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(Page 1 of 2)
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Updated Oct 21, 2005
Index:
1.0 Overview of Rule Enforcement
2.0 Forum Manager List
3.0 Types of Forums
4.0 Rules
5.0 Frequently Asked Questions
(Account Issues? Misc Questions? Go here)
6.0 In Closing
The Vault Network Message Boards (VN Boards) are a public forum and while we
encourage a free flow of information and ideas on the boards, we also ask that
you follow some basic rules. By using or participating on the VN Boards, you
agree to the Rules of Conduct as stated below, as well as the
IGN Entertainment User
Agreement.
1.0 Overview of Rule Enforcement
The Vault Network Message Boards are a free service provided by
IGN Entertainment to complement
the Vault Network Websites and provide a
place for fans of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games to be able to
converge and talk about the games they enjoy in a fun, friendly and intelligent
atmosphere. However, due to the sheer size of the VN Boards (55,000 posts a
day from hundreds of thousands of accounts), we have some basic rules and
guidelines for the people posting here. These rules and guidelines are
intended to keep these forums focused on their original purpose: provide a fun,
friendly and intelligent atmosphere; create a respectable Community for the
people who come here; and prevent abuse of these forums and the people who post
here.
For the above reasons, all VN Forum posters are
expected to abide by these rules and the
IGN Entertainment User
Agreement for all areas of this
Network (Posts, Signatures, Profiles, Private Messages, Unban Requests, etc).
Posters failing to abide by the rules may be warned, banned, or even removed
from our forum(s) altogether. Every time you post here, you accept the
rules.
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There are various forum "types" here that
may
have �extra� rules & guidelines. These types of forums are listed
below. If you are unsure, please contact a local Moderator or Manager.
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Due to the high number of posts on our
forums, Moderators cannot possibly read every single post, so please contact
Moderators directly or use the
Contact
Moderators link at the top of the forums.
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We place a high value on respect for other people here, which is why we
are very intolerant of people making personal attacks.
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Due to the nature of a forum, ban times are
usually determined by history & severity and are incremental in most cases.
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Use of the VN Boards is a privilege, not a right,
that may be revoked at any time without notice at the sole discretion of IGN
Entertainment including but not limited to Vault Network.
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Please remember that we can not have a rule
for everything, and because of unique situations or a few people who may
abuse our forums or cause other problems (even if those are not listed in
the rules), the VN Boards reserves the right to react to these issues in a way
of our choosing.
It must also be stated that people who are overly disruptive to the Community in
general and tend to contribute nothing but negativity and problems may be permabanned at the Forum Managers' discretion, though we hope we do not need to
do this often.
Ultimately, this is a Game Forum that complements
the VN Fan Sites and we hope everybody can respect what these forums are here
for and the other individuals who are posting here.
2.0 Forum Managers:
Please click on a Manager to send
them a Private Message. Area's of responsibility or expertice in brackets.
-Sassy- (Forum Manager)
Beibhinn (Forum Manager)
-Talissa- (Forum Manager)
Mithoron (General, Moderator Applications)
-Swanny- (Unban Requests, Dark Age of
Camelot Forums and VN Classifieds)
-Sykes- (General, Unban Requests)
-Kestrel-, (Senior Board Manager: Moderator Selection and
Training)
Sheyla (Senior Board Manager: VIP
and Site Manager Issues)
-Southern- (Board Administrator: Mod Complaints)
-Mithan- (Board Administrator)
3.0 Types of Forums:
On the VN Forums, we have several different "types" of forums.
Listed below
are the basic types and the basic rules for these. If a forum has special
rules, they will usually be in a Sticky Post at the top of the forum, along with
the Local Moderators for that forum.
Please read these carefully since some forums are very strictly moderated.
Please contact a Moderator if you need more information.
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Developer Forums:
Developer Forums are strictly On Topic &
anti-rant,
so don't flame the Developers or hound them repeatedly on the
same topics (i.e. Macros) or they will be deleted. If you have
questions or suggestions for Developers, post them here. Trades and off
topic posts are not allowed on Developer Forums.
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General Forums:
General Forums
are dedicated to a single game, and are usually On Topic, though some
may allow for a bit of Off Topic Posting. Please read the sticky
at the top of each General for more info.
Some discussion on other MMORPG's, such as announcements, news,
comparisons, etc is allowed. Trades are not permitted on these
forums unless so designated. If you absolutely hate a game,
realize we are a Fan Site, so constantly posting how much you hate the
game/it sucks/etc or starting threads that we know are going
to end up in large "bash fests/flames," is going to end up with your post being
deleted.
Use some constructive criticism and offer ideas on
how they can fix the game instead and we wont have a problem because
then its worth reading. "XXX game sucks" is not worth reading and
bothers the people who are actually playing the game and looking for
reasonable discussion on it. We want you all to be able to express
your negative opinions, but do it in a way that doesn't get to be overly
excessive. Most people come here because they like a game, not because
they want to hear over and over how much a game sucks. For more
info on ranting, please see the
Ranting Rule.
