Game Policy

From Lotro-Wiki.com

Codemasters would like to bring your attention to their new player policies page for The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, (LOTRO) which can be found here: Player policy. Here you can find all of the policies laid out by category and will hopefully answer the questions you might have regarding how things are managed. These policies can also be found in their knowledgebase, here.

Character naming policy

Character names in The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, (LOTRO) should reflect the traditional and heroic spirit of the Lord of the Rings world. When selecting a character name, please be aware of the type of character you are creating, be it a Man, Elf, Dwarf or Hobbit. Each race has its own naming conventions and it is encouraged that you select a name befitting the race and spirit of your character. The following naming policy includes character names that are NOT appropriate for The Lord of the Rings Online and is also applied to guild and organisation names.

Proper names and places or close facsimiles thereof, from the fiction of Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit or Tolkien's works, including story characters or non-player characters (NPCs) introduced in fiction of The Lord of the Rings Online.
Fantasy or non-fantasy names from popular culture or media.
Sexually explicit, defamatory, obscene, racially or ethnically offensive names or slang.
Names of historical or religious significance.
Trademarked names of products, goods, materials or services.
Common names, slang or references to drug related substances, culture or paraphernalia.
Names containing ranks, titles or denotation of power.
Names causing harm, mockery or imitation of The Lord of the Rings Online players, NPCs in addition to Codemasters Online Gaming, Turbine Entertainment Software or Alchemic Dream employees, past or present.
Misspelled variations or homonyms of any of the above rules.

Policy Enforcement

If your character or kinship is in violation of any of the above naming rules, Codemasters will take the following steps:

If you violate item #3, #6 or #8 above, there is a “Zero Tolerance” rule in effect. This means that if your character or kinship name is in violation, the name will be changed without discussion or contact in-game.
For characters that violate this rule, your character name will be changed and your account will be automatically placed on a 3-day suspension for a first offence. For kinships that are in violation, the kinship name will be changed and the account of the kinship leader will be placed on a 3-day suspension for a first offence. Secondary offences will consist of further account actions, including possible closure. For character or kinship naming disputes, contact Player Support at http://www.codemasters.com/cog
For other naming infractions, Codemasters will contact you in-game or via email to discuss your character’s name.

Account Security Guidelines

Codemasters have gone to great lengths to ensure the integrity and security of all player accounts and offer the following account security hints and tips which will help you to keep your accounts as secure as possible.

Helpful Account Security Hints and Tips

Do not use words listed in standard dictionaries!

There are hacker programs designed to try every word in the dictionary in order to gain access to a secure item.

Make your password long!

It is generally recommended that you make your Lord of the Rings Online password at least 8 characters in length.

Use numbers and letters!

The use of numbers and letters in combination with upper and lower case letters makes guessing your password more difficult and increases the possible combinations.

Do not use common “grouped” keys!

Keyboard keystrokes such as QWERTY, ZXC and WASD for example, should be 100% off-limits. Not only are they easy to guess, they are easy to spot should someone see you while typing your password.

Change your password often!

As a minimum, it is recommended that you change your Lord of the Rings Online account password every 90 days. Optimally, it is a good habit to change your password every month.

Store your passwords in a secure place!

In your wallet or on your monitor are all terrible places to keep your password. The most secure place to keep your password is in your head. If you must write it down, put it in a place that will be locked up or difficult to find.

You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and account. Furthermore, you are entirely responsible for any and all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify Codemasters immediately of any unauthorised use or theft of your account or any other breach of security (and to provide properly documented evidence as reasonably requested by Codemasters). Codemasters will not be liable for any loss that you may incur as a result of someone else using your password or account, either with or without your knowledge. However, you will be liable for losses incurred by Codemasters or another party due to someone else using your account or password. You may not use anyone else’s account at any time. Your membership or subscription is personal to you and you may not transfer or make available your account name and password to others. Any distribution by you of your account name and password may result in cancellation of your subscription without refund and additional charges based on unauthorised use.
Although a Service may offer a feature that allows you to “remember” your password and thereby bypass the password protection, this feature makes it possible for third parties to access your account and user name. Use of this password bypass feature will be at your own risk.
Neither Codemasters, Turbine nor Alchemic Dream staff will ask you for your password. Never give your password to anyone. If someone has asked for your password, report them using this form.

