\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/account.php b/master-site/account.php
index 88fdd31..503ef7a 100644
--- a/master-site/account.php
+++ b/master-site/account.php
@@ -1,165 +1,165 @@
-
Username or Password is not valid. Please try again. Note: Upon too many attempts the account will be temporarily blocked from your IP.
If you have not logged on yet, make sure you have clicked the activation link in the email that was sent to you.
');
- include('web/footer.php');
- exit();
- }
-}
-
-if(!is_logged_in())
-{
- include("web/header.php");
- echo("
- Username or Password is not valid or your account has timed out. Please Log in again.
[June 23, 2020 Latest Horse Isle News] Horse Isle 1 Compromise: Unfortunately, some troublemakers made a mess of HI1. We have reverted to a backup from 4am PST and taken some precautions. So, anything you "did" this morning was reverted. We have also given all subs +12hrs to cover the down time.
Because passwords for accounts were likely compromised, we setup a system to verify and unlock for players' protection. When you try to login you will be prompted to reset your password. We can automatically unlock most players' accounts, but some will require manual support via email. Just follow the directions and please be patient with us.
Sorry about the trouble. HI1 was never designed to survive so long into this new mean digital world. ;)
P.S. The XSS alert was a simple javascript alert, just meaningless and harmless.
Thanks!
?>
-We have a Beginner Guide online to help new players learn how to play. ');
-?> Horse Isle Server List Each server is completely independent and has identical game content. Money/horses/subscriptions are all tied to a particular server.
-Normally you will only play on one server. Playing on any server uses up playtime on all servers, so you do not gain any free time. Reasons for playing on more than one include joining a friend, or in case your normal server is down.
-Multiple servers are required since there is a max capacity of around 150 players online per server. Please note, a profile on any individual server will be permanently deleted after 183 days (6 months) of not logging into the game on that specific server or your subscription expiring, whichever is later.
You have 8 rule violation points against your account. [ REVIEW VIOLATIONS ] ?>
GAME SERVERS (all identical please only join 1 or 2)
');
+ include('web/footer.php');
+ exit();
+ }
+}
+
+if(!is_logged_in())
+{
+ include("web/header.php");
+ echo("
+ Username or Password is not valid or your account has timed out. Please Log in again.
[June 23, 2020 Latest Horse Isle News] Horse Isle 1 Compromise: Unfortunately, some troublemakers made a mess of HI1. We have reverted to a backup from 4am PST and taken some precautions. So, anything you "did" this morning was reverted. We have also given all subs +12hrs to cover the down time.
Because passwords for accounts were likely compromised, we setup a system to verify and unlock for players' protection. When you try to login you will be prompted to reset your password. We can automatically unlock most players' accounts, but some will require manual support via email. Just follow the directions and please be patient with us.
Sorry about the trouble. HI1 was never designed to survive so long into this new mean digital world. ;)
P.S. The XSS alert was a simple javascript alert, just meaningless and harmless.
Thanks!
?>
+We have a Beginner Guide online to help new players learn how to play. ');
+?> Horse Isle Server List Each server is completely independent and has identical game content. Money/horses/subscriptions are all tied to a particular server.
+Normally you will only play on one server. Playing on any server uses up playtime on all servers, so you do not gain any free time. Reasons for playing on more than one include joining a friend, or in case your normal server is down.
+Multiple servers are required since there is a max capacity of around 150 players online per server. Please note, a profile on any individual server will be permanently deleted after 183 days (6 months) of not logging into the game on that specific server or your subscription expiring, whichever is later.
You have 8 rule violation points against your account. [ REVIEW VIOLATIONS ] ?>
GAME SERVERS (all identical please only join 1 or 2)
-Fan Art Competition Winners: View Fan
-Art Contests from 2009 and 2011.
-
-Parents! Please click for some important information: Parent's Guide
-
-
-CURRENTLY:
-
- Players Online Now
- Subscribers Online Now
-
- Moderators Online Now
-
-fetch_row()[0];
-if($hasIntl)
- echo numfmt_format($fmt, $activeUserCount);
-else
- echo $activeUserCount;
-?> Active Accounts
-ABOUT:
-Horse Isle is a vast multi-player horse based world. It allows for many players to
-interact while searching for wild
-horses roaming the lands. Once you have a horse, you can train it, take care of
-it, and compete with other players. Although the world graphics are simple 2D,
-they have been beautifully designed to create an interesting and vast world to
-explore. This land is completely non-violent. A great place for any aged player to
-have fun.
-
-
-
-
-
-
COSTS:
-You can play Horse Isle for FREE! or $5/mo USD game memberships provide many benefits.
-
- FEATURES:
-Several different entertaining game activities:
-
-
Capturing, training, and competing with your horses. These involve racing,
-jumping, dressage - all many-player games. Winning these events takes a
-combination of your horse's abilities, and your skill at the particular game.
-
-
Completing mini-games throughout the world for fun and game money. Many are
-multiplayer also.
-
Solving story-based quests and adventures by talking with characters in the
-game. There is a large variation of quests, from buried treasure, labyrinths,
-and painting, to simply returning someone's books!
-
Buying and building up your very own ranch, making a piece of Horse Isle
-your very own!
-
Naming and taking care of your horses. Finding them better tack, or even
-finding your horse a nice pet!
-
Interacting with other players via chat, private chat, postal messages,
-actions, trading, competitive mini-games, and cooperative mini-games. Group
-activities include drawing rooms, music rooms, and poetry rooms!
-
Searching the world for buried treasures, rare items, and hidden adventures.
-
-
Trying to get the highest score or best times of many different tracked
-games.
-
-Ever-expanding content within the world includes:
-
-
20+ unique communities located on different islands and climates. With
-unique weather systems.
-
Over 100 unique horse breeds, very detailed with professional renderings of
-each breed in each color. More added regularly.
-
500+ computer characters (residents) which you can interact with to complete
-adventures and learn things.
-
500+ Adventure Quests. Completing these can earn you awards and bonuses.
-
-
Hundreds of unique objects that can be found in the world or handled during
-quests.
-
60+ unique minigames, many horse-based.
-
Many completely original soundtracks and game musics, professionally
-produced.
-
-
-REQUIRES:
-The game requires Flash 8. So any computer with Flash 8 should be able to run it
-(PC, MAC, and Linux (with Flash Player 9)).
-However it does use a lot of graphics, so a slow computer may have troubles. Any
-computer bought in the last 3-5 years should be fine. It also needs quick
-Internet, so dialup users may not enjoy the game fully.
-
-
SCREEN SHOTS: (Pause your mouse over an image to popup details)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-Horse Isle tested and developed using Firefox Browser
-
-
+
+Fan Art Competition Winners: View Fan
+Art Contests from 2009 and 2011.
+
+Parents! Please click for some important information: Parent's Guide
+
+
+CURRENTLY:
+
+ Players Online Now
+ Subscribers Online Now
+
+ Moderators Online Now
+
+fetch_row()[0];
+if($hasIntl)
+ echo numfmt_format($fmt, $activeUserCount);
+else
+ echo $activeUserCount;
+?> Active Accounts
+ABOUT:
+Horse Isle is a vast multi-player horse based world. It allows for many players to
+interact while searching for wild
+horses roaming the lands. Once you have a horse, you can train it, take care of
+it, and compete with other players. Although the world graphics are simple 2D,
+they have been beautifully designed to create an interesting and vast world to
+explore. This land is completely non-violent. A great place for any aged player to
+have fun.
+
+
+
+
+
+
COSTS:
+You can play Horse Isle for FREE! or $5/mo USD game memberships provide many benefits.
+
+ FEATURES:
+Several different entertaining game activities:
+
+
Capturing, training, and competing with your horses. These involve racing,
+jumping, dressage - all many-player games. Winning these events takes a
+combination of your horse's abilities, and your skill at the particular game.
+
+
Completing mini-games throughout the world for fun and game money. Many are
+multiplayer also.
+
Solving story-based quests and adventures by talking with characters in the
+game. There is a large variation of quests, from buried treasure, labyrinths,
+and painting, to simply returning someone's books!
+
Buying and building up your very own ranch, making a piece of Horse Isle
+your very own!
+
Naming and taking care of your horses. Finding them better tack, or even
+finding your horse a nice pet!
+
Interacting with other players via chat, private chat, postal messages,
+actions, trading, competitive mini-games, and cooperative mini-games. Group
+activities include drawing rooms, music rooms, and poetry rooms!
+
Searching the world for buried treasures, rare items, and hidden adventures.
+
+
Trying to get the highest score or best times of many different tracked
+games.
+
+Ever-expanding content within the world includes:
+
+
20+ unique communities located on different islands and climates. With
+unique weather systems.
+
Over 100 unique horse breeds, very detailed with professional renderings of
+each breed in each color. More added regularly.
+
500+ computer characters (residents) which you can interact with to complete
+adventures and learn things.
+
500+ Adventure Quests. Completing these can earn you awards and bonuses.
+
+
Hundreds of unique objects that can be found in the world or handled during
+quests.
+
60+ unique minigames, many horse-based.
+
Many completely original soundtracks and game musics, professionally
+produced.
+
+
+REQUIRES:
+The game requires Flash 8. So any computer with Flash 8 should be able to run it
+(PC, MAC, and Linux (with Flash Player 9)).
+However it does use a lot of graphics, so a slow computer may have troubles. Any
+computer bought in the last 3-5 years should be fine. It also needs quick
+Internet, so dialup users may not enjoy the game fully.
+
+
SCREEN SHOTS: (Pause your mouse over an image to popup details)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Horse Isle tested and developed using Firefox Browser
+
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/joinserver.php b/master-site/joinserver.php
index 8cc015f..d7c294c 100644
--- a/master-site/joinserver.php
+++ b/master-site/joinserver.php
@@ -1,48 +1,48 @@
-ERROR: Account is already setup on this server. / If you already have an account on server, try logging in direct: '.$server['site'].'');
- }
- }
- else
- {
- echo('[Account]Joining the Server Failed. Please try a different server, or Try re-logging into the website. If you continue to have troubles, you may need to enable Cookies in your browser. Another possibility ONLY if you already have an account is logging directly into the server via: '.$server['site'].'/ ERROR: Account Setup Failed. Please be sure you are logged in. / If you already have an account on server, try logging in direct: '.$server['site'].'');
- }
- }
- else
- {
- echo('[]Joining the Server Failed. Please try a different server, or Try re-logging into the website. If you continue to have troubles, you may need to enable Cookies in your browser. Another possibility ONLY if you already have an account is logging directly into the server via: ERROR: / The requested URL returned error: 404 Not FoundIf you already have an account on server, try logging in direct: ');
- }
-}
+ERROR: Account is already setup on this server. / If you already have an account on server, try logging in direct: '.$server['site'].'');
+ }
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ echo('[Account]Joining the Server Failed. Please try a different server, or Try re-logging into the website. If you continue to have troubles, you may need to enable Cookies in your browser. Another possibility ONLY if you already have an account is logging directly into the server via: '.$server['site'].'/ ERROR: Account Setup Failed. Please be sure you are logged in. / If you already have an account on server, try logging in direct: '.$server['site'].'');
+ }
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ echo('[]Joining the Server Failed. Please try a different server, or Try re-logging into the website. If you continue to have troubles, you may need to enable Cookies in your browser. Another possibility ONLY if you already have an account is logging directly into the server via: ERROR: / The requested URL returned error: 404 Not FoundIf you already have an account on server, try logging in direct: ');
+ }
+}
?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/web/accountchange.php b/master-site/web/accountchange.php
index 2440dbe..9f16f6f 100644
--- a/master-site/web/accountchange.php
+++ b/master-site/web/accountchange.php
@@ -1,37 +1,37 @@
-Must be logged in to use this tool! ');
- include("footer.php");
- exit();
-}
-?>
-
-
-
-Horse Isle Modify Account:
-Use the following to change your account details
-
-
-Please be patient while the script attempts to update your password on all servers.
-
-
-Must be logged in to use this tool! ');
+ include("footer.php");
+ exit();
+}
+?>
+
+
+
+Horse Isle Modify Account:
+Use the following to change your account details
+
+
+Please be patient while the script attempts to update your password on all servers.
+
-Please keep in mind, we receive a large volume of email, so if you can find your answer in our HELP CENTER, or by asking other players in the game we really appreciate this, As it frees us up to work on adding content to the game. Every Email/Abuse report pulls us away from adding content to the game.
-
-
-
-TOP REASONS PEOPLE EMAIL US, PLEASE READ OVER FOR QUICK ANSWERS!!!
-Q: Add breeding A: Read why NOT under Help Centers Top 10 Questions.
-Q: Add a certain breed, redo art A: We add breeds as we can in OUR OWN order, and ignore ALL comments about redoing art.
-Q: Change my password A: Bottom of SERVER LIST Page there is a tool for this.
-Q: Change my username A: Current policy is only one name change for subscribers once per year.
-Q: Help with a game quest A: We cannot give quest help from this email, try asking in the game.
-Q: I'd like to be a Mod A: Our current policy is to find mods on our own.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-We prefer that this form be used, otherwise you can email direct at: support@horseisle.com
-
-
-
-
-
+Please keep in mind, we receive a large volume of email, so if you can find your answer in our HELP CENTER, or by asking other players in the game we really appreciate this, As it frees us up to work on adding content to the game. Every Email/Abuse report pulls us away from adding content to the game.
+
+
+
+TOP REASONS PEOPLE EMAIL US, PLEASE READ OVER FOR QUICK ANSWERS!!!
+Q: Add breeding A: Read why NOT under Help Centers Top 10 Questions.
+Q: Add a certain breed, redo art A: We add breeds as we can in OUR OWN order, and ignore ALL comments about redoing art.
+Q: Change my password A: Bottom of SERVER LIST Page there is a tool for this.
+Q: Change my username A: Current policy is only one name change for subscribers once per year.
+Q: Help with a game quest A: We cannot give quest help from this email, try asking in the game.
+Q: I'd like to be a Mod A: Our current policy is to find mods on our own.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+We prefer that this form be used, otherwise you can email direct at: support@horseisle.com
+
+
+
+
+
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/web/credits.php b/master-site/web/credits.php
index 7c7a3a4..bfbd6d2 100644
--- a/master-site/web/credits.php
+++ b/master-site/web/credits.php
@@ -1,106 +1,106 @@
-
-
-Horse Isle Development Credits
-
-
- Horse Isle was envisioned and designed by Joe and Miranda Durbin. Miranda grew up loving horses. Joe grew up
-loving to work with computers and wanted to start his own company. They noticed that there weren't many games out
-there for horse lovers that were in depth, challenging, and more involved than simple web pages. So together they
-created Horse Isle. Artists from around the world joined the project and contributed artwork, writing, and music.
-Miranda and Joe's family also pitched in. Mothers, sisters, and cousins started helping with beta testing, island
-design, character and quest creation. Now that the game has gone live many people help with continued development and moderating the game to be sure that Horse Isle continues to be a safe and fun place for everyone.
-
-
-The artists and contributors of Horse Isle:
-(Please have parental permission and guidance before visiting any websites mentioned below, as they are not a part of Horse Isle.)
-
-Emma Salamanca, SPAIN (Mizuko)
- -Most Map Tiles/Pixel Art
- -Most Object Icons
-
-Melissa Go Salazar, PHILIPPINES (Megs)
-http://www.megosa.deviantart.com/
- -Flash Scenes + mini game touchups
-
-Jenny Stout, USA(UT) (Jenny)
- -Horse Views for each breed
- -Tack and Companion Art + Mini Games
- -Horse Animations
-
-Joe Schwebke, USA(WI) (musicjoe)
- - All Game BGM Composer
- - All Game Shop BGM's Composer
- - Several Mini Game Musics
-
-Autumn Durbin, USA(MN) (Noodle)
- -Character Scripts and Quests
- -Character And Description Design
- -Support Mail
-
-Sara Nyberg USA(MN) (Sara)
- -Town & Character Design
- -World Beautification
-
-Mary Ahlstrand USA(MN) (NightMare)
- -Technical Editing and Alpha testing
-
-Fara Shimbo USA(CO) (SpottedRose)
- -Characters & Quests & Descriptions
- -Beginner Guide
- -Horse Isle Workbook
- -Support Mail
-
-Robyn Lari CANADA
- -Quests
- -Pixel Artist (horses, some chars, etc.)
-
-(Rosela)
- -Library stories & Horse Quizzes
-
-Players that have written characters, quests and descriptions.
- -(Tempest)
- -(WriterMom)
- -(Jule)
- -(CheshireKitty)
- -(Vetiver)
- -(Bazjack)
- -(LinuxDude)
- -(BklynFilly)
- -(Nuova)
- -(DesertMorn)
- -(Minet)
- -(Miri)
- -(BonsaiWolf)
- -(Artemis8)-beta quest writer
-
-Jenephyr Milligan, USA(UT)
- - Many Character Scripts and Quests
-
-Julien Correard, FRANCE
- - Several Mini Game musics
-
-Miranda Durbin USA(MN) (Miranda)
- -Development Direction
- -Horse Isle Technicals
-
-Joe Durbin USA(MN) (Joe)
- -Programming Server
- -Programming Client
- -Art/Creative Direction
- -Programming MiniGames
-
-
-BETA TESTERS: Marked in game with awards
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
+
+
+Horse Isle Development Credits
+
+
+ Horse Isle was envisioned and designed by Joe and Miranda Durbin. Miranda grew up loving horses. Joe grew up
+loving to work with computers and wanted to start his own company. They noticed that there weren't many games out
+there for horse lovers that were in depth, challenging, and more involved than simple web pages. So together they
+created Horse Isle. Artists from around the world joined the project and contributed artwork, writing, and music.
+Miranda and Joe's family also pitched in. Mothers, sisters, and cousins started helping with beta testing, island
+design, character and quest creation. Now that the game has gone live many people help with continued development and moderating the game to be sure that Horse Isle continues to be a safe and fun place for everyone.
+
+
+The artists and contributors of Horse Isle:
+(Please have parental permission and guidance before visiting any websites mentioned below, as they are not a part of Horse Isle.)
+
+Emma Salamanca, SPAIN (Mizuko)
+ -Most Map Tiles/Pixel Art
+ -Most Object Icons
+
+Melissa Go Salazar, PHILIPPINES (Megs)
+http://www.megosa.deviantart.com/
+ -Flash Scenes + mini game touchups
+
+Jenny Stout, USA(UT) (Jenny)
+ -Horse Views for each breed
+ -Tack and Companion Art + Mini Games
+ -Horse Animations
+
+Joe Schwebke, USA(WI) (musicjoe)
+ - All Game BGM Composer
+ - All Game Shop BGM's Composer
+ - Several Mini Game Musics
+
+Autumn Durbin, USA(MN) (Noodle)
+ -Character Scripts and Quests
+ -Character And Description Design
+ -Support Mail
+
+Sara Nyberg USA(MN) (Sara)
+ -Town & Character Design
+ -World Beautification
+
+Mary Ahlstrand USA(MN) (NightMare)
+ -Technical Editing and Alpha testing
+
+Fara Shimbo USA(CO) (SpottedRose)
+ -Characters & Quests & Descriptions
+ -Beginner Guide
+ -Horse Isle Workbook
+ -Support Mail
+
+Robyn Lari CANADA
+ -Quests
+ -Pixel Artist (horses, some chars, etc.)
+
+(Rosela)
+ -Library stories & Horse Quizzes
+
+Players that have written characters, quests and descriptions.
+ -(Tempest)
+ -(WriterMom)
+ -(Jule)
+ -(CheshireKitty)
+ -(Vetiver)
+ -(Bazjack)
+ -(LinuxDude)
+ -(BklynFilly)
+ -(Nuova)
+ -(DesertMorn)
+ -(Minet)
+ -(Miri)
+ -(BonsaiWolf)
+ -(Artemis8)-beta quest writer
+
+Jenephyr Milligan, USA(UT)
+ - Many Character Scripts and Quests
+
+Julien Correard, FRANCE
+ - Several Mini Game musics
+
+Miranda Durbin USA(MN) (Miranda)
+ -Development Direction
+ -Horse Isle Technicals
+
+Joe Durbin USA(MN) (Joe)
+ -Programming Server
+ -Programming Client
+ -Art/Creative Direction
+ -Programming MiniGames
+
+
+BETA TESTERS: Marked in game with awards
+
-Expected Behavior for Players, Moderators, and Admins on Horse Isle.
-Following these guidelines will help promote a fun game experience for all.
-
-Players:
-
-Purpose:
-To enjoy the game.
-
-Do NOT ruin the enjoyment of Horse Isle by another player through negative
-actions of any kind.
-
-If harassed/upset/annoyed by another player, use the MUTE system to mute the
-other player, DO NOT make things worse by fighting with another
-player, this is considered to be both players faults regardless of who
-started it.
-
-Do NOT threaten to report players. If you have a problem with another
-player use the MUTE system and if it's serious, then file an abuse report.
-There is no need to tell them or threaten them. Threatening another player
-with an abuse report, especially when the other player did nothing wrong could
-easily get you in trouble.
-
-Do NOT be offended when a player Mutes you, anyone can Mute anyone for any
-reason. Some people are not as "talkative" as others and don't appreciate
-being chatted to much. Just try to find others that appreciate
-chatting with you.
-
-Do NOT be offended or upset if a player does not answer your Private
-Message. Many players may be away from the game for a bit or are busy
-doing something else. Replying to PM's can be a lot of work depending on
-the situation the player is in.
-
-Players should reply positively when possible. If you have nothing
-positive/helpful to say, please just do not reply.
-
-Players should never cheat/lie/trick another player into making an unfair trade.
-Stealing horses, money, etc. in this manner is an instant BAN.
-
-Players are 100% responsible for their accounts. Do not let siblings use
-your account and do not give out your password to ANYONE.
-
-Players should always respect moderators when they ask you to do
-something. If you feel a moderator is not being fair, or violating
-moderator expected behavior below, you can email us directly. In the mean
-time, respect the moderator.
-
-Note: When the horses have a bridle on it shows the reins hanging down. This was for drawing/fitting purposes only. Please never leave your own, real life horse with its reins hanging down in this manner. It is very dangerous for your horse.
-
-Moderators:
-
-
-Purpose: To have mature, positive players who can be trusted to
-quell bad/rule violating behavior from within the game.
-
-Moderators should be a good role model of all Expected Player Behaviors.
-
-Moderators should be fair in any use of moderator abilities. Never used
-for personal reasons.
-
-Moderators are not required to help other players. Moderators are players
-like everyone else. Sometimes they are busy, or working on their own things.
-Moderators are under no obligation to help. DO NOT be upset when they do
-not have time to help you, and be grateful when they do. Try making your
-requests for help to anyone on the server if it's a general game issue.
-
-When to Prison Isle: This is the least severe of Moderator actions. Mostly
-done if a player is physically being in the way of others in the game, or
-harassing, etc.. No Violation Points are assigned for this.
-
-When to Mute: In any case where a player is not following Horse Isle Rules after
-being asked to follow the specific rule they are violating. Muting should
-happen right away when a player is purposefully and seriously violating
-profanity rules, etc. Mute times may range from 5 minutes to 2 full days
-depending on severity. An Admin will review each muting case and
-assign Violation points if warranted.
-
-When to Delete player/horse/ranch Profiles: When a clear violation of Personally
-identifiable info is present such as age/phone/address/im/email/etc. (Real life
-information on the players horses, or other non-identifiable info is
-acceptable). Also, any profanity/filter avoidance is cause for
-profile deletion. When profiles are deleted, they are reviewed by an admin
-and violation points assigned based on content.
-
-When to Ban: Two Moderators need to agree to ban a player in order for it to
-work. This should only be used on SEVERE Cases where MUTES do not solve
-the problem. Or where a new player has connected with a clearly
-offensive name.
-
-Moderators need to PM players when there is a problem. Such as when a
-player is spamming, begging, causing troubles, etc. This causes the player
-to not be singled out in global. It also tends to help contain the
-situation better and keep it from escalating into something worse.
-
-Moderators are not required to go to a different server even if there are not
-any moderators there.
-
-It's great for moderators to have buddies, but they must not be treated as
-favorites. This means the friends of moderators should be treated the same
-as any other player with regard to punishment for not following the rules.
-Moderators found 'playing favorites' could have their moderator privileges taken
-away.
-
-Admins:
-
-
-Purpose: To make sure the moderators are being fair, balanced, and
-positive role-models. To make final situational judgements. To judge
-abuse reports. etc. Our main goal is to ensure an environment where all
-players of any age can enjoy themselves.
-
-Admins should be fair, and uphold the rules set forth.
-
-Being fair requires being strict. When too many violations occur, We
-MUST remove accounts and block game access in more serious cases. We
-cannot take excuses of siblings being responsible, etc. Each player
-is responsible for what happens on their account.
-
-
-
-
+Expected Behavior for Players, Moderators, and Admins on Horse Isle.
+Following these guidelines will help promote a fun game experience for all.
+
+Players:
+
+Purpose:
+To enjoy the game.
+
+Do NOT ruin the enjoyment of Horse Isle by another player through negative
+actions of any kind.
+
+If harassed/upset/annoyed by another player, use the MUTE system to mute the
+other player, DO NOT make things worse by fighting with another
+player, this is considered to be both players faults regardless of who
+started it.
+
+Do NOT threaten to report players. If you have a problem with another
+player use the MUTE system and if it's serious, then file an abuse report.
+There is no need to tell them or threaten them. Threatening another player
+with an abuse report, especially when the other player did nothing wrong could
+easily get you in trouble.
+
+Do NOT be offended when a player Mutes you, anyone can Mute anyone for any
+reason. Some people are not as "talkative" as others and don't appreciate
+being chatted to much. Just try to find others that appreciate
+chatting with you.
+
+Do NOT be offended or upset if a player does not answer your Private
+Message. Many players may be away from the game for a bit or are busy
+doing something else. Replying to PM's can be a lot of work depending on
+the situation the player is in.
+
+Players should reply positively when possible. If you have nothing
+positive/helpful to say, please just do not reply.
+
+Players should never cheat/lie/trick another player into making an unfair trade.
+Stealing horses, money, etc. in this manner is an instant BAN.
+
+Players are 100% responsible for their accounts. Do not let siblings use
+your account and do not give out your password to ANYONE.
+
+Players should always respect moderators when they ask you to do
+something. If you feel a moderator is not being fair, or violating
+moderator expected behavior below, you can email us directly. In the mean
+time, respect the moderator.
+
+Note: When the horses have a bridle on it shows the reins hanging down. This was for drawing/fitting purposes only. Please never leave your own, real life horse with its reins hanging down in this manner. It is very dangerous for your horse.
+
+Moderators:
+
+
+Purpose: To have mature, positive players who can be trusted to
+quell bad/rule violating behavior from within the game.
+
+Moderators should be a good role model of all Expected Player Behaviors.
+
+Moderators should be fair in any use of moderator abilities. Never used
+for personal reasons.
+
+Moderators are not required to help other players. Moderators are players
+like everyone else. Sometimes they are busy, or working on their own things.
+Moderators are under no obligation to help. DO NOT be upset when they do
+not have time to help you, and be grateful when they do. Try making your
+requests for help to anyone on the server if it's a general game issue.
+
+When to Prison Isle: This is the least severe of Moderator actions. Mostly
+done if a player is physically being in the way of others in the game, or
+harassing, etc.. No Violation Points are assigned for this.
+
+When to Mute: In any case where a player is not following Horse Isle Rules after
+being asked to follow the specific rule they are violating. Muting should
+happen right away when a player is purposefully and seriously violating
+profanity rules, etc. Mute times may range from 5 minutes to 2 full days
+depending on severity. An Admin will review each muting case and
+assign Violation points if warranted.
+
+When to Delete player/horse/ranch Profiles: When a clear violation of Personally
+identifiable info is present such as age/phone/address/im/email/etc. (Real life
+information on the players horses, or other non-identifiable info is
+acceptable). Also, any profanity/filter avoidance is cause for
+profile deletion. When profiles are deleted, they are reviewed by an admin
+and violation points assigned based on content.
+
+When to Ban: Two Moderators need to agree to ban a player in order for it to
+work. This should only be used on SEVERE Cases where MUTES do not solve
+the problem. Or where a new player has connected with a clearly
+offensive name.
+
+Moderators need to PM players when there is a problem. Such as when a
+player is spamming, begging, causing troubles, etc. This causes the player
+to not be singled out in global. It also tends to help contain the
+situation better and keep it from escalating into something worse.
+
+Moderators are not required to go to a different server even if there are not
+any moderators there.
+
+It's great for moderators to have buddies, but they must not be treated as
+favorites. This means the friends of moderators should be treated the same
+as any other player with regard to punishment for not following the rules.
