Forum Rules & Other Issues of Importance

[Umah Bloodomen]

For those of you who may not be aware of it, the TOU of our Community has been updated. Please take the time to review it at your earliest convenience as you are responsible for adhering to what it entails at all times.

Eidos Community Terms of Use

First off, welcome to the Eidos Forums!

As with every forum, there are rules and regulations that need to be followed in order to maintain a constructive community. Any person may view our forums; however you need to become a registered member to be able to post. As a registered member, you have agreed to abide by the Eidos Community Terms of Use, and violations of these rules and regulations will result in your account being disabled and your posting privileges being removed.

Please take the time to review and abide by these rules, as they help maintain an environment that people of all ages can enjoy. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Rules

Rule #1: No pornographic or sexually suggestive material.

Any sexually explicit imagery or links to such content will not be tolerated. Additionally, sexual discussions are not acceptable in our community.

Rule #2: Do not post about or refer to warez, illegal software, or any product that promotes copyright infringement.

Do not link to illegal software, post about it, or suggesting getting it. Furthermore, we will not tolerate posts that encourage people to violate copy protection by referring them to sites that have copy protection codes publicized. Any such post that promotes or informs someone about any product that is in a violation of a copyright will be removed from our forums immediately, and the appropriate action will be taken against the violator's account.

Rule #3: Do not use any profanity of any kind on the forums.

People of all ages are welcome to view the forums, and the use of profanity is strictly prohibited. We have a censor on the forum, however any words that are not caught, or tactics used to circumvent our sensor, are your own responsibility, and the appropriate action will be taken for violation of this rule

Example:
If the word “Kitty” is a bad word.

Acceptable: *

Unacceptable: K, *ing, *er, K!77y, Kitttay etc…

We encourage you to use our community as a forum to debate topics, but please use proper adjectives to express yourself. Just try and stay away from profanity to begin with.

Rule #4: Do not reference or promote drugs or any other illegal activities.

We do not condone discussion about taking part in any illegal activites on the forums. What people do on their own is their own buisness, however this is not the place to discuss such activites. If you would not mention the action to a cop, then it probably shouldn't be posted here.

Rule #5: Do not attack or retaliate against any member or group of members on the forums.

Do not harass, threaten, embarrass, or do anything else to another member or guest that is unwanted. This is referred to as flaming, and will not be tolerated.

This means: don't say bad things about them, don't keep sending them unwanted messages, don't attack their race, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc.

Rule #6: Treat members and their opinions with respect.

The Eidos Forums are a place to discuss things in a friendly mannor. This does not mean that everyone always has to agree on certain subjects. Natural difference of opinion can lead to qualtiy debates and conversations, however these topics and debates get out of hand when people do not respect different opinions.

All members and reference to social groups should be treated with respect. Although this is similar to rule #5, this also extends to pushing your own personal beliefs on other people. Not everyone believes the same thing, and as long as you respect other people's opinions, you should be fine.

Example of a Bad comment:

"This is a warning to all. Repent and believe in Mooberry the Cow God, lest you drown in milk for all enternity!"

This is a bad statement because the person is pushing their belief in Mooberry on other people. This is not a topic of debate, or conversation; it's propaganda for a certain belief.

Example of an okay comment:

"I just finished reading the Gouda Doctrine, and have decided to believe in Mooberry the Cow God. Does anyone else here believe in Mooberry, or have any opinions on the matter? Intelligent discussion only please."

This is okay because now a conversation is going to be started about Mooberry. As long as people respect this person's belief in Mooberry, and he respects other people's non belief in the Cow God, the topic should be fine.

Rule #7: Post in a way so that all members are able to read the post.

This is a forum for all types of people, and posts should be written in a way so that all people may enjoy them. For the composure of these boards, only the English language may be used. Also do not post in a way that makes your post extremely difficult to read. Stay away from entire posts of 1337 speak, or extreme use of OdD cApItAlIzAtIoN. This does not mean that you can't have a few stylistic words here and there, just do not make the post entirely of the sort. Though "gangsta" speak can be lumped into this category, it for the most part readable, so is therefore allowed. Just don't go overboard. Reading posts should be a pleasure, not a chore.

Rule #8: Do not spam.

Spamming is characterized by the initiation of threads or posts that contribute nothing to a forum, be it off topic or on topic. Examples include: empty posts, posts with few words that have no relation to the current thread of discussion, and posts that state they are spam, either to annoy or increase a member's post count. The determination as to what is spam is made by a forum moderator or admin.

Before posting, think if it is actually adding to the conversation. If it is not, it probably doesn’t need to be posted. Do not post for the sole purpose of adding post count. Although it is nice to have a high post count, the overall quality of the forums is degraded by people who abuse features such as those.

