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8 Support

Tibia is a busy place where tens of thousands of people meet every day. Of course, with a community that size things cannot go smoothly all the time and players may have all kinds of questions. To make sure all problems are dealt with swiftly Tibia offers a number of features. Various help options as well as a network of experienced players make sure all players get the answers they are looking for. Also, players can report other players if they feel disturbed by them and they have violated one of the Tibia Rules.

8.1 Getting Help

8.1.1 Ingame Help
Need help to find your way around? This manual may be an exhaustive source of information concerning game play or general questions about Tibia, but it is often nicer to get help just where you need it. If you are logged in and there is a question you don't have an answer for, you will find there are many ways to get help in the game. Note, however, that you will frequently be referred to specific parts of the manual or other documentations on the website. This way you will get authentic information.

a) Client Help
The client contains an automatic online help feature which allows you to identify most elements of the interface, including any notable items or areas on the map. To activate the client help open the help menu and select "Client Help" or hit the key combination Ctrl+H.
You can tell the client help has been activated if the mouse pointer has turned into a magnifying glass. Now, to learn more about an element of the interface all you need to do is to place the mouse pointer on it. If there is some information available on the selected element, an info box will be displayed which will provide you with additional information. Any mouse click will stop the client help and you can continue to play.

b) Help Channel
If you feel you would like to ask a real person instead of using an automatic help feature, you can ask experienced players in the Help channel for advice. Here you can get answers concerning client controls, general game play, use of accounts and the official website you might have.
To enter this channel open the new channel dialog by clicking on the file card symbol in the top right hand corner of the console and select "Help". Alternatively, hitting the key combination Ctrl+T will also work to open up the help channel.

8.1.2 Offline Help
The various online help options offer many ways to find the information you are looking for. However, it is always possible that you hit upon some special question to which you just can't seem to find an answer in the game. Whenever this happens Tibia's official website is the place to turn to. The website offers many additional sources of help that are designed to give players the answers they need in as little time as possible.
The most important single source of information is the manual you are reading this very moment. The manual is designed as a comprehensive reference to Tibia that covers every conceivable aspect of the game. However, a number of further sources of information and support features are available for all players:

• Quickstart
  The quickstart is a step by step tutorial into the game intended as an introduction for beginners. Here, those who are playing Tibia for the very first time will find brief and easy-to-follow instructions on how to get started. This includes explanations on how to create an account, basic game controls, and general information on what to do and where to go. If you are new to Tibia and you find the manual is just too much to read for the moment, you should read the quickstart instead.
• FAQ
  Are you having some special problem with Tibia? Then you should have a look at our FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions"). Here, a large number of questions concerning important aspects such as gameplay or the account system are answered in a concise and informative way. Some sections specifically cover problems with the client or with internet connections, so the FAQ can also aid you with troubleshooting if you have a technical problem with the game. Of course, the number of problems covered here is limited, but when it comes to finding answers quickly nothing can beat the FAQ.
• Tibia Rules
  The Tibia Rules are another section of the website that players should actually read before they start playing. This code of conduct must be followed by players whenever they are playing or expressing themselves on the website, e.g. at the forum. Whenever you have a question concerning the rules you should have a look at this list, because each rule is discussed at length in a separate commentary.
• Security Hints
  It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of account security in Tibia. For this reason security hints are given on the website which are more than just a source of help to be read in case of a problem. In fact, this section is highly recommended reading for everybody, because reading the security hints will help you to fight security problems before they actually emerge. Please read and follow them carefully. You will save a lot of trouble if you protect your account well.
• Lost Account Interface
  If you have problems to log into your account because you have lost your password or you have been hacked, use the Lost Account Interface. The Lost Account Interface is a self-help tool which can help you to get your account back. Simply specify your problem, enter the required information and follow the instructions. Please note that the Lost Account Interface is the only way to get access to lost accounts.
• Library
  The library section of the website contains a number of reference pages. Here you will find exhaustive descriptions of all magic spells and creatures as well as detailed maps of the world. Also, a historical overview can be found here which will tell you all about how the world of Tibia was created by the gods.
• Technical Support Board
  Although it is not likely to happen it is nonetheless possible that you are having a problem to which simply no answer can be found anywhere on the website. If this should be the case, you can try the technical support board. Write a post there and try to explain your problem as clearly as possible. Many players check out the technical support board regularly, so with a bit of luck another player who had a similar problem will be able to help you with your problem.
• News
  The world of Tibia is constantly changing, and new updates, problems or topics can crop up every day. Of course, CipSoft will make an announcement on the website whenever something important has happened that players need to know about. To stay informed it is always a good idea to check the news on the website.
• Company Information
  If you have a question concerning CipSoft, the company who is publishing Tibia, you are invited to take a look at the page About CipSoft. You will find general information on CipSoft here including the company's postal address, links to the official website and a list of legal limitations.
• Contacting the Customer Support Team
  If you have tried all other sources of help without any positive result, you can contact the customer support team. To do so, please log into your account and open a support ticket. Please select the category in which your problem fits best: Select "Technical Problems" if you have connection problems, want to report a bug, have questions about the game content, or have a problem with the client. Select "Payments" for problems with Tibia Coins, if you have questions about the ordering process, if your payment has not arrived or if you need a refund. Select "General" for all problems not fitting in one of the other two categories, e.g. if you have questions concerning account recovery, if you want to complain about a punishment, or if your recovery key has not arrived after 4 weeks. Of course, the customer support team is always happy to help out, but please understand that the various other help options provided inside and outside the game have been introduced with a reason. We therefore ask all players to look upon the customer support team as a last resort and to contact them only if all other help options fail. Furthermore, please note that the support should be primarily seen as a helpdesk to which players can turn if they have specific, individual problems which keep them from playing the game. On the other hand, customer support is not a suitable channel for proposals, discussions concerning game issues or other issues of a general nature. If you have feedback of this kind, please turn to the community section of the forum.