+Moderators found 'playing favorites' could have their moderator privileges taken
+away.
+
+Admins:
+
+
+Purpose: To make sure the moderators are being fair, balanced, and
+positive role-models. To make final situational judgements. To judge
+abuse reports. etc. Our main goal is to ensure an environment where all
+players of any age can enjoy themselves.
+
+Admins should be fair, and uphold the rules set forth.
+
+Being fair requires being strict. When too many violations occur, We
+MUST remove accounts and block game access in more serious cases. We
+cannot take excuses of siblings being responsible, etc. Each player
+is responsible for what happens on their account.
+
+
+
+
[ Return to Account Information ]
+
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/web/footer.php b/master-site/web/footer.php
index bf0e145..9516582 100644
--- a/master-site/web/footer.php
+++ b/master-site/web/footer.php
@@ -1,23 +1,23 @@
-
'.date("M j g:ia", get_first_reply_time($threads[$i]['id'])).' by '.get_first_reply_author($threads[$i]['id']).'
');
- }
- echo("
");
- echo("");
- echo("[ CLOSE FORUMS ] ");
-
-}
-?>
+
+
+Horse Isle Forums
+Forums for discussing in game topics with other players. Please use the Contact Us form at the bottom to directly communicate with Horse Isle staff.
+ The SUPPORT and BUGS forums have threads removed often to keep them clean and recent. Don't be offended when removed.
+
+ Please Login to use these forums ');
+ include("footer.php");
+ exit();
+}
+?>
+
'.date("M j g:ia", get_first_reply_time($threads[$i]['id'])).' by '.get_first_reply_author($threads[$i]['id']).'
');
+ }
+ echo("
");
+ echo("");
+ echo("[ CLOSE FORUMS ] ");
+
+}
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/web/giftmembership.php b/master-site/web/giftmembership.php
index 70c7bf9..7aaed02 100644
--- a/master-site/web/giftmembership.php
+++ b/master-site/web/giftmembership.php
@@ -1,238 +1,238 @@
-Gift membership payments options
');
- echo('Verifying existing playername and activity on server... ');
- if(!user_exists($name)){
- echo('Player: '.$name.' not found on Horse Isle. Please make sure you know the EXACT playername! Press BACK button.');
- }
- else
- {
- $userid = htmlspecialchars(get_userid($name));
- $name = htmlspecialchars(get_username($userid));
-
- echo('Player: '.$name.' Found. ');
- echo('Player\'s account ID: '.$userid.' ');
-
- echo('Checking for an active account on server... ');
- if($serverObj == null)
- {
- echo('Server not found?');
- exit();
- }
- if(!userid_exists($serverDb, $userid))
- {
- echo('Player: '.$name.' does not have an active account on Server '.$server.' Please make sure you know the EXACT server they play on! Press BACK button.');
- }
- else
- {
- echo('It appears they have an account on '.$server.'. ');
-
- $newUser = !getUserExistInExt($serverDb, $userid);
-
- if(!$newUser){
- $totalLogins = getUserTotalLogins($serverDb, $userid);
- $subbedUntil = getUserSubTimeRemaining($serverDb, $userid);
- }
- else
- {
- $totalLogins = 0;
- $subbedUntil = 0;
- }
-
- echo('They have logged into it '.htmlspecialchars($totalLogins).' times. ');
- if($subbedUntil <= 0)
- {
- echo('They have never been subscribed to this server. ');
- }
- else
- {
- echo('They are/were subscribed to this server until: '.date("F j, Y", $subbedUntil).' ');
- }
-
- // put payment options here;
- $pp_uri = str_replace('[GAMESITE]', $serverObj['site'], $pp_uri);
- $gameServerDomain = parse_url($serverObj['site'], PHP_URL_HOST);
- echo('The following Payment Options are Available:
-
-
-
-
-
BUY 1 Month Membership $5.00usd(adds 31 days membership time to the account) Non-refundable.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
BUY Full Year Membership $40.00usd(adds 366 days membership time to the account. saves $20.00 off monthly subscription) Non-refundable.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-BUY Pawneer Order $8.00usd(allows ordering a custom breed/color/gender horse on server from Pawneer. This is not required, you can trade other players to get the breed you desire also.) Non-refundable.
-The following will enable you to buy a subscription or bonus for any existing account on Horse Isle.
-Please BE SURE you know the EXACT playername and server that they play on, we cannot refund accidental payments on the wrong account. No refunds. ONLY make a payment if over 18.
-
Horse Isle Gift Purchase For: NOTE: The player given the gift is in no way notified that they have been given the gift. It is left up to you to notify them. They also have no way to access your payment info whatsoever.
Gift membership payments options
');
+ echo('Verifying existing playername and activity on server... ');
+ if(!user_exists($name)){
+ echo('Player: '.$name.' not found on Horse Isle. Please make sure you know the EXACT playername! Press BACK button.');
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ $userid = htmlspecialchars(get_userid($name));
+ $name = htmlspecialchars(get_username($userid));
+
+ echo('Player: '.$name.' Found. ');
+ echo('Player\'s account ID: '.$userid.' ');
+
+ echo('Checking for an active account on server... ');
+ if($serverObj == null)
+ {
+ echo('Server not found?');
+ exit();
+ }
+ if(!userid_exists($serverDb, $userid))
+ {
+ echo('Player: '.$name.' does not have an active account on Server '.$server.' Please make sure you know the EXACT server they play on! Press BACK button.');
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ echo('It appears they have an account on '.$server.'. ');
+
+ $newUser = !getUserExistInExt($serverDb, $userid);
+
+ if(!$newUser){
+ $totalLogins = getUserTotalLogins($serverDb, $userid);
+ $subbedUntil = getUserSubTimeRemaining($serverDb, $userid);
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ $totalLogins = 0;
+ $subbedUntil = 0;
+ }
+
+ echo('They have logged into it '.htmlspecialchars($totalLogins).' times. ');
+ if($subbedUntil <= 0)
+ {
+ echo('They have never been subscribed to this server. ');
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ echo('They are/were subscribed to this server until: '.date("F j, Y", $subbedUntil).' ');
+ }
+
+ // put payment options here;
+ $pp_uri = str_replace('[GAMESITE]', $serverObj['site'], $pp_uri);
+ $gameServerDomain = parse_url($serverObj['site'], PHP_URL_HOST);
+ echo('The following Payment Options are Available:
+
+
+
+
+
BUY 1 Month Membership $5.00usd(adds 31 days membership time to the account) Non-refundable.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
BUY Full Year Membership $40.00usd(adds 366 days membership time to the account. saves $20.00 off monthly subscription) Non-refundable.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+BUY Pawneer Order $8.00usd(allows ordering a custom breed/color/gender horse on server from Pawneer. This is not required, you can trade other players to get the breed you desire also.) Non-refundable.
+The following will enable you to buy a subscription or bonus for any existing account on Horse Isle.
+Please BE SURE you know the EXACT playername and server that they play on, we cannot refund accidental payments on the wrong account. No refunds. ONLY make a payment if over 18.
+
Horse Isle Gift Purchase For: NOTE: The player given the gift is in no way notified that they have been given the gift. It is left up to you to notify them. They also have no way to access your payment info whatsoever.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/web/header.php b/master-site/web/header.php
index c0091d5..8491ec5 100644
--- a/master-site/web/header.php
+++ b/master-site/web/header.php
@@ -1,132 +1,132 @@
-
-
-HORSE ISLE - Online Multiplayer Horse Game
-
-
-
-
-
-" r (n 0 s 0 v 0 l 0 oa 0 ob 0 oc 0 od 0 oe 0 of 0 og 0 oh 0 c 1))' />
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Logged in as: '.htmlspecialchars($username).'
');
- }
- else
- {
- echo('
');
- }
-
-?>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
+
+
+HORSE ISLE - Online Multiplayer Horse Game
+
+
+
+
+
+" r (n 0 s 0 v 0 l 0 oa 0 ob 0 oc 0 od 0 oe 0 of 0 og 0 oh 0 c 1))' />
+
+
+
+
');
+ }
+ if(isset($_GET['KBID']) && !isset($_GET["SUB"])){
+ $kbId = intval($_GET['KBID']);
+ write_kb_id($kbId);
+ }
+
+ ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/master-site/web/knowledge_base.json b/master-site/web/knowledge_base.json
index 11dae38..3d1e5db 100644
--- a/master-site/web/knowledge_base.json
+++ b/master-site/web/knowledge_base.json
@@ -1,1084 +1,1084 @@
-{
- "kbData":[
- {
- "kbName":"ECONOMY",
- "kbList":[
- {
- "kbSubName":"Money",
- "kbIds":[
- 26,
- 55,
- 27,
- 44,
- 38
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Objects",
- "kbIds":[
- 49,
- 57,
- 47,
- 45,
- 59
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Stores",
- "kbIds":[
- 52,
- 51
- ]
- }
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbName":"FAQ",
- "kbList":[
- {
- "kbSubName":"Top Ten Questions",
- "kbIds":[
- 100,
- 102,
- 97,
- 94,
- 101,
- 103,
- 95,
- 99,
- 96,
- 98
- ]
- }
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbName":"GAME",
- "kbList":[
- {
- "kbSubName":"Arena",
- "kbIds":[
- 43,
- 33,
- 145,
- 144,
- 37,
- 143,
- 155,
- 142,
- 34,
- 42,
- 35,
- 156
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Mini-games",
- "kbIds":[
- 54,
- 53,
- 154,
- 141,
- 140,
- 48,
- 153,
- 50
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Quests",
- "kbIds":[
- 58,
- 40,
- 39,
- 41
- ]
- }
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbName":"HORSES",
- "kbList":[
- {
- "kbSubName":"Acquiring",
- "kbIds":[
- 9,
- 8,
- 7,
- 71,
- 6,
- 16,
- 70,
- 152,
- 19,
- 151,
- 56
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Breeds",
- "kbIds":[
- 17,
- 61,
- 18
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Ownership",
- "kbIds":[
- 15,
- 109,
- 13,
- 11,
- 36,
- 114,
- 10,
- 12,
- 14
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Viewing",
- "kbIds":[
- 108,
- 110,
- 111,
- 112,
- 113,
- 115,
- 116,
- 117,
- 118,
- 119,
- 120,
- 121,
- 122,
- 123,
- 124
- ]
- }
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbName":"SUPPORT",
- "kbList":[
- {
- "kbSubName":"Chat",
- "kbIds":[
- 147,
- 150,
- 22,
- 32,
- 24,
- 23,
- 60,
- 21,
- 146,
- 92,
- 20,
- 72,
- 148,
- 149,
- 69,
- 25
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Connecting",
- "kbIds":[
- 68,
- 2,
- 159,
- 67,
- 66,
- 65,
- 1
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Problems",
- "kbIds":[
- 29,
- 28,
- 158,
- 64,
- 31,
- 138,
- 46,
- 30
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Subscribing",
- "kbIds":[
- 62,
- 139,
- 5,
- 63,
- 4,
- 137,
- 3
- ]
- }
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbName":"TOOL BAR",
- "kbList":[
- {
- "kbSubName":"Horses",
- "kbIds":[
- 106,
- 105,
- 107,
- 104
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Inventory",
- "kbIds":[
- 90,
- 89,
- 87,
- 88,
- 91,
- 86
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Players",
- "kbIds":[
- 132,
- 128,
- 129,
- 131,
- 130,
- 157,
- 127,
- 125,
- 126
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Profile/Map",
- "kbIds":[
- 134,
- 135,
- 93,
- 136
- ]
- },
- {
- "kbSubName":"Stats",
- "kbIds":[
- 73,
- 74,
- 75,
- 76,
- 77,
- 78,
- 79,
- 80,
- 81,
- 82,
- 83,
- 84,
- 85
- ]
- }
- ]
- }
- ],
- "kbIds":[
- {
- "kbId":1,
- "kbTitle":"Trouble Connecting",
- "kbContent":"Make sure your firewall allows port 443 (https), and make sure it allows flash to access the internet. If you are unsure of how to do this, you can temporarily try disabling your firewall to see if that fixes the problem. Then find someone or the directions to set the right firewall settings.\r\n\r\nIf you are trying to connect at work or school, any place with their own managed network, they may disallow the functionality this game requires. In this case there is nothing that can be done."
- },
- {
- "kbId":2,
- "kbTitle":"Game blank",
- "kbContent":"Make sure you have the latest Adobe Flash installed. On our main page we have a link to the Flash player. Try downloading the latest one.\r\n"
- },
- {
- "kbId":3,
- "kbTitle":"Why PayPal",
- "kbContent":"Paypal is a very secure method for online payments. Instead of giving your credit card number to us, you are giving it to PayPal who has full time security staffs, etc. This makes it safer and easier for both us and the suscriber. PayPal is used by most shoppers on Ebay. It takes security very seriously."
- },
- {
- "kbId":4,
- "kbTitle":"Subscription lengths",
- "kbContent":"If you have purchased a one month subscription, you can follow that up at any time with a yearly subscription without fear of losing time. Our subscription system simply keeps track of the date you are subscribed until. If you buy a one month subscription 31 days are added to your membership. If you buy one year, 366 days are added. So you can mix and match and buy whenever you like. If your subscription runs out, access to subscriber features will be limited."
- },
- {
- "kbId":5,
- "kbTitle":"Ranches after subscription expires",
- "kbContent":"If you own a ranch and your subscription expires it will no longer be usable and you will lose its benefits. You can sell the ranch at this time. If you do not resubscribe within a month, the ranch may be forcibly sold."
- },
- {
- "kbId":6,
- "kbTitle":"How to find a wild horse",
- "kbContent":"There are two main ways, either finding a horse in the wild or buying one from another player. Wild horses wander in grass mostly, but different breeds prefer different terrain so it beneficial to check the snow and desert. They stay out of all towns. When you find one you will have to capture it."
- },
- {
- "kbId":7,
- "kbTitle":"Capturing a wild horse",
- "kbContent":"When you find a wild horse, after clicking the CAPTURE button, the capture minigame will start. To get the horse you will need to successfully get the lasso around the horse's neck. Be sure to hold down the mouse until the lasso is fully extended and then release right on horse's neck."
- },
- {
- "kbId":8,
- "kbTitle":"Buying a horse",
- "kbContent":"You can buy a horse off another player in different ways. One is trading with another player. They will offer you a horse for a certain amount of money. If you think it is a fair trade, ACCEPT it. Otherwise ask to see if they might lower the cost.\r\n\r\nAnother way to buy a horse is through the AUTOSELL system. Players can put a horse on autosell, then anyone who is at the same place as them can buy the horse, or anyone visiting their ranch can buy the horse (click on a barn to see a player's horses at a ranch)."
- },
- {
- "kbId":9,
- "kbTitle":"Autosell system",
- "kbContent":"A player can put a horse for sale using the AUTOSELL system. When setting a price, do not put spaces or commas in the price. For example, don't type in 5,000 to sell a horse for $5000. This will end up having your horse's price be set at $5 instead.\r\n\r\nThe Town Hall has a list of all the horses on autosell. These horses can be bought from a player when they are online or offline, if they have a ranch. If the owner has a ranch you can buy the horse there by clicking on the barn. If the owner does not own a ranch, the only way to buy a horse is to be on the same spot as them when they are online."
- },
- {
- "kbId":10,
- "kbTitle":"Riding",
- "kbContent":"In order to ride your horse, the horse must be fully tacked. The horse will buck you off every-so-often until it has over 25 experience points. The horse gains 1 experience point every time it bucks you off."
- },
- {
- "kbId":11,
- "kbTitle":"How to get tack",
- "kbContent":"Tack can be bought at equipment or gear stores in any of the towns. It is also possible to make tack. This requires collecting a lot of cotton and iron ore. There are workshops set up to make the different parts needed to put everything together."
- },
- {
- "kbId":12,
- "kbTitle":"Training",
- "kbContent":"There are 5 different trainers around Horse Isle. All increase the horse's stats in the specific area being trained by 10 points. The horse also gains 5 or 10 points of experience depending on the stat being trained. Below is a list of trainers and where they are: \r\nSpeed: Earton \r\nStrength: Appleton \r\nAgility: Treeton \r\nEndurance: Hotton \r\nConformation: Witherton \r\n"
- },
- {
- "kbId":13,
- "kbTitle":"How to find feed",
- "kbContent":"There are a number of feed stores around Horse Isle to buy different types of food for your horse. There are also hay piles scattered in different towns where, if you buy a pitchfork, you can pitch hay and create haybales. Apples and carrots are treats for the horse. Treats increase the horse's mood and decrease hunger to varying degrees. There is also a workshop where a player can make special feed for a horse."
- },
- {
- "kbId":14,
- "kbTitle":"Where to find water",
- "kbContent":"Pails of water are for sale at feed stores, but horses can also drink out of the ponds. These may make your horse sick, so be careful! You may have to make a trip to the vet after a drink of pond water."
- },
- {
- "kbId":15,
- "kbTitle":"Caring for horses",
- "kbContent":"If the horse's health gets to zero the owner gets sent to Prison Isle. To keep that from happening, feed and water your horse and keep it healthy and happy. There are barns in some towns. These are a place to water, feed and rest your horse. Petting your horse or giving it treats will also increase the horse's mood. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":16,
- "kbTitle":"How to find out what horses are for sale",
- "kbContent":"The best way to find out which horses are for sale is to look in a town hall. There will listings of all horses on autosell. Another method is looking at players. This is done by clicking the '?' by a player's name then scrolling down to their list of horses. If there is a '$' next to the name of a horse, that horse is for sale."
- },
- {
- "kbId":17,
- "kbTitle":"What breed is the best",
- "kbContent":"This depends on what you want the horse for. Some are generally better at jumping while another would be better for racing. The main factor is training. For example, a horse or pony that you think would be terrible at racing could be great if you train it enough in speed and endurance.\r\nThe horse's stats can be seen by looking at the horse and scrolling down to the Advanced Stats."
- },
- {
- "kbId":18,
- "kbTitle":"What breeds are rare",
- "kbContent":"No weight is given to any breed. This means that it is completely random which breeds are out there. No breed is more rare than another breed."
- },
- {
- "kbId":19,
- "kbTitle":"The Horse Whisperer",
- "kbContent":"The horse whisperer is located in Mane Forest on the main Horse Isle. If you pay him $50,000 he will show you on a map where every horse of the breed you choose is on the map. The horses do wander however, so you must get there quickly and do a bit of searching.\r\nIf there are no horses of the breed you chose, the whisperer will charge you only $10,000."
- },
- {
- "kbId":20,
- "kbTitle":"Methods",
- "kbContent":"There is a drop down box to the left of the chat box that has a list of the different chat methods and all the players online. Picking a player's name will privately chat to that person. When they log off the chat will switch back to CHAT ALL."
- },
- {
- "kbId":21,
- "kbTitle":"CHAT NEAR",
- "kbContent":"This chat method makes your chat only visible to people nearby. This is about one screen width away from where you are standing. The number after your chat in brackets is telling you how many people heard you. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'n'."
- },
- {
- "kbId":22,
- "kbTitle":"CHAT ALL",
- "kbContent":"This chat is the global chat. Everyone can hear you. This is limited to one chat per minute if you are a subscriber and one chat per every two minutes if you are not. If you don't chat much, your chats will be saved up, up to 15 chats. Limited global chatting forces the players to use buddy chat, near chat and island chat more often. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'a'."
- },
- {
- "kbId":23,
- "kbTitle":"CHAT HERE",
- "kbContent":"This chat is only visible to people that are on the same spot, or tile, as you. A number in brackets after your chat will tell you how many people heard you. This is perfect for games where you're in the same room as others, such as Horse Run, an art room, or two player games. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'h'."
- },
- {
- "kbId":24,
- "kbTitle":"CHAT BUDDIES",
- "kbContent":"You can make buddies by standing on a spot with another person and both agreeing to be buddies. Then you can switch to this chat method and just chat with your buddies. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'b'."
- },
- {
- "kbId":25,
- "kbTitle":"Shortcuts",
- "kbContent":"Shortcuts can be used for any of the chat methods. Using the backslash (/) in front of a player's name will privately chat that person without having to scroll through the list of names. Other shortcuts are as follows: \r\n/a - Chat All \r\n/n - Chat Near \r\n/h - Chat Here \r\n/i - Chat Island \r\n/b - Chat Buddies \r\n/$ - Ads Chat"
- },
- {
- "kbId":26,
- "kbTitle":"How to earn money",
- "kbContent":"There are many ways to earn money in the game. There are over 500 quests that make money, many mini-games and objects that are all over the ground can be sold to stores. You can bale hay and sell it to the feed store as well. Putting money in the bank gains interest and if you own a ranch, windmills make you money."
- },
- {
- "kbId":27,
- "kbTitle":"Quests",
- "kbContent":"There are different types of quests (see GAME->Quests). These make the player quite a bit of money. Some are jobs are given by the residents of Horse Isle, while others are mini-games to be beaten."
- },
- {
- "kbId":28,
- "kbTitle":"Game is running slow",
- "kbContent":"If the FPS at the bottom right is less than 12, you may want to try this, otherwise, it may be a network speed issue. The game does use a lot of graphics, so slower computers may have problems. One thing you can do easily is click on the TOOL button (lower right) and check LOW DETAIL. This will remove some optional things like weather, moving water, chat bubbles, etc. This should speed up the graphics."
- },
- {
- "kbId":29,
- "kbTitle":"Freezing completely on Mac",
- "kbContent":"Certain macs have been reported to \"freeze\" every so often for a while. We hope that a newer flash version on the Mac will fix this, but one thing you can do is switch to LOW DETAIL under the TOOL menu (bottom right). That seems to help."
- },
- {
- "kbId":30,
- "kbTitle":"Moving is very start-stop",
- "kbContent":"Every movement to a new spot in the world requires that information be sent to the server and then sent back. So, if you have a slow internet connection, or if you are far from the server (USA) you may experience longer movement lag. The only real solution to this will be multiple servers in different countries. If this becomes popular, we may place a server in the UK and one in Australia to provide faster access for those nearby."
- },
- {
- "kbId":31,
- "kbTitle":"Hard to see, so small",
- "kbContent":"With the way the graphics work, we cannot really offer a fullscreen version (possibly a bigger version in the future), but for now, if you really want it \"bigger\" you can adjust your screen size. To do this in windows, go into DISPLAY in the CONTROL PANEL. Under SETTINGS select a smaller display area (800x600 for full screen). NOTE: This will rearrange icons on the desktop incase you have them arranged."
- },
- {
- "kbId":32,
- "kbTitle":"Chat box isn't scrolling",
- "kbContent":"Sometimes either the right or left chat box won't scroll with the new chat. To make sure it keeps scrolling, pull the scroll bar to the bottom of the box then click on the box where you enter your chat. This will deselect the the scrolling box and it will scroll with the new chat."
- },
- {
- "kbId":33,
- "kbTitle":"Different arenas",
- "kbContent":"There are five arenas that you can enter your horses into. There are two jumping arenas, one simple and one advanced. The others are racing, draft and dressage competitions. How your horse does in the competition is dependent on different stats. For racing, speed is primary while endurance is secondary. For jumping, strength is primary while speed is secondary. For dressage, conformation is primary while groom is secondary. For draft, strength is primary. In simple jumping, the stats account for very little of the actual score. It is mostly random. All stats can be trained except for groom which can be taken care of at a groomer in one of many towns. You can only have one horse entered in an arena at a time and the competitions begin on every game hour. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":34,
- "kbTitle":"Staying at the arena",
- "kbContent":"Once you enter a horse in the competition, you do not need to stay there. The game will start on the game hour no matter where you are."
- },
- {
- "kbId":35,
- "kbTitle":"What is needed",
- "kbContent":"Your horse that you enter must be fed, watered and not tired. It also must have shoes on and be fully tacked. The easiest way to make sure these things are done is to visit the farrier in one of the many towns, visit a barn and buy or make tack (see HORSES->Ownership->How to get tack)."
- },
- {
- "kbId":36,
- "kbTitle":"How to make tack",
- "kbContent":"There are leather pieces and leather strapping sold at select general stores. There is a workshop in Wington that makes many things out of iron ore needed for a saddle and bridle. A sewing workshop will make cloth while Rebecca, a resident in Carrotton will make a wooden saddle form. All of the English tack can be brought together at the tack workshop in Witherton. All of the Western tack can be brought together at the tack workshop in Tropicton."
- },
- {
- "kbId":37,
- "kbTitle":"How competitions work",
- "kbContent":"Players enter their horse and once the game starts, who wins depends on which horse is best in the particular stats used in that game as well as the skill of the player at that mini-game. The winner gets the most experience (goes to player and horse) and all the entry fee money. This is $1000 per player in the competition."
- },
- {
- "kbId":38,
- "kbTitle":"The bank",
- "kbContent":"Any money you deposit into the bank will earn interest. This is while you are playing as well as while you are offline. The more money in the bank, the more interest you will earn.\r\nThe rate is 0.0003 each real hour. So, if you had exactly $100,000 in the bank, you should get $30 every real hour. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":39,
- "kbTitle":"Where are quests",
- "kbContent":"There are quests all over Horse Isle. There are different types however. The majority are jobs that are found by walking into the cabins and talking to the character inside. They will have you run an errand or buy an object from you. Just talk to any of the residents, or NPC's, and many need help with something. There are some mini-games that are quests. These are spread all over as well, though some are specific to an area. Such as, the Snow caves are all on Ice Isle while the Carrot Runs are all on Hare Isle."
- },
- {
- "kbId":40,
- "kbTitle":"Types of quests",
- "kbContent":"There are two main types of quests. These are jobs given to you by talking to a resident, or NPC, and mini-game quests. Many NPC's in the houses and some of the shopkeepers will have jobs for you to do if you just talk to them. Otherwise there are many games that are quests as well. Completing these finishes the quest, giving you money and quest points."
- },
- {
- "kbId":41,
- "kbTitle":"Which earn the most money",
- "kbContent":"By looking in your adventure log you can see how many quest points each quest is worth. The higher the quest points, the more the quest is generally worth. So, a quest worth 300 points is going to pay a lot more than one worth 25 points, but it will also take longer, or be harder to finish."
- },
- {
- "kbId":42,
- "kbTitle":"Tack",
- "kbContent":"All of the tack boosts at least one, and sometimes two, of your horse's stats. The more expensive the tack, the more it helps in competitions. All the tack as well as the descriptions can be viewed in the library. Tack is explained more in HORSES -> Ownership."
- },
- {
- "kbId":43,
- "kbTitle":"Competition clothes",
- "kbContent":"The only clothes you can choose to wear are those for competitions. Most of these help your horses stats. For example, a jumping jacket will increase the strength of the horse you are competing with. The more expensive the clothes, the more they help your horse during competitions."
- },
- {
- "kbId":44,
- "kbTitle":"Ranch ownership",
- "kbContent":"Ranches are very expensive, however once you own one, it can help you make money. For every windmill you build on the ranch, it earns you $500 every real hour. This is whether you are online or off."
- },
- {
- "kbId":45,
- "kbTitle":"What good are they",
- "kbContent":"Many objects are laying on the ground all over Horse Isle. Some are worth a lot while others are worth very little, or nothing at all. Some are good for food, others are needed in order to finish quests. The ones that are worth more are perfect for making money. You just walk around collecting them, gems for example, and then sell them at the appropriate store."
- },
- {
- "kbId":46,
- "kbTitle":"Mini-game not loading",
- "kbContent":"If a mini-game won't load it is possible that something occurred to disrupt the loading process. What you need to do is clear your computer's cache. In windows, this can be done by going to the TOOLS menu in a browser, the Clear Private Data. That opens a window where you should be able to clear the cache by having that checked."
- },
- {
- "kbId":47,
- "kbTitle":"Special requests",
- "kbContent":"There are some residents, NPC's, that want specific objects and will pay you if you bring them some. An example is Twig, in Eartip Forest. He likes red pine cones and will pay you $1000 for every one you bring him. This object is worthless to bring to a store however. By talking to NPC's you will learn which ones like specific objects."
- },
- {
- "kbId":48,
- "kbTitle":"Types",
- "kbContent":"There are five types of mini-games. These are single player, two player, multi player rooms, arenas and quest games. The two player games require two people in order to play. If both are in the game room you need to click INVITE and the other will have to ACCEPT. The multi player rooms can have a number of people in them at once. Horse Run is an example where a number of players ride around on one of their horses collecting orbs. The art, poetry and band rooms are also multi player rooms. The arenas are explained in the Arena subcategory while the quest games are explained under the Quests subcategory."
- },
- {
- "kbId":49,
- "kbTitle":"Gems",
- "kbContent":"Gems tend to be worth the most money when sold to stores. The more rare the gem, diamonds for example, the more they are worth. The jewelry workshop in Whiskerton will make necklaces with different gems if you have the necessary objects."
