| Author |
Initial Draft Service Agreement / Rules of Conduct |
Selvarian {IMC}
Cadet
Joined: August 18, 2001
Posts: 1242
From: GA, USA
|  Posted: 2001-10-15 02:38
This is still a VERY rough draft. Some of the language needs to be modified, and it is in need of a major reorganization. I did not have enough time to get it any further along, but we need mainly to disccus the content; the organization can come later.
[build 09]
Section I: Service Agreement
BY ACTIVATING AN ACCOUNT AND PARTICIPATING IN THE PALESTAR DARKSPACE GAME AND USER COMMUNITY, THE APPLICANT ACKNOWLEDGES AGREEMENT, WITHOUT MODIFICATIONS, TO THE TERMS, CONDITIONS, POLICIES, AND NOTICES CONTAINED HEREIN, AND THAT THE APPLICANT WILL ADHERE TO THEM AT ALL TIMES.
IN THE EVENT THE APPLICANT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THESE PROVISIONS, PALESTAR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DEACTIVATE THE APPLICANT'S ACCOUNT, WITH NO FORM OF RECOMPENSE FROM PALESTAR. DEACTIVATION MAY RESULT IN THE PERMANENT LOSS OF ALL PRESTIGE, RANK, AND ADDITIONAL AWARDS, AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF PALESTAR.
IN ADDITION, THE APPLICANT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE OR SHE IS AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD. MINORS MUST USE AN ACCOUNT SPONSORED BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN WHO CONSENTS TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT, BOTH FOR THEMSELVES AND ON BEHALF OF THE MINOR. FURTHER, THE APPLICANT ACKNOWLEDGES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY AND ALL ACTIVITY ON THE APPLICANT'S ACCOUNT AND IS PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES (INCLUDING TERMINATION OF THE ACCOUNT) THAT MAY RESULT IF ANY PERSON AUTHORIZED TO USE THE APPLICANT'S ACCOUNT VIOLATES ANY PROVISION CONTAINED HEREIN. APPLICANT AGREES TO TAKE ALL REASONABLE MEASURES TO SECURE HIS OR HER ACCOUNT FROM UNAUTHORIZED USE, AND TO REPORT SUCH ABUSE IMMEDIATELY UPON DISCOVERY IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE BOTH THE APPLICANT'S LIABILITY AND THE IMPACT ON THE INTEGRITY OF THE DARKSPACE GAME ITSELF.
Disclaimers
The DarkSpace Communications Facility provides forums for public communications. PaleStar provides no facilities of any kind for private communications and in no way guarantees that any messages stored in and/or transmitted via any part of the DarkSpace Communications Facilities will be kept private. PaleStar guarantees only to make all reasonable efforts and take all reasonable precautions to maintain the integrity and security of all personally identifiable information for all players and staff.
PaleStar is under no obligation to monitor or supervise the DarkSpace Communications Facilities and, as such, expressly disclaims any obligation to do so, but also expressly reserves the right to monitor or supervise them, in PaleStar's sole discretion.
PaleStar does not control the content of any non-PaleStar postings in the DarkSpace Communications Facilities and, thus, does not guarantee their accuracy, integrity, or quality.
PaleStar is not responsible for the content of any hypertext links ("hyperlinks", "URLs", et cetera) which link to content outside of the PaleStar-owned DarkSpace Facilities; regardless of whether the context was posted by PaleStar staff or any players. This includes, but is not limited to, information found in the Forums, FAQs, and/or Chat Rooms.
PALESTAR MAY OCCASIONALLY FIND IT NECESSARY TO MAKE CHANGES TO, OR RESET PORTIONS OF, THE DARKSPACE GAME SYSTEM OR CONTENT. THIS MAY INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO: CHANGES IN RANK STRUCTURE, CHANGES IN SHIP OR EQUIPMENT, OR A PROFILE RESET RESULTING IN DATA LOSS.
