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Contents

1What Are Tutors?
2What Is Expected From Tutors?
2.1Required Qualification
2.2Duties
2.3Limitations
3Code of Conduct
4Tutor Career
4.1How to Apply
4.2How Tutors Are Monitored
4.3Promotion to Senior Tutor
4.4Retirement and Dismissal
5Bug Reports
5.1How to Report Bugs
5.2Guidelines on Reporting Bugs
6Name Reports
6.1How to Report Bad Names
6.2Guidelines on Reporting Names
7Board Reports
7.1How to Report Bad Posts and Threads
7.2Guidelines on Reporting Bad Posts and Threads
8Statement Reports
8.1How to Report Ingame Statements
8.2Guidelines on Reporting Ingame Statements
9Appendix: Help and Report Functions of the Client



1 What Are Tutors?

Tutors are experienced Tibia players who know the game and the documentation, e.g. the manual and the Tibia Rules, very well. They help others to find their way around Tibia by answering questions and by giving general advice. Unlike gamemasters, tutors do not enforce the Tibia Rules. If they find that a rule has been violated, they must make rule violation reports like any other regular player. However, tutors can directly report bugs and illegal character names. Furthermore, senior tutors can report inappropriate statements from the boards, from the public channels of the game and from the tutor channel. Everything else falls under the jurisdiction of gamemasters. Players can contact tutors online using the help channel. Alternatively, they can use the support boards.

Note that tutors are not official representatives of CipSoft or the gamemasters. They are not authorised to give orders to fellow players, and above all they must not ask for account data. Statements given by tutors should be understood as personal opinions like those given by any other player. CipSoft cannot guarantee the correctness of such statements, and they may be subject to clarification by the gamemasters or by CipSoft at any point of time. Always keep in mind that a tutor is a regular player just like you!


2 What Is Expected From Tutors?

2.1 Required Qualifications

In order to be a tutor in Tibia you must be an experienced player. The following requirements must be met:
  • You must have played the game for at least three months. Also, there must be at least one character of level 20 or higher on your account.
  • Your criminal record must be immaculate. There must not be any entry whatsoever.
  • Your account must be registered and you must have had premium time on your account at least once.
  • You must not have been dishonourably dismissed as a tutor before.
  • You must possess in-depth knowledge of the game as well as of the official documentation. Also, you must have decent English skills that allows you to answer questions of players in an understandable way. To prove your English skills and that you know the game well enough to be a tutor we have devised a test called the tutor exam. You will find all the knowledge you need to pass this test in the following sections of the website:
  • You must not have failed the tutor exam in the last two months.
In order to become a senior tutor there are additional requirements which you can view in the section concerning the promotion to senior tutor.


2.2 Duties

a) Tutors Answer Questions Related to the Game
The single most important duty of tutors is to answer questions concerning client controls, general game play, use of accounts and the official website. They must answer truthfully and to the best of their knowledge. Also, they may offer advice on problems concerning the rules, but their opinion does not necessarily reflect the official position of CipSoft. Please note that tutors are not required to answer in-depth questions concerning the content of the game, e.g. questions about quests. Generally tutors should support their help by referring to a corresponding part of the documentation.

b) Tutors Check Both the Help Channel and the Support Boards on a Regular Basis
The help channel is where players can contact tutors in the game. Consequently, tutors should always keep an eye on it. If a tutor finds that no other tutor is active on the help channel, he or she should be prepared to step in and take over. In addition to the help channel tutors should also check the support boards regularly to see if there are questions that need to be answered.

c) Tutors Check the Tutor Board and the Tutor Channel Regularly
Tutors have a special tutor board where they can learn about latest developments and discuss players' questions. All tutors should make sure to have a look at this board now and then in order to be up-to-date. Moreover, tutors have to follow the guideline announced at the tutor board to keep the board tidy. Also, gamemasters check this board regularly and may give advice to tutors or answer upcoming questions. In addition to the tutor board, tutors can use a special channel ingame to discuss difficult questions and problems with other tutors.

d) Tutors Report Bugs
Tutors who learn about a bug or find one themselves should deliver detailed bug reports to CipSoft. To do so the client's bug report dialog should be used. It can be opened by hitting the key combination Ctrl+Z. Note that tutors should only report actual bugs and not mistake them for game weaknesses. For a more detailed description see the section concerning bug reports.

e) Tutors Report Bad Names
Tutors report character names that violate the Tibia Rules to the customer support by using a special client interface that is only available to tutors and gamemasters. Note that this will not affect the reported character in any way until the name report is actually approved by the customer support. Once a name report has been confirmed, however, the character cannot enter the game and the player has to choose a new name on the account page. Note that tutors must not report character names which do not violate the rules. Also, they always have to add a comment to the name report explaining why the name is against a rule, e.g. by translating bad names in foreign languages. For a more detailed description see the section concerning name reports.

f) Senior Tutors Report Bad Posts and Threads From the Boards
Senior tutors report posts and threads that are inappropriate or violate the Tibia Rules to the customer support. In order to use the board report function, senior tutors must be logged in with the corresponding account. Note that, unlike with name reports, if a post has been reported, the account of the posting character will temporarily be muted, so the player will not be able to post anything else or edit own posts on the boards until the customer support decides about the appropriate action. Note that tutors must not report posts or threads which do not violate the rules, especially since the player in question may consequently be muted unjustly. Also, they must always add a comment to the post or thread in question, explaining why the post or thread is against the rules. For a more detailed description see the section concerning board reports.

