Code of Conduct

Introduction

The Code of Conduct is subject to change without notification, though Studio Wildcard will do its best to ensure that changes are communicated clearly to those on the Official Network.

Failure to abide by our Code of Conduct can result in the removal of your structures, creatures, items or banning of your account from the Official Network and all BattlEye Protected Servers. Studio Wildcard reserves the right to immediately suspend player accounts as it deems fit. Action taken is at the sole and absolute discretion of Studio Wildcard and its employees.

This list is not exhaustive but represents clear guidelines for players to adhere to when playing on our Official Network. For something you’re unsure of, please use your best judgement. When in doubt, reach out to us here and select "Report Abuse". Ensure you’re acting with some semblance of decency when conducting yourself on our Official Network.

Hacking and Exploiting

Hacking and Exploiting

Hacking or exploiting game mechanics to gain an unfair advantage over other players is not tolerated.

> Hacking - examples are not limited to but can include using third-party programs such as in-game automated bots, ESP, Aimbots, and Game Engine Modifications.

> HWID ban evasion - If you have been hardware ID (HWID) banned, any attempt to access the Official Network with an alternate account is subject to another hardware ID ban.

> Exploiting - examples are not limited to but can include:

• Attacking from, travelling through, or building in unintended game-zones (under the mesh or above the map)
• Duplication of tames, items, or characters
• Intentionally crashing users or servers (through DDoS or otherwise)
• Placing excessive quantities of C4 to prevent hostile C4 from being placed
• Stacking multiple creatures inside each other's models via raising babies close together, teleporting them near each other, downloading them, etc (ex: multiple brontos in a 1x1 foundation area)
• Floating structures or structures that extend past normal building limits on platform saddles or rafts for PVP purposes

Benefit Hacking/Exploiting, Tribes, Alliances, and teaming up

When playing on our Official Network, players must ensure that they are not taking advantage of hacking exploits and unfair play. Do not under any circumstances allow hackers to join your tribe, alliance, or party up alongside you within the game. It is your responsibility to remove them or yourself from the tribe. If you witness someone breaking the rules through the use of a game exploit, or a third party program (such as ESP or AIMBOT) ensure that you isolate yourself from those users and are not playing with or alongside them to avoid breaching our code of conduct.

Hack related chat

There should be no discussions in game or otherwise regarding abusing hacks and exploits, including access to cheats, where you can acquire them, or how they are utilized.

Small Tribe Server Specific Rules

The spirit of Small Tribes servers revolves around small teams working independently and without informal alliances. A tribe working with another is considered teaming and this violates the rules of Smalls and is subject to enforcement action.

Please note that these rules are subject to common sense and the use of loopholes to violate the spirit of these rules is subject to enforcement.

> Joint raids against one or more tribes (12 v 6 etc)

• This includes targeting Forward Operating Bases (FOB’s) as well as bases.

> Multiple tribes built in one location to mutual benefit. This can include:

• Sharing a single cave with one entrance where the entrance is defended by only one tribe (Ice Cave on Center map is an example of this)
• Profiteering off each other’s defenses ie: one cave entrance is defended by Tribe A and another entrance is defended by Tribe B
• Multiple tribes living inside a cave/area defended by the “alpha’s” defenses. (An example of this would be the Valguero Underground cave)

> Further Guidelines:

• Bases in different locations are open to being attacked by different tribes at the same time. This includes unique areas like Valguero underground and Center underground where entrances that are distant from each other are blocked by defenses; for these cases, each entrance is considered a different base. Basically, don’t build what you can’t defend.
• Players who are not involved in a raid are expected to stay clear of the area in order to avoid confusion as to how many players and tribes are involved. Failure to do so after a warning may result in a temp ban. 
• A forward operating base constitutes any operational point within the vicinity of another tribe’s base used for the purpose of attacking. Common sense comes into play here: are you using structures or otherwise as a point of attack in order to focus on another tribe's base.
• Open World PvP is not considered teaming. “Open World” is defined by areas that are completely clear of bases and FOB’s. Use common sense, attempting to take advantage of edge cases is against the spirit of this rule and is subject to enforcement action.

When making a teaming report, please refer to the Teaming Report Guidelines

Griefing

Spawn Blocking

Spawn Blocking occurs when tribes intentionally block spawn points for the purpose of not allowing any new players to play on the server. In the event your base inadvertently or accidentally resides on a spawn point you will not be penalized, but expected to provide a way out of your base for newly spawned players.

Here are some examples of what spawn blocking can consist of, but is not limited to:

• Using structures that players spawn into and can not get out of

• Using spikes/spike walls at player spawn locations

• Turrets located on or near spawn points

• Dino gates, or any type of structure/cage that is meant to trap or instantly kill a player and prevent them from spawning on the map

• Aggressive dinos placed near spawn points in order to instantly kill players that spawn in.