PALESTAR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO AMEND THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME, GIVING THE APPLICANT REASONABLE NOTIFICATION OF SUCH AMENDMENTS AND MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO THE APPLICANT IN THEIR ENTIRETY. APPLICANT AGREES TO MAKE ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ASCERTAIN ANY SUCH AMENDMENTS AND MAY TERMINATE HIS OR HER ACCOUNT AT ANY TIME IF HE OR SHE FINDS THE AMENDMENTS UNACCEPTABLE. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, PALESTAR IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO OFFER ANY FORM OF COMPENSATION FOR SUCH CANCELLATION.
Section II: Definitions
PaleStar
The developer and publisher of the DarkSpace Game System and associated intellectual property.
DarkSpace Game System
Refers to the entirety of the DarkSpace product, including software (GCQL Lobby, DarkSpace Game Client, DarkSpace Game Server, all web applications, and all server software operating on master servers and database servers); game and website content; and intellectual property necessary to implement the infrastructure for the DarkSpace Game.
GCQL Lobby
The browser-based software component implementing the integrated user interface for the Forums, Chat Rooms, Server List, Clan List, FAQ, Profile Viewer, et al.
DarkSpace Game Client
The graphical client software component implementing the actual game on the Player's computer system.
DarkSpace Game Server
The software component implementing the game server which creates and maintains the consistent state of a particular game instance for all DarkSpace Game Clients currently connected to that particular server/instance. May also refer to a particular running instance of the game server software rather than just the software itself.
DarkSpace Communication Facilities
Refers to the Forums, Chat Rooms, Web Sites, et cetera in the GCQL Lobby, and the In-Game Chat Function in the DarkSpace Game Client.
Game Server Instance
Refers to the DarkSpace Game Server software actively running on a server hardware platform, accepting connections from players via the DarkSpace Game Client, and implementing the selected/configured game scenario set by the Server Operator.
Players
Registered users who participate in the DarkSpace Game System for the entertainment value it provides.
Game Officials / Staff
Game officials are generally players who fulfill a particular functional role in the DarkSpace Community which supports the infrastructure of the DarkSpace Game System. They fall into the following general categories and basic purposes:
1) PaleStar Employees - Provide for the existence, maintenance, and continued development of the DarkSpace Game System, the DarkSpace Community, and its associated infrastructure.
2) Administrators - Maintain critical game functionality and integrity, as well as serve as DarkSpace Community leaders who organize and maintain the integrity of the community.
3) Moderators - Aid players, police Game Communication Facilities and Game Instances for abuse, maintain certain information sources (like the FAQ or manual), and provide help for problems encountered with the operation of the game as well as answer player questions. Moderators may have specific areas of expertise about which they are known to provide accurate advice. However, they are not a replacement for the many information sources found in the game, including the FAQ, the Manual, and the KnowledgeBase. Their presence serves to augment the existing information base and to resolve issues that players may encounter with the game or each other.
4) Server Operators - Run / maintain the hardware platform and the configuration for DarkSpace Game Instances.
Section III: Player Code of Conduct
General
Rules of Conduct generally serve two purposes: to let participants know where the boundaries are (boundaries like an imaginary line, rather than a brick wall) and to serve as a guide for moderators to know when player behaviour exceeds those bounds. Once established and published, all users can be expected to follow them from day one; as such, immediate reprimands are justified as no one can claim ignorance of the rules.
Rules of Conduct also serve to eliminate assumptions and ambiguities in what is acceptable/unacceptable behaviour in the context of the particular venue (forum, chat room, in-game, et cetera).
In all cases, both Players and Staff should realize that they themselves as well as each other are only human and will make mistakes. All participants are asked to be vigilant in policing their own conduct while giving due consideration to this simple fact of life. After all, gaming is all about entertainment. When it ceases to be entertaining, it is time to "turn it off" and do something else.
