Miscellaneous: CS Guidelines and Application of Rules

[Ennewi]

https://web.archive.org/web/20030430...es.htm#program

What is the Guide program's procedure for handling exploits and abuse?

When a player is accused of abuse, exploitation or disruption, the process is as follows:

Guides gather all of the information on ALL parties involved. They get the character name, race, level, and account name of both the accusers and the accused, as well as the zone and situation and document it.
Guides act only as investigators and reporters in incidents of abuse, exploitation, and disruption. We gather data, issue warnings, and record the incident.
Verant reviews records of these incidents on a daily basis. Verant GM's will then take discipinary action based on the severity and nature of the offense, and/or the number of warnings, subject to their discretion. This may include but is not limited to, temporary suspension or permanent banning from the game. Disciplinary action may also include editing of the character statistics, item inventory, or experience. Verant may take other forms of disciplinary action at their discretion. Be advised you may not receive any warnings prior to disciplinary action being taken. Players who repeatedly exploit anomalies in the game or disrupt the gameplay of others will not be tolerated in EverQuest.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010703...ML/002657.html

A CS Rep threatening a player with banishment creates two problems. First, it implies a level of authority they do not possess, creating hostility in the customer base. Secondly, if the player is not banned, it reduces the credibility of the program overall as it gives the impression that we make threats that they either can not or will not follow through with.

Abuse Procedures

Abuse is one of those “soft” issues that are the hardest to identify and punish. What two players call fun, two others will call abuse. The key to enforcing the abuse policies in EverQuest is consistency. The goal of EverQuest is to create a world where as many people as possible can come and enjoy an immersive role-playing experience.

If this is the first incident for the accused, they will be suspended from the EverQuest servers for one week. If this is the second or later incident, the player will be banned from EverQuest.

Once an account has been deleted, GM-Mgmt notifies the other GMs that are online that the character was banned. The GM collects the names of all of the characters played by the account that has been banned and sends them to the Head GM for posting in the Message of the day.

Each day, a section of the MOTD will be updated to include the day’s banning activities. Every character played by every account that was banned will be posted on this list. This serves two purposes. First, it lets everyone that has ever played with any one of the characters know the disposition of the character. Second, it creates a larger list, making a larger example, and offering a greater intimidation factor to those that might consider exploiting. This list should also appear as a cumulative “Banned to Date” list that is available via the News button. Again, this is to provide a tangible reminder of Verant’s dedication to providing a playable environment.

The official customer service response to the banning of players is one of regret, as we regret any actions resulting in loss of customers. It is unfortunate that actions like these must occur to keep EverQuest enjoyable for the majority of the players.