g) Senior Tutors Report Inappropriate Statements From the Public Channels
Senior tutors report statements that violate the Tibia Rules from the public channels and from the tutor channel to the customer support. To do so, they use the same client interface as for name reports. Note that a statement report will not affect the reported character in any way until the report is processed by customer support and the reported character punished. Customer support sees the context of each reported statement to avoid misunderstandings. Senior tutors should only report obvious and severe rule violations. Further, they are required to add a comment to the report explaining why the statement is against a rule, e.g. by translating statements in foreign languages. For a more detailed description see the section concerning statement reports.

h) Tutors Observe the Code of Conduct
Tutors should act in an appropriate, dignified way befitting their position. There is a special code of conduct which tutors should follow when communicating with other players.


2.3 Limitations

The tutors' scope of duties is narrowly limited. It is important to know that there are a number of rights tutors do not have:

a) Tutors Do Not Enforce the Rules
Compliance of the Tibia Rules is being monitored by the gamemasters. Only they may intervene if a rule violation occurs. Tutors, on the other hand, cannot impose banishments or notations on players, and they must not threaten to do so.

b) Tutors are Not Authorised to Interrogate Players
Of course, players may choose to answer a tutor's question if they feel this will help to solve their problem. However, there is no obligation to answer a tutor's question - a player can refuse to answer anytime. Above all players should keep in mind that any attempt to steal account data from other players is a serious offence of the Tibia Rules.

c) Tutors May Not Pretend to be Representatives of CipSoft or of the Gamemasters
Under no circumstances must a tutor lead other players to believe that he or she is acting on behalf of CipSoft or the gamemasters. Impersonating gamemasters or the CipSoft Team is considered a serious violation of the Tibia Rules.

d) Tutors May Not Misuse the Report Functions
Although bad name reports and bad statement reports do not have immediate consequences for the reported character, they cause unnecessary work for the customer support. Senior tutors must be even more careful about their board reports as these do instantly affect the reported player. All tutors who frequently or intentionally submit false reports will lose their position.


3 Code of Conduct for Tutors

Tutors should observe the following guidelines at all times:

a) Be Polite
Some players may be rude and irritating. Never get carried away. If a person proves to be tiresome, it is better to ignore this player rather than getting involved in some unnecessary argument. Maintain a polite and neutral level of conversation with players as well as with your fellow team members. Remember that you should act as a role model and deal with problems on a professional basis.

b) Be Calm
Do not haste your answers. Take your time. Answer only one question at a time and think carefully. If you know you will have to leave soon, it is better to leave that extra question to some other tutor rather than trying to answer in a rush.

c) Be Brief
Some players may try to involve you in pointless discussions. Unless you have plenty of time and energy to waste you should not encourage such players. Try to identify the question and answer it in a brief, concise statement. If you find a conversation with a player turns into a chat, move over to the game-chat channel.

d) Be Precise
Always keep in mind that language poses a problem in Tibia, so tutors should make sure that players understand what they are saying. When talking to a player, express yourself in correct, well-chosen English sentences that are easy to grasp. If you encounter a player speaking the same language as you and that language is not English, you can of course switch to that language. However, in that case you should move from help channel to private message or the RL-Chat.

e) Be Objective
Even though tutors do not act as official representatives of CipSoft or the gamemasters people will listen carefully when you speak, and if they feel you are biased, your reputation will suffer. Try putting personal feelings aside while acting as a tutor. If you feel you are biased, refer the question to another tutor.

f) Be Informed
You will be asked many questions, and you should be prepared to answer most of them without having to look up the answer first. Know the whole documentation and try to answer as well as you can. The FAQ will provide you with exemplary answers to most common problems. Support your help by referring the player to the corresponding part of the official documentation. If you are not sure about an answer, forward the question to somebody else rather than making something up! If you are confronted with a new problem, you should discuss it in the tutor channel or at the tutor board first.

g) Be Respectful
Although tutorship entails some special features, tutors are still considered to be regular players in all other respects. Keep in mind that gamemasters have a higher authority concerning any kind of information players may ask for. Moreover, they are the correct persons to ask if you have any questions about Tibia yourself. If a gamemaster gives you advice, you should listen to it. Maintain a respectful attitude towards fellow tutors and gamemasters both in the game as well as on the boards. Finally, keep disagreements to the tutor board or the tutor channel and do not provoke pointless discussions.

h) Be a Model Tibia Player
Remember that even though tutors are still regular Tibia players, players will pay attention to the way they behave in the game. You should try to set an example for your fellow Tibians. Play fair and make sure to follow the rules at any point of time. If you violate the rules, you will lose your position on top of any regular punishment the gamemasters might impose on you.