All Players should adhere to the Code of Sportsmanship. As a game involving more than one player, all players should abide by this prime rule: Be honest and fair; win well and lose well;
However, DarkSpace is more than simply a multiplayer game; it is a Community of people who have come together for the purpose of mutual entertainment. As such, adherence to this simple rule is of paramount importance for all to get the most enjoyment out of their participation in the Community.
Punishment and Appeal
All game officials (moderators, admins, PaleStar employees, et cetera) adhere to strict rules in dealing with problem players. Generally, when an infraction occurs, the offending player will be given a warning by a game official. The game official is obligated only to specify the nature of the infraction to the offending player and answer pertinent questions about the infraction. If the player continues to misbehave, the official can proceed to the next level by kicking the player from the game (or pushing him/her from the Game Server).
Harrassment
Players may not act in an overtly harassing manner towards other players and staff. Some amount of competitive language within the context of the game is acceptable for the conflict-oriented nature of the game itself, but direct personal attacks on other players (rather than their game personas) will not be tolerated. Stalking and harassing other players outside the context of the game is also forbidden.
In addition, any hate-mongering behavior outside of the context of the game will absolutely not be tolerated. PaleStar takes a dim view of those who seek to use the DarkSpace Game System and its Facilities to hurt others.
As in any Community, Players are expected to respect one another and the PaleStar/DarkSpace Staff at all times while participating in the game system and its facilities. Players are discouraged from intiating or participating in any out-of-game-context acts that negatively impact the gaming experience for any other player.
The creation, organization, and/or participation of any squad, clan, or group within the DarkSpace Game System that is based on or otherwise promotes any out-of-game-context racist, sexist, anti-religious, anti-ethnic, anti-gay, anti-lesbian or other hate-mongering philosophy is expressly forbidden.
The use of the DarkSpace Communication Facilities to confuse other users is forbidden.
Proper Language
The use of overtly offensive, profane, sexually explicit, or abusive language is forbidden. This includes any form of communication that is derogatory or obscene, including biased comments based on gender, sexuality, age, race, ethnicity or religion. This also includes Player and Clan names and is forbidden in all venues of the DarkSpace Communication System, including Clan Pages on the DarkSpace website, official DarkSpace and PaleStar Forums, and the Chat Rooms. In addition, communicating links to material outside of the DarkSpace Game System with such content is also forbidden.
The DarkSpace Game System may utilize language filters to reduce the obvious use of such language, but it should not be used as an excuse to use such language in the first place.
PaleStar will strive to maintain an environment where such content is minimized. However, the risk of exposure to content that is offensive, indecent, or otherwise objectionable is still possible due to the unpredictable nature of human behavior and the fact that content is not (and, in many cases, can not) be screened prior to publishing.
It is presumed that the majority of DarkSpace Players are mature enough to understand, appreciate, and adhere to these rules, so that the use of individual self-restraint will obviate the need for cumbersome and inefficient technical solutions to behavioral issues.
Chat Room Behavior
Players should refrain from "spamming" or "flooding" the Chat Rooms. This includes, but is not limited to, sending a large number of repeated messages in a short time period, sending unnecessarily large blocks of text, sending repeated irrelevant messages (singing song lyrics to no one in particular, for example), and using repeated and/or large numbers of actions ("emotes") in a short time period.
Accuracy / Deception
Players are required to provide true and accurate personal information to PaleStar in order to register for a DarkSpace account. In addition, all personally identifiable information about other players must be kept confidential, unless the person gives explicit permission to diseminate such information.
Impersonating any other player, game official, or PaleStar staff member or employee is expressly forbidden.
Advertisements
Under no circumstances may players or non-employee staff utilize the DarkSpace Communication Facilities to market, promote or solicit interest in, or orders for, any product or service, including but not limited to the disemination of advertising materials, multi-level marketing, and chain mail. None of the
Applicable Law
Players must adhere to all local, state, national, and international laws / regulations imposed by their current country of occupation, and the laws of the United States (as they may apply to the player in his/her locale). Failure to abide by all applicable laws while participating in DarkSpace is grounds for immediate account termination and permanent expulsion from all PaleStar-sponsored products and venues.