- },
- {
- "kbId":50,
- "kbTitle":"Which pay the best",
- "kbContent":"The better you do at games, the more money you will make. However, the educational games do pay the best. The best paying is Geo Hunt and then probably Horse Anatomy and the word games."
- },
- {
- "kbId":51,
- "kbTitle":"What stores buy what",
- "kbContent":"The general stores buy most objects, especially if there aren't other shops in the town. Rock stores buy gems and jewelry. The feed stores and equipment store just buy horse feed and horse equipment respectively. If you can buy it there, you can sell it there."
- },
- {
- "kbId":52,
- "kbTitle":"Pricing",
- "kbContent":"Some towns might be a little more expensive, or not pay quite as much for items. So, for example, the Earton rock store isn't going to give you as much for a ruby as the Shellton rock store will. This is true for everything but tack. All the tack is the same price no matter where you buy it with one town being the only exception. The price depends on the tack."
- },
- {
- "kbId":53,
- "kbTitle":"How to play",
- "kbContent":"Each mini-game has a '?' in the corner that explains how to play the game. Unfortunately, if the game is timed, the '?' doesn't pause the game, so the first time playing is basically a trial run."
- },
- {
- "kbId":54,
- "kbTitle":"High scores",
- "kbContent":"Most, but not all, mini-games keep track of the scores and how many times each player has played it. Beating the all time high score will get you a bonus of $2500."
- },
- {
- "kbId":55,
- "kbTitle":"Objects to earn money",
- "kbContent":"Collecting objects and selling them to stores or residents that want them can be a great way to earn money."
- },
- {
- "kbId":56,
- "kbTitle":"Wild horses",
- "kbContent":"New wild horses replace those that have been captured as well as those that have wandered for 1 day without being captured. Those that are released will be replaced in an hour."
- },
- {
- "kbId":57,
- "kbTitle":"New objects",
- "kbContent":"Objects on the ground, replace themselves when collected at a rate of one per minute, until their world-max is reached."
- },
- {
- "kbId":58,
- "kbTitle":"Tools",
- "kbContent":"Tools can be found in your tool box which can be found in the lower right hand corner of the game. The tools are used by just walking where you want to use the tool, then push dig, rake or search. Whether or not you find anything will show up on the lower, right screen."
- },
- {
- "kbId":59,
- "kbTitle":"Where to sell objects",
- "kbContent":"Objects can be sold at stores. There are specific stores for certain objects. Rock and jewelry can be sold at rock stores. Flowers are sold at flower stores. Food or random objects can be sold at general stores."
- },
- {
- "kbId":60,
- "kbTitle":"CHAT ISLAND",
- "kbContent":"When this is selected, only the players on the same island as you can hear the chat. The number at the end of your chat will tell you how many heard you. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'i'."
- },
- {
- "kbId":61,
- "kbTitle":"What breeds are in the game",
- "kbContent":"This question can be answered by going to a library in any of the larger towns. The library will show all the breeds available, what colors they can be and a description about them."
- },
- {
- "kbId":62,
- "kbTitle":"Cash / Checks",
- "kbContent":"If you cannot pay via PayPal, we accept cash/checks in U.S.D. To find out more information, click on Alternative Payment Methods at the bottom of the Subscription Status Window. (Note: PayPal is recommended for instant access rather than up to a week delay)"
- },
- {
- "kbId":63,
- "kbTitle":"Reasons to subscribe",
- "kbContent":"Reasons listed: HERE"
- },
- {
- "kbId":64,
- "kbTitle":"Game Requirements",
- "kbContent":"Rough Guidelines: \r\n 1.0 Ghz Computer \r\n 512 Ram \r\n 800x600 or bigger display \r\n Flash Player 8+ \r\n Faster internet = Faster movement \r\n"
- },
- {
- "kbId":65,
- "kbTitle":"Says not logged in after logging in",
- "kbContent":"This will happen if you have disabled cookies. Cookies are required for this site to maintain your account logged in. The following steps in Windows will turn cookies on: Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Privacy (tab) -> Click on DEFAULT button to set the settings to normal value. If you have a different browser, look in the settings for \"cookies\"."
- },
- {
- "kbId":66,
- "kbTitle":"Pop-up not allowed",
- "kbContent":"If you get this message at the top of your browser when trying to run the game, click on the message and select \"Allow pop-ups from this site\". Because the only thing we \"popup\" is the game itself, no ads will ever pop up. \r\n"
- },
- {
- "kbId":67,
- "kbTitle":"Game not loading",
- "kbContent":"You may have put too high of security settings on your browser, try this in Windows: Control Panel -> Internet options -> Security (tab) -> click DEFAULT LEVEL. This will put the settings back at a normal value. Restart Internet Explorer and try again."
- },
- {
- "kbId":68,
- "kbTitle":"Continued Problems",
- "kbContent":"If after checking firewalls and security settings you are still having troubles, you may want to try installing FireFox. It is an alternative free browser. You can click on the FireFox button at the bottom of this site."
- },
- {
- "kbId":69,
- "kbTitle":"My chat is not showing",
- "kbContent":"Make sure the chat boxes are scrolled all the way to the bottom. If they aren't, you will not see new chat that's added."
- },
- {
- "kbId":70,
- "kbTitle":"Someone caught the horse I was going for!",
- "kbContent":"Wild horses are first come first serve. If another player catches a wild horse before you, even if you are right nearby, it is their horse. This includes if you paid the horse whisperer and he told you where it was but another player got there first."
- },
- {
- "kbId":71,
- "kbTitle":"Horses are hard to find",
- "kbContent":"There are only 40 horses around the Horse Isle world. The horses are rare because when we did have many more, they were so abundant that wild horses couldn't even be given away. This makes the horses worth a lot more and makes having one more special."
- },
- {
- "kbId":72,
- "kbTitle":"Moderators and admins",
- "kbContent":"Moderators and admins make sure that rules are followed in the chat and to make sure the chat is a safe place for all. The difference between the two is that admins can jump to any place on the map at anytime while moderators cannot."
- },
- {
- "kbId":73,
- "kbTitle":" What is the stats button",
- "kbContent":"The tool bar has a number of useful buttons. The stats button shows your description, gender, money, quest log, awards, along with a number of other things."
- },
- {
- "kbId":74,
- "kbTitle":" 1. Money",
- "kbContent":"This shows how much money you are currently carrying. This amount is also shown on the bottom of your screen. The amount on the bottom of the screen takes a minute to update though where the money under STATS updates every time you click that button."
- },
- {
- "kbId":75,
- "kbTitle":" 2. Description",
- "kbContent":"This is the description that other players will see when they look at you (by clicking the '?' by your name). The description can be written and edited by clicking the PROFILE button."
- },
- {
- "kbId":76,
- "kbTitle":" 3. Experience",
- "kbContent":"This is the experience that you have as a player. You gain experience when you enter in arenas. How much you get from a competition is dependent on how you place as well as how many people enter in the competition with you."
- },
- {
- "kbId":77,
- "kbTitle":" 4. Quest Points",
- "kbContent":"This is the number of quest points you have earned. There is a list under 'VIEW LOG' of which quests you have finished."
- },
- {
- "kbId":78,
- "kbTitle":" 5. Hunger, Thirst, and Tiredness",
- "kbContent":"This shows how hungry, thirsty and tired your character is. If any of these get too low you get 'dizzy' and will sometimes walk in a different direction than where you wanted to go."
- },
- {
- "kbId":79,
- "kbTitle":" 6. Sex",
- "kbContent":"This shows whether you are male or female. This was determined when you made your account. If for some reason you chose wrong, just ask an admin and we can change that for you."
- },
- {
- "kbId":80,
- "kbTitle":" 7. Jewelry",
- "kbContent":"This area shows what jewelry you are wearing. You can wear up to 4 pieces, but it does not affect either you or your horse's stats. This is simply for looks. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":81,
- "kbTitle":" 8. Competition clothes",
- "kbContent":"This shows what competition clothes you are wearing. These clothes aid your horse during competitions, some better than others depending on exactly what you are wearing. These clothes can be bought in clothes stores around Horse Isle. See GAME -> Arena for more information. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":82,
- "kbTitle":" 9. View Notes",
- "kbContent":"This is for any notes you want to keep for yourself. The most common use is to help you remember which quests you are working on and where to go or what you need in order to finish the quest."
- },
- {
- "kbId":83,
- "kbTitle":"10. View Log",
- "kbContent":"This shows all of the quests in the game. It will say 'NOT DONE' if you haven't completed it yet and 'COMPLETED' if you have finished it. Where is says 'UNAVAILABLE' means that another quest must be completed first in order to do that particular quest. Each of the quests listed also shows how many quest points it is worth. The more quest points, typically, the more the quest will pay."
- },
- {
- "kbId":84,
- "kbTitle":"11. View List",
- "kbContent":"This shows all of your rankings in the mini-games you have played. Not all mini-games have a high score being tracked, so only those that do track high scores will be in your list."
- },
- {
- "kbId":85,
- "kbTitle":"12. View Awards",
- "kbContent":"These are the awards you have earned in the game. Another player will see these when he/she looks at you by pushing the '?' by your name. All the different awards available can be seen in the library."
- },
- {
- "kbId":86,
- "kbTitle":"What is the inventory",
- "kbContent":"The inventory shows all of the items that you are holding. The number of objects you currently and how many you can hold is at the top. You can only hold up to 50 of one item."
- },
- {
- "kbId":87,
- "kbTitle":"Max number of items",
- "kbContent":"If you do not own a ranch the max number of individual items you can carry is 40 with a max of 50 of one item. If you own a ranch you can buy a shed which will allow you to carry another 20 items per shed."
- },
- {
- "kbId":88,
- "kbTitle":"The '?'",
- "kbContent":"The question mark after an item shows the description of that item when it is clicked on. This can be quite useful when there are quest objects in your inventory and you don't remember what they are for. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":89,
- "kbTitle":"Drop",
- "kbContent":"You can drop an object if you don't want it anymore. This can be done anywhere except inside a store."
- },
- {
- "kbId":90,
- "kbTitle":"Consume",
- "kbContent":"Any object that says 'CONSUME' after it you can either eat or drink. This will help keep your character from getting 'dizzy' and randomly walking the wrong direction."
- },
- {
- "kbId":91,
- "kbTitle":"Throw",
- "kbContent":"There are some objects in the game that can be thrown. These will hit someone within three squares of where you are standing. If no one is around, it will drop back down on your head."
- },
- {
- "kbId":92,
- "kbTitle":"How do I become a moderator?",
- "kbContent":"We discourage asking to become a moderator. Instead, help people, act mature and follow the rules. The mods and admins are looking for new potential mods all the time and an admin will ask if we want you to be a moderator. It is not necessary that you be a subscriber, but it is preferred (this shows commitment to the game)."
- },
- {
- "kbId":93,
- "kbTitle":"Stylizing",
- "kbContent":"The following stylizing codes can be used in Horse Profiles, Ranch Profiles, and Player Profiles. \r\n \r\n[i]this text italics[/i] \r\n[b]this text is bold[/b] \r\n[u]this text underlined[/u] \r\n \r\n[red]red text[/color] \r\n \r\nAvailable colors: aqua, black, blue, brown, fuchsia, grey, green, lime, maroon, navy, olive, orange, purple, red, pink, silver, teal, yellow,turquoise, gold, fuchsia, azure, lilac, umber, rose, forest, beige, charcoal, violet, mint, beryl, apricot, mauve, blush, coral, plum, marigold, chestnut\r\n"
- },
- {
- "kbId":94,
- "kbTitle":"How do I get off this little island?",
- "kbContent":"When you start the game you are on Welcome Isle. Simply talk to Welcome Willy in the cabin. He will tell you where a treasure is and how to dig for it. Then you can leave and see the rest of the world!"
- },
- {
- "kbId":95,
- "kbTitle":"How do I make money?",
- "kbContent":"There are many ways to earn money in the game. One is by doing quests. These include talking to characters in the cabins and shops as well as some mini-games. There are games spread all over where you can earn money. You can also collect objects or bale hay and sell them at one of the many shops. For more detailed information see: ECONOMY->Money"
- },
- {
- "kbId":96,
- "kbTitle":"Where are the horses?",
- "kbContent":"Horses are everywhere except for in the towns. There are more horses on grass, sand and snow in general. It is best to look for a horse in areas where there aren't many people, that way you have a better chance of someone not finding it first."
- },
- {
- "kbId":97,
- "kbTitle":"How do I capture a horse?",
- "kbContent":"When you come upon a horse, it will show up on your upper right screen. Next to it will be a CAPTURE button. Pushing this will bring up a mini-game where you must catch the horse. To do this you must hold the mouse button down until the horse's neck is at the lasso, then release the mouse button. The lasso does retract, so you must time it correctly."
- },
- {
- "kbId":98,
- "kbTitle":"Where is the Horse Whisperer/Pawneer",
- "kbContent":"The horse whisperers are in Mane Forest on the main Horse Isle, south of Tropicton and on the southern part of Saddle Isle. If you follow the road from Earton it will lead to the cabin of the whisperer on Horse Isle. The horse whisperer charges $50,000 to find a horse and $10,000 if a horse isn't found. \r\nThe Pawneer is located near the horse whisperer in Mane Forest."
- },
- {
- "kbId":99,
- "kbTitle":"Is there breeding in this game?",
- "kbContent":"There is no breeding. We have opted for an everlasting horse. This means that the horse will never die and you can spend a lot of time and money on your horse without the worry of losing that horse. Also, this means there are no 'unwanted' horses because too many were bred or because the mare or stallion is no longer 'needed' for breeding."
- },
- {
- "kbId":100,
- "kbTitle":"How do I become a moderator?",
- "kbContent":"We discourage asking to become a moderator. Instead, help people, act mature and follow the rules. The mods and admins are looking for new potential mods all the time and an admin will ask if we want you to be a moderator. It is not necessary that you be a subscriber, but it is preferred (shows commitment to the game)."
- },
- {
- "kbId":101,
- "kbTitle":"How do I get to Pirate Isle?",
- "kbContent":"You must have 50% of your quests done (you should have the 50% Quests Completed Award) and 2 Pearls. Once this is done then there are two rowboats you need to find to get to Pirate Isle. If you don't know where they are you can read a book about the pirates in the library and that will give you some hints."
- },
- {
- "kbId":102,
- "kbTitle":"How do I buy a horse?",
- "kbContent":"There are two ways to buy a horse. First, many players have horses on Auto-sell. You can check these by going to a town hall and looking at the horses for sale, or you can look at a player (the '?' by their name) then scroll down to their list of horses. Any horse that has a '$' by the name is for sale. The price can be viewed by looking at the horse. You must be at the player or, if they own a ranch with a barn, their ranch to buy the horse. The other way to buy a horse is if the other player offers to trade the horse for a certain amount of money. This can only be done when the two of you are on the same spot."
- },
- {
- "kbId":103,
- "kbTitle":"How do I get to Prison Isle?",
- "kbContent":"Prison Isle can be reached by speaking to Griffin in one of the cabins in Earton. He'll bring you there for a charge of $100."
- },
- {
- "kbId":104,
- "kbTitle":"What is this button",
- "kbContent":"HORSES shows you all the horses that you own as well as how many you are holding and can hold. You can only hold 5 horses if you are not a subscriber or own a ranch with a barn on it. For each barn you own, you can hold 3 more horses. For each big barn you can hold 6 more horses. This is also where you can see the stats of all your horses at once."
- },
- {
- "kbId":105,
- "kbTitle":"Basic Stats",
- "kbContent":"This button will list all of your horses' basic stats. This includes: Health, Hunger, Thirst, Mood, Energy, Groom and Shoes. The name of the horse the stats belong to will be above the bars along with how many experience points that horse has."
- },
- {
- "kbId":106,
- "kbTitle":"All Stats",
- "kbContent":"This button shows all the stats of your horses all together. This includes the basic stats (hunger,thirst, etc) and the trainable stats (strength, speed, conformation, agility, etc). This is in percentage and point form instead of bar graph form like the basic stats button. It includes the horse's name and experience points above its stats."
- },
- {
- "kbId":107,
- "kbTitle":"Meaning of everything when looking at each horse",
- "kbContent":"For this see the category: HORSES then Viewing."
- },
- {
- "kbId":108,
- "kbTitle":" 1. The top, under your horse's name",
- "kbContent":"Directly underneath the name will be a description, if you have written one. To write a description click on PROFILE within your horse's page. Below the description will be the general info on that horse. This includes the color, breed, gender and height. Below that is the total experience that horse has earned. (See HORSES->Ownership for information on experience points)"
- },
- {
- "kbId":109,
- "kbTitle":"Experience Points",
- "kbContent":"Experience points are an indicator of two things. This will give a hint as to how much that horse has been trained as well as if it has been entered in many arenas. \r\nExperience points are earned a few ways. A horse will buck you off if you try to ride it before it has 25 exp points. Each time it bucks you off it will gain one exp point. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":110,
- "kbTitle":" 2. Mount/Dismount",
- "kbContent":"This is the button you push to ride your horse. It must be fully tacked (have bridle, saddle pad and saddle) in order to be ridable. If you are riding a horse all of your horses will show DISMOUNT when you view them. This means you don't need to remember exactly which horse you are riding. Simply click DISMOUNT to stop riding your horse."
- },
- {
- "kbId":111,
- "kbTitle":" 3. Feed",
- "kbContent":"This is what you click in order to feed your horse. The food available to feed your horse is only what you have either bought or if you baled hay. This includes both feed and water. The FEED button is only used if you want to feed your horse food that you own. Your horse can get water from drinking out of ponds also. This button is not used for that."
- },
- {
- "kbId":112,
- "kbTitle":" 4. Tack",
- "kbContent":"Clicking this will show you what tack you have available to put on your horse as well as what your horse is currently wearing."
- },
- {
- "kbId":113,
- "kbTitle":" 5. Pet",
- "kbContent":"When you pet your horse it's mood will increase but it will get a little more tired. This is one way to increase the mood of your horse."
- },
- {
- "kbId":114,
- "kbTitle":"Increasing your horse's mood",
- "kbContent":"Your horse's mood can be increased by petting it, but this will also make your horse slightly more tired. Another way to make it happier would be to feed it treats. These include apples (found near Apple Trees), carrots (acquired by 'weeding') and buying treats from feed stores in one of the many towns."
- },
- {
- "kbId":115,
- "kbTitle":" 6. Profile",
- "kbContent":"This is where you name your horse and write a description. You can either pick your own name or there is a 'random name generator' if you are having problems of thinking up a name."
- },
- {
- "kbId":116,
- "kbTitle":" 6a. Profile Stylizing",
- "kbContent":"Colors and other stylizing can be added to your horse's profile: \r\n[i]this text italics[/i] \r\n[b]this text is bold[/b] \r\n[u]this text underlined[/u] \r\n \r\n[red]red text[/color] \r\n \r\nAvailable colors: aqua, black, blue, brown, fuchsia, grey, green, lime, maroon, navy, olive, orange, purple, red, pink, silver, teal, yellow"
- },
- {
- "kbId":117,
- "kbTitle":" 7. Set Auto-Sell Price",
- "kbContent":"This allows you to set a price for your horse that others will be able to see when they look at your horse. (see HORSES->Acquiring->Auto-sell system for more info). Don't use commas or spaces when setting the price and to take your horse off of auto-sell simply type '0' into the box for the amount."
- },
- {
- "kbId":118,
- "kbTitle":" 8. Horse Stats",
- "kbContent":"This is where the horse's basic stats are shown. This includes Health, Hunger, Thirst, Mood, Energy, Groom and Shoes. If your horse's health gets to zero or below (yes, there can be negative values) you will be sent to prison isle for not caring for your horse."
- },
- {
- "kbId":119,
- "kbTitle":" 9. Wearing/Tacked",
- "kbContent":"This is what your horse has on. It must be wearing a bridle, saddle pad and saddle in order to be ridden."
- },
- {
- "kbId":120,
- "kbTitle":"10. Companion",
- "kbContent":"There are pets, or companions, that your horse can have. These companions increase all of the horse's advanced stats by a certain increment. A description of the pet and how much it helps your horse can be seen by clicking on the '?'. When you click on CHANGE it will show you the pets you have available for your horse. Your horse can only have one companion at a time."
- },
- {
- "kbId":121,
- "kbTitle":"11. Advanced Stats",
- "kbContent":"These are the stats that are most important in competitions. These include Speed, Strength, Conformation, Agility, Endurance, Intelligence and Personality. All have trainers that will train the horse in that specific discipline except for intelligence and personality. These two are random. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":122,
- "kbTitle":"12. Breed Details",
- "kbContent":"This is general information about the breed and is not particular to your horse. It tells the breed, a paragraph description of the breed, the height range and the possible colors that breed comes in."
- },
- {
- "kbId":123,
- "kbTitle":"13. Release Horse",
- "kbContent":"When you click this button it will ask you if you are sure. When you click 'release' again you will release that particular horse. This can be done anywhere except inside the border of a town. The button will not be there if you are in a town."
- },
- {
- "kbId":124,
- "kbTitle":"List of horses at the bottom",
- "kbContent":"This list contains all of the horses that you own, if you are looking at your own horses. If you are looking at another player's horses, the list at the bottom will contain the horses that player owns. The horses of another player can be viewed by clicking on the '?' by their name and then scrolling down to the horses and clicking 'LOOK',"
- },
- {
- "kbId":125,
- "kbTitle":"This button's use",
- "kbContent":"This button allows you to see all the players that are online. You can see which of your buddies are online and for your buddies that are offline, how long they have been offline."
- },
- {
- "kbId":126,
- "kbTitle":"View Buddies",
- "kbContent":"This button will show you how many and which of your buddies are online. Below your online buddies will be a list of all your buddies and how long they have been offline."
- },
- {
- "kbId":127,
- "kbTitle":"Players Nearby",
- "kbContent":"This will only show players that are generally near you. These people are ones that will hear you if you chat using CHAT NEAR. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":128,
- "kbTitle":"List of players online",
- "kbContent":"This shows all the players online in the order that they logged in. This is where you can look at a player using the '?', click 'MAP' to see where on Horse Isle they are located or 'MUTE' and 'HEAR another player."
- },
- {
- "kbId":129,
- "kbTitle":"List of players online alphabetically",
- "kbContent":"This is an alphabetical list of the players online. This is useful if you are looking for a specific player to 'look' at, find or mute."
- },
- {
- "kbId":130,
- "kbTitle":"Map: Show Buddies",
- "kbContent":"The first 'MAP' button will show you where all of your buddies are located throughout Horse Isle. This will give you an idea of where, or if, they are congregating in one area."
- },
- {
- "kbId":131,
- "kbTitle":"Map: Show all",
- "kbContent":"The second map button shows where all of the players online are in Horse Isle. This will give you a good idea of where most of the people are."
- },
- {
- "kbId":132,
- "kbTitle":"Abuse Report",
- "kbContent":"This is where to file an abuse report against another player. Please do not file false abuse reports as this could give you a chat violation instead of the person you were reporting."
- },
- {
- "kbId":134,
- "kbTitle":"Description",
- "kbContent":"This is a description that you write about yourself. This is what other players will see when they look at you (clicking the '?')."
- },
- {
- "kbId":135,
- "kbTitle":"Select Appearance",
- "kbContent":"This is a collection of all the different characters you can be in the the game. Scroll through them using the arrows and the one in the center is the one you will be walking around looking like."
- },
- {
- "kbId":136,
- "kbTitle":"The Map Button",
- "kbContent":"The MAP button, next to PROFILE shows the entire Horse Isle map and where you are on it. If you move your mouse over the land, the name of the island, town or forest will show up on the bottom of the screen. Also, dark lines coming off of some of the beaches are docks."
- },
- {
- "kbId":137,
- "kbTitle":"Why is there a time limit",
- "kbContent":"If you are not a subscriber, your time on the game will be limited. You start out with a certain amount of time and one minute is added for every 8 minutes. This means that even while you play you are gaining play-time, but you are using it up faster than gaining it. \r\nThere are two purposes behind the limit. This encourages people to subscribe and the servers cannot handle many people, so it allows others to have a chance to play during the busiest times."
- },
- {
- "kbId":138,
- "kbTitle":"I ran out of play time",
- "kbContent":"If you are not a subscriber, your time on the game will be limited. You start out with a certain amount of time and one minute is added for every 8 minutes. This means that even while you play you are gaining play-time, but you are using it up faster than gaining it. \r\nThere are two purposes behind the limit. This encourages people to subscribe and the servers cannot handle many people, so it allows others to have a chance to play during the busiest times.
\r\nWhen you join a server for the first time, you will have 180 minutes of playtime. For every server you join after that, you will start with 0 minutes of playime. This is to discourage people from joining every server. If you do really want to start playing on another server, simply join it, then wait for at least a few hours for the time to add up."
- },
- {
- "kbId":139,
- "kbTitle":"Horses after subscription expires",
- "kbContent":"If you have more than five horses (because you had a ranch with a barn) and your subscription runs out, you will not lose your horses. You will not be able to catch/buy anymore however. Also, if you release/sell a horse you will not be able to get it back until you are back under the limit of 5."
- },
- {
- "kbId":140,
- "kbTitle":"Real-time riddles",
- "kbContent":"Every 15 minutes a new Real-time Riddle is displayed. The first person to answer it correctly in any chat mode wins $1000. Each player can only answer each of the riddles once. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":141,
- "kbTitle":"Real-time Isle Card Trading Game",
- "kbContent":"This game happens every real hour and lasts for 5 minutes. You start with 4 identical cards. During the 5 minutes, you trade or drop your extra cards and try to get one of each type of card. Having extra cards does not help you. If you have 4 unique cards (a mare, stallion, filly and colt) at the end of 5 minutes, you get $2500."
- },
- {
- "kbId":142,
- "kbTitle":"Racing Instructions",
- "kbContent":"Object is to get to the end ahead of all the other horses. To accomplish this, your horse's speed and endurance stats are used to determine your max speed and how long you can go that fast.\r\n\r\nClick Ai-Ya to go faster. The faster you go, the faster your endurance will wear down. So you need to make sure you go as fast as you can without running out of endurance."
- },
- {
- "kbId":143,
- "kbTitle":"Jumping Instructions",
- "kbContent":"Object is to get to the end ahead of all the other horses while hitting the fewest jumps. To accomplish this, your horse's speed and strength stats are used to determine your max speed and how many big jumps you get.\r\n\r\n Press Up Arrow when you want to use one of your BIG jumps. These run out, so use Down Arrow for smaller jumps when possible."
- },
- {
- "kbId":144,
- "kbTitle":"Dressage Instructions",
- "kbContent":" In this competition, you can see an \"estimated\" current placing of competitors via the bar graphs. A taller graph indicates the leader. Your base score is determined by your horse's conformation, groom and health stats. Your accuracy in clicking the arrows exactly when they are centered on the black line adds or subtracts from this base score. Whoever has the most points after 60 seconds wins!\r\n\r\nHINT: Try to not push arrows extra times, clicking the arrows counts as a miss if you do not hit anything."
- },
- {
- "kbId":145,
- "kbTitle":"Draft Instructions",
- "kbContent":"Object is to get to the end ahead of all the other horses. To accomplish this, your horse's strength and endurance stats are used to determine your movement forward for every correct simple math answer.\r\n\r\nThe stronger the horse, and the faster you answer correctly, the better you will perform.\r\n\r\nFirst competitor to cross the finish ends the race, only the winning time is recorded."
- },
- {
- "kbId":146,
- "kbTitle":"Commands",
- "kbContent":"Player commands begin with an exclamation point as the first character on a chat line. \r\n!AUTOREPLY [text] : Automatically replies to PM's with [text] \r\n!AUTOREPLY : Removed current autoreply \r\n!MUTE GLOBAL : Mutes all global chat \r\n!MUTE ISLAND : Mutes all Island chat \r\n!MUTE NEAR : Mutes all near chat \r\n!MUTE HERE : Mutes all here chat \r\n!MUTE BUDDY : Mutes all buddy chat \r\n!MUTE SOCIALS : Mutes all socials \r\n!MUTE ALL : Mutes all channels above \r\n!HEAR [channel] : Unmutes any channel above. \r\n!DANCE [dirs] : A list of directions to face, one per second.. U=up D=down L=left R=right\r\nThese all reset between game sessions. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":147,
- "kbTitle":"ADS CHAT",
- "kbContent":"This chat channel is specifically for advertising. It automatically limits posts to one per minute so there can't be ad spamming. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) '$'. It can by muted by typing !MUTE ADS. To hear it again type !UNMUTE ADS."