4 Tutor Career

4.1 How to Apply

a) Check the Requirements
Check your account profile and compare it with the list of required qualifications. If you do not meet one or more of the requirements, you cannot apply. Please do not be disappointed. Remember that entries in the criminal record eventually get deleted. Given time you may still make it.

b) Make Sure to Be Well-Prepared
If you have not done so yet, do the recommended reading. You will need to know much about Tibia not only for the test to become tutor but above all to help your fellow players.

c) Apply at Your Account Page
Log into your account page and click on "Become Tutor".

d) Do the Tutor Exam
The tutor exam is a test designed to check your knowledge of Tibia. You will be required to answer 20 questions within a period of 45 minutes. Please note that once you have started doing the exam the procedure cannot be stopped. If one or more questions are not answered correctly, you have failed the exam.
The questions are chosen randomly so no two tutor exams will ever be the same. You will find that each question is followed by a list of possible answers. Read each question carefully and select none, some or all of the suggested answers. To pass the exam you must not make a single mistake. However, you need not worry because all the information necessary to pass the tutor exam can be found in the list of recommended reading.
Here is a sample question to give you an idea of what a typical question might look like: Which of the following character names violate the Tibia Rules? This question will be followed by a list of different character names. You must identify all names that are illegal and select them to answer the question. Again, keep in mind that none of the suggested answers might apply.
Once you have answered all questions please click on "Submit". Your answers will be checked. If there is a mistake, you have failed the test. You must wait until two months have passed before you will be able to do it again.

e) Accept the Tutor Agreement
Once you have successfully passed the tutor exam a specific set of agreements will be displayed. Please read them carefully:

This agreement describes the terms on which you may take on the position of a "tutor" in the online role playing game "Tibia".

As a tutor you are a regular player of the game who has been entrusted with an advisory function. You have a limited number of specific rights to fulfil your duty. However, you have no further rights in addition to those detailed in the tutor guide. In particular, you have no special legal status in regard to CipSoft GmbH. The regular Tibia Service Agreement still fully applies to tutors.

Tutors are not representatives of CipSoft. You may not pretend to represent CipSoft. Also, you may not enforce the Tibia Rules. Advice given by tutors is not binding and may be subject to rectification by the gamemasters or by CipSoft.

You may retire as a tutor at any time. Also CipSoft reserves the right to dismiss a tutor at any time. CipSoft is under no obligation to explain or justify the dismissal, and the dismissed tutor has no right of appeal. A tutor who has been discharged dishonourably may not re-apply to be a tutor.

If you are willing to accept the conditions, please confirm by clicking on the corresponding button. Congratulations! You are now a tutor.


4.2 How Tutors Are Monitored

a) Activity Check
Your activity as a tutor is checked automatically. If you do not answer a number of questions in help channel or send a few reports within a period of eight weeks, you will be considered inactive. Of course, you are free to take a break whenever you feel like it. As long as you are usually active in your position and you are absent no longer than 3 or 4 weeks, you will of course not be considered inactive just because of that break.

b) Quality Check
The quality of your work will be monitored by the customer support. If you submit a false report, you may in severe cases receive a penalty in form of a so-called bad report. However, only those reports that are clearly ignoring well-stated regulations will be penalised. If you know the rules well and apply them to the best of your knowledge, you need not fear to get a bad report. If you are in doubt concerning a borderline case report it normally, giving your opinion in the comment function. The customer support will perhaps turn down the report, but you can safely assume that no bad report will be given to you.
Note: Bad reports are not deleted in tutor records, but once a period of 8 weeks has passed they no longer count towards the tutor's evaluation by the system.


4.3 Promotion to Senior Tutor

A senior tutor is in all aspects an ordinary tutor. That means that senior tutors have no special rights and most of all no authority over their fellow tutors. A senior tutor has the same duties as any other tutor. Senior tutors report bugs and character names violating the rules. In addition to that, however, senior tutors also report inappropriate statements from the boards and from the public channels of the game.

In order to qualify for the position of a senior tutor you must have been active as a tutor for at least 3 months. Also, you must not have received a bad report in your tutor record within the last 8 weeks. If you have a recent bad report in your tutor record, you may of course wait until the report is older than 8 weeks. If you do qualify, you will receive an automatically generated email informing you of your promotion to senior tutor.


4.4 Retirement and Dismissal

If you know you will not be active as a tutor during an extended period of time (eight weeks or longer), you should report yourself off duty. To do so please go to your account page and click on "Retire as Tutor". You will be asked to confirm by clicking a second time. If you would like to report back to duty later on, please go to your account page and click on "Become Tutor". A new application process will be initiated. Please understand that you will have to pass the tutor exam again.

It is also possible for a tutor to be dismissed by CipSoft. Reasons for dismissal include, but are not limited to, inactivity, rule violations and bad reports. Please note that not all dismissals should be regarded as dishonourable. A dismissal because of inactivity, for example, is not a serious matter. If you are considered inactive, you will be dismissed automatically. You will, however, be able to apply normally again after such a dismissal.

Note: These regulations also apply to senior tutors. If a retired or dismissed senior tutor wishes to restart again, he or she will also have to start at the beginning, so long as the requirements are met.

Things are different, however, if you have been dismissed dishonourably. If this happens, you may not apply to be tutor again. Reasons for a dishonourable dismissal include, but are not limited to, disregard of the duties and limitations of a tutor, a banishment, several bad reports or abuse of the tutor position. CipSoft reserves the right to dishonourably dismiss tutors anytime without giving any reasons. Please understand that it is not possible to process individual complaints concerning dismissals.