Any attempt to utilize any part of the DarkSpace Game System or its Facilities to arrange for the transfer of pirated software or other unlawful products will be dealt with severely. In addition, only materials and content which are created by the player, or which the player has been granted proper rights to distribute by the author or holder of the copyright to said material, can be posted, uploaded, or transmitted via the DarkSpace Game System and Communication Facilities.
Cracking / System Exploitation
Cracking, modifying, or otherwise altering any part of the DarkSpace Game System is expressly forbidden. In addition, the use of any software not authorized by PaleStar is also forbidden. Intercepting, interfering, deciphering, or otherwise tampering with any network traffic to or from any servers relevant to the DarkSpace Game System is not forbidden.
Circumvention of any security measure controlling access and/or authentication to any DarkSpace Game System facility or resource is expressly forbidden.
Exploiting any bug or weakness in the DarkSpace Game System is forbidden. Players are required to communicate any bugs or weaknesses they discover to PaleStar via email or any official bug-reporting facilities provided by PaleStar. Distribution and/or publication of information about any bugs or weaknesses in the DarkSpace Game System for the purposes of encouraging exploitation by any other DarkSpace Players and/or Staff is forbidden.
Only the official software components and game content authorized and distributed by PaleStar (or any authorized mirror) can be used to participate in the DarkSpace Game System. The creation, support, and/or use of any emulated DarkSpace software component or utility as well as participation in any unauthorized reproduction of the DarkSpace Game System is expressly forbidden. No utilities or other software tools related to the DarkSpace Game System may be created or published without the authorization and permission of PaleStar.
Unauthorized use of any account, security passcode, or other DarkSpace Game System facility or resource is expressly forbidden.
Attempting to use or distribute faked official, prestige gain MetaUniverse servers that are not operated, controlled or authorized by PaleStar is expressly forbidden.
Participation in any acts that are dangerous to players or detrimental to PaleStar's ability to regulate, monitor, maintain, service, or update the DarkSpace Game System is forbidden.
The transmission of any viruses or programs that are detrimental to the DarkSpace Game System or the DarkSpace Community is expressly forbidden.
Section IV. Code of Conduct for Moderators
At all times, Moderators should exercise patience, tolerance, and understanding when dealing with players and each other. Always attempt conversation with the player first and help him/her understand the rules. Chances are, the player will be more amenable and cooperative with a polite request than with a terse warning. Remember, most people don't intend to offend; often, they are just ignorant of the rules.
DarkSpace Players and Staff live in several different countries and speak different languages. Misunderstandings are not only possible, but are very common. This is especially true when the speaker is under duress, under the effects of heightened emotions, in a hurry, or in a tense situation. Under these circumstances, if what the speaker says seems offensive, ask him/her to explain themselves before taking offense. Chances are, the extra time afforded will allow the speaker to clearly re-think his/her words and clarify what he/she is trying to convey. Always remember these three virtues: patience, tolerance, and understanding.
When faced with language constructs that you do not understand, ask other native speakers of the language in question to translate and/or explain the usage context.
Before pushing players off a server for exploits, be sure that the behaviour is a known exploit. If unsure, bring it up as soon as possible in the Moderator forum and/or email the PaleStar staff. Players should only be pushed for known exploits unless their behaviour poses a critical threat to the integrity of the game.
Players should not be pushed/banned for in-game ignorance. However, in-game stupidity (intentional ignorance bordering on malice which negatively impacts gameplay for other players) is another matter, and needs to be dealt with accordingly.
Moderators should follow the following formula for dealing with problem players:
1) First Offense: Polite request
2) Second Offense: Issue warning
3) Third Offense: Kick/Push the user for 10 minutes.
4) Fourth Offense: Issue second warning
5) Fifth Offense: Ban the user for 24 hours.