- },
- {
- "kbId":148,
- "kbTitle":"Muting Chat Channels",
- "kbContent":"Any of the different types of chat can be muted. \r\n!MUTE GLOBAL - mutes global \r\n!MUTE ISLAND - mutes island \r\n!MUTE BUDDY - mutes buddy chat \r\n!MUTE NEAR - mutes near \r\n!MUTE HERE - mutes here \r\n!MUTE PM - mutes private messages \r\n!MUTE ADS - mutes the ads channel \r\n!MUTE ALL - mutes ALL the channels except the ads channel. \r\nTo hear any of these again, simple type !UNMUTE then whichever channel you want to hear again."
- },
- {
- "kbId":149,
- "kbTitle":"Muting things",
- "kbContent":"Many things in the game can be muted if you don't want to receive them. Simply type !MUTE in front of any of these to not hear/see it. Type !UNMUTE in front of the same thing to hear it again. What commands are used for the chat channels can be found under \"Muting Chat Channels\". \r\nSOCIALS - mutes socials \r\nBR - mutes buddy requests"
- },
- {
- "kbId":150,
- "kbTitle":"Autoreply",
- "kbContent":"You can set up an autoreply for your private messages. This will automatically be sent to anyone that private messages you when you have it set. \r\nTo set autoreply type !AUTOREPLY then what you want to say. \r\nTo unset it, type just !AUTOREPLY."
- },
- {
- "kbId":151,
- "kbTitle":"The Pawneer",
- "kbContent":"The Pawneer is a way to sell your horse to a distant land that doesn't have the abundance of horses that Horse Isle has. The Pawneer will also find a horse for you of a specific breed, color and gender. This can only be done with a Pawneer Order which can be paid for from your account page for $8USD or 5 for $30USD."
- },
- {
- "kbId":152,
- "kbTitle":"The Ads Channel",
- "kbContent":"This is where all players should advertise their horses for sale. If you are looking to buy a horse, be sure to not have this channel muted. \r\nTo use the channel you can either select it on the drop down box in the lower left, or type /$ then whatever you want to say."
- },
- {
- "kbId":153,
- "kbTitle":"Water Balloon Fight",
- "kbContent":"Every-so-often all players in the game will be given 8 water balloons. The person that is hit with the most water balloons receives $1000. Hits on yourself do not count."
- },
- {
- "kbId":154,
- "kbTitle":"Mods Revenge",
- "kbContent":"The moderators all get Mod Splatterballs to hit the players with. Each player hit receives $500. However, you can only get hit once by each mod, so be sure to move on once hit by that mod. The best way to find the mods is to 'map' them (see TOOLBAR->Players->List of players online for instructions) and not flood them with private messages. The game lasts 10 real minutes."
- },
- {
- "kbId":155,
- "kbTitle":"My competition didn't load",
- "kbContent":"Be sure to not look at horses, go into stores, or anything that brings up a picture on your left screen right before your competition is to start. Closing out of that screen will actually close your competition."
- },
- {
- "kbId":156,
- "kbTitle":"Why is my score 0 before I even finished",
- "kbContent":"There is a time limit on the competitions in order to allow enough time for players to sign up for the next one. If you are on a slow connection you may not be able to finish the competition in time, so you end up with a score of 0."
- },
- {
- "kbId":157,
- "kbTitle":"Player Stars",
- "kbContent":"Many of the names have stars in front of them. The yellow stars will be explained below. The green star with an 'M' on it means that person is a Moderator. The red star with an 'A' on it means that person is an Administrator. For information on mods and admins see: SUPPORT->Chat.
The different stars associated with players shows \"Supportive Members\". So, while we do not like to give someone any better \"status\" just because they can afford the game, there is a point where I have to give minor thanks to those making the game possible, and this is one small one.
\r\nYellow Star = Player subscribed ($5+ total paid) \r\nDouble Star = Player subscribed 3 months or ($15+ total paid) \r\nDouble Star with Red = Player subscribed 1 year + 3 months (or $55+ total paid)
This shows who is a big Horse Isle Development supporter since it counts not only paid subscriptions but also Pawneer Orders and purchased game money."
- },
- {
- "kbId":158,
- "kbTitle":"Game keeps disconnecting/freezing",
- "kbContent":"If you are positive that you are not out of playtime and the game continually kicks you off or freezes up, then there may be a problem with your connection. The game requires a constant connection. If there are any \"hiccups\" in your connection, it will either freeze or kick you off. If you are on wireless, try hooking up directly to the modem. If you are hooked up directly, then be sure to check your connection and make sure everything is solid. "
- },
- {
- "kbId":159,
- "kbTitle":"Game keeps disconnecting/freezing",
- "kbContent":"If you are positive that you are not out of playtime and the game continually kicks you off or freezes up, then there may be a problem with your connection. The game requires a constant connection. If there are any \"hiccups\" in your connection, it will either freeze or kick you off. If you are on wireless, try hooking up directly to the modem. If you are hooked up directly, then be sure to check your connection and make sure everything is solid. "
- }
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+ ],
+ "kbIds":[
+ {
+ "kbId":1,
+ "kbTitle":"Trouble Connecting",
+ "kbContent":"Make sure your firewall allows port 443 (https), and make sure it allows flash to access the internet. If you are unsure of how to do this, you can temporarily try disabling your firewall to see if that fixes the problem. Then find someone or the directions to set the right firewall settings.\r\n\r\nIf you are trying to connect at work or school, any place with their own managed network, they may disallow the functionality this game requires. In this case there is nothing that can be done."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":2,
+ "kbTitle":"Game blank",
+ "kbContent":"Make sure you have the latest Adobe Flash installed. On our main page we have a link to the Flash player. Try downloading the latest one.\r\n"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":3,
+ "kbTitle":"Why PayPal",
+ "kbContent":"Paypal is a very secure method for online payments. Instead of giving your credit card number to us, you are giving it to PayPal who has full time security staffs, etc. This makes it safer and easier for both us and the suscriber. PayPal is used by most shoppers on Ebay. It takes security very seriously."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":4,
+ "kbTitle":"Subscription lengths",
+ "kbContent":"If you have purchased a one month subscription, you can follow that up at any time with a yearly subscription without fear of losing time. Our subscription system simply keeps track of the date you are subscribed until. If you buy a one month subscription 31 days are added to your membership. If you buy one year, 366 days are added. So you can mix and match and buy whenever you like. If your subscription runs out, access to subscriber features will be limited."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":5,
+ "kbTitle":"Ranches after subscription expires",
+ "kbContent":"If you own a ranch and your subscription expires it will no longer be usable and you will lose its benefits. You can sell the ranch at this time. If you do not resubscribe within a month, the ranch may be forcibly sold."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":6,
+ "kbTitle":"How to find a wild horse",
+ "kbContent":"There are two main ways, either finding a horse in the wild or buying one from another player. Wild horses wander in grass mostly, but different breeds prefer different terrain so it beneficial to check the snow and desert. They stay out of all towns. When you find one you will have to capture it."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":7,
+ "kbTitle":"Capturing a wild horse",
+ "kbContent":"When you find a wild horse, after clicking the CAPTURE button, the capture minigame will start. To get the horse you will need to successfully get the lasso around the horse's neck. Be sure to hold down the mouse until the lasso is fully extended and then release right on horse's neck."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":8,
+ "kbTitle":"Buying a horse",
+ "kbContent":"You can buy a horse off another player in different ways. One is trading with another player. They will offer you a horse for a certain amount of money. If you think it is a fair trade, ACCEPT it. Otherwise ask to see if they might lower the cost.\r\n\r\nAnother way to buy a horse is through the AUTOSELL system. Players can put a horse on autosell, then anyone who is at the same place as them can buy the horse, or anyone visiting their ranch can buy the horse (click on a barn to see a player's horses at a ranch)."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":9,
+ "kbTitle":"Autosell system",
+ "kbContent":"A player can put a horse for sale using the AUTOSELL system. When setting a price, do not put spaces or commas in the price. For example, don't type in 5,000 to sell a horse for $5000. This will end up having your horse's price be set at $5 instead.\r\n\r\nThe Town Hall has a list of all the horses on autosell. These horses can be bought from a player when they are online or offline, if they have a ranch. If the owner has a ranch you can buy the horse there by clicking on the barn. If the owner does not own a ranch, the only way to buy a horse is to be on the same spot as them when they are online."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":10,
+ "kbTitle":"Riding",
+ "kbContent":"In order to ride your horse, the horse must be fully tacked. The horse will buck you off every-so-often until it has over 25 experience points. The horse gains 1 experience point every time it bucks you off."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":11,
+ "kbTitle":"How to get tack",
+ "kbContent":"Tack can be bought at equipment or gear stores in any of the towns. It is also possible to make tack. This requires collecting a lot of cotton and iron ore. There are workshops set up to make the different parts needed to put everything together."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":12,
+ "kbTitle":"Training",
+ "kbContent":"There are 5 different trainers around Horse Isle. All increase the horse's stats in the specific area being trained by 10 points. The horse also gains 5 or 10 points of experience depending on the stat being trained. Below is a list of trainers and where they are: \r\nSpeed: Earton \r\nStrength: Appleton \r\nAgility: Treeton \r\nEndurance: Hotton \r\nConformation: Witherton \r\n"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":13,
+ "kbTitle":"How to find feed",
+ "kbContent":"There are a number of feed stores around Horse Isle to buy different types of food for your horse. There are also hay piles scattered in different towns where, if you buy a pitchfork, you can pitch hay and create haybales. Apples and carrots are treats for the horse. Treats increase the horse's mood and decrease hunger to varying degrees. There is also a workshop where a player can make special feed for a horse."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":14,
+ "kbTitle":"Where to find water",
+ "kbContent":"Pails of water are for sale at feed stores, but horses can also drink out of the ponds. These may make your horse sick, so be careful! You may have to make a trip to the vet after a drink of pond water."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":15,
+ "kbTitle":"Caring for horses",
+ "kbContent":"If the horse's health gets to zero the owner gets sent to Prison Isle. To keep that from happening, feed and water your horse and keep it healthy and happy. There are barns in some towns. These are a place to water, feed and rest your horse. Petting your horse or giving it treats will also increase the horse's mood. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":16,
+ "kbTitle":"How to find out what horses are for sale",
+ "kbContent":"The best way to find out which horses are for sale is to look in a town hall. There will listings of all horses on autosell. Another method is looking at players. This is done by clicking the '?' by a player's name then scrolling down to their list of horses. If there is a '$' next to the name of a horse, that horse is for sale."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":17,
+ "kbTitle":"What breed is the best",
+ "kbContent":"This depends on what you want the horse for. Some are generally better at jumping while another would be better for racing. The main factor is training. For example, a horse or pony that you think would be terrible at racing could be great if you train it enough in speed and endurance.\r\nThe horse's stats can be seen by looking at the horse and scrolling down to the Advanced Stats."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":18,
+ "kbTitle":"What breeds are rare",
+ "kbContent":"No weight is given to any breed. This means that it is completely random which breeds are out there. No breed is more rare than another breed."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":19,
+ "kbTitle":"The Horse Whisperer",
+ "kbContent":"The horse whisperer is located in Mane Forest on the main Horse Isle. If you pay him $50,000 he will show you on a map where every horse of the breed you choose is on the map. The horses do wander however, so you must get there quickly and do a bit of searching.\r\nIf there are no horses of the breed you chose, the whisperer will charge you only $10,000."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":20,
+ "kbTitle":"Methods",
+ "kbContent":"There is a drop down box to the left of the chat box that has a list of the different chat methods and all the players online. Picking a player's name will privately chat to that person. When they log off the chat will switch back to CHAT ALL."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":21,
+ "kbTitle":"CHAT NEAR",
+ "kbContent":"This chat method makes your chat only visible to people nearby. This is about one screen width away from where you are standing. The number after your chat in brackets is telling you how many people heard you. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'n'."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":22,
+ "kbTitle":"CHAT ALL",
+ "kbContent":"This chat is the global chat. Everyone can hear you. This is limited to one chat per minute if you are a subscriber and one chat per every two minutes if you are not. If you don't chat much, your chats will be saved up, up to 15 chats. Limited global chatting forces the players to use buddy chat, near chat and island chat more often. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'a'."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":23,
+ "kbTitle":"CHAT HERE",
+ "kbContent":"This chat is only visible to people that are on the same spot, or tile, as you. A number in brackets after your chat will tell you how many people heard you. This is perfect for games where you're in the same room as others, such as Horse Run, an art room, or two player games. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'h'."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":24,
+ "kbTitle":"CHAT BUDDIES",
+ "kbContent":"You can make buddies by standing on a spot with another person and both agreeing to be buddies. Then you can switch to this chat method and just chat with your buddies. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'b'."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":25,
+ "kbTitle":"Shortcuts",
+ "kbContent":"Shortcuts can be used for any of the chat methods. Using the backslash (/) in front of a player's name will privately chat that person without having to scroll through the list of names. Other shortcuts are as follows: \r\n/a - Chat All \r\n/n - Chat Near \r\n/h - Chat Here \r\n/i - Chat Island \r\n/b - Chat Buddies \r\n/$ - Ads Chat"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":26,
+ "kbTitle":"How to earn money",
+ "kbContent":"There are many ways to earn money in the game. There are over 500 quests that make money, many mini-games and objects that are all over the ground can be sold to stores. You can bale hay and sell it to the feed store as well. Putting money in the bank gains interest and if you own a ranch, windmills make you money."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":27,
+ "kbTitle":"Quests",
+ "kbContent":"There are different types of quests (see GAME->Quests). These make the player quite a bit of money. Some are jobs are given by the residents of Horse Isle, while others are mini-games to be beaten."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":28,
+ "kbTitle":"Game is running slow",
+ "kbContent":"If the FPS at the bottom right is less than 12, you may want to try this, otherwise, it may be a network speed issue. The game does use a lot of graphics, so slower computers may have problems. One thing you can do easily is click on the TOOL button (lower right) and check LOW DETAIL. This will remove some optional things like weather, moving water, chat bubbles, etc. This should speed up the graphics."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":29,
+ "kbTitle":"Freezing completely on Mac",
+ "kbContent":"Certain macs have been reported to \"freeze\" every so often for a while. We hope that a newer flash version on the Mac will fix this, but one thing you can do is switch to LOW DETAIL under the TOOL menu (bottom right). That seems to help."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":30,
+ "kbTitle":"Moving is very start-stop",
+ "kbContent":"Every movement to a new spot in the world requires that information be sent to the server and then sent back. So, if you have a slow internet connection, or if you are far from the server (USA) you may experience longer movement lag. The only real solution to this will be multiple servers in different countries. If this becomes popular, we may place a server in the UK and one in Australia to provide faster access for those nearby."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":31,
+ "kbTitle":"Hard to see, so small",
+ "kbContent":"With the way the graphics work, we cannot really offer a fullscreen version (possibly a bigger version in the future), but for now, if you really want it \"bigger\" you can adjust your screen size. To do this in windows, go into DISPLAY in the CONTROL PANEL. Under SETTINGS select a smaller display area (800x600 for full screen). NOTE: This will rearrange icons on the desktop incase you have them arranged."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":32,
+ "kbTitle":"Chat box isn't scrolling",
+ "kbContent":"Sometimes either the right or left chat box won't scroll with the new chat. To make sure it keeps scrolling, pull the scroll bar to the bottom of the box then click on the box where you enter your chat. This will deselect the the scrolling box and it will scroll with the new chat."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":33,
+ "kbTitle":"Different arenas",
+ "kbContent":"There are five arenas that you can enter your horses into. There are two jumping arenas, one simple and one advanced. The others are racing, draft and dressage competitions. How your horse does in the competition is dependent on different stats. For racing, speed is primary while endurance is secondary. For jumping, strength is primary while speed is secondary. For dressage, conformation is primary while groom is secondary. For draft, strength is primary. In simple jumping, the stats account for very little of the actual score. It is mostly random. All stats can be trained except for groom which can be taken care of at a groomer in one of many towns. You can only have one horse entered in an arena at a time and the competitions begin on every game hour. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":34,
+ "kbTitle":"Staying at the arena",
+ "kbContent":"Once you enter a horse in the competition, you do not need to stay there. The game will start on the game hour no matter where you are."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":35,
+ "kbTitle":"What is needed",
+ "kbContent":"Your horse that you enter must be fed, watered and not tired. It also must have shoes on and be fully tacked. The easiest way to make sure these things are done is to visit the farrier in one of the many towns, visit a barn and buy or make tack (see HORSES->Ownership->How to get tack)."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":36,
+ "kbTitle":"How to make tack",
+ "kbContent":"There are leather pieces and leather strapping sold at select general stores. There is a workshop in Wington that makes many things out of iron ore needed for a saddle and bridle. A sewing workshop will make cloth while Rebecca, a resident in Carrotton will make a wooden saddle form. All of the English tack can be brought together at the tack workshop in Witherton. All of the Western tack can be brought together at the tack workshop in Tropicton."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":37,
+ "kbTitle":"How competitions work",
+ "kbContent":"Players enter their horse and once the game starts, who wins depends on which horse is best in the particular stats used in that game as well as the skill of the player at that mini-game. The winner gets the most experience (goes to player and horse) and all the entry fee money. This is $1000 per player in the competition."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":38,
+ "kbTitle":"The bank",
+ "kbContent":"Any money you deposit into the bank will earn interest. This is while you are playing as well as while you are offline. The more money in the bank, the more interest you will earn.\r\nThe rate is 0.0003 each real hour. So, if you had exactly $100,000 in the bank, you should get $30 every real hour. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":39,
+ "kbTitle":"Where are quests",
+ "kbContent":"There are quests all over Horse Isle. There are different types however. The majority are jobs that are found by walking into the cabins and talking to the character inside. They will have you run an errand or buy an object from you. Just talk to any of the residents, or NPC's, and many need help with something. There are some mini-games that are quests. These are spread all over as well, though some are specific to an area. Such as, the Snow caves are all on Ice Isle while the Carrot Runs are all on Hare Isle."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":40,
+ "kbTitle":"Types of quests",
+ "kbContent":"There are two main types of quests. These are jobs given to you by talking to a resident, or NPC, and mini-game quests. Many NPC's in the houses and some of the shopkeepers will have jobs for you to do if you just talk to them. Otherwise there are many games that are quests as well. Completing these finishes the quest, giving you money and quest points."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":41,
+ "kbTitle":"Which earn the most money",
+ "kbContent":"By looking in your adventure log you can see how many quest points each quest is worth. The higher the quest points, the more the quest is generally worth. So, a quest worth 300 points is going to pay a lot more than one worth 25 points, but it will also take longer, or be harder to finish."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":42,
+ "kbTitle":"Tack",
+ "kbContent":"All of the tack boosts at least one, and sometimes two, of your horse's stats. The more expensive the tack, the more it helps in competitions. All the tack as well as the descriptions can be viewed in the library. Tack is explained more in HORSES -> Ownership."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":43,
+ "kbTitle":"Competition clothes",
+ "kbContent":"The only clothes you can choose to wear are those for competitions. Most of these help your horses stats. For example, a jumping jacket will increase the strength of the horse you are competing with. The more expensive the clothes, the more they help your horse during competitions."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":44,
+ "kbTitle":"Ranch ownership",
+ "kbContent":"Ranches are very expensive, however once you own one, it can help you make money. For every windmill you build on the ranch, it earns you $500 every real hour. This is whether you are online or off."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":45,
+ "kbTitle":"What good are they",
+ "kbContent":"Many objects are laying on the ground all over Horse Isle. Some are worth a lot while others are worth very little, or nothing at all. Some are good for food, others are needed in order to finish quests. The ones that are worth more are perfect for making money. You just walk around collecting them, gems for example, and then sell them at the appropriate store."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":46,
+ "kbTitle":"Mini-game not loading",
+ "kbContent":"If a mini-game won't load it is possible that something occurred to disrupt the loading process. What you need to do is clear your computer's cache. In windows, this can be done by going to the TOOLS menu in a browser, the Clear Private Data. That opens a window where you should be able to clear the cache by having that checked."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":47,
+ "kbTitle":"Special requests",
+ "kbContent":"There are some residents, NPC's, that want specific objects and will pay you if you bring them some. An example is Twig, in Eartip Forest. He likes red pine cones and will pay you $1000 for every one you bring him. This object is worthless to bring to a store however. By talking to NPC's you will learn which ones like specific objects."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":48,
+ "kbTitle":"Types",
+ "kbContent":"There are five types of mini-games. These are single player, two player, multi player rooms, arenas and quest games. The two player games require two people in order to play. If both are in the game room you need to click INVITE and the other will have to ACCEPT. The multi player rooms can have a number of people in them at once. Horse Run is an example where a number of players ride around on one of their horses collecting orbs. The art, poetry and band rooms are also multi player rooms. The arenas are explained in the Arena subcategory while the quest games are explained under the Quests subcategory."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":49,
+ "kbTitle":"Gems",
+ "kbContent":"Gems tend to be worth the most money when sold to stores. The more rare the gem, diamonds for example, the more they are worth. The jewelry workshop in Whiskerton will make necklaces with different gems if you have the necessary objects."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":50,
+ "kbTitle":"Which pay the best",
+ "kbContent":"The better you do at games, the more money you will make. However, the educational games do pay the best. The best paying is Geo Hunt and then probably Horse Anatomy and the word games."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":51,
+ "kbTitle":"What stores buy what",
+ "kbContent":"The general stores buy most objects, especially if there aren't other shops in the town. Rock stores buy gems and jewelry. The feed stores and equipment store just buy horse feed and horse equipment respectively. If you can buy it there, you can sell it there."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":52,
+ "kbTitle":"Pricing",
+ "kbContent":"Some towns might be a little more expensive, or not pay quite as much for items. So, for example, the Earton rock store isn't going to give you as much for a ruby as the Shellton rock store will. This is true for everything but tack. All the tack is the same price no matter where you buy it with one town being the only exception. The price depends on the tack."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":53,
+ "kbTitle":"How to play",
+ "kbContent":"Each mini-game has a '?' in the corner that explains how to play the game. Unfortunately, if the game is timed, the '?' doesn't pause the game, so the first time playing is basically a trial run."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":54,
+ "kbTitle":"High scores",
+ "kbContent":"Most, but not all, mini-games keep track of the scores and how many times each player has played it. Beating the all time high score will get you a bonus of $2500."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":55,
+ "kbTitle":"Objects to earn money",
+ "kbContent":"Collecting objects and selling them to stores or residents that want them can be a great way to earn money."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":56,
+ "kbTitle":"Wild horses",
+ "kbContent":"New wild horses replace those that have been captured as well as those that have wandered for 1 day without being captured. Those that are released will be replaced in an hour."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":57,
+ "kbTitle":"New objects",
+ "kbContent":"Objects on the ground, replace themselves when collected at a rate of one per minute, until their world-max is reached."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":58,
+ "kbTitle":"Tools",
+ "kbContent":"Tools can be found in your tool box which can be found in the lower right hand corner of the game. The tools are used by just walking where you want to use the tool, then push dig, rake or search. Whether or not you find anything will show up on the lower, right screen."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":59,
+ "kbTitle":"Where to sell objects",
+ "kbContent":"Objects can be sold at stores. There are specific stores for certain objects. Rock and jewelry can be sold at rock stores. Flowers are sold at flower stores. Food or random objects can be sold at general stores."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":60,
+ "kbTitle":"CHAT ISLAND",
+ "kbContent":"When this is selected, only the players on the same island as you can hear the chat. The number at the end of your chat will tell you how many heard you. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) 'i'."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":61,
+ "kbTitle":"What breeds are in the game",
+ "kbContent":"This question can be answered by going to a library in any of the larger towns. The library will show all the breeds available, what colors they can be and a description about them."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":62,
+ "kbTitle":"Cash / Checks",
+ "kbContent":"If you cannot pay via PayPal, we accept cash/checks in U.S.D. To find out more information, click on Alternative Payment Methods at the bottom of the Subscription Status Window. (Note: PayPal is recommended for instant access rather than up to a week delay)"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":63,
+ "kbTitle":"Reasons to subscribe",
+ "kbContent":"Reasons listed: HERE"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":64,
+ "kbTitle":"Game Requirements",
+ "kbContent":"Rough Guidelines: \r\n 1.0 Ghz Computer \r\n 512 Ram \r\n 800x600 or bigger display \r\n Flash Player 8+ \r\n Faster internet = Faster movement \r\n"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":65,
+ "kbTitle":"Says not logged in after logging in",
+ "kbContent":"This will happen if you have disabled cookies. Cookies are required for this site to maintain your account logged in. The following steps in Windows will turn cookies on: Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Privacy (tab) -> Click on DEFAULT button to set the settings to normal value. If you have a different browser, look in the settings for \"cookies\"."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":66,
+ "kbTitle":"Pop-up not allowed",
+ "kbContent":"If you get this message at the top of your browser when trying to run the game, click on the message and select \"Allow pop-ups from this site\". Because the only thing we \"popup\" is the game itself, no ads will ever pop up. \r\n"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":67,
+ "kbTitle":"Game not loading",
+ "kbContent":"You may have put too high of security settings on your browser, try this in Windows: Control Panel -> Internet options -> Security (tab) -> click DEFAULT LEVEL. This will put the settings back at a normal value. Restart Internet Explorer and try again."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":68,
+ "kbTitle":"Continued Problems",
+ "kbContent":"If after checking firewalls and security settings you are still having troubles, you may want to try installing FireFox. It is an alternative free browser. You can click on the FireFox button at the bottom of this site."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":69,
+ "kbTitle":"My chat is not showing",
+ "kbContent":"Make sure the chat boxes are scrolled all the way to the bottom. If they aren't, you will not see new chat that's added."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":70,
+ "kbTitle":"Someone caught the horse I was going for!",
+ "kbContent":"Wild horses are first come first serve. If another player catches a wild horse before you, even if you are right nearby, it is their horse. This includes if you paid the horse whisperer and he told you where it was but another player got there first."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":71,
+ "kbTitle":"Horses are hard to find",
+ "kbContent":"There are only 40 horses around the Horse Isle world. The horses are rare because when we did have many more, they were so abundant that wild horses couldn't even be given away. This makes the horses worth a lot more and makes having one more special."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":72,
+ "kbTitle":"Moderators and admins",
+ "kbContent":"Moderators and admins make sure that rules are followed in the chat and to make sure the chat is a safe place for all. The difference between the two is that admins can jump to any place on the map at anytime while moderators cannot."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":73,
+ "kbTitle":" What is the stats button",
+ "kbContent":"The tool bar has a number of useful buttons. The stats button shows your description, gender, money, quest log, awards, along with a number of other things."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":74,
+ "kbTitle":" 1. Money",
+ "kbContent":"This shows how much money you are currently carrying. This amount is also shown on the bottom of your screen. The amount on the bottom of the screen takes a minute to update though where the money under STATS updates every time you click that button."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":75,
+ "kbTitle":" 2. Description",
+ "kbContent":"This is the description that other players will see when they look at you (by clicking the '?' by your name). The description can be written and edited by clicking the PROFILE button."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":76,
+ "kbTitle":" 3. Experience",
+ "kbContent":"This is the experience that you have as a player. You gain experience when you enter in arenas. How much you get from a competition is dependent on how you place as well as how many people enter in the competition with you."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":77,
+ "kbTitle":" 4. Quest Points",
+ "kbContent":"This is the number of quest points you have earned. There is a list under 'VIEW LOG' of which quests you have finished."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":78,
+ "kbTitle":" 5. Hunger, Thirst, and Tiredness",
+ "kbContent":"This shows how hungry, thirsty and tired your character is. If any of these get too low you get 'dizzy' and will sometimes walk in a different direction than where you wanted to go."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":79,
+ "kbTitle":" 6. Sex",
+ "kbContent":"This shows whether you are male or female. This was determined when you made your account. If for some reason you chose wrong, just ask an admin and we can change that for you."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":80,
+ "kbTitle":" 7. Jewelry",
+ "kbContent":"This area shows what jewelry you are wearing. You can wear up to 4 pieces, but it does not affect either you or your horse's stats. This is simply for looks. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":81,
+ "kbTitle":" 8. Competition clothes",
+ "kbContent":"This shows what competition clothes you are wearing. These clothes aid your horse during competitions, some better than others depending on exactly what you are wearing. These clothes can be bought in clothes stores around Horse Isle. See GAME -> Arena for more information. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":82,
+ "kbTitle":" 9. View Notes",
+ "kbContent":"This is for any notes you want to keep for yourself. The most common use is to help you remember which quests you are working on and where to go or what you need in order to finish the quest."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":83,
+ "kbTitle":"10. View Log",
+ "kbContent":"This shows all of the quests in the game. It will say 'NOT DONE' if you haven't completed it yet and 'COMPLETED' if you have finished it. Where is says 'UNAVAILABLE' means that another quest must be completed first in order to do that particular quest. Each of the quests listed also shows how many quest points it is worth. The more quest points, typically, the more the quest will pay."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":84,