All account disputes and or inquiries should be directed to Codemasters at this address: http://www.codemasters,com/cog . The Lord Of The Rings Online Game Masters will not be able to assist with account questions or disputes.

For information about increasing your security on your account, please see the account security guidelines, however please note, this is there to advise and help you secure your account only. Codemasters cannot be held responsible for any account compromised.

Third party Software

Do not use any unauthorised software on your computer, as this may contain Trojans, viruses, key logging software or any other type of fraudulent / malicious software which can be used to compromise your account, personal information or PC.

Reimbursement Policy

The Lord of the Rings Online’s reimbursement policy outlines Codemasters stance regarding reimbursement-type player help requests. Each type of player request is unique and warrants individual consideration. Each type of possible reimbursement situation is detailed below.

Missing Items

Sometimes players will report that items have disappeared from their inventory, bank or mail. Senior Game Masters should check the player’s transaction log to determine if the missing item was accidentally sold, traded or deleted. Sold, traded or deleted items will not be replaced. If the missing items do not fall into these categories, the help request should be escalated for further research. Items proven to have disappeared due to extreme game error will be replaced at Codemasters’ discretion.

Destroyed Items

In The Lord of the Rings Online, items can be destroyed by a player, however, there is a system in place that will prompt you before deleting an item. Due to the existence of such a system, The Lord of the Rings Online Game Masters will not reimburse players for accidentally or intentionally deleted items.

Experience and Skills

Character experience, levels or skill points will not be reimbursed in the event of the following scenarios:

Character death due to the natural course of gameplay
Character death due to another player’s actions
Character death due to Internet lag or other external anomaly
Account compromise
Extreme situation of character and/or server rollback
Accidental placement or allotment of experience and skill points

Character experience, levels or skill points may be reimbursed after a full investigation process by a Game Master due to:

Extreme game error where skills, experience, levels are missing, with the exception of a roll-back.

All reported cases of account security compromise or extreme game error will be fully investigated by a Game Master prior to experience, level or skill reimbursement. During this investigative process, an account may be temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

Trade

Items or currency exchanged between players in The Lord of the Rings Online are securely conducted via a trade window. Any trade disputes between players will not be resolved by a Game Master. However, in the event of a persistent “player trade scam” or other intentionally dishonest exchange of goods between players in The Lord of the Rings Online, a Game Master will conduct a full investigation.

Harassment Policy

The harassment policy for The Lord of the Rings Online clarifies Codemasters view on player harassment.

While the game UI will inform players of this policy (in a condensed version), the policy below further explains to players what is harassment, how to best deal with a perceived harassment issue and how to contact Player Support.

The Lord of the Rings Online strives to create a fun, healthy and enjoyable gameplay experience for all players. To this end, Codemasters holds a “Zero Tolerance” policy towards any form of player abuse or harassment. The Lord of the Rings Online harassment policy details what Codemasters considers player harassment as well as helpful steps to take to avoid potential abuse.

What is player harassment?

Player harassment is defined as an attempt by a player to cause distress, game disruption or to intentionally offend other The Lord of the Rings Online players. Player harassment may come in many forms, but the underlying similarity between all harassment and abuse incidents is player mal-intent. If the offending player’s actions are intentionally directed to cause disruption, grief or distress, no matter what the situation, this is considered player harassment.

What is not player harassment?

Player harassment is not defined as any of the following scenarios:

Voice chat
Legitimate use of the game mechanics to engage in a combat player vs. player (PvP) situation.
One-time use of inappropriate language in radial, group or private chat without the intent to cause distress
Sharing between groups of a hunting area or monster despite one group having arrived before another

How do I avoid player harassment?