6) Sixth Offense: Final warning
7) Seventh Offense: Account Termination
Kicking / Pushing / Banning Players: First, warn them. It is suggested to use a minimum of two warnings and then take action on the third offense ("three strikes" ) [Ed]. Use Push and Kick first after the initial warnings. Ban should be reserved for repeat/chronic offenders or anything that is perceived to be a serious threat to the stability and integrity of the game. If you ban a player please email the Community Manager or another PaleStar employee, so they will know what happened when anybody asks.
Lists of banned words/phrases for each language will be generated and given to Faustus / Sunshine for the profanity filters in the chat room. In addition, the lists should be made available to Moderators so that they can recognize the words in the forums and in-game, neither of which are utilizing chat filters at present. Since the chat room has a profanity filter, warnings to players (and kick/bans) need to be limited to excessive use (spamming and/or abuse directed at another player). The chat room profanity filter protects others from seeing offending words, not the speaker. The speaker sees what he or she types as it was typed. If a player asks what a filtered word means (who may most likely be a minor), just tell them it's a cussword, nothing more. In other words, play it down.
Moderators should not quarrel with other Players or Game Staff in public. Simple disagreement may be voiced, but intense, heated debate should be kept in the proper venue, to private messages ("whispers"), or to email.
Remember, Moderators are only human and will make mistakes. When a mistake is made, just acknowledge it, apologize as necessary, and move on.
The abuse of Moderator privileges or abusing Players and/or Staff as a Moderator will cause said privileges to be revoked.
If anyone witnesses what he or she believes to be a Moderator or other game official cheating, he or she should first verify the situation by investigating it further. If it can be verified that the official is cheating or are still unsure, report it to the Community Manager or any PaleStar employee. As part of any investigation into cheating (even by a player), gather as much evidence as possible, including screenshots, chat logs, video, witness testimony, etc.
Moderators should not simply log into the game and sit in the public chat rooms, then go "away from keyboard" and do something else. This is called "poweridling" and is frowned upon for many reasons; not the least of which is that it gives users the impression that the moderators have nothing better to do than show off their status and ignore player requests for help.
Moderators should make a sincere effort to keep up-to-date with current changes in, and status of, the DarkSpace Game System.
In the case of Moderators who have specific areas of knowledge, and are asked a question to which they do not know the answer (i.e., is not within their specific "area of knowledge"), or are not sure of the answer, then they should (if possible) direct the player to the best possible location/person to find the answer, or attempt to answer the question while impressing on the player their uncertainty about the accuracy of the answer. Nothing more can be expected of a Moderator, excepting courtesy and patience in the delivery of such an answer.
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Selvarian
Prime Engineer
Caitian Defense Corps
Founding Member - Interstellar Mercenary Corps
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Dwarden
Admiral
CHIMERA
Joined: June 07, 2001
Posts: 1072
From: Czech Republic
| Posted: 2001-10-15 09:03
Note1: build is on 10 ...but thats minor note
Note2: major note...Most of users never read long list with rules ...
so i have solution we made short rules list (like i done) and each rule (or words) will be html links ... so if user need know what mean this:
"You will not make personal threats against other GCQL and DarkSpace users or commit any acts of a threatening or harassing nature."
he easily click with mouse on it and exact area of Detailed (Long) rules list apear ...
Advantage? yes ... 1st user get simple list allowing orientation and users which trying find holes in rules must take care about detailed list ...
short list is only extraction of detailed one ... Detailed one is law !
To these who not know where is my list located:
http://www.podaf.cz/darkspace/DarkSpace-RulesOfConducts.txt
This list was used for Selv one and its working list not final ...
Extracted short one need be better ...
[ This Message was edited by: Dwarden on 2001-10-15 09:11 ]
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... Ideas? ... that's Ocean w/o borders !
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Radarrider
Cadet
Joined: June 02, 2001
Posts: 121
From: Land of Lincoln
| Posted: 2001-10-15 10:51
Hmm, looks pretty good to me. Once it's been finalised, I'm assuming it will be included in the docs of the retail package as well so ppl will have a hard copy in their hot little hands.
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