Guidelines for Steam Forums, Official Servers, and Ban Appeals

[Jen]

Welcome to the ARK Steam Forums!

This topic contains our Official Server Guidelines, Official Steam Guidelines, & information regarding ban appeals.

Official Server Guidelines

Our Official Servers fall under our Code of Conduct, which can be read in its entirety here:

https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/code-of-conduct/

Steam Guidelines

All Survivors are invited to join the Steam Forums and participate in discussions (not withstanding any bans you may have). As a member of the community, you must abide by a few short rules:

1. Respect each other. Detrimental behavior such as flaming and derogatory/personalized harassment (outlined further below under 'Warnings') will not be tolerated.
2. Do not incessantly bump topics or spam. Specific spam rules are outlined in the advertisement sections regarding bumping.
3. Do not post topics discussing bans or warnings. Please visit support.survivetheark.com to report in-game issues. Forum bans and warnings should be discussed via support ticket only. Posts regarding these topics will be removed by a Steam Community Moderator or Community Officer.

On top of these three simple rules, we also have a few guidelines:

Community Officers and Developers are the employees of Studio Wildcard.

Community Moderators are the volunteer moderators of the Steam Community Forums. They are trusted members of the community, here to keep the peace and help out as much as they can. They largely address issues regarding the Forums, and are unable to officially address in-game issue/bugs or reports against other players. Steam Community Moderator applications are not accepted, and appointments of moderators are at the discretion of Studio Wildcard.

Posting:

Make sure when posting that your thread is being posted into the correct location. Your topic may be moved or removed without warning by a Community Officer or Community Moderator if it is placed in the wrong category. Avoid duplicate topics where applicable. Refrain from using all caps in your posts.

Warnings:

As stated in rule one, harassment will not be tolerated. On the Steam Forums, you are entitled to follow their Community Guidelines, which can be found here: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4045-USHJ-3810&l .

It is up to our discretion what derogatory and personalized harassment is. If it seems like what you're about to communicate seems like it's going to really offend or be harmful to another person’s ability to be a part of our community without fear of being harassed, don't say it. Employ common courtesy. We understand that there are elements to our game which can cause things to get heated, however we request that you do not go overboard. In these extreme cases, we will step in.

Disobeying any of the rules/guidelines can result in a posting restriction(ban). You may receive a warning in the form of a one day posting restriction on our Steam Forums for the rules outlined in the Steam Community Guidelines. Multiple restrictions can lead to longer restrictions and eventual permanent banning from the Steam Forums.

Inappropriate usernames or images:

Racist, sexist, and generally inappropriate usernames or images will not be tolerated. If deemed inappropriate your account may be reported by a Community Officer or Moderator.

Reporting Posts:

If you feel that someone's post(s) are detrimental to the community, you can report their post with the report button (flag) and the Steam Community Officers & Community Moderators will handle them. Please be aware that we take these reports seriously, and you should report a post only when you feel like it is disobeying the community guidelines. Refrain from mini-modding/backseat moderating and contact a Community Officer or Community Moderator where necessary.

Topic Locking/Deleting:

It is up to the Community Officers & Community Moderators discretion to remove replies and/or lock threads. Threads that are disruptive to the community and cause more harm than good (including but not limited to: flame wars, fighting, and trolling) will be locked. Reasons for locking the topic are generally provided by a Community Officer or Community Moderator at the time of locking. We try not to delete forums topics, and employ locking where necessary. However, if there is sensitive information that has the potential to negatively affect the game and its community that topic may be deleted rather than locked.

Wildcard reserves the right to change and/or add to these guidelines at our discretion where necessary.

These rules ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience here. With that said, we hope to see you as an active member of the community!

Appealing of In-Game Bans & Community Hub Bans

No discussions of bans, restrictions or warnings will be allowed in our Community Hubs.
To appeal a ban, restriction or warning please follow the guidelines below:

Steam Community Hub:

Bans or warnings can be appealed or discussed through the ban notice or by submitting a forum support ticket at http://support.survivetheark.com

1 month bans & permanent bans will NOT be discussed or appealed through the Steam ban notice. These bans must be directly appealed through a support ticket at http://support.survivetheark.com. Please ensure you use the Forum and Forum Accounts option.
*Make sure to include your STEAM ID or profile link in the support ticket!
(example: steamcommunity.com/id/<usernameorid>)

Official Community Hub SurviveTheArk.com:

Bans or warnings can only be appealed or discussed through submitting a forum support ticket at http://support.survivetheark.com. Please ensure you use the Forum and Forum Accounts option.

