Server Etiquette, Rules & Guidelines
While playing on the Metalforge server, we ask that you behave and act in a respectable manner to other players and to DM's.
Have any rules been added since the last time you visited?
- Check the CHANGE LOG
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The purpose of this page is to show that Metalforge has adopted a "spirit of the rules" approach. What this means is rules are in fact rules and you should have the common sense to understand the rules intent and purpose. You should understand the logic behind their creation and follow them in circumstances where no specific rule(s) apply.
People play on the Metalforge server because it's fun and enjoy playing Crossfire. It is your responsibility to treat all members of this online community with the same level of respect that you expect to receive.
Please keep in mind the obvious intent of the server rules and etiquette. Finding potential loop holes (aka rules lawyers, "it didn't say that..") may result in updating or additional rules and/or punishment for the offender.
Try as we may, we just can't provide a rule for every potential and theoretical situation that comes up. It should be apparent when a player's action is against the general good will of the game. Necessary action(s) will be taken where relevant for those who choose to push the limits and boundaries of the rules intent.
Any behavior that causes harm or mischief for other players and claiming that your actions are within the "spirit of the rules" is no excuse.
Doing the right thing by the rules and by others should be everyone's objective. It's our desire to let this server grow into a community of good will, and most of all, a community where you and all of us would like to stay. We cannot do it without your help.
We ask that you:
- Avoid Player Killing
Player vs. Player (aka PKing or Player Killing) is only allowed in The Arena- All other instances face jail time or banning from the server
- Purposely slaying another players summoned pets (or avatars, elementals, cult monsters, golems, etc.) may also result in jail time
- No excuse will justify a player kill
- However, DM mercy may result in a shortened jail time
- If a player intends to kill you:
- Disconnect and come back in a few minutes with the same or
another char
(This will cause your character to temporarily leave the map) - Let a DM know about it via the tell command
- Disconnect and come back in a few minutes with the same or
another char
- Self defense is no excuse to pk either
- Leave peaceful on in order to avoid potential problems and suspicion
- Avoid Stealing From Other Players:
- Stealing (as in theft) of items from other player is not tolerated
- If you are caught stealing, you will be forced to return the stolen items
- You will face jail time
- Looting treasure from another player's kill or quest is not tolerated
- If you did not kill the monster(s) or solve the map(s) in question - then you do not have any right to the treasure or reward (unless the current map owner tells you otherwise)
- NOTE: Use caution when sorting your inventory and trading items
with other players
- Dropping items in a town (such as Scorn) or other public maps may allow another player (intentionally or accidentally) to pick up those items
- Sort your inventory or trade items on a map that is somewhat out of the way of regular traffic and usage
- This includes your fellow guild members
- Follow your guilds established rules on equipment sharing
- Stealing (as in theft) of items from other player is not tolerated
- Respect Map Claims
Map claims or ownership is on a first come, first serve basis.- One must be in/on a map and actively working to solve the map in order to make a claim
- If another player is working on or attempting to solve a map -
they have ownership rights, unless they are Map Camping (see below)
- If the map is in active use, move on to another map
- If another player or party is in random maps that have a final destination (Valriel, Gorokh and others) do not enter those maps unless invited
- It does not matter if the first map has reset, the entire random dungeon belongs to the first ones there
- Do no interfere with another player's progress on a map
- Do not use spells (or other tactics) that aid monsters
- Do not use spells (or other tactics) that hinder the other player(s)
- Breaking these rules can result in a minimum of 15 minutes of jail time
- False claims of Map Ownership can result for jail time for the parties involved
- Avoid Map Camping
- If you are going to be AFK (Away From Keyboard), refrain from
doing so while in the middle of a dungeon map.
- This may prevent the map from resetting, which delays other player(s) from using it.
- Or, you may be blocking an entrance that will prevent other players from entering or exiting the map.
- Using an automated script (see rules on Scripts)
or other method to continuously cast spells will be considered Map
Camping, if:
- You fail to respond or acknowledge other players on the map
- You fail to respond or acknowledge communication from a DM
- NOTE: Players found to be Map Camping may be summoned to a different map which will result in the loss of their Map Claim
- Repeat violations may result in a minimum of 15 minutes of jail time
- If you are going to be AFK (Away From Keyboard), refrain from
doing so while in the middle of a dungeon map.
- Refrain From Abusing the Shout and Chat Channels
- Comment: The difference between Shout and Chat channels
is this: Only Crossfire or DM related announcements or DM related emergency/help
requests should be used on the Shout channel; out-of-game topics and
general discussion on the Chat channel. Prolonged conversations on the
chat channel (or conversations that involved a limited number of people
) should be moved to a party ('help party), private tells, etc. whenever
possible. One can toggle (on or off) the chat channel by adjusting their
listen level: 'listen 10 to "see" the chat channel, 'listen
9 to "hide" the chat channel.