+ "kbTitle":"11. View List",
+ "kbContent":"This shows all of your rankings in the mini-games you have played. Not all mini-games have a high score being tracked, so only those that do track high scores will be in your list."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":85,
+ "kbTitle":"12. View Awards",
+ "kbContent":"These are the awards you have earned in the game. Another player will see these when he/she looks at you by pushing the '?' by your name. All the different awards available can be seen in the library."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":86,
+ "kbTitle":"What is the inventory",
+ "kbContent":"The inventory shows all of the items that you are holding. The number of objects you currently and how many you can hold is at the top. You can only hold up to 50 of one item."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":87,
+ "kbTitle":"Max number of items",
+ "kbContent":"If you do not own a ranch the max number of individual items you can carry is 40 with a max of 50 of one item. If you own a ranch you can buy a shed which will allow you to carry another 20 items per shed."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":88,
+ "kbTitle":"The '?'",
+ "kbContent":"The question mark after an item shows the description of that item when it is clicked on. This can be quite useful when there are quest objects in your inventory and you don't remember what they are for. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":89,
+ "kbTitle":"Drop",
+ "kbContent":"You can drop an object if you don't want it anymore. This can be done anywhere except inside a store."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":90,
+ "kbTitle":"Consume",
+ "kbContent":"Any object that says 'CONSUME' after it you can either eat or drink. This will help keep your character from getting 'dizzy' and randomly walking the wrong direction."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":91,
+ "kbTitle":"Throw",
+ "kbContent":"There are some objects in the game that can be thrown. These will hit someone within three squares of where you are standing. If no one is around, it will drop back down on your head."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":92,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I become a moderator?",
+ "kbContent":"We discourage asking to become a moderator. Instead, help people, act mature and follow the rules. The mods and admins are looking for new potential mods all the time and an admin will ask if we want you to be a moderator. It is not necessary that you be a subscriber, but it is preferred (this shows commitment to the game)."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":93,
+ "kbTitle":"Stylizing",
+ "kbContent":"The following stylizing codes can be used in Horse Profiles, Ranch Profiles, and Player Profiles. \r\n \r\n[i]this text italics[/i] \r\n[b]this text is bold[/b] \r\n[u]this text underlined[/u] \r\n \r\n[red]red text[/color] \r\n \r\nAvailable colors: aqua, black, blue, brown, fuchsia, grey, green, lime, maroon, navy, olive, orange, purple, red, pink, silver, teal, yellow,turquoise, gold, fuchsia, azure, lilac, umber, rose, forest, beige, charcoal, violet, mint, beryl, apricot, mauve, blush, coral, plum, marigold, chestnut\r\n"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":94,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I get off this little island?",
+ "kbContent":"When you start the game you are on Welcome Isle. Simply talk to Welcome Willy in the cabin. He will tell you where a treasure is and how to dig for it. Then you can leave and see the rest of the world!"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":95,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I make money?",
+ "kbContent":"There are many ways to earn money in the game. One is by doing quests. These include talking to characters in the cabins and shops as well as some mini-games. There are games spread all over where you can earn money. You can also collect objects or bale hay and sell them at one of the many shops. For more detailed information see: ECONOMY->Money"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":96,
+ "kbTitle":"Where are the horses?",
+ "kbContent":"Horses are everywhere except for in the towns. There are more horses on grass, sand and snow in general. It is best to look for a horse in areas where there aren't many people, that way you have a better chance of someone not finding it first."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":97,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I capture a horse?",
+ "kbContent":"When you come upon a horse, it will show up on your upper right screen. Next to it will be a CAPTURE button. Pushing this will bring up a mini-game where you must catch the horse. To do this you must hold the mouse button down until the horse's neck is at the lasso, then release the mouse button. The lasso does retract, so you must time it correctly."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":98,
+ "kbTitle":"Where is the Horse Whisperer/Pawneer",
+ "kbContent":"The horse whisperers are in Mane Forest on the main Horse Isle, south of Tropicton and on the southern part of Saddle Isle. If you follow the road from Earton it will lead to the cabin of the whisperer on Horse Isle. The horse whisperer charges $50,000 to find a horse and $10,000 if a horse isn't found. \r\nThe Pawneer is located near the horse whisperer in Mane Forest."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":99,
+ "kbTitle":"Is there breeding in this game?",
+ "kbContent":"There is no breeding. We have opted for an everlasting horse. This means that the horse will never die and you can spend a lot of time and money on your horse without the worry of losing that horse. Also, this means there are no 'unwanted' horses because too many were bred or because the mare or stallion is no longer 'needed' for breeding."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":100,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I become a moderator?",
+ "kbContent":"We discourage asking to become a moderator. Instead, help people, act mature and follow the rules. The mods and admins are looking for new potential mods all the time and an admin will ask if we want you to be a moderator. It is not necessary that you be a subscriber, but it is preferred (shows commitment to the game)."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":101,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I get to Pirate Isle?",
+ "kbContent":"You must have 50% of your quests done (you should have the 50% Quests Completed Award) and 2 Pearls. Once this is done then there are two rowboats you need to find to get to Pirate Isle. If you don't know where they are you can read a book about the pirates in the library and that will give you some hints."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":102,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I buy a horse?",
+ "kbContent":"There are two ways to buy a horse. First, many players have horses on Auto-sell. You can check these by going to a town hall and looking at the horses for sale, or you can look at a player (the '?' by their name) then scroll down to their list of horses. Any horse that has a '$' by the name is for sale. The price can be viewed by looking at the horse. You must be at the player or, if they own a ranch with a barn, their ranch to buy the horse. The other way to buy a horse is if the other player offers to trade the horse for a certain amount of money. This can only be done when the two of you are on the same spot."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":103,
+ "kbTitle":"How do I get to Prison Isle?",
+ "kbContent":"Prison Isle can be reached by speaking to Griffin in one of the cabins in Earton. He'll bring you there for a charge of $100."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":104,
+ "kbTitle":"What is this button",
+ "kbContent":"HORSES shows you all the horses that you own as well as how many you are holding and can hold. You can only hold 5 horses if you are not a subscriber or own a ranch with a barn on it. For each barn you own, you can hold 3 more horses. For each big barn you can hold 6 more horses. This is also where you can see the stats of all your horses at once."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":105,
+ "kbTitle":"Basic Stats",
+ "kbContent":"This button will list all of your horses' basic stats. This includes: Health, Hunger, Thirst, Mood, Energy, Groom and Shoes. The name of the horse the stats belong to will be above the bars along with how many experience points that horse has."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":106,
+ "kbTitle":"All Stats",
+ "kbContent":"This button shows all the stats of your horses all together. This includes the basic stats (hunger,thirst, etc) and the trainable stats (strength, speed, conformation, agility, etc). This is in percentage and point form instead of bar graph form like the basic stats button. It includes the horse's name and experience points above its stats."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":107,
+ "kbTitle":"Meaning of everything when looking at each horse",
+ "kbContent":"For this see the category: HORSES then Viewing."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":108,
+ "kbTitle":" 1. The top, under your horse's name",
+ "kbContent":"Directly underneath the name will be a description, if you have written one. To write a description click on PROFILE within your horse's page. Below the description will be the general info on that horse. This includes the color, breed, gender and height. Below that is the total experience that horse has earned. (See HORSES->Ownership for information on experience points)"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":109,
+ "kbTitle":"Experience Points",
+ "kbContent":"Experience points are an indicator of two things. This will give a hint as to how much that horse has been trained as well as if it has been entered in many arenas. \r\nExperience points are earned a few ways. A horse will buck you off if you try to ride it before it has 25 exp points. Each time it bucks you off it will gain one exp point. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":110,
+ "kbTitle":" 2. Mount/Dismount",
+ "kbContent":"This is the button you push to ride your horse. It must be fully tacked (have bridle, saddle pad and saddle) in order to be ridable. If you are riding a horse all of your horses will show DISMOUNT when you view them. This means you don't need to remember exactly which horse you are riding. Simply click DISMOUNT to stop riding your horse."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":111,
+ "kbTitle":" 3. Feed",
+ "kbContent":"This is what you click in order to feed your horse. The food available to feed your horse is only what you have either bought or if you baled hay. This includes both feed and water. The FEED button is only used if you want to feed your horse food that you own. Your horse can get water from drinking out of ponds also. This button is not used for that."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":112,
+ "kbTitle":" 4. Tack",
+ "kbContent":"Clicking this will show you what tack you have available to put on your horse as well as what your horse is currently wearing."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":113,
+ "kbTitle":" 5. Pet",
+ "kbContent":"When you pet your horse it's mood will increase but it will get a little more tired. This is one way to increase the mood of your horse."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":114,
+ "kbTitle":"Increasing your horse's mood",
+ "kbContent":"Your horse's mood can be increased by petting it, but this will also make your horse slightly more tired. Another way to make it happier would be to feed it treats. These include apples (found near Apple Trees), carrots (acquired by 'weeding') and buying treats from feed stores in one of the many towns."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":115,
+ "kbTitle":" 6. Profile",
+ "kbContent":"This is where you name your horse and write a description. You can either pick your own name or there is a 'random name generator' if you are having problems of thinking up a name."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":116,
+ "kbTitle":" 6a. Profile Stylizing",
+ "kbContent":"Colors and other stylizing can be added to your horse's profile: \r\n[i]this text italics[/i] \r\n[b]this text is bold[/b] \r\n[u]this text underlined[/u] \r\n \r\n[red]red text[/color] \r\n \r\nAvailable colors: aqua, black, blue, brown, fuchsia, grey, green, lime, maroon, navy, olive, orange, purple, red, pink, silver, teal, yellow"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":117,
+ "kbTitle":" 7. Set Auto-Sell Price",
+ "kbContent":"This allows you to set a price for your horse that others will be able to see when they look at your horse. (see HORSES->Acquiring->Auto-sell system for more info). Don't use commas or spaces when setting the price and to take your horse off of auto-sell simply type '0' into the box for the amount."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":118,
+ "kbTitle":" 8. Horse Stats",
+ "kbContent":"This is where the horse's basic stats are shown. This includes Health, Hunger, Thirst, Mood, Energy, Groom and Shoes. If your horse's health gets to zero or below (yes, there can be negative values) you will be sent to prison isle for not caring for your horse."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":119,
+ "kbTitle":" 9. Wearing/Tacked",
+ "kbContent":"This is what your horse has on. It must be wearing a bridle, saddle pad and saddle in order to be ridden."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":120,
+ "kbTitle":"10. Companion",
+ "kbContent":"There are pets, or companions, that your horse can have. These companions increase all of the horse's advanced stats by a certain increment. A description of the pet and how much it helps your horse can be seen by clicking on the '?'. When you click on CHANGE it will show you the pets you have available for your horse. Your horse can only have one companion at a time."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":121,
+ "kbTitle":"11. Advanced Stats",
+ "kbContent":"These are the stats that are most important in competitions. These include Speed, Strength, Conformation, Agility, Endurance, Intelligence and Personality. All have trainers that will train the horse in that specific discipline except for intelligence and personality. These two are random. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":122,
+ "kbTitle":"12. Breed Details",
+ "kbContent":"This is general information about the breed and is not particular to your horse. It tells the breed, a paragraph description of the breed, the height range and the possible colors that breed comes in."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":123,
+ "kbTitle":"13. Release Horse",
+ "kbContent":"When you click this button it will ask you if you are sure. When you click 'release' again you will release that particular horse. This can be done anywhere except inside the border of a town. The button will not be there if you are in a town."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":124,
+ "kbTitle":"List of horses at the bottom",
+ "kbContent":"This list contains all of the horses that you own, if you are looking at your own horses. If you are looking at another player's horses, the list at the bottom will contain the horses that player owns. The horses of another player can be viewed by clicking on the '?' by their name and then scrolling down to the horses and clicking 'LOOK',"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":125,
+ "kbTitle":"This button's use",
+ "kbContent":"This button allows you to see all the players that are online. You can see which of your buddies are online and for your buddies that are offline, how long they have been offline."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":126,
+ "kbTitle":"View Buddies",
+ "kbContent":"This button will show you how many and which of your buddies are online. Below your online buddies will be a list of all your buddies and how long they have been offline."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":127,
+ "kbTitle":"Players Nearby",
+ "kbContent":"This will only show players that are generally near you. These people are ones that will hear you if you chat using CHAT NEAR. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":128,
+ "kbTitle":"List of players online",
+ "kbContent":"This shows all the players online in the order that they logged in. This is where you can look at a player using the '?', click 'MAP' to see where on Horse Isle they are located or 'MUTE' and 'HEAR another player."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":129,
+ "kbTitle":"List of players online alphabetically",
+ "kbContent":"This is an alphabetical list of the players online. This is useful if you are looking for a specific player to 'look' at, find or mute."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":130,
+ "kbTitle":"Map: Show Buddies",
+ "kbContent":"The first 'MAP' button will show you where all of your buddies are located throughout Horse Isle. This will give you an idea of where, or if, they are congregating in one area."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":131,
+ "kbTitle":"Map: Show all",
+ "kbContent":"The second map button shows where all of the players online are in Horse Isle. This will give you a good idea of where most of the people are."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":132,
+ "kbTitle":"Abuse Report",
+ "kbContent":"This is where to file an abuse report against another player. Please do not file false abuse reports as this could give you a chat violation instead of the person you were reporting."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":134,
+ "kbTitle":"Description",
+ "kbContent":"This is a description that you write about yourself. This is what other players will see when they look at you (clicking the '?')."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":135,
+ "kbTitle":"Select Appearance",
+ "kbContent":"This is a collection of all the different characters you can be in the the game. Scroll through them using the arrows and the one in the center is the one you will be walking around looking like."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":136,
+ "kbTitle":"The Map Button",
+ "kbContent":"The MAP button, next to PROFILE shows the entire Horse Isle map and where you are on it. If you move your mouse over the land, the name of the island, town or forest will show up on the bottom of the screen. Also, dark lines coming off of some of the beaches are docks."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":137,
+ "kbTitle":"Why is there a time limit",
+ "kbContent":"If you are not a subscriber, your time on the game will be limited. You start out with a certain amount of time and one minute is added for every 8 minutes. This means that even while you play you are gaining play-time, but you are using it up faster than gaining it. \r\nThere are two purposes behind the limit. This encourages people to subscribe and the servers cannot handle many people, so it allows others to have a chance to play during the busiest times."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":138,
+ "kbTitle":"I ran out of play time",
+ "kbContent":"If you are not a subscriber, your time on the game will be limited. You start out with a certain amount of time and one minute is added for every 8 minutes. This means that even while you play you are gaining play-time, but you are using it up faster than gaining it. \r\nThere are two purposes behind the limit. This encourages people to subscribe and the servers cannot handle many people, so it allows others to have a chance to play during the busiest times.
\r\nWhen you join a server for the first time, you will have 180 minutes of playtime. For every server you join after that, you will start with 0 minutes of playime. This is to discourage people from joining every server. If you do really want to start playing on another server, simply join it, then wait for at least a few hours for the time to add up."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":139,
+ "kbTitle":"Horses after subscription expires",
+ "kbContent":"If you have more than five horses (because you had a ranch with a barn) and your subscription runs out, you will not lose your horses. You will not be able to catch/buy anymore however. Also, if you release/sell a horse you will not be able to get it back until you are back under the limit of 5."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":140,
+ "kbTitle":"Real-time riddles",
+ "kbContent":"Every 15 minutes a new Real-time Riddle is displayed. The first person to answer it correctly in any chat mode wins $1000. Each player can only answer each of the riddles once. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":141,
+ "kbTitle":"Real-time Isle Card Trading Game",
+ "kbContent":"This game happens every real hour and lasts for 5 minutes. You start with 4 identical cards. During the 5 minutes, you trade or drop your extra cards and try to get one of each type of card. Having extra cards does not help you. If you have 4 unique cards (a mare, stallion, filly and colt) at the end of 5 minutes, you get $2500."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":142,
+ "kbTitle":"Racing Instructions",
+ "kbContent":"Object is to get to the end ahead of all the other horses. To accomplish this, your horse's speed and endurance stats are used to determine your max speed and how long you can go that fast.\r\n\r\nClick Ai-Ya to go faster. The faster you go, the faster your endurance will wear down. So you need to make sure you go as fast as you can without running out of endurance."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":143,
+ "kbTitle":"Jumping Instructions",
+ "kbContent":"Object is to get to the end ahead of all the other horses while hitting the fewest jumps. To accomplish this, your horse's speed and strength stats are used to determine your max speed and how many big jumps you get.\r\n\r\n Press Up Arrow when you want to use one of your BIG jumps. These run out, so use Down Arrow for smaller jumps when possible."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":144,
+ "kbTitle":"Dressage Instructions",
+ "kbContent":" In this competition, you can see an \"estimated\" current placing of competitors via the bar graphs. A taller graph indicates the leader. Your base score is determined by your horse's conformation, groom and health stats. Your accuracy in clicking the arrows exactly when they are centered on the black line adds or subtracts from this base score. Whoever has the most points after 60 seconds wins!\r\n\r\nHINT: Try to not push arrows extra times, clicking the arrows counts as a miss if you do not hit anything."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":145,
+ "kbTitle":"Draft Instructions",
+ "kbContent":"Object is to get to the end ahead of all the other horses. To accomplish this, your horse's strength and endurance stats are used to determine your movement forward for every correct simple math answer.\r\n\r\nThe stronger the horse, and the faster you answer correctly, the better you will perform.\r\n\r\nFirst competitor to cross the finish ends the race, only the winning time is recorded."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":146,
+ "kbTitle":"Commands",
+ "kbContent":"Player commands begin with an exclamation point as the first character on a chat line. \r\n!AUTOREPLY [text] : Automatically replies to PM's with [text] \r\n!AUTOREPLY : Removed current autoreply \r\n!MUTE GLOBAL : Mutes all global chat \r\n!MUTE ISLAND : Mutes all Island chat \r\n!MUTE NEAR : Mutes all near chat \r\n!MUTE HERE : Mutes all here chat \r\n!MUTE BUDDY : Mutes all buddy chat \r\n!MUTE SOCIALS : Mutes all socials \r\n!MUTE ALL : Mutes all channels above \r\n!HEAR [channel] : Unmutes any channel above. \r\n!DANCE [dirs] : A list of directions to face, one per second.. U=up D=down L=left R=right\r\nThese all reset between game sessions. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":147,
+ "kbTitle":"ADS CHAT",
+ "kbContent":"This chat channel is specifically for advertising. It automatically limits posts to one per minute so there can't be ad spamming. The shortcut for this chat is backslash (/) '$'. It can by muted by typing !MUTE ADS. To hear it again type !UNMUTE ADS."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":148,
+ "kbTitle":"Muting Chat Channels",
+ "kbContent":"Any of the different types of chat can be muted. \r\n!MUTE GLOBAL - mutes global \r\n!MUTE ISLAND - mutes island \r\n!MUTE BUDDY - mutes buddy chat \r\n!MUTE NEAR - mutes near \r\n!MUTE HERE - mutes here \r\n!MUTE PM - mutes private messages \r\n!MUTE ADS - mutes the ads channel \r\n!MUTE ALL - mutes ALL the channels except the ads channel. \r\nTo hear any of these again, simple type !UNMUTE then whichever channel you want to hear again."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":149,
+ "kbTitle":"Muting things",
+ "kbContent":"Many things in the game can be muted if you don't want to receive them. Simply type !MUTE in front of any of these to not hear/see it. Type !UNMUTE in front of the same thing to hear it again. What commands are used for the chat channels can be found under \"Muting Chat Channels\". \r\nSOCIALS - mutes socials \r\nBR - mutes buddy requests"
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":150,
+ "kbTitle":"Autoreply",
+ "kbContent":"You can set up an autoreply for your private messages. This will automatically be sent to anyone that private messages you when you have it set. \r\nTo set autoreply type !AUTOREPLY then what you want to say. \r\nTo unset it, type just !AUTOREPLY."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":151,
+ "kbTitle":"The Pawneer",
+ "kbContent":"The Pawneer is a way to sell your horse to a distant land that doesn't have the abundance of horses that Horse Isle has. The Pawneer will also find a horse for you of a specific breed, color and gender. This can only be done with a Pawneer Order which can be paid for from your account page for $8USD or 5 for $30USD."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":152,
+ "kbTitle":"The Ads Channel",
+ "kbContent":"This is where all players should advertise their horses for sale. If you are looking to buy a horse, be sure to not have this channel muted. \r\nTo use the channel you can either select it on the drop down box in the lower left, or type /$ then whatever you want to say."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":153,
+ "kbTitle":"Water Balloon Fight",
+ "kbContent":"Every-so-often all players in the game will be given 8 water balloons. The person that is hit with the most water balloons receives $1000. Hits on yourself do not count."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":154,
+ "kbTitle":"Mods Revenge",
+ "kbContent":"The moderators all get Mod Splatterballs to hit the players with. Each player hit receives $500. However, you can only get hit once by each mod, so be sure to move on once hit by that mod. The best way to find the mods is to 'map' them (see TOOLBAR->Players->List of players online for instructions) and not flood them with private messages. The game lasts 10 real minutes."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":155,
+ "kbTitle":"My competition didn't load",
+ "kbContent":"Be sure to not look at horses, go into stores, or anything that brings up a picture on your left screen right before your competition is to start. Closing out of that screen will actually close your competition."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":156,
+ "kbTitle":"Why is my score 0 before I even finished",
+ "kbContent":"There is a time limit on the competitions in order to allow enough time for players to sign up for the next one. If you are on a slow connection you may not be able to finish the competition in time, so you end up with a score of 0."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":157,
+ "kbTitle":"Player Stars",
+ "kbContent":"Many of the names have stars in front of them. The yellow stars will be explained below. The green star with an 'M' on it means that person is a Moderator. The red star with an 'A' on it means that person is an Administrator. For information on mods and admins see: SUPPORT->Chat.
The different stars associated with players shows \"Supportive Members\". So, while we do not like to give someone any better \"status\" just because they can afford the game, there is a point where I have to give minor thanks to those making the game possible, and this is one small one.
\r\nYellow Star = Player subscribed ($5+ total paid) \r\nDouble Star = Player subscribed 3 months or ($15+ total paid) \r\nDouble Star with Red = Player subscribed 1 year + 3 months (or $55+ total paid)
This shows who is a big Horse Isle Development supporter since it counts not only paid subscriptions but also Pawneer Orders and purchased game money."
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":158,
+ "kbTitle":"Game keeps disconnecting/freezing",
+ "kbContent":"If you are positive that you are not out of playtime and the game continually kicks you off or freezes up, then there may be a problem with your connection. The game requires a constant connection. If there are any \"hiccups\" in your connection, it will either freeze or kick you off. If you are on wireless, try hooking up directly to the modem. If you are hooked up directly, then be sure to check your connection and make sure everything is solid. "
+ },
+ {
+ "kbId":159,
+ "kbTitle":"Game keeps disconnecting/freezing",
+ "kbContent":"If you are positive that you are not out of playtime and the game continually kicks you off or freezes up, then there may be a problem with your connection. The game requires a constant connection. If there are any \"hiccups\" in your connection, it will either freeze or kick you off. If you are on wireless, try hooking up directly to the modem. If you are hooked up directly, then be sure to check your connection and make sure everything is solid. "
+ }
+ ]
}
\ No newline at end of file
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@@ -1,1091 +1,1091 @@
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-HORSE ISLE - Online Multiplayer Horse Game
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Logged in as: SilicaAndPina
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- Moderator Guide Book
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-You are probably looking at how long this is and thinking, what am I getting myself into?!? I have made this for a couple reasons. One is to clean out the Mod Forum (essentially everything here is from posts in the Mod Forum) and the other is to have everything, hopefully, a little more accessible and easy to find for all of you. My hope is that this will serve as a good reference guide as well as being sure we are all on the same page. This should make modding easier for everyone.
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-As I mentioned, these are directly out of the Mod Forum. Some are posts from me to clarify something, while others were questions posed by mods and the answers that were given. I felt it would help to keep some of the questions in there instead of simply summarizing everything in order to make some things more clear, as well as including moderating tips from others. I have also tried to have it in some semblance of order. Hopefully it will all make sense.
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-Included in here are all the Moderator Commands. The Moderator Commands link will still be available at the bottom of the Server List page to see the other tips we gave, though many of them are also in this 'book', simply worded differently.
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-If you have any questions about anything in this 'book', please feel free to email me at miranda@horseisle.com. Also remember that this email is for mods only. Never give this out to players. They need to contact support@horseisle.com
-Thanks!
--Miranda
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-The following commands are available to moderators in the game. These need to be used for REAL rule breaking! Never for fun or for personal reasons. Doing so will cause us to have to immediately remove your Moderator Privileges.
-Use these ONLY when it is necessary. No one appreciates getting "yelled at", so make sure what happens deserves it. Make sure you are FAIR also. If someone else started something and you just penalize the second person, that is not fair. Try to penalize both parties equally when possible.
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-All of the commands use BECAUSE so that the admins reviewing the abuse reports know why the player was muted, sent to Rules, etc. The player does NOT see this. Also, you can use BC instead of BECAUSE for faster typing if you like. Either will work.
- %PRISONPlayerNameBECAUSEExpain valid reason here
-Using this command sends the player to Prison Isle where they need to spend a few minutes breaking rocks to get off. THIS is not used for serious rulebreaking. Just minor stuff, such as: Begging, globaling private riddle answers/bridge passwords. %MUTEPlayerName15BECAUSEExplain valid reason here
-%UNMUTEPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
-This disables (or enables) a player from chatting to anyone OR getting any chats for 15 minutes. (Admins excepted)
-Valid reasons for doing this include: Potty talk, severe chat spamming (continuing after being asked to stop), severe begging, being mean to people/rude, etc.
-Appropriate Lengths of Time to Mute:
-5 Minutes - More of a warning for a mild offense.
-15 Minutes - Break up a small dispute.
-30 minutes - Minor chat filter avoidance.
-1440 Minutes (Full Day) - SERIOUS racial slurs/extreme swearing filter avoidance.
-2880 minutes (Two Days) - Someone that should probably be banned from the game. Send an abuse report that an admin will review and take appropriate action.
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-If a player does not seem to learn from being muted and continues the behavior after the mute is up, increase the mute time slightly. If they were muted for 15 minutes, then mute for 30. If they continue after that, mute for 60, etc. Do remember that an hour is a long time for a kid, so if they still aren't getting it after a few mutes, don't just jump to 1440, do 2 or 4 hours first.
- %RULESPlayerNameBECAUSE Explain valid reason here
-This will send the offending player to a part of Prison Isle called Rule Isle. This is only to be used for players that don't seem to understand the rules, as in, they are frequently getting muted for spamming/begging/rudeness. This is also good for players that seem to laugh at getting muted. A player will be automatically muted for 20 minutes when sent here.
-Do Not use this on players that continue to post riddles/passwords in global. This is for more serious offenses. For that, if they are chronic sharers of such things, mute them for 5 or 10 and remind them why they shouldn't share those in global.
-Important:DO NOT overuse this isle! It will lose its effectiveness if used too frequently on the same player(s). There are 4 sets of questions asked. After the 4th time there the questions stay the same. If sent too often, the player will be able to memorize the answers and will get nothing out of being sent there. %BANPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
-This requires TWO moderators to actually happen. Both have to ban the same player one after the other.
-Appropriate reasons for doing this:
-Very bad PlayerName - Offensive
-Terrible behavior that cannot be controlled by a MUTE (??)
-Mainly for use when a new player logs in with an awful name that is certainly not wanted. Two mods can still ban a player even if the player has logged off, as long as the player has an account on that server.
- IT BLOCKS: email / name / and IP from being able to sign up again. It also kicks the player off.
- %VIEWPlayerNameSTATS
-Brings up player's stats page/personal profile details page. Listing exp. points, number of quest points, players gender, hunger, thirst and what they are wearing.
-%VIEWPlayerNameINVENTORY
-Used to view a players inventory to see if they have a certain object when helping, etc.
-%VIEWPlayerNameQUESTS
-Used to view a players completed quests.
-%VIEWPlayerNameMONEY
-Shows money on hand and in bank for player.
-%? Playername
-Shows the X and Y position of the player, their playerid and their IP. IP should never be shared with anyone. It is only used to see if two accounts are on the same IP for possible multiple accounts or cheating.
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-Please do not advertise to the players that you have these abilities. There is no reason for them to know about it.
-%SHORTCUTS
-This is used to view a list of Text Shortcuts for common responses to players. Please try to PM to players to keep from flooding the chat with these. These should really only be used in global when saying a general reminder because a number of people are breaking that rule, such as a number of people forgetting to use Ads Chat. If only one person forgets, please private message them.