• Teleportation zones (on Genesis, Fjordur) are treated as spawn zones and as such they should not be blocked nor have any turrets in them in either pvp or pve game mode .

PvE Specific Griefing

> Game Blocking - you are not allowed to block other tribes from playing the game on PvE servers. This can include but is not limited to:

• Building at their base

• Blocking in other tribes dinos

• Blocking access in/out of a tribes base

• Blocking access to important resources (ie. charge nodes, Extinction City Terminals, Orbital supply crates on Extinction, Teleporters, Dispatchers, or Mission Terminals and etc)

• Intentionally filling the server tame limit via spamming tames (such as Dodo, Jerboa, or easy to ‘tame and maintain’ dinos) and/or rafts

• Leaving tames inside of artifact caves or on obelisk teleportation platforms

• Leaving tames in mission areas or blocking mission areas with tames

> Structure Spamming - placing structures down such as pipes or wires for the purpose of disrupting others gameplay is against our code of conduct.

> Intentionally using wild creatures to destroy a player's base.

GM intervention may be necessary if your structure or creature is negatively impacting a server (ie. you block off a large portion of the map so that other members of that server cannot access it).

Misconduct

Behavior, Chat, and Interaction With Others

Interactions with other players or Studio Wildcard employees through text chat, voice chat, and signs or paintings must adhere to the rules below and you cannot use an alternative spelling to circumvent restrictions.

Ensure that you do not:

> Offend - this includes but is not limited to language which is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, sexually explicit, or racially, ethnically or otherwise offensive.

> Post Personal Information - belonging to someone else in the game, or any Official websites or forums related to the game.

> Harass, Stalk, Threaten - such as sending repeated unsolicited or unwelcome messages to specific users/tribes and can include but not limited to those sexual in nature or messages that would cause discomfort.

> Disrupt the game - such as intentionally causing the chat screen to scroll faster than other users are able to read, or setting up macros with large amounts of text that, when used, have a disruptive effect on the normal flow of Chat.

> Promote - do not send messages which are advertisements for inappropriate topics, including scamming, hacking, exploits or the sale of goods and services unless trading within the game for game specific resources, for example, 50 Stone for 1 Polymer, A trike for a Rex, etc.

> Real-Money Trading (RMT) - ARK items, creatures, or services must only be exchanged for other items, creatures, or services within the game. Trading for real-world currency (real money) is not an accepted form of trading.

 

Player, Steam and Tribe Names

When choosing your name, steam name, or tribe name you must adhere to general decency and abide by the following rules. If Wildcard determines your name to be improper, we may change the name and or terminate your use of our Official and any BattlEye Protected Servers. You should not use an alternative spelling to circumvent the name restrictions listed below. You should ensure that your name does not:

> Offend - names may not contain vulgar, defamatory, obscene, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise offensive, including any usernames which are sexual in nature.

> Impersonate - pretending to be someone else with intent to impersonate Game Masters ("GM") or Studio Wildcard employees. Reminder if an admin is on your server and addressing players in chat, they will ALWAYS have a wildcard logo in front of their name.

> When creating a character your name and tribe name must show in game chat. Tribe names and character names that are invisible through the use of special characters will not be allowed.

 

False Reports

When submitting a support ticket please complete all fields in the questionnaire. Include all relevant information along with any supporting documentation. 

>If you are uncertain about a rule you may submit a support ticket using the "Report Abuse" form. Tickets of this type may be of lower priority based on ticket volume at that time.

Abuse of the ticket system will not be tolerated. Repeated offenses will result in escalated actions to include suspension and/or banning from the ticket system.

 - Use of abusive language towards staff when submitting a support ticket will result in the closure of that ticket without investigation. 

 - Spamming of tickets will result in their closing uninvestigated. Please be patient while we work to resolve your issue. 

 - False or fraudulent support tickets will result in a ban from the ticket system. Be genuine when submitting a report. Attempts to use Enforcement to harass, restrict gameplay, or gain advantage over other players is a zero tolerance offense.

When reporting others, please ensure that you are genuine. Reports made to harass other players or for restricting their gameplay when no codes of conduct have been broken are deemed punishable by Studio Wildcard.

You can increase the effectiveness of your reports by including as much information as possible, as well as video or picture evidence. We never take our decisions and actions regarding potential malicious player behavior lightly. Suspensions, server wipes, and/or bans are only issued after careful review of all internal and external evidence.

Please be aware that submitting multiple reports for the same issue does not accelerate the review process and can cause your case to take more time to process.

 

Ban Appeals

Ban appeals must be submitted here.

Bans that may not be appealed include the following:

-Hacking, exploiting, assisting hackers, DDos, promoting hacks, Real Money Trading, Meshing Racism, Promoting self harm and Doxxing

All Battleye bans must be appealed to Battleye. They have detected hacks or cheats on your system and you must talk to them to get the ban cleared.  The link to Battleye appeals is here.