ARK In-Game Bans:

Game bans can ONLY be appealed through sending a email to [e-mail]
Make sure to include as much information as possible
Make sure to include your Steam ID.
(example: steamcommunity.com/id/<usernameorid>)

[Kogadins]

Thanks for clarification! Really like to see it here.

[123]

If they make a box on a disposable quetz, where's the appropriate punishment for repeat offences?
What's to stop people offline raiding with a hastily built Box Quetzal and then dismantling it afterwards so no evidence is left?
Edit: Awesome! You devs fixed it. Tyvm~

Can we block drops with gates instead now? Or spikes? Or cages?
Edit: Looks like any object that blocks access then.

[ADCKnight]

You may want to pass this information on to your GMs, as the when I reported "box quetzals" in the past the gms got back to me saying nothing can be done about it, 462 was wiped out because of it.
Over a month's of warnings and reports from various players about a tribes box quetzals, they received no punishment at all, instead they were rewarded with complete control of the server. They STILL have the boxed quetzals.

[Crash]

How do you contact GM for a server?

[EliteGamer11388]

Originally posted by utteroi:

How do you contact GM for a server?

Check the 2nd to last paragraph

[EliteGamer11388]

Originally posted by Zig:

If they make a box on a disposable quetz, where's the appropriate punishment for repeat offences?

Can we block drops with gates instead now? Or spikes? Or cages?

Pretty sure they intended it as no blocking drops period. I can't wait to see the Steam forums and Reddit forums blow up when Alpha tribes come to complain that their structures blocking all drops and Obelisks on the official clustered servers were removed. I can't believe tribes do that and block off the entire point of the clustered servers, so I shall hapilly munch popcorn as I read their salty sadness lol

[Crash]

Originally posted by EliteGamer11388:

Originally posted by utteroi:

How do you contact GM for a server?

Check the 2nd to last paragraph

Haha, right. Thanks

[123]

Originally posted by EliteGamer11388:

Pretty sure they intended it as no blocking drops period. I can't wait to see the Steam forums and Reddit forums blow up when Alpha tribes come to complain that their structures blocking all drops and Obelisks on the official clustered servers were removed. I can't believe tribes do that and block off the entire point of the clustered servers, so I shall hapilly munch popcorn as I read their salty sadness lol

Eh, our server alphas have the easy-to-reach beach drops blocked for the beta tribes protection from raiders. It just makes the server less diverse and forgiving when all the weaker tribes are raided by server hoppers.

[Natjur]

I guess the tribes on PVE servers where all deep sea crates are blocked except for 2 which are in a room so only they can loot them will have to change. Already you can see https://support.survivetheark.com/ flooded with new support calls.

Lets hope they can clear them faster then the tribes put them back.


My issue, the server where you are boxed in when you spawn, the tribe comes along and knocks you out and takes you back to a cage at there base. All the servers that have used the boxed spawn locations 'exploit', will their prisoners captured using this 'exploit' get released? One of the servers I have a toon on, all spawn locations have been blocked for over 5 weeks, and they have 20+ prisoners from these spawn locations, and yes, I logged this 'exploit' over 4 weeks ago

Removing the boxed spawn points does not stop the damage they have done and I am sure they will just do it again and add another 20+ prisoners for the next lot who think its now 'safe' to go back to offical servers. The punishment needs to be higher, cause removing a few little 1 by 1 bases means nothing

[Bracus]

As this is a long awaited info i dont agree with some of those.

As the mechanics/rules are in your hands you should not let for example build a box around a quetzal, or build under the terrain or on spawn points by the game itself ( code ).

Yea for this you have to fix some things ingame which it seems not your strong point.

[fataldog187]

Originally posted by Jen:

You are not allowed to block spawn locations on any official server. Consider this your one and only warning, we will begin removing tribe structures on October 20th without one-on-one warning. If your base resides on a spawn point, your best plan of action is to provide a way for people to exit your base or move your base where possible, but you won't be penalised if your base accidentally blocks a spawn point. This refers to tribes blocking multiple spawn points on purpose with 1x1 locked structures.

