    The seriousness of this rule violation can also differ greatly depending on the intention of

    the player and the nature of the item that is being advertised. Players who casually discuss

    about merchandise products of their favourite football club may be let off with notations. On

    the other hand, if a player deliberately advertises websites, commercial products, other

    games etc., he should be banished according to progression. Extreme cases should be

    reported on the final warning thread.

    Real money advertisement

    Apart from any general advertisements that are not related to the game, this rule explicitly

    covers the public advertising of real money trades like buying or selling Premium Accountsor items. This may seem paradoxical as, for example, the purchase of Premium Accounts is

    actually supported on the website. Of course, it is acceptable for players to have their

    Premium Accounts paid by relatives, friends or even persons who act like resellers.

    However, these persons may not offer or request these deals in the public. The reason for

    this is that we have often found that public advertising of real money trades has lead to

    incidents of players being tricked. However, note that actual trades of Tibia items for real

    money are not illegal, and players must not be banished for this reason as long as they do not

    offer or ask for trades in public. Real money advertisements should be banished according to

    progression. In severe cases such as low-level free account players offering Premium

    Accounts to many other players you should even request a final warning, as you can be sure

    that they do it only to trick others.Non-English public statement

    When dealing with non-English statements you should take the careful approach outlined

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    21/27

    above, i.e. you should warn players beforehand. Banish only if your warnings are not

    heeded, or if you have reason to believe that the statement in question also violates the rule

    in some other way.

    Off-topic public statement

    Generally, players should only use the various chat channels for their specific purposes that

    are laid out in the manual. However, note that both recruiting players for guilds and for

    quests are tolerated in the trade channel, although it originally was not designed for thispurpose. On the other hand, calls for help should be taken to the game chat unless they

    concern aspects that are covered by the help channel. Players who make off-topic statements

    should be warned or, if they do not heed the warning, banished according to the progression.

    Inciting rule violation

    This rule violation has a tendency to be quite serious, so unless there is a clear indication

    that a player did not know what he was doing, he should be banished according to

    progression or even be reported to the head gamemaster for a final warning.

    Finally, please note that players making statements that violate the cheating rules such as selling

    accounts, admitting the use of cheat tools or publishing links to hack websites should be banished

    with the reason of the corresponding cheating rule. For more information please see the nextsection.

    5.3 Cheating

    A variety of diverse rule violations are subsumed under this term, including, among others, the

    abuse of game flaws, the use of unofficial software to play the game, or the trading of accounts

    between players. As a rule, offences of this class are usually harder to prove than other rule

    violations, and they typically require careful investigation. Also, rule violations of this kind tend to

    be more serious than others, punishments are often extremely tough.

    Bug abuseYou can safely assume that players who abuse bugs know what they are doing, so solid

    punishments should be applied. In other words, the abuse of bugs should be punished by a

    banishment of 30 days plus a final warning. Please remember to report any bugs you find so

    they can be removed as soon as possible.

    Game weakness abuse

    While bugs are errors of the game or the website, game weaknesses are actually intended to

    work the way they do. For example, the fact that characters who try to log in at a blocked

    spot are teleported to their home temple is often abused by players, but since it is actually

    intended to work that way, this is game weakness abuse rather than a bug abuse. Other

    typical examples of game weakness abuse include blocking characters on Non-PvP worlds

    or on Rookgaard, blocking NPC's by continually greeting them etc. Players who abuse gameweaknesses should be banished according to the progression.

    Macro use

    The use of macros to make characters automatically perform or repeat narrowly defined

    actions is a serious rule violation. Typical examples of macro functions include the rapid

    changing of outfits, the automatic casting of spells, automatic dancing to avoid logout due to

    inactivity, or even automatic hunting. Always report macroers to the head gamemaster and

    request final warnings. A word on so-called logout bots: These macros automatically log out

    characters as soon as a gamemaster or perhaps a player enters the screen. If you suspect a

    player uses a logout bot, teleport there with your battle list open and make a screenshot. If a

    player logs out on you as soon as you teleport to him and the surrounding factors like lots of

    fish, quiet, well-hidden place, previous reports etc. point to the interpretation that a macrowas at work, you are free to banish. Alternatively, if you are not sure, we suggest you put the

    character on your VIP list for future investigation.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    22/27