- NOTE: The toggle_shout (aka muzzle) feature affects both the Shout and Chat channel access
- Profanity (in any form, spelling, etc.) will not be tolerated
- Violations will result in at least 1 day of not being able to use the shout channel (toggle_shout or "muzzled")
- No vulgar content or references, either
- Please keep the tone of shouts, "kid friendly"
- Personal attacks (in any form), criticism, and insults will not
be tolerated
- Violations will result in at least 1 day of not being able to use the shout channel (toggle_shout or "muzzled")
- This will effect both (or all parties) involved in the "conversation"
- Refrain from providing spoilers on the Shout or Chat Channel
- Do not share in game passwords
- Do not provide exact locations or coordinates of maps, treasure or other items
- Do not provide step by step instructions on solving a map
- Do not provide or disclose item, spell or monster stats
- Do not disclose skill based (alchemy, smithing, etc.) formulas or ingredients
- You should use tell to share this information - unless or until the end recipient complains or asks you to stop
- What is and is not considered a spoiler in shout/chat
- Saying that an item or spell is a quest item IS NOT a spoiler
- Saying WHERE a quest item can be found IS a spoiler
- Saying that a quest item or spell exists IS NOT a spoiler
- Saying WHAT a spell or quest item does or giving stats for quest items IS a spoiler
- Use common sense based on these criteria for shout/chat
- Refrain from out-of-game discussion on the Shout Channel
- You can use the Chat channel for out-of-game discussion
- Avoid flooding (see below) the Chat channel with out-of-game discussion or topics
- Whenever possible, use the tell and say command instead of shout or chat
- Remember, if you are in a group or party - you can communicate to those members (only..) through the gsay command
- Refrain from flooding the
shout or chat channel
- Flooding will be determined by DM discretion
- Do not use all or excessive capital letters when communicating on the channels
- Do not use excessive punctuation when communicating on the channels
-
Keep emote/actions to a minimum on the chat channel
- Stop using emotes on the chat channel when another player or DM asks you to
- Refrain from using non English languages on the Shout or Chat channel, use the tell and say commands whenever possible for personal communications
- Do Not Share Your Character or Password With Others
- Do not allow other people to use your character
- Rule enforcement is based on character name, not on the person sitting in front of the keyboard
- When creating your character, choose:
- A unique password: not the same password you use for email or any other account
- -AND-
- A secure password: preferably one that contains mixed capitalization, numbers and a word that is not commonly found in a dictionary
- Never provide your password to another player (even a DM) because they have no reason what-so-ever to know it
- Sharing your password with other people may result in the character(s) in question being deleted
- Do not allow other people to use your character
- Cooperate with DM's
When working with DM's please:- Use the tell command to communicate with the DM(s)
- Keep in mind they may be AFK or playing as a different player,
please be patient
- Different player?
Yes, sometimes a DM will play on here for one reason or another (map or feature testing, they want to, it's fun to play, etc.)
- Different player?
- Using the tell command (instead of shout) also helps resolve issues faster since everyone won't feel the need to chime in
- Keep in mind they may be AFK or playing as a different player,
please be patient
- A DM has the final say in all matters
- Their decision is final
- All-in-all, a DM's job is hard enough - please don't make it more
complicated then it already is
- Woe and peril to any player you logs in multiple characters to side step punishment or continue with rule infraction(s)
- This can result in banishment from the server
- Forging or imitating a DM's identity may result in any or all
of the following:
- Deletion of the "forged" DM character
- Deletion of all characters found to be in your ownership
- Site banning
- Permanent or long term site ban
- Use the tell command to communicate with the DM(s)
- Limit Script Use
- Scripts or other actions that lag the server or hinder overall game play will result in jail time
- Items created or obtained from scripts may be confiscated with
no reimbursement
- Any (or all..) nearby items may also be confiscated with no reimbursement
- The reason is there's no easy way to know what was created or obtained by the script(ing) or what wasn't
- Guilds
- The player(s) who purchase the guild start out as the Guildmasters
- The Guildmaster title can and may change hands; be sure to
document this somewhere in the guild (special named item, etc.)
- Guildmaster holds more rank then Guild Owner
- A DM may remove a Guildmaster (or Guild Owner, or Guild Member)
if they violate established guild rules
- It is helpful to document guild rules and guidelines somewhere in the guild (special named item, etc.)
- The Guildmaster title can and may change hands; be sure to
document this somewhere in the guild (special named item, etc.)
- Guildmaster(s) may have any player removed from the guild for any reason
- Keep guild rules and other documentation (Guild Master list, etc.) up to date!
- The player(s) who purchase the guild start out as the Guildmasters
- Player Shops/Museums
- These are the unique maps found in the west central area of Brest
- Do not purchase more then one shop
- Players found to have more then one shop will have them removed and their items forfeit.
- Any shop whose owner has not logged in in 6 months will be at the discretion of the DM sold and all items forfeit.
- Newly available shop/museums will be announced in the Message of the Day ('motd)
- Misc.