5 Bug Reports

5.1 How to Report Bugs

Whenever you find a bug or a player informs you about one you should report it to the customer support. Bug reports are made in the game via a special client interface that is only available to tutors and gamemasters. You can open this dialog by using the key combination Ctrl+Z. The interface for reporting bugs consists of a text window in which you should enter the description of the bug you found. Only reports made this way will be forwarded directly to the responsible department.

The description should be as detailed as possible. Ideally, it should include a short evaluation of the bug's seriousness and, most importantly, a detailed listing of the steps that are necessary to reproduce it. When reporting you should try to focus on important information and leave out anything which is not crucial to understand the problem. It is not necessary to provide your name or to describe your character's location because bug reports automatically include your character name as well as the coordinates of the map field on which your character stood when submitting the bug. For this reason you should move your character as close as possible to the affected map area before reporting a bug.

5.2 Guidelines on Reporting Bugs

a) Take the Right Attitude
Tutors should always take a mature and rational approach when identifying a bug. Do not report rashly. It is not necessary to report everything that is not coherent with what you know from your personal experience. Remember that this is a fantasy setting and some things simply do work differently here. Also, please understand that CipSoft cannot give rewards for reporting bugs, so do not ask for one. Most importantly, keep in mind that the bug report function is reserved exclusively for bugs, so you must not use it to report rule violations or illegal names. Finally, keep in mind that abusing bugs is a rule violation.

b) Verify Bugs Before Reporting
Make sure that what you are reporting is really a bug. Do not mistake a game weakness for it. Contrary to a bug, a game weakness is not an obvious error of Tibia but usually a side effect of a certain program feature which is supposed to be the way it is. Therefore, it must not be reported as a bug. If you are not sure whether or not you have really found a bug, you should first discuss it with your fellow tutors either in the tutor channel or on the tutor board.

c) Make a Thorough and Correct Report
If your report is about a bug in the game, always make sure that you first position your character as near as possible to the map field where the bug is. If you cannot get there yourself, include an exact description of where the concerned map field is, seen from the field where you are standing when making the report, e.g. "two fields to the south from here...". If the bug you are reporting has no connection to any specific location on the map, you may of course make your report from anywhere you like. Please never forget to include a step by step explanation as to how to reproduce the bug. Make it as detailed as necessary and as short as possible.


6 Name Reports

6.1 How to Report Bad Names

Whenever you find a character with a bad name in the game or a player informs you about such a character you should report it to the customer support. Name reports are made in the game via a special client interface that is only available to tutors and gamemasters. You can open this dialog by using the key combination Ctrl+Y. Alternatively, you can right-click a bad name in a channel or the character in the game window and select "Rule Violation" from the context menu. The interface for reporting bad names and rule violating statements consists of the following parts:
  • Name
    Enter the name of the character you would like to report. The name will be inserted automatically if you open the dialog via the context menu.
  • Statement
    This field will stay empty if you open the dialog via Ctrl+Y or by opening the context menu by clicking on the character in the game window or on a name in your VIP list. If you open the dialog via the context menu by clicking on a statement, the statement you have selected will be shown here. The statement will vanish as soon as you have selected a reason for the namelock.
  • Reason
    State here why the name is not valid by selecting the applicable reason from the given list. If a name should violate several rules at once, e.g. an insulting sentence, choose the rule violation you consider to be the most serious. You must add a detailed comment on this name as explained below. Here is a list of all valid reasons that justify a name report under the Tibia Rules:
    • 1a) Offensive name
    • 1b) Invalid name format
    • 1c) Unsuitable name
    • 1d) Name inciting rule violation
  • Action
    Select the action "Name Report". Please note that the report will not succeed if no action is selected.
  • Comment
    Here you have to add a comment concerning the name report to give more details for further reference. This is especially necessary if it is not obvious why a name violates the rules. For example, translate a bad name in a foreign language to English. Please note that the comment will be shown in the criminal record of the player whose name violates the Tibia Rules. Therefore, please refrain from giving any personal comments there, rather make sure that your comment explains to the player why the name is illegal.
After checking the entries you made, click on the button "Ok" to submit the name report. Note that you have to determine a name, a reason and an action and enter a comment for the name report to succeed. You will receive a message informing you about the success or the failure of the report, e.g. if the character name has already been reported. By clicking the button "Cancel" all entries are discarded and the dialog is closed.
If the report has been completed successfully, it will be sent to the customer support. You cannot cancel your report once it has been sent. Note that name reports have no effect on the reported character until they are approved by the customer support. Once a name report is confirmed the character cannot enter the game anymore. Note that characters who are online will not be kicked from the game when the name report is confirmed. The player has to rename the blocked character at the account page. This process is usually referred to as "namelock".
If a reported name does not violate the Tibia Rules, the customer support will reject the report. This means that the character name is definitely confirmed to be valid and it cannot be reported again. Also, you will receive a bad report if your name report was clearly incorrect. Please see the tutor record on your account page for such messages.
Finally please note that name reports are anonymous for players, and you should make sure to keep it that way. Note that the gamemasters cannot help you if you receive threats by players because of a name report.