-example: /joe *ADS* - Would yell at joe for forgetting to use Ads Chat :)
-%ESCAPE
-This will send you to Mod Isle. The only exit from Mod Isle goes to Earton.
-%STEALTH
-This hides you from the player lists in the game. Your name will still show up on the web page and they will see you when you are walking around, but it should help to keep some players from knowing you are online if you want to take some time to play by yourself. Simply type it again to go back to normal mode.
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- General Game Clarification
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-Different 100% QP Totals
-This happens if the quest points given out on a quest are changed after the quest goes live. To the best of my knowledge, this hasn't happened for a long time, but when it did, then the people that did the quest before the points were changed are going to have different totals than those that finished after it was changed. There is very little I can do about this short of giving myself a big ol' headache :) so, you'll just have to live with it. I may try to fix this soon.. We'll see.
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-Accidental Chat Flags
-Please if anyone gets upset over getting one of those "flagged" messages, let them know that it takes several violations before we even look at an account, and then everything is reviewed by hand, so that anything that isn't "real" gets deleted. Them emailing to explain what they were "doing" will not change anything, we mark violations based on content only.
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-Players Being Sent to Prison
-There are 4 ways to get sent to Prison Isle. A mod, you pay Griffin, you get to King Phil's isle without permission or are mean to him, or one of your horse's health gets down to zero. That's it. It's impossible for them to just get tossed there. There are actually a number of players that talk to Griffin, get sent, and don't even realize that's what they did. They were probably clicking through the chat quick. So, if they say they were in Earton before going to Prison, that's always a possibility.
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-6 Horse Glitch?
-Mod: I was told today that there is a glitch that people are using to their advantage. They have 5 horses, put one up for auction at Appleton where no one ever auctions, then take a horse trade while auctioning, knowing that their horse will not sell. This way they end up with 6 horses.
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-Answer: Yep. We aren't worrying about it. They can only get 1 extra horse. Don't encourage them getting 6, but if they have 6 it doesn't really matter.
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-When are New Breeds in the Game to be Captured?
-Every time a wild horse is caught, another wild horse of a random breed replaces it. Once the new breed is announced, it immediately is just as likely to be placed in the game as any other breed, keeping the number of wild horses consistent, while varying the count of any specific breed.
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-Some have said about 24 hours because that's probably about how long it will be before one happens to get into the game. That doesn't mean one won't pop into the world earlier than that. It all depends on how fast the wild horses are being captured. The more people are catching horses, the better chance the new breed will come into the world.
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-Players Changing Their Username
-The policy, which is actually on the "Contact Us", is the player must be a current subscriber and they can only change it once.
-Please tell players that changing the names makes a mess of the system, so if they can live with their name, please do. On occasion we allow players to change their username back to what it was originally if they don't like what it has been changed to, but we try to avoid this.
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-Multiple Accounts
-Mod: Miranda, when you or Joe contact them do you guys tell them why they can only have the one account? And I am assuming it is because of 1. it is just fair to the other players and 2. limited space on the servers? Has the response to it been pretty good or do people get upset about it? I am just being curious so if it is none of my business please feel free to ignore!
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-Answer: The main reason is a fairness issue. People can create another account for more playtime (which defeats the purpose of subscribing since they have basically unlimited playtime then). They also use mult accounts to hold more horses and can do the easy quests again then move the money to their 'main' account. These are the main reasons that we don't allow mult accounts.
-As you know, we limit playing to only one free account per server within 24 hours. This was done in an attempt to help thwart this multiple account problem. Though it has helped, there are still people with multiples out there, and still some that cheat by moving things from one account to another. This is very common when either the player wants to start over with a new account, or they are afraid they are going to be banned. They move all their stuff to a new account not realizing this is strictly against the rules. This is also one of the reasons we have the rule about no giving things away when you quit or want your account deleted.
-We really don't explain to player specifically why multiple accounts aren't allowed when they are banned for it and email in. We simply say it is against the rules and cheating. If they ask for specifics we do give it to them though.
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-Not Allowing Advertising of Websites
-Mod: I had one player going after me today for the 'don't talk about other sites' rule. I explained that it was rude and disrespectful of this site, but I wasn't sure what else to tell them when they kept pushing me to point out where it's an actual rule....I was trying to avoid the 'because I said so' scenario, but I was at a loss.
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-Answer: We don't allow the advertising of other sites because we cannot control the content on those sites. Not only could content be inappropriate, but someone could say "I'm such-and-such on HorseLand", and if they have personal info on that site, then all of our rules about not allowing personal info go out the door.
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-Under Rule #2 it says No Sharing Websites, so it is clearly stated in the rules. I realize that some people just want to share an article that has absolutely no personal info on it, but it's better and safer on our end to just make it a blanket statement.
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-Buying Gift Subscriptions or Pawneer Orders for Game Money
-Please read the Detailed Rules un "Selling Gift Subscriptions" and understand this policy very clearly. Many players are still cheated out of money by doing this the wrong way. Encourage players to remember to never give any form of payment, not even half, until after the sub or PO is on their account. The more the other player insists, the less likely they are to actually purchase it for them.
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-Tip on Keeping Messages out of Global
-Mod: Is there a way to stop messages from going into global when a player logs off? Many times we warn a player and they log off before we hit send and our messages go into global. I know it doesn't just happen to me.
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-Answer: If you type the /playername, it won't go in global, a message comes up that just says that it can't find the player. That is a big advantage to using that command and not using the drop down box if you are not having a long conversation with the player. Also realize that you do not need to type the player's entire username. Just enough to distinguish it from everyone else online. So, say there were 2 players, one named Firey and another named FireFly and you needed to speak to FireFly. You can just type /firef and it will go to that player.
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-Another good tip is to set your chat to CHAT MOD and then use the /a to chat in global. Then if you happen to slip up, it is done so in in Mod chat, which is not only less embarassing, but safer if the post involves sensitive info.
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-Mod Muting Timer
-I've noticed some mods think the mute timer actually adds up. If you muted someone for 30 minutes, then for another 30 it would mean they are actually muted for 60 minutes. That is NOT the case.
-The timer does not compound, it actually replaces. So, if you want to extend a player's mute that is already muted then you need to put in the total amount of time you want them muted. It will overwrite whatever is already there.
-Also, the mute does count down on its own and the player will be unmuted automatically once the timer reaches 0.
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-Server Time Limit for Mods
-If you are not subscribed on a server and it tells you that you have 0 minutes of time remaining, it doesn't matter. The timer will still go down for you, but you will not get kicked off. So, technically, mods have unlimited playtime whether they are subscribed or not. This is not something that should be known to other players. It is basically a safeguard so you guys can log onto a server and be there if you need or want to be, even without playtime available.
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- Important Mod Stuff
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-What Happens in Mod Chat/Forum Stays There
-Mod: Many of us have friends who are not mods. They don't need to know everything that goes on in mod chat.
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-It is incredibly important that all of the mods respect what is said in this forum and what is said in Mod Chat and to respect your fellow Moderators and leave it there, not telling other players about it. Many mods rant/vent in Mod Chat, most of which is completely harmless unless possibly taken out of context.
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-This is a trust issue. The mods need to trust each other. If there is something bothering you that another mod says, please take it to me, not other players.
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-I do want you guys to stand by each other if one mod does PM a player about something. You may disagree with the mod and it's great to discuss why you did something, etc, but if the player comes to a different one of you, please back up what the other mod did. Not doing so undermines the others.
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-Copy/Pasting Chat
-Please do not copy/paste what players say to you into mod chat. I understand sometimes what they say is really funny. That's fine. I'm talking about the bad stuff. Some of you may be looking for guidance and help, but copy/pasting makes the abuse reports a mess. Also, there is absolutely no reason the rest of the mods need to see that junk also. You guys all see enough of that.
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-If you really need help deciding what to do with a player, please just generalize what's happening. We are seeing this copy/pasting far too much and most of the time it does not appear to be for help. Sometimes it even accidentally goes to the player that it is about, which looks really bad for you and can confuse the player, making the situation worse.
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-Making Assumptions
-It is important to me that all of you do not make assumptions about other players, especially based on what other mods have told you. This affects how you respond to that player both when they say something in global or when they come to you. I have seen this more than once.
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-In one instance, a player came to a mod about a situation where she didn't want to appear as a 'mini-mod'. Instead of simply being told 'thanks' and it being left at that, she was basically talked down to. I believe this was because she was known to be a player mods had some trouble with.
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-Please try and treat every player the same. Even if it is a player you tend to have problems with. How are they supposed to get better or change if the mods assume they won't?
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-PMing Players
-I am seeing more and more of the mods stating in global about the ads, or other rule breaks, instead of pming the specific player that is causing the issue. Unless there are a number of people doing the same type of thing, please please please remember to specifically pm the player.
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-Constantly saying in global "that's your last warning" or "the next person to say that gets muted" tends to get people upset or make them 'test' you. By keeping it in pm, many of the players won't act out, and if they do, it will just be to you and not involve all of global.
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-Bombarding Players
-If there is more than one mod on a server, please remember to tell each other when you are pming a player about a problem. Say "I got playername" so that the other mods know that player has been talked to already. When players get bombarded by pms by mods for spam, or whatever, they tend to get edgy as I'm sure you would also if you were told the same thing 3 or 4 times right in a row. Make sure you tell Mod chat that you're going to PM the player Before you do it. Not after.
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-"Threatening" Players
-I have been getting complaints about mods threatening players with muting. Basically, "stop doing such and such or I'll mute you". This is not dissimilar to when players threaten each other with filing an abuse report which is something we discourage.
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-Please never 'threaten' to mute. Nicely tell the person in pm to stop (please space out your ads a bit; please stop the conversation in global, it is just escalating a problematic situation, etc etc) then if they continue, mute for an appropriate amount of time and tell them why they were muted. Hopefully this will help with some of the rude players, as many of them tend to get rude once 'threatened'.
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-If a player continues basically right after you warned them (within a few minutes) go ahead and mute after the first warning. Be sure that the warning was in pm, that way there is very little chance of them missing it. So if you do a general warning in global and someone or some people continue, then warn him/her/them in pm. If they continue an hour later or the next day, then warn once in pm again, if they continue, mute then explain why they were muted.
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-Given this, it's important to not be nit-picky. With spamming, it should be annoying. When I'm in the game and watching a server, I never count how long it's been between posts. I go by, 'hmm.. I've seen this post before recently' or 'that post is still on the screen, but they only have it twice, so I'll ignore that' If they do it again, then I warn. When it's annoying is when you need to jump on it.
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-Mod: I would like to point out that a lot of these players are young kids - and I have had some of them tell me that the mods take the fun out of the game. I would just like to say that maybe be a little easier with them - Say please a lot and just be overall friendly, I know it can be very hard at times when you have so many people breaking rules.
-I think we should all remember that behind the computer there is a person with feelings. (I also have to remind myself that on the other side of the screen there could be a 7 y.o being scolded for advertising to much and they don't know why)
-Players can be very difficult, but I think we could all try just a little more to be a little nicer at times. I have had my share of hard days of modding - but you can't really blame one kid for your whole day. (Sorry, if this doesn't apply to you - I have just noticed some mods can come down pretty hard on players for a minor reason IE: spam, caps, asking about riddles etc)
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-As many of you have noticed, many players don't read everything in global, so even though you just said a minute ago, please don't post passwords in global, it doesn't mean that they read it. :) Using a shortcut or asking for rules to be followed in Global is too easy for them to ignore or claim they didn't know it was meant for them. If we PM, then they have the chance to discuss it privately with us, and save face in front of their friends.
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-If you find that there are players that are constantly giving out passwords or riddle answers, then go ahead and mute then tell them why. If it's someone that's just trying to be helpful and maybe they didn't see your post because they were busy typing, just pm them and nicely explain why we don't want passwords/riddle answers in global (no need to mute, it's already done). This rule break is not a serious thing, so at most a 5-10 minute mute. Mostly just to get their attention.
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-When "yelling" at players to stop a conversation, I would recommend staying away from posting words in all caps as some players jump down the mods' throats about "all caps" even though having one or two words in caps is fine. :) Just a thought.
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-Muting Players
-Please remember to tell a player why they were muted after you muted them. I realize sometimes it may seem like you have too much going on, but just a quick, "You have been muted for not using ads chat. Please remember to post all buying and selling in Ads." or something similar is all that's needed. For the most part you shouldn't need to discuss it with them further and it prevents them from coming back at you saying "Why was I muted?" Even if you warned them 5 times and you think they should -know- why they're muted. For the most part, making a quick comment right after should save you more hassle. Then you are contacting them quickly instead of them trying to find the mod that muted them.
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-When a player is muted, all it says to the player is "Your chat has been disabled by a Moderator for x minutes."
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-Mod: When a mod mutes, send to rules or prison and that player logs out then back in- do they appear back in prison, rules and/or still muted?
-Mod: Also, When those reports are sent in is it just the chat that's in the box before that abuse report that's sent in? Or does it keep track of it after it's sent as well?
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-When a player gets sent to Rule or Prison Isle, they are there until they get off themselves. Doesn't matter if they log out and back in. Muting is real time. So if you mute for 10 and they log off then they come back in 10 minutes, they won't be muted anymore.
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-Abuse reports send in a set number of lines of chat before you muted them or before the report was sent in. So, I do not see anything after the muting. Therefore, if a player harasses you a bunch after you mute them, then be sure to send in a separate abuse report. You can file a report on a player that is not currently logged in. So, if someone logs off before you can mute, file a report instead so they will still get the violation point(s).
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-Never mute or ban another player based on a hearsay. The person could very easily be lying.
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-Rude Players
-I see players and mods often telling another player that they are being rude, or something they are doing is rude. Really, how often does telling someone they're being rude every help the situation? Rarely ever. For the most part they get offended or defensive. Best to just politely respond to the rude player and explain the rule they're breaking or just ignore them. By saying 'You really shouldn't do that. Do you realize that is very rude?' What do you expect them to say? Yes?
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-I'm noticing many mods replying to 'rude/disrespectful' players. The ones that say 'whatever', for example, after you ask them to follow some rule.
-Please do NOT respond to these players. I realize many of you see it as disrespect and they should know that being rude won't get them anywhere. The problem here is that responding to them fuels them and gives the response they were most likely fishing for, it doesn't teach them anything. In some cases, mods have been a bit rude back which definitely doesn't help.
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-There is little that can be done about this online. It is the parents' job to teach the kid to be polite. It is the mods' job to make sure Horse Isle is a safe place. Mute if it is serious, but if it's just a dumb remark, please ignore it and move on.
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-Another Admin: I think the rude factor is one of the things that bothers Miranda the most. If a player is rude to you, your best bet is to not give them any ammo but to ignore it. I know in the heat of the moment it's difficult. Remind yourself they are just little kids and their misbehavior is being amplified by the anonymity of the internet. You're not losing face, you're just being the more grown-up one. Or change the subject to something really popular and the problem player will soon be ignored by everyone.
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-She also told me to remember to never use Threats. You can PM them "Please don't do this" but don't give them an "Or else..." Give them a request to stop (or two) and then just mute them the next time and explain afterwards why they were muted in a PM. Threats don't help and actually get the misbehaving players more riled up. Sometimes Mods lose track and don't remember to back up their threatso it actually makes the situation worse not better.
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-Instead of telling the player not to be rude, let them know that it is against Horse Isle rules to talk badly about someone. The way you word is how they respond. Telling someone that they are rude, will make them more defensive and make them not want to listen. Explain what they are doing wrong, and why, and you will have a better response from them.
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-Example: You tell a player to keep something out of global. They PM you and say "shut up" or "whatever". Completely ignore the comment. If they do or say whatever it was in global again, mute for 5 or 10 (depending on what was said it could even be longer). Then PM the player and say "you were muted for x minutes for ____". Leave it at that. If they say, "How is that against the rules?!" Politely explain the rule to them, or say "it was causing problems in global so I asked you to stop, since you didn't, you were muted." If they start bashing you, ignore it. Depending on what is said, file a second abuse report. If they resort to swearing or crude language/name calling, go ahead and extend the mute.
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-In general though, I really don't like the mods muting players when it has to do with PMs directly to you. It feels too personal then. If the player was doing that exact same thing to another player, they wouldn't get completely muted, since the player doesn't have that power. Instead file a report as any other player would do. Again, if it is serious enough, go ahead and extend their mute, then explain to them that you did so, however, I would prefer that extending the mute was more of a last resort rather than a common one. Remember that your personal mute only mutes PM from players. You will still see their chat in other channels.
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-Anger Statements About Rules
-Remember if you can explain to a person that says a rule is dumb why it is a rule, it often helps the situation. Most often people get upset, or say a rule is dumb, when they don't understand why it is a rule. Instead of just stating that it is a rule, so you should follow it, please try to explain why it is as such.
-If you don't understand any of our rules, or why we have them, please ask.
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-"I am a Mod"
-I have seen some mods use the general phrase, "I am a mod so follow the rules" or something similar. Players should be told why they should follow the rules if they don't already know/if they are questioning why. Saying "Because I'm a mod" is basically the same as a parent saying "because" when a kid asks why they can't do something (something I always hated as a kid).
-If a player is asking why they should listen to you, explain that you are there to help the game run smoothly and be sure players follow the rules. They can read the Expected Behavior if they want to know more.
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-Be sure players understand why they were muted, or why they should follow a certain rule (if they are questioning it) or why they should even listen to you. The "Because I'm a mod" doesn't work and tends to just anger players.
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-Nitpicking
-Some of the mods are getting too bent out of shape over some pretty minor stuff. This is a game. Let the kids play. If they want to have a little camp. Fine. If they want to act like their horses are dating. Fine. If they want to marry their horses. Fine. The no dating policy is for players. We don't want players to come on specifically looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend as that would encourage other behavior. Innocent play acting isn't that big of a deal.
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-The more mods harp on players for very minor things, like missing ads chat once in a while, or having 'camp', the harder it makes the admins' jobs and the harder it makes your job as a mod. When you start to get on a player about something that doesn't really matter that much, they email us complaining and they harass you.
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-Please remember that for the most part, these are just kids that like to play and make stuff up. There are much more important things to worry about than kids RPing with their horses or forgetting ads chat once or twice.
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-As mods, the less you harp on the kids for 'little' things, the easier time you will have with them and the more fun you'll get to have playing.
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-Joe: Hi Mods! I know, I don't communicate much.. But I just want stress that lately, it seems we are having more mod vs players issues, And the single best way to avoid this is to not "Over-mod" or "Nit Pick". This is critical. Think about how you like the Police in your city. They are great when they are there for emergencies, and when needed. But, when they start telling you how to live every part of your life no one is happy... . Most of the tension can be relieved by simply doing "less" not by doing anything "more". .
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-Also, if something is really annoying in the game, or imbalanced, it is far better for me to implement a server block or adjustment for it, rather than mods jumping on it. So, be sure to communicate ideas for such things to me.
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-Shortcut Clarification
-I've noticed some confusion when it comes to when to use the shortcuts. I prefer they are used in pm when it involves a specific player. If it is just for a general reminder because, say, a lot of players are posting ads a lot, then in global is fine. I just get concerned that the shortcuts will turn into spam if posted in global too frequently.
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- Rule Isle
- The only way a player can go to Rule Isle is if a mod sends them there (unless they rent a pegasus or unicorn). So, if a player wants to be sent there to check it out, feel free to send them. Do be sure they understand that being sent means a complimentary 20 minute mute, which you will not unmute them early from. This should help prevent people from acting out just to get sent there.
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-Terms of Endearment
-I have noticed some mods like to call the players "dear" or "hon" or "sweety". Please refrain from doing this. It is a lot easier to keep yourself from typing it then from saying it (I know for some it's pretty automatic), but you need to realize that this most often comes off very condescendingly. It typically upsets the player you are talking to and makes a situation worse if you do not have some sort of previous relationship with them. Please try to keep yourself from using those types of phrases when talking with the players.
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-Positive Reinforcement
-Mod: First I'd like to say thanks for the Ads only chat - it's great and has made life easier.
-However some days it seems as if you're forever asking players - nicely, I might add - to use ad chat.
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-So I've just started trying something new. In between the please use ads chat type posts. I've started to put "Thank you to all those who are using ads chat for buying and selling" now and then on global. It reminds people the ads chat is there, and it's positive reinforcement for those who are using it. I think everyone - including mods! - could use some positive feedback, instead of only hearing things put negatively, as in don't do x. Just a thought.
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-Accepting Gifts
-I have no problem with accepting or giving gifts. Just don't let them use that as leverage. As a general rule, admins should not accept gifts, but I don't mind if mods do.
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-Players Asking to Be Mods
-I know players ask how old you are supposed to be to be a mod. Please do not tell them you have to be 18. For one, that's not completely accurate. Also, I don't want them creating a new account, lying and saying they are older, just to have the possibility of being a mod.
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-Please just tell them that we look for mature, helpful, rule-abiding players.
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-Recommending Mods
-I greatly appreciate the recommendations for mods you guys are sending in. One thing, if you could not tell the player(s) when you recommend them that would be great. We'll ask them if they want to be a mod if they fit what we're looking for. By telling them, some may tend to change their behavior knowing that I'll be looking at their chat.
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-Remember, you can send recommendations directly to me (miranda@horseisle.com). We can look up age info so don't ask the player.
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-Modding Tips
-Mod: One thing that I find useful is to hang back on the Questions in Global. If I wait 10 to 15 Seconds I find that another "regular" player will often answer it (usually 90% of the time).
-This has two effects:
-1. the players tend to go to each other for answers and therefore they develop relationships, and game play becomes more enjoyable for everyone.
-2. This also reduces the dependency on us as moderators and allows us to play our game, as well as saving our fingers (from Repetitive Phrase Injury **laughing out loud!**)
-I also remind them to use the library, and to listen to what the residents actually say.
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- More Specifics
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- Moderating Forums
- Moderators can delete posts in GENERAL, HORSES and GAME forums.
- Feel free to delete anything violating rules, or duplicate posts, etc. If you want to help keep them tidier. Do realize that threads which are not replied to within 2 weeks will delete on their own. Be sure to try and leave posts when you can unless an argument is going on, people are being rude, or it violates the rules in other ways.
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- If you see something that really deserves a violation then please shoot me an email and I can delete it and give a violation if necessary.
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- Personal Information
- I have seen some mods freaking out about players bringing up where they are from. Please remember that it is all right for players to mention what country they live in and what state/province they live in. No more detailed than that.
- It makes it interesting to know what country someone else is from and, at least in the US, it's fun to know what state because then you can compare weather. :) (yes, I'm a dork)
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- Player Passwords and Account Responsibility
- Players should NEVER share their password with others. Not even if they know the person in real life. NEVER give someone the okay to share their password with someone else, even if they are claiming they will take responsibility for what happens on their account. If anything does happen, I still have to deal with it. Also, if others find out that a player let someone else on their account, then not only do we have to handle it (often involving banning) but it also allows the kids to think that account sharing is done all the time and is not against the rules.
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- So, if anyone approaches you asking if it is okay to share their password with someone else because they are going on a trip, or they want help with quests, tell them it is against the rules and it could possibly get them banned.
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- Profile Guidelines
- If they don't include the year, then birthdays are fine. Saying they're a girl or boy doesn't really matter because it says that further down the stats list.
- If something is suggestive, or very obviously trying to attract attention in a dating sense, then go ahead and ask them to change it. If they won't, then delete it.
- Remember begging and asking for donations in descriptions is fine. It is not being forced on anyone and if they want to be known as a beggar, than that's their deal. They just can't bug people in chat about it.
- Religion should not be mentioned. There simply isn't a reason for others to know what religion a player is. Quotes from the bible in a profile are only okay if there is no book and verse listed and if it isn't "relgious sounding". That can be up to interpretation, but use your best judgment.
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- Always ask the player to change their description first. If they won't, then delete it. When you delete a profile, the description shows up in an abuse report and will be given violation points if warranted. Realize no chat comes in with these reports, so if the player was very rude or combative about it, then it might be a good idea to file an abuse report also. If you ever have doubts about a profile/description, go ahead and ask each other or email me.
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- Mod: I don't think this violates the rules unless they are spamming to do it [asking for money/donations]. And as bad as it sounds, what they are doing is very predictive of real life. Learning to say no to players now may save them later on when it is real money in real life. Regardless of that, I just don't see that it is our responsibility to monitor the values, ethics and morals of the players. Do I agree with what they are doing? Absolutely not - but I am a moderator for the SITE, not a babysitter for these kids. The way they play in the sandbox is none of my concern unless, and until, it violates the rules. I may be completely wrong on this but that is the way I interpret the term moderator.
- I do agree that it is aggravating though.
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- 'Copyright'
- Mod: I had a player approach me this evening. A player copied most of their profile, verbatim.
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- Some players have disclaimers about "This profile is Copyrighted and you will be reported and arrested in real life if you take it." Crazy, maybe, but I do understand how they all put a lot of thought into their profile to make them unique.
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- Basically, I just wanted to know what to do when one player 'steals' another player's profile.
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- Answer: I wouldn't make a fuss about people having copyright notices in their profile. They shouldn't make threats about it though since we can't do anything about it.
- Basically, there is no such thing as "copyright" on the game since there is no way for us to know who had it 'first' and what should be considered copyrighted, etc. So, they shouldn't to be nice, but if they do, tell them it's a compliment.
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- What to do about Controversial Profiles
- Mod: Players write controversial things in their profiles, like the horses that died on the filming of 'Flicka', and that eating meat is bad, and then post:
- ATTENTION PLEASE read through the start of my profile if you love animals you will want to hear this!
- in global, making smaller players read it, and get disturbed with some of the content? its not exactly profanity or anything, its more their opinion, but its somewhat graphic and other players get annoyed with them saying these things. Ive asked them not to advertise it in global, but should we ask them to delete it off their profiles?
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- Answer: Stuff like that needs to stay out of global. If they are saying 'read my profile' and it has those things in it and players are getting upset over it, then ask the player to get rid of it. If you just see it in a profile (depending on how graphic of course. You'll have to use your best judgment) leave it be.
- Basically, the best thing to do is take cues from the other players. If a lot of players are getting upset about something in someone's profile and it's causing problems in global, then maybe the player should remove it.
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- Clubs/Clans/RP in Profiles
- Clubs are allowed. Including RP clubs. They may say Warrior Club, or Warrior Camp/Troop, it cannot say it is a clan, herd or gang. These reference a type of behavior which isn't allowed. They may list club members and their club names such as "playername is Medicine Cat" or whatever. They may not say Thunder Clan members. It needs to be Thunder Club/Camp/Troop.
- They also may have mates and kits, but nothing graphic (no dating content.) Example: they may say Feather Paw mate is Cloud Feather, kits are... They may not have territories, no fighting, no wars between Clubs, no violence of any kind.
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- Ask them to please remove the "problem" parts before deleting if possible. Be sure to explain why, since they will be more likely to comply. Something like: "Please remove ____ as it does not conform to the no violence, or no dating, or no territories, or clans... You may read the detailed rules under G for gangs. If you do not wish to RP according to the rules of this game, then please do not RP on this site. This is a Family Game with young children and their parents playing. Thanks." If the player will not remove this from their profile, please delete it. Rules regarding role playing can be found in the detailed rules under R.
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- The object is to let them have fun and be creative, but not break the rules of this game, or offend or harass others by their actions.
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- Inappropriate Player Usernames
- For names that should be changed, but aren't that bad, mention it to them but also contact me and I'll deal with it. For a username that is really bad and you feel it should just be off the site, then feel free to find another mod and ban them.
- Please remember that we do not allow real names as usernames. If it is an obvious celebrity name, that's fine, but a name like "KatySmith" would not be allowed. Player usernames can be first names though unless they make it clear that the username is, in fact, their real name. If that is the case, please file an abuse report letting us know this so we can ask the player to change their name.
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- Bad Horse Names
- If you see a horse name that would be changed by the filter, or is inappropriate, ask the player to change it. If they won't then the best way to deal with bad horse names is to send in an abuse report stating that they have a horse with an inappropriate name.
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- I really feel we are being too strict about horse names. The way we are going now, players with horses that have vampire, witch or magic names should also be changed since many people find those inappropriate subjects.
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- So, please only make people change a horse's name if it directly breaks the rules. This would mean innuendo, swearing/avoiding the filter, violence, obvious drug references. Remember that we have tons of teenagers playing the game, and they are rarely happy all the time. So long as it is within the rules, let them express themselves. If someone wants to name their horses "war", "tequila" or "famine" let them. As for the alcohol names, they aren't talking about getting drunk, so I don't really see a problem with it.
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- If you have questions regarding specific names, please contact me directly. Hopefully this will keep players happier since they won't feel like we are breathing down their necks about every little thing. This should mean some less conflicts between mods and players.