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Community Forums (ACFriends,
Outpost, Politics, Etc):
We have several Community Forums on our
website and these forums are intended for Off Topic discussion (ie-non-MMORPG
related). Due to the nature of these forums and our focus on
trying to offer something for everybody, some of the boards are
considered "Mature" and are probably not safe for children and are
definitely NOT going to be enjoyed for everybody, so please exercise
discretion. If you do not like the board, do not post on the
board.
Pretty much anything can be discussed on these boards but there are some
topics we do not allow such as discussion about "sex", but this may be
relaxed in some sort of "Adult" Forum in the future. Since all of
these boards are a little different, please read the Sticky thread at
the top of the Forum or contact Local Moderators for more express
guidelines on what is and is not acceptable.
Regular Board rules apply for Community Boards, however some of the
rules are more "relaxed" in enforcement and this is by intent.
We also have a dedicated
Politics Board here.
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Server Forums:
Server Forums are
are a bit of a mix of the Community Forums and General Forums listed
above. Server Forums were designed to allow for people from specific
Game Servers to be able to discuss topics that are both On and Off Topic to
the game. Trades
are allowed & basic Forum Rules still apply as they are not as relaxed as
a Community Forum. However, we have some
Guidelines for Off Topic threads:
"Hot" Off Topic posts are allowed at the discretion of the
local moderators because they usually turn into
flame wars and cause all sorts of problems and put our Moderators at an
extreme disadvantage when trying to sort out these messes. These topics are things like
politics, sex, sexual preference,
religion, gun control, gay marriage, wars, etc.
We don't want the Server Forums flooded with useless
"spam/OT" because it pushes legitimate On and Off Topic threads down which
effects everybody, so keep Off Topic threads reasonably intelligent,
serious, civil and polite and we will allow them. If too many unreasonable threads
pop up, they may be nuked at the Moderators' discretion. Basically, "abuse it and lose it,
respect it and keep it" applies. How many OT Threads are
allowed? We don't want to set any strict guidelines, so a ballpark
figure would be around 15-20% of threads. However, this is not set in
stone and can vary on each forum and Community since they are all
different. Please speak to your
local Moderators.
Spam Example:
Repeated posting of
IBTL, +1, etc
10 posts on the main page that all say "good morning" would be
considered spam.
No Text Threads are usually "spam".
See the
Spam and
Off Topic rules for more
information.
A Moderator's decision on Spam/Off Topic/Political threads is final.
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Race/Class/Info Specific Forums:
Informational Forums like Race, Class & Trade type forums
are strictly
On Topic.
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VN Classified Forum:
The Classified Forum is intended as a place where people can sell/buy
merchandise. Please note that selling anything that is considered
"illegal" is not allowed. We also do not allow the sale of MMORPG
related accounts, characters or in-game items.
4.0
Rules:
Please click on a rule for a in-depth explanation.
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No
Personal Attacks, Flaming,
Harassment, Bashing, Baiting, Threats or Trolling
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No Profanity
or Sexual Innuendo
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No Excessive Ranting / Game Bashing
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Copyrighted Material must
be respected
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Magazine
Scans
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No posts discussing or linking to MMORPG Exploits, Cheats, Hacks or Third
Party Apps that may be against the CoC of the MMORPG you are posting about
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Real Life
Cash or Cash Equivalent Sales or Account
Transfers
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Do not
redistribute IGN/VN Private Messages or Moderator or Management correspondence
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Do not post Real Life
Information
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No Porn,
Explicit Pictures or dedicated Babe Threads
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Window
Spamming, Virus's, Chain Posts, Game Referrals, etc are not allowed
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No
Spamming/Star Farming / Bumping Old Posts
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No
Piracy,
ROMs, Abandonware and Warez
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Cross Forum
Posting
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Impersonating Other Users / Accessing Another User's Account
is not allowed
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For Off-Topic Posting
rules, please read
Forum Types above as well as
this note
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Signature and Fake Signature Rules
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Advertising/Solicitation
(Please read for more information on advertising)
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Spoilers
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Ban Evasion
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Anti-IGN/VN Forum/Site posts and
advertising threads
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"Game" Threads.
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Do not hi-jack "Official" VN Threads.
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Criminal Content
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Moderation (Handling disputes,
etc)
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Misc Rules (Rules that don't really fit in anywhere else)
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Legal Threats
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Non-Disclosure
Agreements
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Warnings & Bans
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The VN Boards/IGN
& its Management holds the right to make,
change or offer exceptions to the rules without warning or in response to
particular situations or abuse
5.0 Frequently Asked Questions:
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My IGN
account isn't working correctly or Insider is giving me problems.
If you have problems with Insider or your account, please
use this link to contact IGN Customer Service.
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Is there an Insider FAQ?
Go here for a full FAQ for IGN
Insider.
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How do I add Insider to my existing Vault
ID, while keeping my existing Post Count?
1. Log out of the VN Forums
2. Log into www.ign.com with your
Vault ID (name and password will work)
3. Click on MyIGN at the top then follow the instructions.
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How do I
become a Moderator?