- It is within the rules to have more then one character logged in at one time
- Any item may be removed any time, without notice
- Even if the item was given to you as a gift, or if you purchased it or if you found it as part of randomly generated treasure - the above rule still applies
- This especially holds true for items created or obtained through bugs, cheats, scripting or exploits
- Creatures summon through alchemy or botched alchemy experiments
are the responsibility of the character using alchemy
- DM's will not remove the creature(s)
- Alchemy is dangerous, there are risks
- This is an intended feature within Crossfire
- Player File Restores
- Player files are backed up on a regular basis for data recovery purposes in case of hardware failure or data corruption -only-!
- Player files are not available for download or email
- Player files will not be accepted for "import" on the server
-
If you forgot the password to a character and want the password
reset, you will need to provide very specific details on that character
in order to have the password reset.
- Resetting the password is ultimately the DM's call; that decision is final.
- After 1-year of inactivity, player files are moved to an offline directory
- Player files can be made active again by contacting Leaf via IRC, Discord, in game and direct email
- Player files that are archived have the savebed reset to a public map such as Scorn Inn
- Guild keys are removed/purged from the player's inventory and apartment maps
- Player files can be made active again by contacting Leaf via IRC, Discord, in game and direct email
-
Bots
- All bots must use the bot flag
- Details: http://mailman.metalforge.org/pipermail/crossfire/2006-May/010467.html
- Why?
- This keeps the bot from inflating the player count on the metaserver list
- The bot will show up in the 'who listing as a bot (BOT) and will also have the bot tag ([BOT])
- Any abuse or exploits of bots will not be tolerated
- To name a few instances - this can range from using a bot for channel spamming, player harassment (DM's discretion), server crashing, and/or purposely crashing existing bots
- The only officially sanctioned server bot is Seer
- Seer the Oracle [Server Bot] ('tell Seer help) [BOT]
- All other bots are run by players or are performing other functions
- All bots must use the bot flag
Do you have questions on the rules? Do you have any suggestions?
Please contact a DM on the server, or email Leaf (address listed below) or private message leaf on the Crossfire Forum. Or, look for Leaf on the #crossfire IRC channel.
- More clarification on map claims - one must be in the map and actively working to solve it in order to make a claim. Player files will not be accepted and made available for play on the server.
- Additional clarification on map claims for random maps - all levels, even when reset, belong to the player with the original claim
- New criteria and guidelines for running a bot on the server
- Clarified on the rules for resetting lost passwords - you need to provide very specific details on the character in question. If the password is reset is or not is the DM's call - that decision is final.
- Player files are not available for download or email. (16-March-2005)
- Do not flood the chat channel with emotes and other actions. Stop using emotes or other actions on the chat channel when asked by another player or DM. (16-March-2005)
- Logging in multiple characters to side step DM punishment or to continue with rules infractions will result in severe and escalated punishment which includes banning. (16-March-2005)
- Added the player shop rules. (22-February-2005)
- Prolonged conversations or conversations involving a limited number of people should be moved to private tells or a party whenever possible. (14-February-2005)
- Clarified on some examples of what IS and what IS NOT considered a spoiler on the shout/chat channels. (04-February-2005)
- Same base rules apply to Chat channel as well as Shout channel (25-January-2005)
- Off-topic or out-of-game conversation is allowed (within reason) on the Chat channel, but *not* on the Shout channel (25-January-2005)
- Clarification that toggle_shout (aka muzzle) affects both the Shout and Chat channel access (25-January-2005)
- Monster, items, skill/alchemy formula & ingredients, and spells stats or discussion (those are spoilers) is not allowed on either the Shout or Chat channel (25-January-2005)
- Expanded definitions of what is not allowed on the shout channel: excessive punctuation and capital letters (02-December-2004)
- Do not share your password with other people, it could result in the character being deleted (02-December-2004)
- Rules on what will happen if anyone tries to forge a DM's identity or pretends to be a DM (02-December-2004)
- Confirmed that English is only allowed on the shout channel (17-November-2004)
- Guild membership updates - granted new powers to guildmasters (not guild owners) (23-August-2004)
- No vulgar content or references on the shout channel (18-June-2004)
- Clarified on what could be considered spoilers on the shout channel (18-June-2004)
- Clarified possible punishment for hindering other players and repeat map camping offenses (07-June-2004)
- Clarified what can happen to items created by scripting and the nearby "treasure" (04-June-2004)
- Added the "spirit of the rules" (24-May-2004)
- Clarified that player file restores are for admin purposes only, not player convenience (19-May-2004)
- Creatures summoned via alchemy (even if accidental) will not be removed by DM's (05-May-2004)
- Specify acceptable use for automated scripts (03-May-2004)
- Clarify use of the shout channel and flooding (03-May-2004)
- Any item can be removed at any time, without notice (03-May-2004)
- Had to clarify DM's decision as final (also known as the 'do what the DM says or else' clause) (19-Apr-2004)
- Clarify that peaceful should be left on (19-Apr-2004)
- Links to a couple of definitions ("profanity" and "kid friendly") for the shout channel usage since there appears to be some confusion on those topics (16-Apr-2004)
- Added new rules for sharing characters and passwords and multiple logins (12-Apr-2004)