There is a number of The Lord of the Rings Online game features and helpful gameplay tips that can be utilised to help avoid potentially troublesome player harassment situations. Below are examples of these:

Use the /ignore command! - The /ignore command in The Lord of the Rings Online has been created to help players ignore or “squelch” the chat of players whom they do not wish to communicate with. The simple use of this command will effectively eliminate the chat of the specified player, including remote chat, and in most cases end a potentially unsettling incident.

How to report harassment

If you have taken all pre-cautions as described above, and still feel you are victim of harassment. You can report this to a Game Master, via the official external or in game support services, Codemasters will then within reason review the incident and may if required request further evidence. If a player is found to be violating the harassment policy; they will be:

Warned not to offend again
For a second offence placed on a 3-day suspension
Further continued violations will result in a temporary suspension from the game or for continual harassment, removed from the role-play servers

Scam Policy

The Scam policy for Lord of the Rings Online clarifies Codemasters view on player scamming.

The policy below further explains to players what is scam, how to best deal with a perceived scam and how to contact Codemasters

The Lord of the Rings Online strives to create a fun, healthy and enjoyable gameplay experience for all players. To this end, Codemasters holds a “Zero Tolerance” policy towards any form of player scamming. The Lord of the Rings Online scam policy details what Codemasters considers player scamming as well as helpful steps to take to avoid being scammed.

What is a scam?

A scam is the act were you con an innocent party into parting with valuable item or items through misinformation or without their knowledge e.g. through confusion / fraud.

How do I avoid being scammed?

Never pass any items whether they appear powerful or valuable to you to an unknown opponent
Be careful on what you purchase and for what price on the auction house
Be careful who you invite as a friend and trust
Take care on how you store your account details and passwords
Remember: People will try to scam you while you’re playing. Middle-earth is no different from any other world where people may be dishonest

How to report a scam

If you feel you have been scammed, you can report this to a Game Master, via the official external or in game support services. Codemasters will within reason review the incident and if required take the appropriate action. However please note, Codemasters reserve the right to not refund any item and take any required punishment action they feel appropriate.

If a player is found deliberately scamming other Customers; they will:

Receive a warning not to offend again
For a second offence they will be placed on a 3-day suspension
Further continued violation will result in a temporary suspension from the game or for continual violation they will be removed from the servers

Unauthorised Access Policy

Codemasters forbids any Codemasters customers from compromising or using anyone else’s account

If you feel your account has been compromised, you should attempt to reset your password. If you are unable to reset your password and gain access to your account then please contact Codemasters customer services using this form.

For increasing your security on your account please see the section on account security guidelines, however please note, this is there for informational purposes only and to help advise you how to secure your account. Codemasters cannot be held responsible for any account compromised.

Please note: Codemasters will not reimburse any items, experience or in-game monies lost.

Online Auction Policy

The online auction policy for Lord of the Rings Online outlines Support’s stance on the buying, selling and trading of in-game goods for ‘real-world’ monetary values.

Codemasters does not support nor allow the buying, selling or trading of in-game items or money for ‘real world’ monetary values. If you exchange game goods in an online auction-type format, such as ‘EBay’, you do so at your own peril and will be subject to account disciplinary action. Codemasters will not assist in any way with any transaction or subsequent dispute that may arise from such a transaction.

The Lord of the Rings Online Terms of Service states:

“Selling" of Characters, Items and Accounts.

Remember that it is the Developer who owns The Lord of the Rings Online, and all the content related to The Lord of the Rings Online. What does this mean to you? This means that no one has the right to “sell” items, money or any thing else related to The Lord of the Rings Online, except those rights which are purchased from Developer by end users pursuant to these Terms of Service and the End User License Agreement which accompanies The Lord of the Rings Online product. Accordingly, you cannot sell items for “real” money.

Advertising your The Lord of the Rings Online account for sale through ‘chat’ or broadcast channels in The Lord of the Rings Online will not be tolerated, and may subject you to disciplinary action.”