6.2 Guidelines on Reporting Names

a) Take the Right Attitude
Tutors should take a tolerant and mature approach towards bad names. Do not report rashly. Try to find arguments why a certain name could be legal beside reasons against it. Remember it is not the tutors' job to make life hard for their fellow players. Also, do not actively search for bad names. Remember that tutors are not required to meet specific name report quotas. You can easily avoid dismissal by being active on the help channel, so there is no need to wildly report people. Always keep in mind that if you have to use too much fantasy to actually spot a rule violation, the name is probably fine. Also, note that there is no rule against stupid names. Characters such as "Purple Farmer" or "Rainbow Noodle Warrior" are acceptable even if they are silly. Never report names like that if they do not violate the rules. Of course, you should report bad names but keep the above aspects in mind. Finally, keep in mind that name reports must only be made by using the rule violation dialog in the client.

b) Verify Names Before Reporting
If you cannot confirm a report about a supposedly illegal name yourself, ask on the tutor forum or in the tutor channel - perhaps some other tutor can. However, make sure never to rely entirely on what somebody else tells you. Remember there are players who will use every trick in the book to get a namelock. If you blindly trust their word, you may end up with a bad report. Keep in mind that namelock requests will be granted if - and only if - the respective name is definitely illegal, so make sure to check carefully. If a player requests a name report of his or her character, it is a good idea to mention this fact in the report comment.

c) Use the Comment Function
It is sometimes difficult for the customer support to work out why a reported name is illegal. Typical examples include offences in foreign languages or rare slang expressions. Always make sure to include all information that is necessary to understand your report. Keep in mind, though, that the comment you write will also be visible to the reported player, so make sure not to include any information the player does not need to know. For instance, you should make sure not to reveal your identity in the comment. On the other hand, you can use the comment to make suggestions to the reported player. For instance, if you feel a nice but illegal name could easily be turned into an acceptable name by making some slight changes, you can use the comment to explain the lock to the player and to make an alternative suggestion.

d) How to Tackle Borderline Cases
Unfortunately, there will always be names that are difficult to evaluate. If you encounter such borderline cases, try to identify the rule the name might be violating and consider the following questions:
  • How serious is the rule violation?
    Even though a name might be a borderline case it might still violate the Tibia Rules to an intolerable degree. The more serious a possible rule violation is the stricter we are with borderline cases. Also, it is a question how often rules are slightly violated in a name. If you spot a name with a minor typing mistake, it is ok, but if there are, e.g. three typing mistakes of clearly noticeable words, you should report it.
  • Are there any credible complaints by other players?
    Even if you should be careful with complaints and reports of other players about a supposedly bad name, you should investigate if there are some complaints. Remember you can always ask other tutors for opinion if you are in doubt.
  • Can you see a clear intention behind the name?
    Do you feel a name has been deliberately chosen in order to seriously violate the rules? For instance, illegal names may be written backwards or spelt in a wrong way. Such names should be reported as long as the intended rule violation is serious, i.e. "Reltih" and "Fuk'er" would have to be reported while a name such as "Romra" is acceptable.
If you still cannot make up your mind once you have done that, take a look at the documentation like the manual, the tutor guide and the rule comments. Alternatively, you can ask for advice on the tutor board. Keep in mind, though, that if a name is a borderline case, the customer support usually tends to decide in favour of the player unless common sense tells that the name should be locked.

e) Different Languages and Slang
Players frequently tend to use different languages or slang terms. If you spot illegal character names that are slang or taken from other languages, report them and give an explanation in the comment. If you receive a report by players you cannot verify yourself, ask for advice at the tutor board or in the tutor channel. Please note that you should only report names in languages that are common in Tibia. Common languages include English, German, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish and a number of other major languages. On the other hand, names that are offensive in languages such as Quechua, Swahili or Urdu stand little chance of being locked. Also, slang terms will only be locked if they are reasonably well-known.

f) Reporting Accidentally Confirmed Names
Needless to say, people in the customer support, too, make mistakes. If you cannot report a character name that violates a rule because it has already been approved, simply report it on the tutor board for revision. Do not forget to explain why the name should be locked again. However, keep in mind that tutors must not complain about decisions made by the customer support. If you report a name again and your report is turned down, you must respect the customer support's decision. The tutor board is simply not the place to complain about namelocks.


7 Board Reports

7.1 How to Report Bad Posts and Threads

If you are senior tutor, you have two additional duties apart from the duties of your fellow tutors: You are expected to help keep the boards and the public channels clean of all kinds of inappropriate statements. You will find that there are a lot of different ways in which posts or threads can be inappropriate. The best way to make up your mind is to apply your knowledge of the Tibia Rules. Once you have decided that a post or thread is violating these rules or needs moderation for some other reason you should report it to the customer support. If you are logged in with your senior tutor account, you will see additional buttons on the board. You will find the option "Report Post" under each post on the board and additionally the button "Report Thread" at the bottom of each page of a thread. These will take you to the corresponding report dialogs.