8.2 Rule Enforcement

As a rule, Tibia players are friendly, respectful people who only want to have a good time. However, just like in real life there are always those who are willing to pursue their own advantage at the expense of others and to do what is neither right nor acceptable. This is why Tibia has the Tibia Rules - a set of game rules which determines what is or is not acceptable in the game. And where there are rules, there must always be the means to make sure they are followed. This is the Tibia Rule Enforcement.

Tibia Rule Enforcement: Principles
Tibia has a report based rule enforcement system. This means CipSoft relies on players to report others if they find that those players violate the Tibia Rules. Reports can be made both in the game as well as in the Tibia forums. Except for bot reports, which are processed separately, all reports are forwarded to and carefully checked by members of Tibia customer support. It is them who decide for each individual case whether or not a Tibia Rule has been violated, and if so, how serious the rule violation was. Whenever a report is confirmed, the reported player is punished. The severity of the punishment depends on two factors: the severity of the rule violation and the punishment progression.
The progression of punishments is the second fundamental principle of the Tibia Rule Enforcement system. It means that rule violations are judged more severely if the reported player has already violated the Tibia Rules on previous occasions. In other words, a player who has violated the Tibia Rules many times will receive a much more severe punishment for the same offence than a first offender who has never received a punishment before. It is important to note that, ultimately, this can result in very harsh punishments for comparatively minor rule violations, even including the deletion of the reported account!

Tibia Rule Enforcement: Objectives
The overall aim of the Tibia Rule Enforcement is to protect players from behaviour CipSoft considers to be unacceptably unfair or inappropriate because of other reasons. This is why the Tibia Rules have been created - to give players an idea of what is acceptable in Tibia and what is not, and to define limits that must not be overstepped. It is important to note, however, that not every kind of unfriendly behaviour is by necessity also a violation of the rules - after all, players can steal from each other and on some worlds even kill others! Of course, those who do such things will often cause resentment in others, but such behaviour is not considered to be a violation of the Tibia Rules. After all, players are offered some unique possibilities which are (thankfully) not available in real life. Always keep in mind that, at the end of the day, Tibia is just a game, and remember never to take things too seriously.

Reporting Rule Violations
All players can report statements from the console or from writable ingame items as well as character names by which they feel disturbed and which violate the Tibia Rules. It is also possible to report illegal comments from character pages or to report illegal guild information on the corresponding guild page. Moreover, players can report illegal forum posts or forum signatures by which they feel disturbed. Finally, it is possible to report other characters that use unofficial software such as bots.

8.2.1 Rule Violation Record and Conduct Level
If a member of Tibia customer support finds that a report is justified, an entry is made in the reported player's rule violation record. There are five different categories of entries, which reflect the severity of the rule violation. Thus, so-called "Very Mild" entries are little less than warnings that a certain kind of behaviour is undesirable, while "Severe" entries indicate that a serious rule violation has been committed.
Entries in the rule violation record can have different effects on the corresponding accounts. Some entries have no effect at all and should be seen as mere warnings not to violate the Tibia Rules again, while others can result in the temporary - or even permanent! - exclusion of the account from the game. The actual effect of the entry depends both on the severity of the rule violation as well as on the number and severity of previous entries in the rule violation record. A "Mild" entry, for example, will have no immediate effect on the account if the rule violation record was previously clear, but it can result in a banishment or even in an account deletion if the Tibia rules have been violated before. On the other hand, more serious entries result in more immediate consequences, with "Very Severe" entries resulting in an immediate account deletion even if the rule violation record was previously clear!
Note: It is possible to receive several entries within a short period of time. If you receive several banishments in this manner, the time you are excluded from the game will be added up, i.e. if you receive two banishments for 7 days each, you will be excluded from the game for a total of 14 days. To avoid confusion, the point of time when your account exclusion ends is displayed at the top of the rule violation record box as well as in the General Information section on the account page.