Moderators are expected to be Community Leaders, show good knowledge of the
games they play, provide helpful information for posters, be respected
community members and active on the forums they frequent and show good
judgment in their posting habits and replies to other posters. Moderators are
chosen by Managers looking at various people, then trying to see whom we think
the best people to moderate would be, then selecting people based on some of
the above criteria. Moderators, Managers and Administrator's are also
Volunteer's who freely give their time.
Post history plays a large role in who we select as a Moderator. So
somebody who is spamming or flaming all the time, or perhaps never even posts
on the forum they wish to Moderate, may not be considered for a position.
How an individual fills out the Moderator Application Form also has a large
impact.
To apply to become a Moderator, please fill out this
Application Form.
Somebody will contact you down the road if we feel we could use you.
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How do I
change my password?
Log out of your VN Forum account and go to the
IGN My Profile / Subscription page
and change it there. Wait about 30 minutes then log back into your VN Forum
account and it should work. If not, contact
IGN Customer Service.
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I was hacked!
What do I do?
You will need to contact
IGN Customer Support.
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I forgot my
username/password and I no longer have access to my email address where my
password gets sent?
Please follow the
instructions here.
-
How do I
change my password?
Log out of your VN Forum account and go to the
IGN My Profile / Subscription page
and change it there. Wait about 30 minutes then log back into your VN Forum
account and it should work. If not, contact
IGN Customer Service.
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I have a problem with Advertising, what do
I do?
The Vault Network has no say in advertising, as what is displayed here is
solely determined by IGN. If you have an issue with any Ads, please
contact
IGN Customer Service.
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Why do I
still see Ads even though I'm an IGN Insider?
Insiders can choose not to see some of the ads displayed on the boards. These
include the following:
*Pop Ups / Pop Unders
*Full Page Interstitials
*Eyeblasters
*Showcase Ads
*Automatic Video Streaming Ads
* (Occasionally IGN's advertising clients perform surveys that appear in a pop
up window. These surveys cannot be disabled.)
In order to disable these types of ads, go to
http://my.ign.com and log in using your
board name and password. Click on My Account and scroll down to the bottom to
change your Ad Preference.
It is also recommended that you delete your IGN/Gamespy cookies, then relog
into www.ign.com directly THEN come to the
VN Forums last.
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How can
I change my Forum Name?
Unfortunately, there is no way to change your name. You have to start a new
account and your post count cannot be transferred over.
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Can I transfer IGN Insider?
This can not be transferred anymore.
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Why
can't I choose an icon or use markup codes?
You must have a subscription to IGN Insider in order to select a board icon or
use markup codes. You can find the sign up page
here. Please make
sure to log in first if you want to keep your current username.
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How can
we request new Forums?
You can PM or email the Administrator to request new forums (currently Mithan).
Include reasoning, links to the game it would be for, etc. You may be asked to
create a full FAQ for the game you want to have a forum for.
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Who do I
talk to if I have a complaint about a Moderator or a Moderator Decision?
Posters should try and resolve the issue with the Moderator in person and in
private. When you PM them, try not to be angry or accusatory since this will
make things deteriorate immediately. If you're unhappy with the response,
contact Southern or Waldo (they are the Managers who handle Mod complaints) or
use our Comment Form.
Please note that some decisions and actions are final.
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Why do
so many people have VIP access?
VIP Status is given to Developers, Site Staff and sometimes old, X-moderators
or Staff who we feel deserve it.
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If I have
an idea for the Vault Site or I want to help with the Vault Web Site, whom do
I contact?
If you have ideas or information for the Websites, want to help or provide
corrections, news or what not, please contact a Site Manager. Site Managers
look after the Website end of things.
(A list of Site Managers and the Vault's they Manage will be added here in the
near future.)
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How can
I get a new icon added to the Board Icons?
We will add new icons if they are well done and meet our requirements. Please
visit The Icon Board for more info.
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What
Markup Code Colors exist?
HEX based colors work, as well as word based colors. A full list of all word
based Markup Code Colors can be found
here.
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How do
people get Markup Code in Signatures?
The short answer is, you can't. What people do is turn off signatures, then
just copy/paste new text in with every post they make, which makes it look like
a real signature. These are called Fake Signatures.
6.0
In
Closing:
There are tens of thousands of posts each day on the VN Boards, so we can't
always promise you'll receive a warning every time action has to be taken. By
registering at the VN Boards, users agree that any post deemed inappropriate may
be removed at the sole discretion of the VN moderators. Vault Network also has
the right, at its sole discretion, to revoke board privileges at any time
without notice or reason. Think of these rules as a forewarning and, if you
break them, you're taking your account status into your own hands.
IGN Entertainment is not responsible for messages posted on the Vault Network
Boards or the content therein. Unless expressly stated otherwise, this includes
messages posted by Vault Network or IGN Entertainment personnel, agents,
representatives et al. IGN Entertainment reserves the right to reveal the
identity of or whatever information we know about any user in the event of a
complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by said user.
Vault Network has the right but not the obligation to monitor and/or moderate
the VN Boards. Vault Network reserves the right to change any or all other parts
of this User Agreement at its sole discretion and without notice, including but
not limited to implementing Rules of Conduct, Terms of Service and/or other
measures.
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