Rules for Playerworlds - Updated 1/24/2015

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All Graal servers are bound by a set of rules to ensure that players are kept in a safe and friendly environment. Servers which fail to keep to these rules may find themselves being punished, including the possible removal of their Classic/Hosted status or even being shut down completely.

• Managers are responsible for ensuring that their server follows the 'Rules for Classic and Hosted Servers', the 'GraalOnline User Agreement 1', and the 'GraalOnline User Agreement 2' as well as the 'GraalOnline Acceptable Use Policy'.
• Managers are responsible for all content available on their server, and should ensure that nothing is made available to players that breaks these rules.
• Managers are responsible for ensuring that their staff behave professionally and within the rules at all times.
• The words "server" and "playerworld" are used interchangeably herein and henceforth with exception of "Playerworld Administration" and Playerworlds plural.

Managers should be proactive in their role, and if they are found ignoring or not enforcing these rules, they may be forcefully removed from their position.

In addition to these rules, servers should outline any further rules specific to their server and make these easily available to players.


A. Files and Content

1. No copyrighted material should be used on the server, and any content found to break copyright should be removed immediately.
2. No content of a graphic or adult nature should be used on a server. All content should be age appropriate and not offensive in nature regardless of background.
3. Servers which host their own radio stations should ensure that all sounds produced from the radio are suitable for all ages and do not feature any excessive swearing or graphic depictions.
4. Servers should not steal content or ideas from other servers.
5. With the exception of global content, all server-specific content (e.g. local levels, graphics and scripts) are to be used only on the server they were submitted to, unless it is permitted otherwise.
6. Any player-centric content, such as head, shield and sword graphics, may be uploaded to multiple servers, but only with the express permission of the original artist.
7. All files uploaded to a server immediately become the property of GraalOnline. Usage rights are granted to the server on which the files were uploaded. Consequently staff may not remove any of their work from the server upon quitting or otherwise leaving their position.
8. All data held on GraalOnline servers is subject to loss or corruption at any time. It is the responsibility of the server staff to ensure that data is backed up adequately.
9. Servers on the Classic (Playerworlds) list may not reset all of their users' account data without prior approval from the PWA.

B. Staff

1. All staff should be aware of, and abide by, the 'Rules for Classic and Hosted Servers', the 'GraalOnline User Agreement', and the 'GraalOnline Acceptable Use Policy'.
2. All staff positions should serve a genuine purpose. Honorary staff roles such as 'Founding Staff' or 'Original Creator' are not allowed.
3. Staff positions should not be created for minor tasks such as uploading player graphics without special permission from the Playerworld Administration. These tasks should be handled by appropriate existing staff. For example, graphic uploading could be handled by the Graphics Team.
4. Staff tags should clearly identify the role of the staff, and where appropriate, indicate if that staff member is a trainee or administrator.
5. RC names should be professional and identifiable.
6. All staff tools should be created in a fashion that cannot be abused. For example, a tool to change offensive nicknames should simply set that player's nickname to their community name, rather than allowing for the staff to enter a new nickname.
7. Staff should only be given access to the rights and tools required by their position. This includes access to RC. Before being given a right, staff should be trained in its usage.
8. Staff should only use their rights and tools for the reasons required by their position. Any other use is considered abuse, even if it does not directly affect players in a negative way.
9. All RC access should be restricted by IP or PCID to prevent unauthorised login.
10. Only the staff positions Server Administrator and higher should be given full rights on RC. Please take note that full rights should be given sparingly.
11. Write and delete file access should be restricted from staff as much as possible. Where relevant, staff should be given their own folder to work in rather than having write access to the main levels folder.
12. Only the server Manager should have write access to server logs.
13. All staff with RC access override players options to ignore mass messages (unless the server has been properly configured to disable this feature). These staff should restrict their massing only to important server information.

C. Local Guilds

1. Guild names should not impersonate any privilege or staff guild (such as 'Playerworld Administrator' or 'VIP').
2. Guild names should not contain any offensive, copyrighted or threatening material.
3. No guild should allow players to appear in the staff list if the guild is not an official position on the server.

D. System Abuse

1. No scripts should allow one player to imitate another, for example by changing their nickname to '*Stefan'.
2. Scripts should not interfere with any built in part of Graal, such as preventing the auto-disconnect for idling from working.
3. Scripts should only identify players uniquely via their account name, nickname or community name. Any other attempt to track a player such as through their IP address, PCID or by planting corrupt files in their system could constitute a criminal offence. Servers are strictly forbidden from using any sort of method to store or retrieve the player's IP address or PCID with script.

E. External Community

Third-party websites and forums which support the online community are permissible, but any third-party website that is advertised on the server (through NPC-Server PMs or otherwise) must enforce the following:

1. Behavior should be properly enforced as would be expected in-game.
2. Visitors should be explicitly notified to use a unique password when creating an account.
3. Passwords stored on the websites or databases should be hashed using cryptographically strong hash functions.
4. Any websites may not be referred to as "official" in any way without express consent from GraalOnline.
5. Websites should not contain questionable, illegal, graphic or adult content.

• Third-party Graal-related websites (and their legitimacy as third-party websites in relation to a server in question) are judged based purely on the opinion of the Playerworld Administration. This judgment shall usually be passed by identifying who created, runs, and/or pays for the website and/or by the name of the domain or website title and by how they are being advertised.

GraalOnline reserves the right to make special-case amendments and additions to its rules and policies and the steps it takes concerning violation of these policies and rules. Players are required to keep up-to-date with any changes to Graal policy concerning rules and gameplay by checking them frequently. To keep users aware of any amendments they will be posted in the GraalOnline communication center forums, under the section 'PlayerWorlds Main Forum'.

The Playerworld Administration will enforce each rule as is fit on a case-by-case basis. Disciplinary actions may vary between violations and other circumstances.