a) Reporting Bad Posts
Once you click on "Report Post", you will see the post you wish to report as well as various options at the bottom for you to choose from. The dialog consists of the following parts:
  • Reason
    State here why the post is inappropriate by selecting the applicable reason from the given list. If a post should violate several rules at once, e.g. an insult in a different language, choose the rule violation you consider to be the most serious. As explained below, you must add a detailed comment to this post. Here is a list of all valid reasons that justify a report of a post under the Tibia Rules:
    • Offensive statement
    • Spamming
    • Illegal advertising
    • Off-topic public statement
    • Non-English public statement
    • Inciting rule violation
    • Bug abuse
    • Game weakness abuse
    • Using unofficial software to play
    • Hacking
    • Multi-clienting
    • Account trading or sharing
    • Threatening gamemaster
    • Pretending to have influence on rule enforcement
    • False report to gamemaster
    • Destructive behaviour
    If you wish to report a post that does not require the poster to be punished, you must still select a reason for the report. In most such cases, the reason "Spamming" is appropriate, in some cases "Destructive behaviour" may be an alternative choice.
  • Punishment
    Select here what would, in your opinion, be an appropriate action against the poster. Please remember that tutors are not enforcing the rules, so whatever you select here is only a proposal for a punishment which still has to be decided about by the customer support. You must choose between the following suggestions:
    • No Punishment
      Select this option if the post you are reporting is not violating a rule but still needs to be moderated. Keep in mind that the poster will temporarily be muted, so if the post is not really disturbing you might also leave it unreported.
    • Notation
      Select this option if the poster has not clearly violated the rules but the post is still inappropriate. You may also suggest a notation if a player repeatedly makes statements which are only mildly illegal.
    • Banishment
      Select this option if you have found a post that clearly violates one or more of the Tibia Rules.
  • Comment
    Here you must add a comment on the post you are reporting. These comments are especially important when it is not immediately obvious why the post might need moderation. For example, you should always include a translation if the poster uses offensive vocabulary in a foreign language. Please keep in mind that the comment becomes visible for the player in the criminal record if a notation or a banishment is applied. Your comments are checked by the customer support, however, you should make sure in your comment that the player understands in what way the Tibia Rules have been violated. A good comment for a post report includes the corresponding board and a short description of the rule violation. For example: "Player admits to account sharing on the Hiberna board - quote: [...]".
b) Reporting Bad Threads
Once you click on "Report Thread", you will be taken to the report thread dialog in which only the title of the thread you wish to report will be shown. In this dialog you have the following options:
  • Action
    Here you have to specify what should, in your opinion, be done with the reported thread. You may choose between two options:
    • Delete Thread
      Select this option if the reported thread is clearly violating a rule, e.g. if the entire thread is non-English or racist. Keep in mind that if you feel the thread starter should be punished as well, you should report the first post of the thread instead.
    • Close Thread
      Select this option if the thread is valid as it is but bears the danger of provoking inappropriate posts in the future. This could for instance be a thread that has extensively been discussed and only receives further posts in order to bring it back up to the top.
  • Comment
    Here you must explain why action is needed on the thread you are reporting. Also, if you are reporting a thread that has been posted several times (spamming), please only report one of those threads and include in the comment that this thread has been spammed repeatedly.
c) Report Results
After checking the entries you have made in either of the two dialogs, click on the corresponding button "Report Post" or "Report Thread" to submit the report. Note that you have to choose one point for each option and add a comment for the report to succeed. You will receive a message informing you about the success or the failure of the report, e.g. if you have not chosen a reason. If you wish to cancel the report, just click on any link.
If the report has been completed successfully, it will be sent to the customer support. The text of a reported post is replaced by a note saying "Post under investigation". Respectively, the title of a reported thread is replaced by the note "Thread under investigation". Both a reported post and thread are not readable while under investigation. Please note that you cannot cancel a report once you have sent it to the customer support.
Always keep in mind that post reports immediately cause the poster's account to be muted on all boards. That means that the player can still play, but will not be able to post anything else or edit own posts until the customer support decides about your report. Note that the account of any poster in a thread is not muted if you report a thread.
If a reported post or thread does not violate the Tibia Rules or does not need to be moderated in any way, the customer support will reject the report. Please note that posts are definitely confirmed to be valid and cannot be reported again if a post report is turned down. Also, you will receive a bad report if your report was clearly incorrect. Please see the tutor record on your account page for such messages.
Finally, please note that board reports are anonymous for players, and you should make sure to keep it that way. Note that gamemasters cannot help you if you receive threats by players because of a board report.

d) A word on Tutor Boards
Gamemasters and Tutors have access to two different tutor boards:
  • Tutor Main Board: This board is strictly reserved for work related issues.
  • Tutor Fun Board: Here you can discuss Tibia related things and make new friends.
Detailed information about the tutor boards can be found in the tutor board guidelines and the tutor fun board announcement.

Keep in mind that you cannot use the board report function on the tutor boards. Nevertheless, the Tibia Rules apply as on every other board. Inappropriate threads and posts should therefore be reported in the Board Report Thread on the tutor main board. Do not forget to tell us the concerning thread/post ID.