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- Bad Things in Drawing Room
- If you get any complaints about the drawing rooms, you need to get to the room and see what it says as the last person to have drawn. Whether that person actually did the bad thing on the drawing, it doesn't matter. They shouldn't have added to it if they didn't specifically draw it.
- Never trust what a players says when it comes to the drawing rooms. I will not give violations for drawing room things unless it is seen by a mod.
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- If you can take a screen shot and send it to me, that's the best way to go.
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- "Eating" Players
- Players often joke about eating, or biting, others. Please ask players to refrain from this since it can be disturbing to younger players and their parents.
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- Mod: I usually just say: "Eating of other players (aka cannibalism) is frowned upon in most modern societies and in this game; therefore, please discontinue."
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- Enforcing Ads Chat
- Mod: How do you all enforce the use of ads chat? Are people handing out mutes for players that are warned a few times and still use global?
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- I had one smart... *ahem* Smart kid tonight who, during his mute, told me that I need to read the rules MYSELF... because ads chat is not mentioned in the rules at all. I explained why it's there, yada yada, same old story though. I'm being mean, and it's not in the rules.
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- What's up?
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- Mod Answer1: First offense, I put a reminder in global and PM the offending player the same reminder, so that I am sure they see it. The reminder in global is so the mini-mods don't take it upon themselves to tell the person to use ads chat. If I see the same player do it again, I PM them a second warning. On the third offense, they get a 5 minute mute, and I tell them to please not put ads in the global chat because it is bothersome to the other players.
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- I do not mute ads, so I can see who is consistently using them. I occasionally hand out topaz necklaces to people who consistently use the ads chat and don't tend to "slip up."
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- Mod Answer 2: If I notice a player post an ad in global, and I have seen them use ads chat all the time, I just ignore it. It is usually followed quickly by a "sorry wrong chat".
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- Mod Answer 3: Just went and read the rules. Ads Chat is in the rules. Under rule #3 it says:
- There is an Auto-Sell and auction system to sell horses. Please use that instead of spamming the global chat. There is even an 'Ads Only' channel specifically for selling things. This should be used for any ads instead of global chat.
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- Mod Answer 4: I do the three warnings also - they get a pm that I have created first - then a *second warning* with the pm - then *last warning* then a 5 minute mute. Once I mute I send a pm explaining they were muted because and that they must use the ads chat. It usually doesn't go past this. However just a couple of times they have gotten unmuted and done it again. Then it's a warning one time and if it happens again an immediate 10 min mute followed by the same explanation. If they argue I just repost the explanation to them - I think they must wonder if it's automated *laughing out loud!*. I won't provide addt'l explanation though or justify it to them. That's where it usually ends I've noticed.
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- Answer: Please please please be sure when you mute someone that they deserve it. There was a player that started out not using ads chat and was told to. From that point on she consistently used ads chat except for once when it went into global, and she was then muted. Let that stuff go. If you see them mostly using ads chat, then if they do slip up once or twice, who cares. Chances are it was an accident, and if it wasn't, they'll do it more frequently to the point that you should mute them.
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- Just remember to announce to your fellow mods that you are warning a player. In one instance, a mod warned the player, but another one muted them. So, one assumed the player was getting a warning but the other just straight out muted. Remember to communicate so you know what's going on and so players don't get bombarded.
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- Mod: Players are using ads chat to get around the limitations of global chat. One player challenged me about it, saying that's not in the rules.
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- Can I get a clarification, please?
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- Answer: If people are constantly using ads chat for regular chat because they are running out of global minutes, then they should be spoken too. For the most part, don't worry about it though. I assume a lot more people mute Ads Chat than global, so less people are hearing what they're saying anyway. It's just another thing you guys really don't need to worry about as it just makes things more of a pain for you.
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- How to Handle Riddles/Passwords/Quiz Questions
- Mod: I have a question as to how riddle and password requests are handled. Now in the rules, it says don’t give out passwords and riddle answers in global, but it doesn’t say not to say the riddle. Soo… I have automatically muted people for giving answers because if they have read the rules (which they are supposed to have done) then they should know it is against the rules. But the actual asking is a little bit of grey area… I have recently found that in the Appleton riddle room it says Do Not discuss riddles in global. So those asking these ones in global I have begun to mute also, but the other riddles and password areas do not say anything about not asking. How do we deal with those people.. should we mute them too? Can we have something added to all the quiz and riddle areas to warn people not to discuss them in global?
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- Answer: We may be able to add something, but if you can catch when someone asks and quick, ask nicely to not ask the riddles in global because it spoils the surprise for others, hopefully people won't answer. In that case, if you explain it (not just say "no riddles in global") hopefully people will understand and not ask again, or not answer the riddle. I know that's asking a lot.. but... hopefully it helps some.
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- When it comes to real time riddles, I don't care about discussion regarding the answers to saying what the answer was. Originally we did try to get people to answer it in different chat, but that was pretty much useless, so we gave that up. That being said, feel free to completely ignore anything to do with the real time riddles.
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- Now, for real time quizzes, we just don't want them discussed in global or island chat. They can PM or even buddy chat the answers and discuss things between themselves. I don't like the answers for that in global because there are a number of people that want to figure it out on their own and saying the answers in global does ruin it for them. If they really want help with questions, ask them to not directly ask the quiz questions in global. They can ask for the question number or the general idea of the question. "What's the one about South Africa? PM me."
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- Try to keep it light hearted too. "Guys, don't spoil the quiz for others please :( " etc. Directly yelling at players, whether global or PM gets them upset and less likely to comply. If you see the same player asking questions directly/giving answers after you've asked them not to, then mute.
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- Mod: If with the real time quiz players are encouraged to web search, is there any problem with them discussing the answers afterwards. I see it as a learning process - particularly if the players wants to know why the answer was the answer...
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- Answer: The problem is, the answers come up again. There are about 400 questions and they do circulate around pretty regularly. The more the answers are discussed in global, the more others find out the answer for next time it comes around, then they don't have to do the looking up.
- I love that you guys like to discuss the questions and help them learn and understand, but if you have a group, maybe try and get the group in a general area and use chat near, or try to PM people.
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- There are bigger things to worry about than this stuff however, so don't stress about it too much.
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- Player-run Quizzes
- Mod:I had a player last night, actually two, doing their own quizzes and handing out prizes. One of them said that the players had to meet them at a certain place, while the other posted the question in global and told players to PM her with the answer. I figured both of these ways, since they had found ways to mostly keep it out of global, was fine.
- I don't know how the player you're referring to was doing their quizzes though...
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- Answer: If there aren't many players on and most appear to be participating (no one's objecting) then I wouldn't worry about it. It is a good idea to ask them to keep it to Ads Chat, so that it does limit them to posting the question once a minute at the most. But do let them have their fun. If it's the prime time when there are 100 players on, then best to ask them to go to a specific area and use Near or Island Chat (if it's a small, not frequently traveled isle).
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- Players Asking for Donations
- Remind players this is against the rules if they are asking for donations in chat. The specific rule is found in the Detailed Rules. Do remember that they can ask for donations via their profile so long as they aren't actively telling people to look at their profile for that reason.
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- Mod: I also PM players asking for donations with a way to earn money. ie, Minigames, selling items they collect. I also give them a short list of NPC's who pay nicely for common items like dandelions, logs, worms, coconuts, etc. Once they find out what they can sell, and how much can be earned, it decreases the amount of donation requests.
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- Players Marrying Horses
- Mod: Okay..this is going to sound like a silly question but recently some players on grey server have started holding "weddings" for their horses. Now this kind of thing between players would not be permitted because no dating is allowed...but what about the horses? Would this be considered against the rules?
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- Answer: That used to be quite common on Pinto. At the time we decided it was fine when it was all in fun. If they do start imposing it on players, then step in. Otherwise, let them have their fun.
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- Released Horses
- Mod1: I have had this happen a lot lately- a player releases a horse for whatever reason- someone else catches it and keeps it. Now- if I understand right- once the horse is released it's fair game to anyone. If someone else catches the horse- they do not have to give it back to whoever released it and we as mods don't get involved in the dispute. If they feel they were wronged they file an abuse report. Am I correct or have I been thinking all wrong? any advice would be much Appreciated.
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- Mod2: I believe that logic is correct. Also, if a players says "I'm standing on a wild horse" in global, then wants whoever catches it to pay them money, no money is owed, correct?
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- Answer: Many players claim to release a horse accidentally. You have to push an "are you sure" button before a horse is released, so if they are really that click-happy to not notice they were releasing a horse, than they need to pay more attention. If they are releasing horses in order to trade with each other, tell them that even if they have full horses and want to trade with another player, so long as both players add a horse to the trade, it can go through. They don't need to release a horse to get down below max horses.
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- No selling the location of wild or released horses. If they want to release fine, or announce a wild horse fine, but they may not charge for it.
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- A horse that is released disappears after 1 hour but a wild horse will stay wild and, if not caught, will disappear on its own after 24 hours. All releasing does is prevent new horses from being randomly put into the game if the number wild is above 30, so if players want to release horses instead of sell to a player or the Pawneer, don't worry about it. The act of releasing a horse does not remove a wild one from the game.
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- Companion/Releasing Parties
- Mod: A player found a profile that disturbed her, and asked me to look into it. It's below:
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- COMPANION PARTY REQUIREMENTS- You must have a companion that raises your horses stats +100 that you WILL drop for others- You MUST listen to the orders given at the companion party or you WILL be ordered to leave, and MAY be reported- PM me in the following scriptI will be dropping a [companion type here] and I will listen to your rulesAfter reviewing your PM, I will tell you the location of the companion party and at every party I WILL be dropped at LEAST 5 foals P.S. You WILL be getting a GREAT companion or two if you decide to come to the party. You WILL get a foal if you show up but ONLY if you drop your companion.
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- Does this look like a scam to you? What, if anything, should be done?
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- Answer: This has been a popular thing lately and all it seems to do is get people upset. Of the few I have checked, the person that claimed they were going to drop a foal never did. So, these "companion parties" are not allowed to be advertised and are highly discouraged. They are not strictly against the rules, because there is no way to actually enforce that. The way we have it set up, you, the mod, shouldn't even know that it is happening.
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- If they do feel the need to have these "companion parties" and you do know about it, just be sure to warn people in general that it's highly unlikely anyone would actually drop a foal at these things and if they participate it's their fault if they lose a companion.
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- Joe said it's kind of like a person on a playground telling a kid, hey, if you give me your twinkie I'll give you my iPod. :)
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- All of these statements apply to "releasing parties" also. We don't want them announcing 'releasing parties' in global, but they can do that with their buddies if they want, though charging for these at all is not allowed. The big thing here is, so many people whine that someone stole their horse, or companion, or whatever their releasing when they have these 'parties'. Again, it's always good to remind them that once an item or horse leaves your possession, it is no longer considered yours and someone else catching it or picking it up is not stealing it.
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- Mod: I've had times I've stumbled upon a releasing party, grabbed the horse, and took it to the pawneer. Might not be the nicest way to do things, but the reality that they need to face is that it will happen.
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- Answer: I realize you want to teach the kiddos a lesson, but most will learn it from other players. I would prefer the mods were helpful and nice.. not taking horses that you know were released by a player out of good faith that it would be returned. So, if asked, please return a horse in these types of situations and be sure to let the player know that most players wouldn't return the horse so they would have lost it and to remember that once a horse is released it is no longer considered theirs.
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- Threatening With the Pawneer
- Ignore it if it's worded all right and not causing a raucous, but do say something if they are wording it threateningly or if other players are reacting negatively. It's better if not mentioned at all, but it also isn't a huge deal and it's also a good idea to not make a bug fuss about it. Making a big deal out of it yourself, if no one else is, will just make things harder for you.
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- Unfair Trades and Scamming
- Mod: With regard to an unfair trade (or), scams, are players allowed to report at least a name to a mod, should moderators compose a list of those attempting to spoil HI with scams and keep an eye on them (with perhaps a rule where if a player is reported 5 times they get a days mute?)
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- Just seeking some clarity, normally I would copy and paste my general reminder about unfair trades, but I know from experience that its not always easy to avoid one of these situations.
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- Mod Answer: Names are fine for them to give to you. As for a list of players to keep an eye on. There's probably certain players that certain mods have had run-ins with time and again. But as I recall Joe and Miranda saying they wanted the mods to treat every player equally. Not playing favorites if one player has been good, or not disliking a player for doing a bad thing. And if a player does enough bad things then Miranda and Joe will probably have noticed them because of the abuse reports.
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- Answer: If someone comes to you and says they've been scammed, get them to file an abuse report against them. If the scamming is clear, the 'bad' player does get severe violations and could be banned. So we watch for this behavior.
- There are times when a player will say they were scammed just to get another player in trouble when they were the scammer. There is no way for you to know this, so be sure to get them to file an abuse report.
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- Mod: What should we say to warn the kids of potential scams. I know some of the Mods had little sayings they use but I can't remember the gist of it other than Beware of Scams
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- Mod Answers:
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- I usually say that "If it sounds too good to be true it's probably not a good deal" and encourage folks that if they've been taken advantage of in a trade or deal to report it immediately
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- "Never give someone something you can't afford to lose" is another one.
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- I have a habit of NOT sugar-coating things and the two 'phrases' I use are:
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- Please be aware of other players attempting to scam. Do NOT willingly give out your money, horses or items as that will fall under an unfair trade.
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- The only services you should pay for are those provided by Horse Isle itself, and not other players.
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- Sometimes I get players mad at me because they think I am pointing fingers directly at them, but usually after I tell them I am just saying it as a general reminder to everyone, they cool off.
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- Payment Plans
- Players really need to pay for something completely or not at all. Some set up these "payment plans" and often end up with one of the players being slighted. Either they gave the horse and don't ever get completely paid for it, or the person making the payments, makes a few, then the player with the horse decides not to sell it anymore, but keeps the payments that have been made up to that point.
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- This is trading on a promise, so if you see someone advertising payment plans, please warn them of this problem.
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- Contests
- Players may hold contests, such as Beauty Contests, so long as they do not charge any fee for it. They should use Ads Chat to advertise it. This is outlined in the Detailed Rules.
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- Selling Presents
- This is currently in the rules:
- 6] Do not trade for a present because it could contain anything.
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- Be sure to quote that if a player is selling presents. If the player selling them seems to be claiming there is a lot of good stuff in the presents then they really need to stop or be more honest because we all know they are mostly filled with cheap stuff. Also, they cannot claim there is money, pawneer orders, companions or horses in there since those cannot be wrapped.
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- Technically, the presents are not really a raffle because the player is getting something for their money, it just probably won't be worth what they paid. Take it as a good lesson to the kids that decide to buy the present. Just watch how the player selling them is claiming what is in them.
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- Selling Pawneer Orders
- It's better for a player to gift Pawneer Orders instead of having it in their inventory. They just need to follow the policy in the Detailed Rules under "Selling Gift Subscriptions". That is actually safer than doing it via one in their inventory. In that case, they have to make the horse, then hope that the person still wants the horse and will pay for it. Which, if the person decides they don't want the horse anymore, or it's not the right height, then the person with the Pawneer Order is stuck with a horse they don't want.
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- Chatspeak
- The main thing here is to just not over-mod. Most people can't stand it, but it's another thing that isn't that big of a deal and I don't want you guys over fretting about it. Now, if there is a player that is continually chatting in a way that is basically impossible to understand, then, by all means, deal with them. If you have someone saying "Did u want it 2?" Or something like that, where it's really simple and easily understood, don't worry too much. And the more other players get upset about it, the less that player will be able to actually chat using chat speak.
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- As much as I also can't stand chat speak, I just don't want you guys to make things more difficult for yourselves or the players.
-
-
- Other Languages
- One important thing with the languages (why we require English) is because the filters don't catch foreign languages. It has nothing to do with discrimination. The game is made in English so they need to speak English. If you try and make the player(s) understand -why- something is a rule, it generally helps.
-
-
- How to get to Islands
- It has come to my attention that maybe we should have a general policy on telling players answers to quests. This includes informing players how to get to islands.
- I have no problem with you telling players whatever you want, but this is another thing that should be done in pm so as not to spoil it for others. Feel free to give hints I guess if there are a number of people asking (such as, check out the new available quests, if it's a new isle that just opened), otherwise best to leave answers to things like how to get to islands (at least the smaller ones where you have to talk to someone specific to get there) in pm.
-
- Do not feel the need to police this in global too much. I guess it's similar to passwords and riddles in global, but no need to mute for it, just explain to the players that some people like to find out that stuff on their own.
-
- Some mods and players have directions to isles in their profile. That is just fine.
-
-
- Players Threatening Self Harm
- Mod: So I'm noticing something of a trend: players claiming they're going to harm themselves, or worse, to mods. This has happened to a fellow Pally mod, and I remember someone awhile back mentioning a similar problem on their server, here in the mod forum.
-
- Now I realize that there is not much we can do as mods, and I realize that alot of this is just to get attention. However, I take suicide threats very seriously. In the past I have given friends the number for the national suicide hotline. Would giving out the number be an appropriate move for a moderator to take, if we had reason to believe a player was serious in their threats? Or is this overstepping the bounds of what a moderator does? I have done no such thing, but I am disturbed at the threats of suicide and/or self-harm.
-
- What would be the best way to handle such threats?
-
- Mod1 Answer: I have to say that with the vast majority who say something like that, my line is this (in PM of course)
-
- "I am assuming that what you have said is a very, very bad joke. If for any reason I thought you were serious, my next action would have to be to give you a prolonged mute on this game and refer you to some suitable help and counseling sites. Am I right in thinking this is a joke?"
-
- To date, every single person has backtracked and said they weren't serious. Most have then claimed it's their little brother/dog/friend/aliens at the keyboard and they didn't say it.
-
- I've also noticed that the word seems to be getting round that this is my response as I rarely seem to see this sort of thing when I'm online.
-
- I have no idea if this is the best way to handle it, it's well outside my experience. It seems to work. That's all I can say.
-
- Mod2 Answer: I think that muting the player right away and chatting with them privately could help the situation. Then they can't keep talking about it in global and continue making the new trend popular.
- If they really want someone to talk to, they can talk with you instead of scaring younger players in global. I think after a few minutes, if even that long, you'll be able to tell if the player is depressed or just attention seeking. If they are depressed, you can encourage them to seek help or talk to a parent or trusted teacher/counselor- if they are attention seeking you can explain the severity of these "threats" and keep them muted as a punishment for not taking it seriously and worrying other players needlessly. But I really liked [Mod1's] response a lot. I'll use that phrase myself if I run across it.
-
-
- Weird Typing Glitch
- Mod1: Is there a glitch turning a random word you type to individual posts? for example
-
- help into
- h
- e
- l
- p
-
- There have been several players claim this on chestnut, is it true or are they just trying to pull wool over my eyes?
-
- Mod2: Some computers glitch I think... This also happens occasionally on Dun. And with some good players who don't spam or break the rules.
-
- Answer: I've actually had this happen to me once, and some of you will remember when [Mod] was having this problem severely. So, for the most part, the players are probably not lying. Especially if they are saying some sentence and stop partway through a word. This probably means they just looked up and were like "oh shoot!". Apparently a shortcut program can cause this problem for some.
-
-
- Off Game Chat
- I have gotten some complaints about mods being too hard on players chatting in global. Not letting them chat about anything other than the game.
- If they want to mention stuff outside the game, just watch it. If there are other players getting annoyed or a fight is starting to break out because of a disagreement, then stop it. No reason to really stop it if they are civilly talking about something.
-
-
- Mini Mods
- Mod1: I know this has been briefly mentioned before, but I know I can speak for most of the frequent Roan mods, we've been having problems with a few 'mini mods' in global. It's gone beyond just trying to be helpful. One player in particular even goes as far as saying 'I think I speak for the mods...', and jumps in when we're trying to do our job, clearly, in global already. I think its beyond these players being helpful, and them truly being a pest, because it continues even after we ask them to let us do our job.
-
- There was also a complaint today that if we reprimand these mini mods, its eliminating peoples chances of getting noticed to be a mod... That's not the case... I just feel that some of these players are doing it outright to annoy us...what should we do?
-
- Answer: What players don't realize is that being an over assertive 'mini mod' can actually hurt their chances of being a mod. Even if another mod recommends them and I see them actually tending to cause problems because of trying to act 'modly' I won't make them a mod.
-
- I don't look at players that act like mods. I look at players that are helpful in the sense of being willing to answer questions when asked, always answering things politely, often with a smile, deal with hard situations without getting upset, etc.
-
- In the case where you are having problems with players acting like mods, be sure to pm them and explain that you are handling it and what they are doing is actually causing more problems. If they get rude or continue, then go ahead and mute for 5 like [Mod2] mentioned and try to explain to them again. If you are consistently having problems with the same player(s) let me know and I can try looking into them and maybe talking to them.
-
- Here is [Mod2]'s post for reference:
- I would give the player(s) a talking to first, then, if that didn't help the situation, I'd do a short mute, maybe 5-10 min. I'd explain that it's good to be helpful, but to not step in and try to take charge of a mod's duties, especially when there are mods present. Also, make sure they know mods pm players if issues arise, not mention them in global. .
-
- I had a similar discussion with a few players a while back. One just couldn't wrap her mind around why it was bad. I borrowed a page from my hubby, who's a cop. I told the players to think about it this way: If you're standing next to a police officer, and the officer is telling a person who is misbehaving not to do something, and then you, a regular person, also fuss at the misbehaving person, then you're just making the situation worse, because there is someone there whose actual job is to take care of things, and he (or she) is doing it. I could almost hear the light bulbs going on over the players' heads. :) Worked great. Feel free to steal if it works for you guys.
-
- I'm seeing mods jump on some people for something that seems pretty petty... Let me try to clarify what I see as 'mini-modding'. If any of you want to add to it, feel free, say why, or what harm it causes and we'll see.
-
- When a player is constantly correcting people:
- "Use ads chat ________"
- "Stop spamming!!"
- "Stop talking about that ____" <- the player should PM a mod and ask them to get the person to stop
- "Don't use caps like that."
- "Don't share riddles!!"
- etc. I think you get the point
-
- What I consider to NOT be mini-modding but simply helping:
- "Use the library to find characters in the game."
- "Using ads chat will probably increase the chance of you being able to sell your horse!"
- "Ads chat is used by either selecting it in the drop down box or typin /$"
- "You can find the password by talking to the residents."
- etc.
-
- It's really important to distinguish between people that are just helping and answering questions, and those that are actually causing problems because they are telling people what to do. If you see someone as a mini-mod, but other players don't seem to have a problem, then leave it alone. The only time you should talk to someone that is acting like a mini-mod is if they are actually causing more fighting in global.
-
- Mod3 Answer: A mini mod is someone who decides to reprimand players after every little infraction and not allowing the mods time to even respond or still post it after we say something.
-
- Lastly, please do not tell other players they are being 'mini-mods' or they are 'mini-modding'. The best thing to do if someone keeps correcting others in global is to PM them and say something like "I know you are trying to help, but please let the mods handle it. We do so in PM and we don't want a(the) player feeling bombarded". Or something like that.
-
- Calling a player a 'mini-mod' or saying that they are 'mini-modding' is basically name calling and many take offense to it. If you let them know that we handle things in PM and talk with each other to be sure a player isn't bombarded then maybe they will be less prone to attempt to get players to follow the rules in the future.
-
-
- Harassment of Mods
- Mod1: This evening [actually, it's still going on as I post this] a few of the known "troublemakers" on Bay server were harassing and being extremely disrespectful towards 2 of the 3 mods [both of us being new]. It was asked repeatedly that players drop this and keep their comments to themselves, but they refused, and continued saying rude/hurtful things. I do not know what is to be done about this. If I do something to reprimand them, I don't think it will help the situation, but I do not feel it should go unpunished. I considered muting for 15 minutes in regards to teasing, but wasn't sure if this was the proper thing to do. Please help!
- I know most of these players are children. It almost sickens me to see the actions of some players. It's amazing what the internet can do for a person. Leaves them safe to be rude and hurtful, even if they wouldn't do it in everyday life. Provides them with something to hide behind - leaves them anonymous. It's sad, and I actually feel bad for them. I try not to take it too personally, but it's hard not to. There's someone openly saying to 80 other players that they HATE you. Not dislike, but HATE. I actually don't think I've ever said that to anyone in my LIFE. Ugh.
-
- Answer: For these types of things they need to be muted. Especially if they are doing it in global and not stopping after being asked to. By not muting them, they think they can get away with it. They probably would start harassing you after you mute them, but you can always personally mute them.
-
- Just remember that the anonymity applies to you also. They don't know who you are or what you're really like, so what they say doesn't really have any bearing on you. It's really important to ignore these types of hurtful things and not take it personally, though I know that can be tough.
-
- Mod2 Answer: When I first started dispatching my trainer told me the best piece of advice I have ever heard. As it is highly applicable here I want to share it :)
- She said " It's never personal! Unless someone says to you - Hey! You - so and so (insert name) I know you! I know where you live and how you live your life! I know how you treat your family and your kids and I just want you to know that I hate you and I think you suck at the way you live your life! - Unless a caller, or an officer (or a PLAYER), can say that to you - it's never personal.
-
- Mod1: Okay so here's the deal. On Roan during more than one instance I've noticed different moderators trying to remind a player of certain rules and instead of the usual 'my bad' they get backtalk from the players. It seems to me that more and more players are viewing certain mods as being "power hungry" and that mods "discretely lord their power over us [players] by boosting their egos with mutes" when they're only trying to do their job.
-
- Answer: Telling the player to file an abuse report if they feel they've been treated unfairly is probably the best thing you can do. You should also let them know that starting disputes in global is against the rules.
- However, if they don't take that hint and continue to make a dispute in global then I'd say muting is definitely in order.
-
- Mod3 Answer: This is going to sound dumb. But I definitely up the amount of smiley faces I use when asking players to follow rules through PM's. If they argue about it I will remind them that the rules are there for a reason, also with a smiley face.
-
- Example: A player keeps using global chat instead of ads chat for their selling ads.
- Me: Please remember to keep that in Ads Chat Please :)
- Player: But I can only post once per minute with ads chat!
- Me: That's true, but ads chat is there to keep the global clutter down and it is a rule to keep all advertisements in that chat. Thanks :)
-
- The player will usually just say "okay" after that point and use ads chat. If not, I mute for 5 mins.
-
+
+You are probably looking at how long this is and thinking, what am I getting myself into?!? I have made this for a couple reasons. One is to clean out the Mod Forum (essentially everything here is from posts in the Mod Forum) and the other is to have everything, hopefully, a little more accessible and easy to find for all of you. My hope is that this will serve as a good reference guide as well as being sure we are all on the same page. This should make modding easier for everyone.
+
+As I mentioned, these are directly out of the Mod Forum. Some are posts from me to clarify something, while others were questions posed by mods and the answers that were given. I felt it would help to keep some of the questions in there instead of simply summarizing everything in order to make some things more clear, as well as including moderating tips from others. I have also tried to have it in some semblance of order. Hopefully it will all make sense.
+
+Included in here are all the Moderator Commands. The Moderator Commands link will still be available at the bottom of the Server List page to see the other tips we gave, though many of them are also in this 'book', simply worded differently.
+
+If you have any questions about anything in this 'book', please feel free to email me at miranda@horseisle.com. Also remember that this email is for mods only. Never give this out to players. They need to contact support@horseisle.com
+Thanks!
+-Miranda
+
+
+
+The following commands are available to moderators in the game. These need to be used for REAL rule breaking! Never for fun or for personal reasons. Doing so will cause us to have to immediately remove your Moderator Privileges.
+Use these ONLY when it is necessary. No one appreciates getting "yelled at", so make sure what happens deserves it. Make sure you are FAIR also. If someone else started something and you just penalize the second person, that is not fair. Try to penalize both parties equally when possible.
+
+All of the commands use BECAUSE so that the admins reviewing the abuse reports know why the player was muted, sent to Rules, etc. The player does NOT see this. Also, you can use BC instead of BECAUSE for faster typing if you like. Either will work.
+ %PRISONPlayerNameBECAUSEExpain valid reason here
+Using this command sends the player to Prison Isle where they need to spend a few minutes breaking rocks to get off. THIS is not used for serious rulebreaking. Just minor stuff, such as: Begging, globaling private riddle answers/bridge passwords. %MUTEPlayerName15BECAUSEExplain valid reason here
+%UNMUTEPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
+This disables (or enables) a player from chatting to anyone OR getting any chats for 15 minutes. (Admins excepted)
+Valid reasons for doing this include: Potty talk, severe chat spamming (continuing after being asked to stop), severe begging, being mean to people/rude, etc.