Kinship Management Policy

The ‘Kinship Management’ policy for The Lord of the Rings Online describes how Codemasters will resolve the issue of transferring ownership of a kinship over to another person in the event that the original kinship leader stops playing or goes missing without properly transferring power.

In The Lord of the Rings Online, kinships are an important social structure that players work very hard to create, maintain and grow. As such, The Lord of the Rings Online has incorporated features for a kinship leader to create, recruit, promote and transfer leadership of their player kinship. Often, a situation will arise where a kinship is abandoned by its leader without the proper transfer of leadership. The kinship panel has a usurp feature to remove a kinship leader that has been absent for an extended period of time. Please note: Codemasters will not change kinship membership or leadership.

Role-Playing Policy

For Customers who wish to experience and enjoy more the specific fantasy characteristics, behaviour, and adventures of The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar storyline, Codemasters have developed and assigned specific role-playing servers.

In order to create such a world and adventure, a more rigid set of policies have been created. These are in addition to the policies that have been released, which are being enforced on all the other non-role-playing servers.

The primary difference between non-role-playing and role-playing servers is that players on these servers want to "live" the game as opposed to simply play it. With that in mind, there are certain behaviours, acts and names that could ruin their role-playing experience. For these reasons, we have laid out the guidelines below to help protect the immersion and atmosphere that the role-players have created. These rules are more stringent than those of a regular, non-role-playing server but do include all policies previously released for those and supersede them in cases of duplication. Role-Play Character names

In order to create such an immersive role-playing experience for our players, all character names created and their characteristics are required to be believable and should be considered to be within the “sprit of the game” storyline.

The following additional standards are to be adhered to when naming and creating your character:

Characters names must reflect the time period:
- Names should not refer to names that reflect modern, nick-names and non-fantasy names like: Daz, Bruce, Jimbo.
All characters names whether fictional or real, must be within the sprit of the characters, storyline and Tolkien's world.

Please note: As you are playing on role-playing worlds, any requests to rename your character are only undertaken after review and consultation of the guidelines. Any player found not complying with these rules will be asked to rename their character. If the Customer continues to violate this rule, the character will then be renamed for them automatically.

If you feel your character's name does comply to the above set of rules, Codemasters will review the name and if after review it is still found not to be compliant, the customer will be asked to change it. Codemasters' decision is final. Verbal/Physical Harassment

In addition to the policies already released, no verbal or physical harassment is to be made of any person that is performing within their chosen character characteristics.

If a player is found to be violating the harassment policy; they will be:

Warned not to offend again
For a second offence placed on a 3-day suspension
Further continued violations will result in a temporary suspension from the game or for continual harassment, removed from the role-play servers (Please note that character transfers to other servers is not available).

Out of Character communications

Use of General Chat

In order to help create a successful role-play environment the following chat restrictions apply in addition to the policies already released. Detailed below is the language policy enforced on the role-play servers.

The general/say chat channel is only to be used for finding or opening discussions regarding the Base Storyline (BSL), game quests or topics, and all chat must be within the time period, storyline, fantasy settings and within their character's characteristics.

No non-fantasy related chat should take place in the general chat channel.
- “Did you see yesterday's football match?”
- "What did you have to eat yesterday?”
All chat must be within your chosen character characteristics

All out of character conversation is to take place in the especially provided /ooc chat channel or /advice channel when seeking advice.

Please note that discussions in the trade channel should also be "in-character".

Guild chit-chat will not be policed; this is a responsibility of the guild to police themselves.

Codemasters will not punish customers that mis-type the odd word or sentence, as this can be done by accident. However if you experience a customer who continues to communicate in a way which you feel does not comply to the above rules and is effecting you game enjoyment, please ask them politely to stop. If the customer continues please report this to the Game support who will review the situation and:

If a player is found to be violating the use of these rules; they will be:

Warned not to offend again
For a second offence placed on a 3-day suspension
Further continued violations will result in a temporary suspension from the game or for continual harassment, removed from the role-play servers.

Source: LOTRO EU Policy page

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Category: Game Terms