    Using unofficial software to play

    The use of any other software to play the game on top of the official client is considered to

    be illegal, as is the use of modified versions of the official client and its data. Typical

    examples include the so-called "war bots" and "aim bots", macros, proxies and any other

    tool that automates or changes functions of the client or replaces it or its data in whole or

    parts. If you can prove beyond doubt that a player uses such software, you should banish

    him and request a final warning on the corresponding thread. Note, however, that so-calledlight-hacks are only to be punished according to the progression, as the full-light effect can

    also be achieved by tampering with legal graphics software. Also, note that the so-called

    "experience checker" software is considered to be legal, as is "Tibiacam". However, players

    should be warned that they will use them at their own risk.

    Hacking

    In Tibia, the term "hacking" is often misleadingly used. The traditional definition of hacking

    is the "unauthorized use, or attempt to circumvent or bypass the security mechanisms of an

    information system or network". However, in Tibia it is used to describe the systematic theft

    of account data by various means. Typical methods of hacking in Tibia include the faking of

    official staff members or of the official website ("phishing") as well as the spreading of spy

    software. CipSoft's general line is that players are responsible for the security of theiraccounts, and in fact it appears that the majority of players are hacked simply because they

    are trying to cheat or become victims of simple deception. However, this does not mean that

    we approve of hacking. Convicted hackers must be banished and reported on the final

    warning thread.

    Multi-clienting

    Another serious rule violation, multi-clienting describes the illegal playing of Tibia on

    several clients at the same time. Note that it does not matter if a player uses several clients

    on the same computer or if he actually uses several computers at the same time.

    Investigating multi-clienting can be a tricky affair. When investigating you should keep in

    mind to warn players not to log out beforehand. If they do, banish them according to

    progression. To investigate ask the suspects to perform actions at the same time. Typical

    actions include the quick turning of characters on the spot, counting, etc. If suspicious

    characters are actually standing far apart, contact them via private message and ask them

    both to start counting. Convicted multi-clienters should be banished according to

    progression. Serious cases may also be reported on the final warning request for revision by

    the head gamemaster.

    Account trading

    The trading or transfer of accounts between players in any form is illegal. Unfortunately, it

    is often quite difficult to prove. If you have valid evidence that an account has been traded,

    you should not hesitate to banish the account and to request a final warning on the

    gamemaster board. If you are uncertain, however, forward the report to the head gamemasteralong with any extra information you have. The name will be put on a list for eventual

    investigation. Keep in mind that accounts that have previously been banished for trading

    should be kept an eye on: If you find that the account is still being used by a player who is

    not the rightful owner once the banishment has expired, the account should consequently be

    re-banished and thus deleted.

    Account sharing

    Another rule violation with far-reaching consequences, sharing allows players to quickly

    level characters to amazing levels, usually with the result that the powered-up characters are

    used to bully other players. Moreover, shared characters are often hijacked by one of their

    users. Unfortunately, sharing is just as difficult to prove as trading. If you are sure an

    account is shared, banish and report the account on the final warning thread. If you cannotfind definite proof, however, report the case to the head gamemaster. It will eventually be

    investigated. As with trading, it is recommended to keep an eye on convicted sharers.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    23/27

    5.4 Gamemasters

    This section of the rules focuses on the relationship between gamemasters and the community. It is

    recommended for gamemasters to reduce potential frictions between themselves and the community

    to a minimum. Try to separate your gamemaster work and your private life as a player as strictly as

    possible. Again, it is suggested for playing gamemasters to use names that do not relate to their

    gamemaster characters, and to hide the fact that they are gamemasters from all but their closest

    friends.