Rule #9: Do not double post.

Double posting is having two posts by the same member that are in a row. This is primarily used to boost your post count. Use the Edit Post feature, if you would like to add something to your previous post.

In some cases it can be alright to post twice in a row, for instance if you would like to respond independently to two different quotes from people. However, if it's possible, use the Edit Post feature.

Rule #10: Do not post anything that is completely derogatory. No slam posting.

We do not tolerate “slam” posts on our forums. By slam posts, we mean posts that make statements such as:

“This product is horrible. No one should buy it!!”

-or-

“This is the worst developer, avoid at all costs!”

These type of posts will be removed. This includes "slam" posts that refer to members, moderators, developers, or games from either Eidos or any of our competitors. This does not mean that people can not have negative feelings about something, just don’t make a post for the sole purpose of bashing something into the ground.

Rule #11: Do not post any topic that is applicable to only one member of the forum. No FAO (for attention of) posts.

All topics that are made on the forum should apply to all members of the forum. Any topic directly applicable to a single member is not appropriate, and messages of that type should be communicated through the Private Message (PM) feature.

Rule #12: Do not attempt to impersonate another member of the forum.

Do not attempt to impersonate other forum members, or forum moderators/administrators. Out of courtesy to other forum users and moderators we expect you to use only one username on our forums. Please do not post email addresses, standard addresses, ICQ and other messaging client numbers, or phone numbers which are not your own. This can be a serious issue, and the appropriate action will be taken against your account.

Rule #13: Do not post any advertisements or promotions.

This forum is a place for conversation, not for advertisements. Do not post topics or messages that solicit or promote any commercial concern or transmit advertising, promotional materials, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or make any commercial use of our service.

Rule #14: Please use the appropriate forum for your topic.

The forums are set up to hold specific types of conversations. Please pay attention to the type of post you are making, and make sure that it belongs in that specific forum.

Rule #15: Do not have a signature that is outside of the limitations, or violates any of our signature rules.

Signatures must be no larger than 150 pixels high x 450 pixels wide and have a file size no greater than 30KB. This size restriction applies to pictures and text. There can only be two lines of text included with picture that is the maximum height of 150 pixels.



No signature picture can infringe any copyright. That means you should not use copyrighted material unless you can prove you hold said copyright or proof of permission from the copyright holder. Public domain pictures are acceptable. Do not have any signature picture that contains any material that is deemed inappropriate. A forum moderator or admin will have the final determination as to what is appropriate.


If a member feels that any of these rules have been violated, there is a link on each topic to report the offensive post to a moderator or administrator.

The people who have been chosen to moderate and administrate the forums have the right of closing or deleting any thread they feel is inappropriate. Once a topic is closed, members are not allowed to start new ones with the same topic or to question why a specific thread has been closed.

All questions or remarks regarding closed or deleted threads must be e-mailed privately to the moderator who performed this action. Any further discussion regarding action taken by a moderator or administrator is to be dealt with through Private Message to the appropriate administrator or moderator, and not on the forums themselves.

If you do not agree to these rules, please don't post. If you break these rules, we reserve the right to revoke your posting privileges. Remember, posting here is a privilege and not a right.

And lastly, enjoy yourself. This board was created so there is a place to talk about Eidos products, and so there is a place to meet other members of the gaming community. We welcome you here, and hopefully you have a great time and become a recurring member of our community.

Any questions or comments about these rules or regulations can be sent via PM to me, MattD. I will try my hardest to make this place as enjoyable as it can be for everyone here. Feel free to give suggestions on anything you would like to see implemented on the forums.


Legal Statement

Eidos Inc. takes no responsibility for the content, links to or use of the content of the messages posted on this board, nor do we endorse the opinions of the authors. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Eidos Inc., and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s).

We at Eidos Inc. reserve the right to delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever.

Message boards are a dynamic entity. Eidos Inc. reserves the right to change or alter these rules at any time and an administrator’s word is final.

[Umah Bloodomen]

Due to an upgrade in the forum software, this post regarding the SPOILER feature is being updated 07/12/05.

Please be advised that as with any game (or other form of media) new or old, you are expected to be courteous to other members who do not want the events of such media spoiled for them. Also, it is not our intention to discourage anyone from sharing their media experience(s) on the forums; however we do wish to call attention to the manner in which that sharing occurs. Chris and I feel that this is the most objective way to deal with SPOILERS here in the forums, allowing some members to share up a storm, and other members to indulge in the information at their own individual pace.

With that said, it is advised that you all take the time to familiarize yourself with the SPOILER function. This function is located near the top of the response box when you post a reply here in the forums (e.g. the blue "S").
Click here to view example.

