Out-of-Character Rules

RULES

1. Use English.

While we welcome international members and like to encourage the site to be a melting-pot of cultures, for the purpose of moderation, we would ask all members to speak only in English while on the site. Repeatedly speaking in another language will result in a punishment.

2. Stay on topic.

When making a new thread, make sure that it fits the forum you are posting in. Don't go off about Naruto in the Video Games section unless you're specifically talking about a Naruto video game.

When replying to a thread, do your best to keep with curve of the discussion. Randomly changing the subject will be counted as spam.

3. Don't bump unless it is necessary.

Always check the date of the last post in a thread before replying to it (a month is roughly long enough to consider a thread dormant). If the thread pertains to long-over event or a question that has already been answered, leave it die.

As a general rule, do not bump a dormant thread unless you actually have something new and interesting to add to the discussion. Doing so will be counted as spam.

4. Advertising has a time and place.

Advertising of website is to be conducted only in the Links forum. You may have a link to your website in your signature but any posting of links in any other location will be considered spam. PM advertising will likewise be considered spam and all members are advised to report incidents of PM advertising.

5. Flaming is absolutely forbidden.

Do not make hurtful comments about other members' opinions, beliefs, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, skin color, etc. You are allowed to disagree with someone but you must do so respectfully. If someone's very presence makes your blood boil and give you an immediate urge to throw said person into a pit of fire, then by all means feel that way, but keep it to yourself. Flaming of any kind is grounds for punishment.

6. Swearing is acceptable.

You are perfectly entitled to curse or swear but you may NOT direct these curses at another member, past, present or future and you may not overdo it. Doing so is grounds for punishment.

7. Edit, don't double post.

Double posting is a nuisance that fills the forum with unnecessary posts. If you made a mistake, there is an edit button. Repeated offenses are grounds for punishment.

8. Spam is annoying.

We will not tolerate spamming of the forums. Spam is any form of non-constructive or -relevant post or topic. Pointing out someone's rule-breaking in a thread is considered spam. The moderators and admins are here for a reason people. Spam is always grounds for punishment.

9. Don't page-stretch.

Posting words and images so wide that they give a horizontal scrollbar is annoying and against the rules. This applies to signatures as well. It should also be noted that if a signature is deemed to long, it will be disabled until it fits our expectations. All computers at least have Paint, if it's too long, shorten it. Repeat offenses will warrant a punishment.

10. No porn. Ever.

This is not a porn site. Any inappropriate images, links or posts will be deleted immediately with a punishment for the poster.

11. Overusing smilies, images and punctuation.

We don't want to have to look at fourteen lines of smilies, Death Note pictures or exclamation marks. If you repeatedly oversmile, we will disable smilies for everyone, if you repeatedly overimage, we will disable images for everyone and if you overpunctuate, you will be given a punishment.

12. Plagiarism is illegal and against the rules.

Do NOT claim someone else's work as your own. It is illegal and here on Elder Wars, we consider it intolerable. Forgetting to credit an original artist once or twice is okay but if it seems you are deliberately trying to take credit for someone's hard work, you will receive a punishment. Video game screenshots or sprites are not included in this but original sprites are.

13. Posting about other members is not on.

Posting topics asking about people's opinion of a certain member, or even yourself is against the forum rules. Repeated offenses may result in a punishment.

14. Spoilers are not nice.

Spoiling the events of books, video games, movies etc. is not tolerated on Elder Wars. When posting topics post [SPOILERS] at the start of the thread title if they contain spoilers as a warning to other members. Failure to do so may result in a punishment.

15. Trolling is a mortal sin.

Trolling (in other words, deliberately breaking the rules to cause bother to members) is immediate grounds for an automatic, permanent, no-questions-asked ban.

16. Spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Just because you're not very good at roleplaying or writing in general, it doesn't mean you can't roleplay/write badly with good spelling, grammar and punctuation. At least make an effor to make your posts legible. If English isn't your first language or you suffer from dyslexia or another learning disability, please notify a moderator or admin and lenience will be offered to an extent. Apart from those two exceptions, repeat offenses will result may result in a punishment.

17. Always be respectful.

In any situation, be respectful to other members. If you have no respect for another member, fake it for all we care, just be respectful.

PUNISHMENTS

1. Denied Privileges Level One.

You will be banned from the Debating Hall forum.

2. Denied Privileges Level Two.

You will be banned from all forums in the Arts Discussion and Terra Firma sections.

3. Denied Privileges Level Three.

You will be be kicked out of your faction and banned from the faction's forum as well as the Arts Discussion and Terra Firma sections.

4. Denied Privileges Level Four.

You will be kicked out of your faction and banned from the faction's forum, as well as the Arts Discussion, Terra Firma and Tamriel sections. In short, you won't be allowed to RP.

5. Three-Month Ban.

You will be banned from the entire forum for three months. Bans are immediate and do not require warning.

6. Permanent Ban.

You will be banned from the enitre forum forever. Bans are immediate and do not require warning.

It should be noted that you do not work your way up through the punishments. You can receive a Denied Privileges Level Four without ever receiving a Denied Privileges Level Three amd receive a Permanent Ban without any past offenses.