    Threatening gamemaster

    Systematic harassment or killing of characters of gamemasters is a rule violation. Of course,

    there must be a clear link between the player's actions and the gamemaster's work. If you are

    unable to prove that a player's aggressions are motivated by the fact that you are

    gamemaster, you must find a solution within the frame of the game just like any other

    regular player. If you feel you are unable to process a case of player threats because you fear

    you might be biased, contact another gamemaster or the head gamemaster for advice. Ofcourse, any insults you take should be dealt with normally. The recommended punishment

    for players who threaten gamemasters is a banishment according to progression, but in

    serious cases you may contact the head gamemaster and request a final warning.

    Pretending to have official position

    This rule violation is related to rule violation 1c (Name to faking official position). As

    players usually try to use their alleged official position to steal account data, this is

    considered to be a serious rule violation. Report such players on the final warning thread.

    Pretending to have influence on gamemaster

    The main motivation for players to do this is usually to threaten or impress other players.

    For such cases, a notation or a banishment according to the progression are adequate,

    depending on the seriousness of the rule violation and the player's intention. However, if aplayer uses his supposed influence, for example, to try to steal account data, he should be

    reported on the final warning thread.

    False report to gamemaster

    Sometimes players make false reports to gamemasters. If you find a player intentionally tries

    to mislead you, do not hesitate to banish him for his attempt to exploit gamemasters. Also,

    note that players sometimes more or less beg for banishments. In such cases you should

    make sure to check their motivation carefully. It may be the case that a player actually

    provokes a banishment in order to be able to avoid some other unpleasant experience, e.g.

    being killed by his enemies. If you find a player who is trying to exploit you in this manner,

    reward his resourcefulness with an extension of his banishment.

    5.5 Player Killing

    Although excessive player killing is a rule violation you are not required to take action. If a player

    kills more than 5 unmarked people in one day, more than 9 in one week or more than 19 in one

    month, he will be auto-banished according to the banishment progression and receive an entry in his

    criminal record. If you should observe irregularities in the automatic banishment system which

    indicates a bug, please report them on the internal boards or contact the customer support via email.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    24/27

    5.6 Destructive Behaviour

    Try to use this banishment reason sparely. Only use it if none of the other banishment reasons

    applies to the case at hand. Below you can find some examples for applying this banishment reason.

    a) Behaviour on Worlds Without Player vs. Player Combat

    Worlds without player vs. player combat (non-PvP) face a number of unique problems because theplayers have fewer options to regulate problems by themselves. They cannot take revenge on

    players who deprive them of their fun or even cause their death by e.g. repeatedly interfering during

    their hunts, stealing loot, blocking areas or trapping them with monsters.

    Although in general the Tibia Rules apply, gamemasters need to have a special eye on players who

    abuse the safety of a non-PvP world to intentionally harm or even kill players. It is almost

    impossible and usually also unnecessary to investigate each report thoroughly, especially if only

    minor provocations have occurred or if the truth of the report is next to impossible to determine. As

    a rule, it will be sufficient to talk to the reported player and to remind him to keep up a friendly

    level of behaviour. Should a specific person get reported over and over again by different people

    who are independent from each other, it is time for a definite warning and a notation that furthertrouble making can lead to an account banishment. If the player proves to be a common trouble

    maker who does not listen to warnings or if you are able to catch him red-handed, you may banish

    his account for destructive behaviour.

    Remember not to spoil players by investigating cases for which they usually have themselves to

    blame. Thieving is a good example, as it is in large majority of cases caused by the players'

    carelessness. Advise players to use the safe trade feature and not to let stuff lay around on the

    ground, including loot bags. The risk to bring loot bags home safely lies entirely with themselves.

    Also, keep in mind that you are not the referee for everyone and everything. Encourage the players

    to find compromises and friendly solutions with each other and only interfere if it is absolutelynecessary.

    b) Misuse of Power

    This is a very common accusation which is frequently referred to as "power abuse". It aims at single

    high level characters or whole guilds consisting of mainly high level characters who are abusing the

    fact that no one is able to stand up against them to oppress other players and force them to play by

    their rules.

    In sporadic and random cases, this is not a rule break. Note that this explicitly includes power

    abusing by individual players to make sure they win a house auction. However, if those actions

    continue systematically over a longer period of time, you should investigate them. Be wary, though,as some players tend to accuse other - especially high level - players for reasons such as jealousy.