Jen, we are one of the tribes that has 1x1's on spawn locations (PVP server), we had a number of complaints from people spawning inside of other peoples bases with no way out, or griefers spawning inside of bases and killing all of the dinos with weapons that were found. We are also active on other servers where wars are fought and these tribes vow revenge on our home server, our tribe is well protected against any attacks so they often turn their attention to smaller groups on the server and proceed to grief them. We placed the 1x1's (with doors open) so that we would not have spawn issues on our server anymore and we close the doors when the server is threatened from outside sources. What can be done to prevent these things if spawn boxes are no longer allowed?

[Sakiko Togawa]

.......

[Crash]

Originally posted by fataldog187:

Originally posted by Jen:

You are not allowed to block spawn locations on any official server. Consider this your one and only warning, we will begin removing tribe structures on October 20th without one-on-one warning. If your base resides on a spawn point, your best plan of action is to provide a way for people to exit your base or move your base where possible, but you won't be penalised if your base accidentally blocks a spawn point. This refers to tribes blocking multiple spawn points on purpose with 1x1 locked structures.

Jen, we are one of the tribes that has 1x1's on spawn locations (PVP server), we had a number of complaints from people spawning inside of other peoples bases with no way out, or griefers spawning inside of bases and killing all of the dinos with weapons that were found. We are also active on other servers where wars are fought and these tribes vow revenge on our home server, our tribe is well protected against any attacks so they often turn their attention to smaller groups on the server and proceed to grief them. We placed the 1x1's (with doors open) so that we would not have spawn issues on our server anymore and we close the doors when the server is threatened from outside sources. What can be done to prevent these things if spawn boxes are no longer allowed?

Everyone should have equal access to move amongst servers. That's it. Plainly put. You may be largest tribe but Alphas have to get over the fact that you wanta own a server go run unofficial. The server is not your ♥♥♥♥♥. If war hungry tribe brings ♥♥♥♥ over to raid you then it's fair game. As such you get to do the same to other servers too. Please stop making your hacking sound like a innocent plea.

[fataldog187]

Originally posted by utteroi:

Originally posted by fataldog187:

Jen, we are one of the tribes that has 1x1's on spawn locations (PVP server), we had a number of complaints from people spawning inside of other peoples bases with no way out, or griefers spawning inside of bases and killing all of the dinos with weapons that were found. We are also active on other servers where wars are fought and these tribes vow revenge on our home server, our tribe is well protected against any attacks so they often turn their attention to smaller groups on the server and proceed to grief them. We placed the 1x1's (with doors open) so that we would not have spawn issues on our server anymore and we close the doors when the server is threatened from outside sources. What can be done to prevent these things if spawn boxes are no longer allowed?

Everyone should have equal access to move amongst servers. That's it. Plainly put. You may be largest tribe but Alphas have to get over the fact that you wanta own a server go run unofficial. The server is not your ♥♥♥♥♥. If war hungry tribe brings ♥♥♥♥ over to raid you then it's fair game. As such you get to do the same to other servers too. Please stop making your hacking sound like a innocent plea.

I don't understand the claim of hacking? However, we don't care to "own" a server, Alphas are usually the ones who enjoyed and played the game the most becoming the largest group on a particular server by default. Unfortunately that puts them in a position to make rules or control certain aspects of that server, most of which is just a pain and takes away from playing and enjoying the game themselves. Conflict mediation, removing griefer foundations blocking resources, fostering an enjoyable playing environment, scheduling server activities, and being the default "can you help us do X?" group for everyone else is quite demanding and time consuming. When being asked by your server to come up with solutions to flaws in game mechanics (spawning inside of peoples bases, protect us from people that are invading, etc) is in fact quite annoying. You either have the choice of ignoring them and doing nothing, leaving everyone else with a horrible experience or doing the best that you can. When suddenly seeing a forum post pop up saying that the solution you came up with and your entire server supported is against guidelines and can get your structures deleted, it makes you question why you even bother to help people in the first place. If there is no other acceptable way to counter these problems with the game, what are you supposed to do?

[Burnz]

what about players exploiting the weight on quetz to get unlimited on anklo..

https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/forums/topic/97560-quetzal-limitless-weight-exploit/

25,000 weight on a single dino is pretty bad.. what the point of having weight stats if the quetz ignores it