To help you along with familiarizing yourselves with the SPOILER function you can do one of the following:

Prior to entering any text into the response box, when you press the SPOILER button, you can utilize the script prompt window that will pop up after pressing the button. This will allow you to type your SPOILER information, and have the appropriate vB tags implemented in the correct spot of your response box.
Click here to view example. Once your text has been entered into this prompt, press OK and notice it enters into actual response box.

You can also manually type the beginning vB script: [spoiler] before your SPOILER information and when you are finished typing, you can either manually close the tag by copying the first tag and posting / before the world spoiler at the end of your information or utilize one of two red X’s near the top-right of the response box that will allow you to either close the current vB tag or all vB tags.
Click here to view first example.
Click here to view second example.

Additionally, you may wish to type your text out normally, highlight which section you want to conceal with the SPOILER tag and manually press the SPOILER button to apply the tags.
Click here to view first example.
Click here to view second example.

When used correctly, the SPOILER function will conceal any SPOILER information beneath a solid blue box, making it difficult for members to read. Click here to view example.

Those that do wish to read the information concealed behind the SPOILER area can do so by placing your mouse near the beginning of the solid blue area, click and drag over the entire length (and in some instances width) of the blue area until all of the underlying text is highlighted and revealed. Click here to view example.

In addition to what has already been presented, we also ask you to place the term SPOILER in all current info and post-game completion thread titles. This is also acceptable when posting post-play topics.

A practice thread has been established in the LOK Community Chat for you to get the hang of using the SPOILER function. Thanks to those of you who are currently utilizing the SPOILER function in your posts lately. Those of you who may require additional assistance can contact me through PM’s.

The SPOILER function was established for your convenience and should be utilized at all times. Chris and I are taking this issue very seriously and trust that you all will as well in order to respect our fellow members. We trust that you will respect this and do your part to continue making our community great. If you should have any questions, comments or other inquiries, please feel free to PM or email, Chris or myself. (This information is located in our profiles).

Thanks for your cooperation, everyone!

[Umah Bloodomen]

When electing to include an image either in your posts and/or your signature, please do not remote-link to webspace that does not belong to you OR that you do not have permission to be remote linking to. We've seen an increase in this lately and it is something that needs to be addressed.

Remote-linking means that you are essentially stealing an image from another website, and inserting it directly in your post(s) and/or signature. Each time that a thread containing remote-linked images is viewed, the bandwith of that site is being leeched. This practice may cost the individual site owner their daily/monthly bandwith allotment (if it's free space), and/or money (if the individual is paying for the hosting space out of their own pocket).

There are plenty of image hosting services which you may use to host any given image yourself so that you may insert it directly into your post(s) and/or signatures.

Photobucket
Sig Host
MyImgs.com

Are among a few examples. Other hosting services include Yahoo and Angelfire, however these often do not permit remote-linking.

If anyone has additional suggestions, feel free to contact me via private channels (PM's and/or email) so that I may add them accordingly.

I am also able to host signature images for you if need be.

Please note that this does not mean you cannot share any image which you may come across with other members of the community (from gaming sites, and fan sites and whatnot). In this case, we ask that you link to images normally by pasting the URL directly into your response or altering the vB code to change the text of the link. This will prevent bandwith leeching when a thread is opened and will limit the bandwith usage to those who manually click on any given link.

Exceptions to the remote-linking rule include the remote-linking to the forum graphics here in our community. Example:



The emoticons and other various forum-related graphics are also acceptable. Clicksmilies also permits remote linking. (And I'm sure there are other emoticon sites out there that do the same).

If you are the owner of a fan site and you discover that your images are being remote-linked to without your permission, please don't hesitate on letting Chris and/or myself know. We will be able to remove the image(s) for you in order to help preserve your bandwith quota.

As a courtesy to the community, please do not post images that drastically distort the forum layout. If an image that you wish to post does this, please resort to linking to it instead.

When dealing with Signature Images, please take note of the following:

• Go to your USER CP
• Once there, click on EDIT PROFILE.
• In the OPTIONAL INFORMATION section (2nd section down), locate the SIGNATURE text field.
• Insert the URL of your image in that field.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and SUBMIT MODIFICATIONS.

Also, please be aware of the signature image guidelines that have been established for our community in the first post of this thread and make sure that your image meets these requirements before posting it as your signature. Should you require assistance resizing and/or reoptimizing your image, I can provide it.

Also, when posting a reply, make sure to check the SHOW SIGNATURE box below the text field where you type.

If you have any questions, comments or other concerns regarding this recent update, feel free to contact either Chris and/or myself via Private Channels (PM's and/or Email). Thanks.

[Umah Bloodomen]

The use of signatures has been changed here in our Community. As of yesterday 11/21/05, signatures were defaulted to yes and will only appear once per thread page.

The decision to implement this was based on the results of this poll.