    Stay suspicious and collect solid proof before you start contacting the players. Once you have made

    sure that the accused players are really guilty of excessive power abusing, contact them personally

    and give them solid warnings as well as a deadline. If they do not heed your warning and keep on

    terrorising their home world, punish the players in a decisive way. This may include disbanding of

    the corresponding guild as well as summary banishments of members. Do not hesitate to request

    final warnings for the leading players.

    c) Bugged Account or Character

    If a character or a whole account seems obviously bugged, you may banish this account for the

    protection of the player and ask for an investigation by CipSoft.

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    25/27

    6 Quick Reference

    6.1 Gamemaster Account Spells

    Syntax Description

    omana [name] Kicks character [name]

    omani [name] Teleports character [name] to home temple

    6.2 Gamemaster Character Spells

    Syntax Description

    alani sio [name] Teleports the gamemaster character to the player [name]

    alani [mark] Teleports the gamemaster character to a certain point on the map called [mark]

    alani [speed]Sets the walking strength of the gamemaster character to [speed]. Valid values

    are "fast", "fastest", "slow", "normal"

    alani hur [directio

    n]

    Works just like the spell "Levitate" for gamemaster characters. Valid values for

    the parameter [direction] are "up" and "down".

    alito tera Disintegrates all movable objects in front of your gamemaster character

    6.3 Teleportation Marks

    Mark Description

    Ab'Dendriel Centre of the elven town

    Amazons Amazon village in the northwest of Venore

    Ankrahmun Centre of the desert town Ankrahmun

    Banuta The ape city in Tiquanda

    Camp The outlaw camp

    Carlin Centre of the town CarlinCore The lizard settlement in Tiquanda

    Cormaya The village on the isle southeast of Edron

    Darashia The desert town on Darama

    Desert The dungeon entrance in the centre of Jakundaf desert

    DragonIsle The dragon isle near Ab'Dendriel

    Drefia The town of the undead in the west of Darama

    Edron The town of Edron

    Efreet Entrance of the tower of the green djinns

    Elvenbane Entrance gate of castle Elvenbane

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    26/27

    Fibula Centre of Fibula village

    FibulaDungeon Centre of Fibula dungeon

    FieldOfGlory Fields of Glory northeast of Carlin

    Folda Nordic isle Folda

    Ghostlands The Ghostlands west of CarlinGhostship The ghost ship between Venore and Darashia

    Greenshore Centre of the village northwest of Thais

    Havoc At the pit in the Plains of Havoc

    HellsGate Entrance to the dungeon below Ab'Dendriel

    Hills On the hills north of Kazordoon

    Home Home sweet home

    Kazordoon Next to the depot of the dwarven town Kazordoon

    KingsIsle Kings' Isle in the south of the Ghostlands

    Marid Entrance of the tower of the blue djinns

    Minocity Centre of the minotaur town

    Minoroom One of the deeper dungeons on newbie isle

    Mists The Isle of the Mists in the southeast of the Plains of Havoc

    Necropolis Town of the undead below Ab'Dendriel

    Northport Centre of the village northeast of Carlin

    Orc The gate to the orc fortressPorthope Centre of the city in western Tiquanda

    Rookgaard Centre of the village on newbie island

    Senja Nordic isle Senja

    Shadowthorn Village of evil swamp elves southeast of Venore

    Sternum In the caves of mount Sternum

    Stonehome The village on Edron

    Swamp The witch's house in Green Claw Swamp

    Thais Main crossroad in the town Thais

    Trapwood The dworc settlement in Tiquanda

    TrollCaves Entrance to the troll caves east of Thais

    Vega Nordic isle Vega

    Venore At the temple of the town Venore

    VenoreDragons Near the dragons' lair at Venore

  • 7/28/2019 Gamemaster Reference

    27/27

    6.4 Talking Options

    Syntax Description

    #b [message] Broadcast to all players on game world

    #c [message] Red message in active channel

    @name@ [message] Red message to a specific player