Acknowledging Entries in the Rule Violation Record and Complaints
If you have received an entry in your rule violation record, you must actively confirm that you have taken notice of the entry by clicking on the "Acknowledge" button at the bottom of the rule violation record box. This will acknowledge all unacknowledged entries that are currently in your rule violation record. To make sure entries do not go unnoticed, you cannot log into the game or post in the forum until you do so, even if the entry was only "Very Mild" and does not result in any further consequences.
Starting at the day you have received the entry, you have a 60 days period during which you can complain about the corresponding entry in your rule violation record. To do so, please log into your account, go to your Rule Violation Record and click on "Complain" behind the corresponding entry. Explain why you believe that the entry was unjustified. All complaints will be reviewed carefully by the support team, and if they find that the punishment was unjustified, they will remove the entry. Please keep in mind that once the 60 day complaint period has passed, any subsequent complaints concerning that specific entry in the rule violation record can no longer be considered.

Conduct Level
You can assess your account's standing in terms of rule violations by checking your conduct level on your account page. If there is an active entry in your rule violation record, the conduct level indicator is displayed. This button comes in various colours: green indicates the most harmless level, while yellow, orange, red and finally black indicate a progressively more serious situation. If your account's conduct level is green, for example, you have only committed minor rule violations or a long time has passed since you last violated the Tibia Rules. On the other hand, if your account's conduct level is black, you have violated the Tibia Rules many times or in a very serious manner. It is important to note that as your conduct level colour gets darker, further punishments will result in progressively tougher punishments. In other words, the darker your conduct level colour the closer your account is to deletion!
To make sure your conduct level does not increase, please reread the Tibia Rules carefully and make sure to follow them at all times. If you do so, your conduct level will eventually decrease until the indicator is no longer displayed.

8.2.2 Punishments
In the following you will find a comprehensive list of all punishments that may be given to players in Tibia:

• Entries
  The most mild punishment a player can receive is a very mild or mild entry in his or her rule violation record. As soon as the entry in the rule violation is acknowledged, the player can keep playing normally. Such entries are not connected to an exclusion from the game or the board.
  However, players that repeatedly violate the Tibia Rules and receive mild entries for that, will eventually be banished or even deleted.
• Namelocks
  If a character has been reported for a name that violates the Tibia Rules, the player needs to acknowledge this namelock. To do so, the player must log into his account and click on the corresponding entry in the rule violation record. As soon as the player has acknowledged the namelock, the namelocked character will receive a randomly generated character name. The player can now keep on playing with this character.
  The player can now keep the randomly generated name or propose a new valid name. The player needs to click on "Rename Character" in the rule violation record section on the account page. The new name will be forwarded to CipSoft for evaluation. If the new name is valid, it will be accepted, and the character can play with the new name. Please note, however, if 3 invalid new names have been proposed, the character will stay with the randomly generated name.
  Also keep in mind that if a name is seriously offensive, the customer support may decide to banish a character on top of the namelock. Depending on the previous entries in the rule violation record, also a very mild entry for a namelock can lead to a banishment or the deletion of the complete account.
• Account Banishments
  If the rules are violated repeatedly or in a sufficiently serious manner, the corresponding account is banished, which means that it is temporarily excluded both from the game as well as the forum. Account banishments come in standard durations of 2 and 7 days. Please note that banishments always affect whole accounts, even if the rules were only violated by one of the characters on it. Moreover, please keep in mind that any Premium Time lost due to exclusions from the game will not be compensated for.
• IP-Banishments
  IP-banishments are very rare. They are an exception in that they do not only affect one account, but in fact a whole IP-address. As long as the banishment is active no player can log into Tibia from this IP-address. CipSoft reserves the right to temporarily block whole IP-addresses if they see fit to do so.
• Account Deletions
  Account deletions are the most serious punishment in Tibia. They are only handed out if a player has violated the Tibia Rules repeatedly and/or in a very serious manner. Please note that unlike other entries in the rule violation record, entries that result in account deletions do not have to be acknowledged by the account user in order to proceed. However, as with any other rule violation record entry, players whose accounts are about to be deleted are granted a 60 days complaint period.
  Note: If a Tibia account is deleted, any remaining and already activated Premium Time or Tibia Coin packages it contained when the deletion entry was made is lost and cannot be compensated for.

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