7.2 Guidelines on Reporting Bad Posts and Threads

a) Take the Right Attitude
Just as with name reports, senior tutors should take a tolerant and mature approach towards posts on the boards. Do not report rashly. Try to evaluate in what way a post can be interpreted otherwise besides being inappropriate. Again, remember it is not the tutors' job to make life hard for their fellow players. Also, do not actively search for bad posts. Remember that senior tutors are not required to meet specific report quotas. Also, note that there is no rule against stupid or pointless posts, as long as they do not qualify as spam. For instance, a thread on the real life board about why someone's mother makes sandwiches with butter instead of margarine may seem pointless to you, but not necessarily to all the rest of the community. If posted on the correct board, such a thread is acceptable. Never report threads like that if they do not violate the rules. Of course, you are expected to report bad posts and threads, but always keep these aspects in mind. Finally, please keep in mind that board reports must not be used for any purpose other than reporting illegal threads or posts, i.e. you must not use them to report bugs or invalid names.

b) Verify Before Reporting
If you cannot confirm a report about a supposedly illegal post or thread yourself, ask on the tutor board or in the tutor channel - perhaps some other tutor can. However, make sure never to rely entirely on what somebody else tells you. Remember there are players who will use every trick in the book to get another player muted. If you blindly trust their word, you may end up with a bad report. Keep in mind that unlike reporting bad character names, the reporting of posts will result in the poster being blocked instantly from the boards, so you should be especially cautious when reporting a post. Board reports will be accepted if - and only if - the respective post or thread definitely should be moderated, so make sure to check carefully.

c) Report the Post or the Thread?
Generally speaking, you should always report a single post rather than a thread if the poster commits a clear rule violation. The poster will be punished individually. You should report the whole thread if you feel it should be closed or deleted. Remember that a reported thread offers no punishment option for the starter of that thread. If you feel that the starter of the thread should also be punished, you should report the first post rather than the thread. However, note that if the customer support decides to delete the first post, the corresponding thread will also be removed.

d) Use the Comment Function
It is sometimes difficult for the customer support to work out why a reported post or thread is illegal. Typical examples are offences in foreign languages or rare slang expressions. Always make sure to include all information that is necessary to understand your report. Keep in mind, though, that the comment for board reports is just as visible to the reported player as the comment in a name report. Therefore, you should also avoid to enter information that is not intended for the reported player. To save yourself and the customer support unnecessary work you should also use the comment function when reporting multiple posts or threads of the same kind (spamming). Rather than reporting each single post or thread separately, only report one and mention in the comment that this post or thread has been posted multiple times across the forum.

e) A Word on the Edit History
If a post has been previously edited by the poster, the additional option "View Edit History" will be available next to "Report Post". If you hit this link, you will be able to see a list of all editing previously performed on this post. The latest changes are listed on the top, while you can see the original post on the bottom. This function is intended to stop players from completely erasing all traces of previous rule violations in posts. Note that the edit history is not visible to ordinary players. When reporting an edited post, please keep in mind that the fact that a player edits his or her post is not necessarily to be seen as negative. For example, players may simply edit their posts with the good intention of removing a statement that has been written in rage. In such a case you should appreciate the player's understanding and leave it be. If, however, the edit history clearly shows a previous rule violation you should report the post, mentioning the edit history in the comment of your report.

f) How to Tackle Borderline Cases
Unfortunately, there will always be posts and threads that are difficult to evaluate. If you encounter such borderline cases, try to identify the rule that might be violated and consider the following questions:
  • How serious is the rule violation?
    On the boards, this consideration should especially be applied to mildly rude or insulting expressions and the possible intention behind it. A single slightly rude expression that is not directed to any specific character can be tolerated. On the other hand, multiple mild insults within a single post or thread may deserve to be reported.
  • Are there any credible complaints by other players?
    Usually, if you get a report by another player about a post or a thread, you should be able to judge its relevance according to your knowledge of the Tibia Rules. If you cannot verify the report because it is in a foreign language, you can either ask other tutors for help on the tutor board or simply report the post as non-English public statement. In that case please add the translation given to you by the other player in the comment. However, keep in mind that non-English statements are allowed on both the real life and the convention board.
  • What is the context of the post or thread?
    Please consider the context in which a post has been written. One example for this would be verbal provocations in previous posts or other threads. For instance, if a player is accused of extremely bad actions and reacts by writing something like "why the hell are you saying this about me", this may very well be seen as swearing, but given the context it is understandable. Therefore, if you still think it should be reported because you feel it is not good to have such a statement on the board, you should consider selecting "No Punishment" as your suggestion.
If you still cannot make up your mind once you have done that, take a look at the documentation like the manual, the tutor guide and the rule comments. Alternatively, you can ask for advice on the tutor board. Keep in mind, though, that if you are facing a borderline case, the customer support usually tends to decide in favour of the player unless common sense tells that the post or thread is truly inappropriate.

g) Different Languages
Players frequently tend to use different languages. This is of course a rule violation on all public boards except on both the real life and the convention board. However, you should not report every single post containing a few non-English words. For example, "Ola meu amigo, how are you today?" is acceptable. Also, we do accept posts in which the same content has been posted in a foreign language if they are accompanied by the English translation. If a non-English post also violates another rule, you should preferably report the poster for that reason and include a translation of the violating part of the post.

h) Reporting Accidentally Confirmed Posts
Needless to say, people in the customer support, too, make mistakes. If you cannot report a post that violates a rule because it has already been approved, simply report it on the tutor board for revision. Do not forget to explain why the post should be acted upon. However, keep in mind that tutors must not complain about decisions made by the customer support. If you make a board report again and it is turned down, you must respect the customer support's decision. The tutor board is simply not the place to complain.


8 Statement Reports

8.1 How to Report Ingame Statements

If you see a rule breaking statement in one of the 5 public channels: Game-Chat, RL-Chat, Trade-Channel, Trade-Rookgaard or Help Channel, or in the Tutor Channel, you can report it to the customer support. To do so, right-click on the illegal statement in the console and select "Rule Violation" from the context menu. Please note that statements can only be reported if the rule violation dialog is opened using the context menu. Ctrl+Y will not work here. Further, you can only report a statement shortly after it has been said. If you wait longer than 30 minutes to report a statement, it is very likely that your report will not succeed. The interface for reporting inappropriate statements will display the following parts:

  • Name
    The name of the character will be inserted automatically and cannot be edited.
  • Statement
    The statement you have selected in the console to report the player will be displayed here. This statement cannot be edited.
  • Reason
    Here you have to state which rule was violated. You have to choose one of the following reasons:
    • 1a) Offensive name
    • 1b) Invalid name format
    • 1c) Unsuitable name
    • 1d) Name inciting rule violation
    • 2a) Offensive statement
    • 2b) Spamming
    • 2c) Illegal Advertising
    • 2d) Off-topic public statement
    • 2e) Non-English public statement
    • 2f) Inciting rule violation
    • 3a) Bug abuse
    • 3b) Game weakness abuse
    • 3c) Using unofficial software to play
    • 3d) Hacking
    • 3e) Multi-clienting
    • 3f) Account trading or sharing
    • 4a) Threatening gamemaster
    • 4b) Pretending to have influence on rule enforcement
    • 4c) False report to gamemaster
    • Destructive behaviour
  • Action
    Select the action "Statement Report". Note that you can choose this action only if you have selected a reason that does not concern name reports.
  • Comment
    Here you have to add a comment in which you should explain the reason for reporting this statement. This is especially necessary if the rule violation is not obvious for the customer support. Please translate a statement from a foreign language to English and mention the language the original statement is in. Please note that the comment will be shown in the criminal record of the player, therefore, you should explain clearly in what way a Tibia Rule has been violated. Please refrain from giving any information in the comment that would identify you as the reporter. Like all reports, also statement reports are anonymous and you should try to keep it that way.
After checking your entries, click on "Ok" to submit the statement report. You will receive a message informing you about the success or the failure of the report, e.g., if the statement has already been reported. By clicking the button "Cancel" all entries are discarded and the dialog is closed. If the report has been completed successfully, it will be sent to the customer support. You cannot cancel your report once it has been sent. Please note that your report will have no effect on the reported character. He will not be muted and he will not be kicked out of the game. When your report is processed by customer support the statement you have reported will be checked as well as a short context of the statement. The time frame of the context is 3 minutes before your report and 1 minute after your report. This is necessary to avoid misunderstandings. If a reported statement does not violate the Tibia Rules, the report will be rejected and you may receive a bad report. Please see the tutor record on your account page for such messages.

8.2 Guidelines on Reporting Ingame Statements

a) Take the Right Attitude
Senior tutors should take a tolerant and mature approach towards statement reports. Do not report every non-English statement you see, or minor insults. Try to evaluate whether a statement is really disturbing or if the rule violation is severe. Keep in mind that conversations usually are pretty quick and people normally do not think carefully about the words they use in heated discussions. Take the context of a statement into consideration before you report. Was something said sarcastically? Or were there any provocations? Remember that it is not the tutors' job to make life hard for their fellow players. Unfortunately, there will always be situations which are difficult to evaluate. If you find yourself in such a situation, you should ask yourself how serious the rule violation really is. If you are not certain whether you should report something or not, rather choose not to report. Statement reports have no immediate effect on the player and will most likely not be processed right away. You should only choose to report if you are certain that a later action is needed.

b) Different Languages
Keep in mind that different languages are allowed in the RL-Chat. Please report non-English statements only from the other public channels if they really disturb the other players. Greeting somebody in a different language or congratulating him on a level up is not considered to be a severe rule violation that needs to be reported. Also, sometimes a short warning, such as: "please only speak English in this channel" might already be enough to prevent many reports.

c) Use the Comment Function
Offences in foreign languages or rare slang expressions are difficult to understand for the customer support. Therefore you should always make sure to include all information that is necessary to process your report correctly. Keep in mind, though, that your comment will also be visible to the reported player so make sure not to include any information the player does not need to know.


9 Appendix: Help and Report Functions of the Client

Ctrl+H: Online Help
The automatic help function provided by the client. It can be used by anybody.

Ctrl+T: Help Channel
This is where players may pose questions to tutors. It can be processed by tutors and gamemasters. Their answers will be highlighted in the channel.

Ctrl+Z: Bug Report
This is where bug reports should be submitted. It can only be used by tutors and gamemasters. Players can inform them to hand on a bug report after verification.

Ctrl+Y: Name Report
This opens the dialog to report character names which violate the Tibia Rules directly to the customer support. It can only be used by tutors and gamemasters.

Ctrl+R: Rule Violation Report
This is where players and tutors can contact gamemasters to report violations of the Tibia Rules. It can only be processed by gamemasters.
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