+Appropriate Lengths of Time to Mute:
+5 Minutes - More of a warning for a mild offense.
+15 Minutes - Break up a small dispute.
+30 minutes - Minor chat filter avoidance.
+1440 Minutes (Full Day) - SERIOUS racial slurs/extreme swearing filter avoidance.
+2880 minutes (Two Days) - Someone that should probably be banned from the game. Send an abuse report that an admin will review and take appropriate action.
+
+If a player does not seem to learn from being muted and continues the behavior after the mute is up, increase the mute time slightly. If they were muted for 15 minutes, then mute for 30. If they continue after that, mute for 60, etc. Do remember that an hour is a long time for a kid, so if they still aren't getting it after a few mutes, don't just jump to 1440, do 2 or 4 hours first.
+ %RULESPlayerNameBECAUSE Explain valid reason here
+This will send the offending player to a part of Prison Isle called Rule Isle. This is only to be used for players that don't seem to understand the rules, as in, they are frequently getting muted for spamming/begging/rudeness. This is also good for players that seem to laugh at getting muted. A player will be automatically muted for 20 minutes when sent here.
+Do Not use this on players that continue to post riddles/passwords in global. This is for more serious offenses. For that, if they are chronic sharers of such things, mute them for 5 or 10 and remind them why they shouldn't share those in global.
+Important:DO NOT overuse this isle! It will lose its effectiveness if used too frequently on the same player(s). There are 4 sets of questions asked. After the 4th time there the questions stay the same. If sent too often, the player will be able to memorize the answers and will get nothing out of being sent there. %BANPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
+This requires TWO moderators to actually happen. Both have to ban the same player one after the other.
+Appropriate reasons for doing this:
+Very bad PlayerName - Offensive
+Terrible behavior that cannot be controlled by a MUTE (??)
+Mainly for use when a new player logs in with an awful name that is certainly not wanted. Two mods can still ban a player even if the player has logged off, as long as the player has an account on that server.
+ IT BLOCKS: email / name / and IP from being able to sign up again. It also kicks the player off.
+ %VIEWPlayerNameSTATS
+Brings up player's stats page/personal profile details page. Listing exp. points, number of quest points, players gender, hunger, thirst and what they are wearing.
+%VIEWPlayerNameINVENTORY
+Used to view a players inventory to see if they have a certain object when helping, etc.
+%VIEWPlayerNameQUESTS
+Used to view a players completed quests.
+%VIEWPlayerNameMONEY
+Shows money on hand and in bank for player.
+%? Playername
+Shows the X and Y position of the player, their playerid and their IP. IP should never be shared with anyone. It is only used to see if two accounts are on the same IP for possible multiple accounts or cheating.
+
+Please do not advertise to the players that you have these abilities. There is no reason for them to know about it.
+%SHORTCUTS
+This is used to view a list of Text Shortcuts for common responses to players. Please try to PM to players to keep from flooding the chat with these. These should really only be used in global when saying a general reminder because a number of people are breaking that rule, such as a number of people forgetting to use Ads Chat. If only one person forgets, please private message them.
+example: /joe *ADS* - Would yell at joe for forgetting to use Ads Chat :)
+%ESCAPE
+This will send you to Mod Isle. The only exit from Mod Isle goes to Earton.
+%STEALTH
+This hides you from the player lists in the game. Your name will still show up on the web page and they will see you when you are walking around, but it should help to keep some players from knowing you are online if you want to take some time to play by yourself. Simply type it again to go back to normal mode.
+
+
+
+ General Game Clarification
+
+
+Different 100% QP Totals
+This happens if the quest points given out on a quest are changed after the quest goes live. To the best of my knowledge, this hasn't happened for a long time, but when it did, then the people that did the quest before the points were changed are going to have different totals than those that finished after it was changed. There is very little I can do about this short of giving myself a big ol' headache :) so, you'll just have to live with it. I may try to fix this soon.. We'll see.
+
+Accidental Chat Flags
+Please if anyone gets upset over getting one of those "flagged" messages, let them know that it takes several violations before we even look at an account, and then everything is reviewed by hand, so that anything that isn't "real" gets deleted. Them emailing to explain what they were "doing" will not change anything, we mark violations based on content only.
+
+Players Being Sent to Prison
+There are 4 ways to get sent to Prison Isle. A mod, you pay Griffin, you get to King Phil's isle without permission or are mean to him, or one of your horse's health gets down to zero. That's it. It's impossible for them to just get tossed there. There are actually a number of players that talk to Griffin, get sent, and don't even realize that's what they did. They were probably clicking through the chat quick. So, if they say they were in Earton before going to Prison, that's always a possibility.
+
+6 Horse Glitch?
+Mod: I was told today that there is a glitch that people are using to their advantage. They have 5 horses, put one up for auction at Appleton where no one ever auctions, then take a horse trade while auctioning, knowing that their horse will not sell. This way they end up with 6 horses.
+
+Answer: Yep. We aren't worrying about it. They can only get 1 extra horse. Don't encourage them getting 6, but if they have 6 it doesn't really matter.
+
+When are New Breeds in the Game to be Captured?
+Every time a wild horse is caught, another wild horse of a random breed replaces it. Once the new breed is announced, it immediately is just as likely to be placed in the game as any other breed, keeping the number of wild horses consistent, while varying the count of any specific breed.
+
+Some have said about 24 hours because that's probably about how long it will be before one happens to get into the game. That doesn't mean one won't pop into the world earlier than that. It all depends on how fast the wild horses are being captured. The more people are catching horses, the better chance the new breed will come into the world.
+
+Players Changing Their Username
+The policy, which is actually on the "Contact Us", is the player must be a current subscriber and they can only change it once.
+Please tell players that changing the names makes a mess of the system, so if they can live with their name, please do. On occasion we allow players to change their username back to what it was originally if they don't like what it has been changed to, but we try to avoid this.
+
+Multiple Accounts
+Mod: Miranda, when you or Joe contact them do you guys tell them why they can only have the one account? And I am assuming it is because of 1. it is just fair to the other players and 2. limited space on the servers? Has the response to it been pretty good or do people get upset about it? I am just being curious so if it is none of my business please feel free to ignore!
+
+Answer: The main reason is a fairness issue. People can create another account for more playtime (which defeats the purpose of subscribing since they have basically unlimited playtime then). They also use mult accounts to hold more horses and can do the easy quests again then move the money to their 'main' account. These are the main reasons that we don't allow mult accounts.
+As you know, we limit playing to only one free account per server within 24 hours. This was done in an attempt to help thwart this multiple account problem. Though it has helped, there are still people with multiples out there, and still some that cheat by moving things from one account to another. This is very common when either the player wants to start over with a new account, or they are afraid they are going to be banned. They move all their stuff to a new account not realizing this is strictly against the rules. This is also one of the reasons we have the rule about no giving things away when you quit or want your account deleted.
+We really don't explain to player specifically why multiple accounts aren't allowed when they are banned for it and email in. We simply say it is against the rules and cheating. If they ask for specifics we do give it to them though.
+
+Not Allowing Advertising of Websites
+Mod: I had one player going after me today for the 'don't talk about other sites' rule. I explained that it was rude and disrespectful of this site, but I wasn't sure what else to tell them when they kept pushing me to point out where it's an actual rule....I was trying to avoid the 'because I said so' scenario, but I was at a loss.
+
+Answer: We don't allow the advertising of other sites because we cannot control the content on those sites. Not only could content be inappropriate, but someone could say "I'm such-and-such on HorseLand", and if they have personal info on that site, then all of our rules about not allowing personal info go out the door.
+
+Under Rule #2 it says No Sharing Websites, so it is clearly stated in the rules. I realize that some people just want to share an article that has absolutely no personal info on it, but it's better and safer on our end to just make it a blanket statement.
+
+Buying Gift Subscriptions or Pawneer Orders for Game Money
+Please read the Detailed Rules un "Selling Gift Subscriptions" and understand this policy very clearly. Many players are still cheated out of money by doing this the wrong way. Encourage players to remember to never give any form of payment, not even half, until after the sub or PO is on their account. The more the other player insists, the less likely they are to actually purchase it for them.
+
+Tip on Keeping Messages out of Global
+Mod: Is there a way to stop messages from going into global when a player logs off? Many times we warn a player and they log off before we hit send and our messages go into global. I know it doesn't just happen to me.
+
+Answer: If you type the /playername, it won't go in global, a message comes up that just says that it can't find the player. That is a big advantage to using that command and not using the drop down box if you are not having a long conversation with the player. Also realize that you do not need to type the player's entire username. Just enough to distinguish it from everyone else online. So, say there were 2 players, one named Firey and another named FireFly and you needed to speak to FireFly. You can just type /firef and it will go to that player.
+
+Another good tip is to set your chat to CHAT MOD and then use the /a to chat in global. Then if you happen to slip up, it is done so in in Mod chat, which is not only less embarassing, but safer if the post involves sensitive info.
+
+Mod Muting Timer
+I've noticed some mods think the mute timer actually adds up. If you muted someone for 30 minutes, then for another 30 it would mean they are actually muted for 60 minutes. That is NOT the case.
+The timer does not compound, it actually replaces. So, if you want to extend a player's mute that is already muted then you need to put in the total amount of time you want them muted. It will overwrite whatever is already there.
+Also, the mute does count down on its own and the player will be unmuted automatically once the timer reaches 0.
+
+Server Time Limit for Mods
+If you are not subscribed on a server and it tells you that you have 0 minutes of time remaining, it doesn't matter. The timer will still go down for you, but you will not get kicked off. So, technically, mods have unlimited playtime whether they are subscribed or not. This is not something that should be known to other players. It is basically a safeguard so you guys can log onto a server and be there if you need or want to be, even without playtime available.
+
+
+
+ Important Mod Stuff
+
+
+
+What Happens in Mod Chat/Forum Stays There
+Mod: Many of us have friends who are not mods. They don't need to know everything that goes on in mod chat.
+
+It is incredibly important that all of the mods respect what is said in this forum and what is said in Mod Chat and to respect your fellow Moderators and leave it there, not telling other players about it. Many mods rant/vent in Mod Chat, most of which is completely harmless unless possibly taken out of context.
+
+This is a trust issue. The mods need to trust each other. If there is something bothering you that another mod says, please take it to me, not other players.
+
+I do want you guys to stand by each other if one mod does PM a player about something. You may disagree with the mod and it's great to discuss why you did something, etc, but if the player comes to a different one of you, please back up what the other mod did. Not doing so undermines the others.
+
+
+Copy/Pasting Chat
+Please do not copy/paste what players say to you into mod chat. I understand sometimes what they say is really funny. That's fine. I'm talking about the bad stuff. Some of you may be looking for guidance and help, but copy/pasting makes the abuse reports a mess. Also, there is absolutely no reason the rest of the mods need to see that junk also. You guys all see enough of that.
+
+If you really need help deciding what to do with a player, please just generalize what's happening. We are seeing this copy/pasting far too much and most of the time it does not appear to be for help. Sometimes it even accidentally goes to the player that it is about, which looks really bad for you and can confuse the player, making the situation worse.
+
+
+Making Assumptions
+It is important to me that all of you do not make assumptions about other players, especially based on what other mods have told you. This affects how you respond to that player both when they say something in global or when they come to you. I have seen this more than once.
+
+In one instance, a player came to a mod about a situation where she didn't want to appear as a 'mini-mod'. Instead of simply being told 'thanks' and it being left at that, she was basically talked down to. I believe this was because she was known to be a player mods had some trouble with.
+
+Please try and treat every player the same. Even if it is a player you tend to have problems with. How are they supposed to get better or change if the mods assume they won't?
+
+
+PMing Players
+I am seeing more and more of the mods stating in global about the ads, or other rule breaks, instead of pming the specific player that is causing the issue. Unless there are a number of people doing the same type of thing, please please please remember to specifically pm the player.
+
+Constantly saying in global "that's your last warning" or "the next person to say that gets muted" tends to get people upset or make them 'test' you. By keeping it in pm, many of the players won't act out, and if they do, it will just be to you and not involve all of global.
+
+
+Bombarding Players
+If there is more than one mod on a server, please remember to tell each other when you are pming a player about a problem. Say "I got playername" so that the other mods know that player has been talked to already. When players get bombarded by pms by mods for spam, or whatever, they tend to get edgy as I'm sure you would also if you were told the same thing 3 or 4 times right in a row. Make sure you tell Mod chat that you're going to PM the player Before you do it. Not after.
+
+
+"Threatening" Players
+I have been getting complaints about mods threatening players with muting. Basically, "stop doing such and such or I'll mute you". This is not dissimilar to when players threaten each other with filing an abuse report which is something we discourage.
+
+Please never 'threaten' to mute. Nicely tell the person in pm to stop (please space out your ads a bit; please stop the conversation in global, it is just escalating a problematic situation, etc etc) then if they continue, mute for an appropriate amount of time and tell them why they were muted. Hopefully this will help with some of the rude players, as many of them tend to get rude once 'threatened'.
+
+If a player continues basically right after you warned them (within a few minutes) go ahead and mute after the first warning. Be sure that the warning was in pm, that way there is very little chance of them missing it. So if you do a general warning in global and someone or some people continue, then warn him/her/them in pm. If they continue an hour later or the next day, then warn once in pm again, if they continue, mute then explain why they were muted.
+
+Given this, it's important to not be nit-picky. With spamming, it should be annoying. When I'm in the game and watching a server, I never count how long it's been between posts. I go by, 'hmm.. I've seen this post before recently' or 'that post is still on the screen, but they only have it twice, so I'll ignore that' If they do it again, then I warn. When it's annoying is when you need to jump on it.
+
+Mod: I would like to point out that a lot of these players are young kids - and I have had some of them tell me that the mods take the fun out of the game. I would just like to say that maybe be a little easier with them - Say please a lot and just be overall friendly, I know it can be very hard at times when you have so many people breaking rules.
+I think we should all remember that behind the computer there is a person with feelings. (I also have to remind myself that on the other side of the screen there could be a 7 y.o being scolded for advertising to much and they don't know why)
+Players can be very difficult, but I think we could all try just a little more to be a little nicer at times. I have had my share of hard days of modding - but you can't really blame one kid for your whole day. (Sorry, if this doesn't apply to you - I have just noticed some mods can come down pretty hard on players for a minor reason IE: spam, caps, asking about riddles etc)
+
+As many of you have noticed, many players don't read everything in global, so even though you just said a minute ago, please don't post passwords in global, it doesn't mean that they read it. :) Using a shortcut or asking for rules to be followed in Global is too easy for them to ignore or claim they didn't know it was meant for them. If we PM, then they have the chance to discuss it privately with us, and save face in front of their friends.
+
+If you find that there are players that are constantly giving out passwords or riddle answers, then go ahead and mute then tell them why. If it's someone that's just trying to be helpful and maybe they didn't see your post because they were busy typing, just pm them and nicely explain why we don't want passwords/riddle answers in global (no need to mute, it's already done). This rule break is not a serious thing, so at most a 5-10 minute mute. Mostly just to get their attention.
+
+When "yelling" at players to stop a conversation, I would recommend staying away from posting words in all caps as some players jump down the mods' throats about "all caps" even though having one or two words in caps is fine. :) Just a thought.
+
+
+Muting Players
+Please remember to tell a player why they were muted after you muted them. I realize sometimes it may seem like you have too much going on, but just a quick, "You have been muted for not using ads chat. Please remember to post all buying and selling in Ads." or something similar is all that's needed. For the most part you shouldn't need to discuss it with them further and it prevents them from coming back at you saying "Why was I muted?" Even if you warned them 5 times and you think they should -know- why they're muted. For the most part, making a quick comment right after should save you more hassle. Then you are contacting them quickly instead of them trying to find the mod that muted them.
+
+When a player is muted, all it says to the player is "Your chat has been disabled by a Moderator for x minutes."
+
+Mod: When a mod mutes, send to rules or prison and that player logs out then back in- do they appear back in prison, rules and/or still muted?
+Mod: Also, When those reports are sent in is it just the chat that's in the box before that abuse report that's sent in? Or does it keep track of it after it's sent as well?
+
+When a player gets sent to Rule or Prison Isle, they are there until they get off themselves. Doesn't matter if they log out and back in. Muting is real time. So if you mute for 10 and they log off then they come back in 10 minutes, they won't be muted anymore.
+
+Abuse reports send in a set number of lines of chat before you muted them or before the report was sent in. So, I do not see anything after the muting. Therefore, if a player harasses you a bunch after you mute them, then be sure to send in a separate abuse report. You can file a report on a player that is not currently logged in. So, if someone logs off before you can mute, file a report instead so they will still get the violation point(s).
+
+Never mute or ban another player based on a hearsay. The person could very easily be lying.
+
+
+Rude Players
+I see players and mods often telling another player that they are being rude, or something they are doing is rude. Really, how often does telling someone they're being rude every help the situation? Rarely ever. For the most part they get offended or defensive. Best to just politely respond to the rude player and explain the rule they're breaking or just ignore them. By saying 'You really shouldn't do that. Do you realize that is very rude?' What do you expect them to say? Yes?
+
+I'm noticing many mods replying to 'rude/disrespectful' players. The ones that say 'whatever', for example, after you ask them to follow some rule.
+Please do NOT respond to these players. I realize many of you see it as disrespect and they should know that being rude won't get them anywhere. The problem here is that responding to them fuels them and gives the response they were most likely fishing for, it doesn't teach them anything. In some cases, mods have been a bit rude back which definitely doesn't help.
+
+There is little that can be done about this online. It is the parents' job to teach the kid to be polite. It is the mods' job to make sure Horse Isle is a safe place. Mute if it is serious, but if it's just a dumb remark, please ignore it and move on.
+
+Another Admin: I think the rude factor is one of the things that bothers Miranda the most. If a player is rude to you, your best bet is to not give them any ammo but to ignore it. I know in the heat of the moment it's difficult. Remind yourself they are just little kids and their misbehavior is being amplified by the anonymity of the internet. You're not losing face, you're just being the more grown-up one. Or change the subject to something really popular and the problem player will soon be ignored by everyone.
+
+She also told me to remember to never use Threats. You can PM them "Please don't do this" but don't give them an "Or else..." Give them a request to stop (or two) and then just mute them the next time and explain afterwards why they were muted in a PM. Threats don't help and actually get the misbehaving players more riled up. Sometimes Mods lose track and don't remember to back up their threatso it actually makes the situation worse not better.
+
+Instead of telling the player not to be rude, let them know that it is against Horse Isle rules to talk badly about someone. The way you word is how they respond. Telling someone that they are rude, will make them more defensive and make them not want to listen. Explain what they are doing wrong, and why, and you will have a better response from them.
+
+Example: You tell a player to keep something out of global. They PM you and say "shut up" or "whatever". Completely ignore the comment. If they do or say whatever it was in global again, mute for 5 or 10 (depending on what was said it could even be longer). Then PM the player and say "you were muted for x minutes for ____". Leave it at that. If they say, "How is that against the rules?!" Politely explain the rule to them, or say "it was causing problems in global so I asked you to stop, since you didn't, you were muted." If they start bashing you, ignore it. Depending on what is said, file a second abuse report. If they resort to swearing or crude language/name calling, go ahead and extend the mute.
+
+In general though, I really don't like the mods muting players when it has to do with PMs directly to you. It feels too personal then. If the player was doing that exact same thing to another player, they wouldn't get completely muted, since the player doesn't have that power. Instead file a report as any other player would do. Again, if it is serious enough, go ahead and extend their mute, then explain to them that you did so, however, I would prefer that extending the mute was more of a last resort rather than a common one. Remember that your personal mute only mutes PM from players. You will still see their chat in other channels.
+
+
+Anger Statements About Rules
+Remember if you can explain to a person that says a rule is dumb why it is a rule, it often helps the situation. Most often people get upset, or say a rule is dumb, when they don't understand why it is a rule. Instead of just stating that it is a rule, so you should follow it, please try to explain why it is as such.
+If you don't understand any of our rules, or why we have them, please ask.
+
+
+"I am a Mod"
+I have seen some mods use the general phrase, "I am a mod so follow the rules" or something similar. Players should be told why they should follow the rules if they don't already know/if they are questioning why. Saying "Because I'm a mod" is basically the same as a parent saying "because" when a kid asks why they can't do something (something I always hated as a kid).
+If a player is asking why they should listen to you, explain that you are there to help the game run smoothly and be sure players follow the rules. They can read the Expected Behavior if they want to know more.
+
+Be sure players understand why they were muted, or why they should follow a certain rule (if they are questioning it) or why they should even listen to you. The "Because I'm a mod" doesn't work and tends to just anger players.
+
+
+Nitpicking
+Some of the mods are getting too bent out of shape over some pretty minor stuff. This is a game. Let the kids play. If they want to have a little camp. Fine. If they want to act like their horses are dating. Fine. If they want to marry their horses. Fine. The no dating policy is for players. We don't want players to come on specifically looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend as that would encourage other behavior. Innocent play acting isn't that big of a deal.
+
+The more mods harp on players for very minor things, like missing ads chat once in a while, or having 'camp', the harder it makes the admins' jobs and the harder it makes your job as a mod. When you start to get on a player about something that doesn't really matter that much, they email us complaining and they harass you.
+
+Please remember that for the most part, these are just kids that like to play and make stuff up. There are much more important things to worry about than kids RPing with their horses or forgetting ads chat once or twice.
+
+As mods, the less you harp on the kids for 'little' things, the easier time you will have with them and the more fun you'll get to have playing.
+
+Joe: Hi Mods! I know, I don't communicate much.. But I just want stress that lately, it seems we are having more mod vs players issues, And the single best way to avoid this is to not "Over-mod" or "Nit Pick". This is critical. Think about how you like the Police in your city. They are great when they are there for emergencies, and when needed. But, when they start telling you how to live every part of your life no one is happy... . Most of the tension can be relieved by simply doing "less" not by doing anything "more". .
+
+Also, if something is really annoying in the game, or imbalanced, it is far better for me to implement a server block or adjustment for it, rather than mods jumping on it. So, be sure to communicate ideas for such things to me.
+
+
+Shortcut Clarification
+I've noticed some confusion when it comes to when to use the shortcuts. I prefer they are used in pm when it involves a specific player. If it is just for a general reminder because, say, a lot of players are posting ads a lot, then in global is fine. I just get concerned that the shortcuts will turn into spam if posted in global too frequently.
+
+
+
+
+ Rule Isle
+ The only way a player can go to Rule Isle is if a mod sends them there (unless they rent a pegasus or unicorn). So, if a player wants to be sent there to check it out, feel free to send them. Do be sure they understand that being sent means a complimentary 20 minute mute, which you will not unmute them early from. This should help prevent people from acting out just to get sent there.
+
+
+
+
+Terms of Endearment
+I have noticed some mods like to call the players "dear" or "hon" or "sweety". Please refrain from doing this. It is a lot easier to keep yourself from typing it then from saying it (I know for some it's pretty automatic), but you need to realize that this most often comes off very condescendingly. It typically upsets the player you are talking to and makes a situation worse if you do not have some sort of previous relationship with them. Please try to keep yourself from using those types of phrases when talking with the players.
+
+
+Positive Reinforcement
+Mod: First I'd like to say thanks for the Ads only chat - it's great and has made life easier.
+However some days it seems as if you're forever asking players - nicely, I might add - to use ad chat.
+
+So I've just started trying something new. In between the please use ads chat type posts. I've started to put "Thank you to all those who are using ads chat for buying and selling" now and then on global. It reminds people the ads chat is there, and it's positive reinforcement for those who are using it. I think everyone - including mods! - could use some positive feedback, instead of only hearing things put negatively, as in don't do x. Just a thought.
+
+
+Accepting Gifts
+I have no problem with accepting or giving gifts. Just don't let them use that as leverage. As a general rule, admins should not accept gifts, but I don't mind if mods do.
+
+
+Players Asking to Be Mods
+I know players ask how old you are supposed to be to be a mod. Please do not tell them you have to be 18. For one, that's not completely accurate. Also, I don't want them creating a new account, lying and saying they are older, just to have the possibility of being a mod.
+
+Please just tell them that we look for mature, helpful, rule-abiding players.
+
+
+Recommending Mods
+I greatly appreciate the recommendations for mods you guys are sending in. One thing, if you could not tell the player(s) when you recommend them that would be great. We'll ask them if they want to be a mod if they fit what we're looking for. By telling them, some may tend to change their behavior knowing that I'll be looking at their chat.
+
+Remember, you can send recommendations directly to me (miranda@horseisle.com). We can look up age info so don't ask the player.
+
+
+Modding Tips
+Mod: One thing that I find useful is to hang back on the Questions in Global. If I wait 10 to 15 Seconds I find that another "regular" player will often answer it (usually 90% of the time).
+This has two effects:
+1. the players tend to go to each other for answers and therefore they develop relationships, and game play becomes more enjoyable for everyone.
+2. This also reduces the dependency on us as moderators and allows us to play our game, as well as saving our fingers (from Repetitive Phrase Injury **laughing out loud!**)
+I also remind them to use the library, and to listen to what the residents actually say.
+
+
+
+ More Specifics
+
+
+
+ Moderating Forums
+ Moderators can delete posts in GENERAL, HORSES and GAME forums.
+ Feel free to delete anything violating rules, or duplicate posts, etc. If you want to help keep them tidier. Do realize that threads which are not replied to within 2 weeks will delete on their own. Be sure to try and leave posts when you can unless an argument is going on, people are being rude, or it violates the rules in other ways.
+
+ If you see something that really deserves a violation then please shoot me an email and I can delete it and give a violation if necessary.
+
+
+ Personal Information
+ I have seen some mods freaking out about players bringing up where they are from. Please remember that it is all right for players to mention what country they live in and what state/province they live in. No more detailed than that.
+ It makes it interesting to know what country someone else is from and, at least in the US, it's fun to know what state because then you can compare weather. :) (yes, I'm a dork)
+
+
+ Player Passwords and Account Responsibility
+ Players should NEVER share their password with others. Not even if they know the person in real life. NEVER give someone the okay to share their password with someone else, even if they are claiming they will take responsibility for what happens on their account. If anything does happen, I still have to deal with it. Also, if others find out that a player let someone else on their account, then not only do we have to handle it (often involving banning) but it also allows the kids to think that account sharing is done all the time and is not against the rules.
+
+ So, if anyone approaches you asking if it is okay to share their password with someone else because they are going on a trip, or they want help with quests, tell them it is against the rules and it could possibly get them banned.
+
+
+ Profile Guidelines
+ If they don't include the year, then birthdays are fine. Saying they're a girl or boy doesn't really matter because it says that further down the stats list.
+ If something is suggestive, or very obviously trying to attract attention in a dating sense, then go ahead and ask them to change it. If they won't, then delete it.
+ Remember begging and asking for donations in descriptions is fine. It is not being forced on anyone and if they want to be known as a beggar, than that's their deal. They just can't bug people in chat about it.
+ Religion should not be mentioned. There simply isn't a reason for others to know what religion a player is. Quotes from the bible in a profile are only okay if there is no book and verse listed and if it isn't "relgious sounding". That can be up to interpretation, but use your best judgment.
+
+ Always ask the player to change their description first. If they won't, then delete it. When you delete a profile, the description shows up in an abuse report and will be given violation points if warranted. Realize no chat comes in with these reports, so if the player was very rude or combative about it, then it might be a good idea to file an abuse report also. If you ever have doubts about a profile/description, go ahead and ask each other or email me.
+
+ Mod: I don't think this violates the rules unless they are spamming to do it [asking for money/donations]. And as bad as it sounds, what they are doing is very predictive of real life. Learning to say no to players now may save them later on when it is real money in real life. Regardless of that, I just don't see that it is our responsibility to monitor the values, ethics and morals of the players. Do I agree with what they are doing? Absolutely not - but I am a moderator for the SITE, not a babysitter for these kids. The way they play in the sandbox is none of my concern unless, and until, it violates the rules. I may be completely wrong on this but that is the way I interpret the term moderator.
+ I do agree that it is aggravating though.
+
+
+ 'Copyright'
+ Mod: I had a player approach me this evening. A player copied most of their profile, verbatim.
+
+ Some players have disclaimers about "This profile is Copyrighted and you will be reported and arrested in real life if you take it." Crazy, maybe, but I do understand how they all put a lot of thought into their profile to make them unique.
+
+ Basically, I just wanted to know what to do when one player 'steals' another player's profile.
+
+ Answer: I wouldn't make a fuss about people having copyright notices in their profile. They shouldn't make threats about it though since we can't do anything about it.
+ Basically, there is no such thing as "copyright" on the game since there is no way for us to know who had it 'first' and what should be considered copyrighted, etc. So, they shouldn't to be nice, but if they do, tell them it's a compliment.
+
+
+ What to do about Controversial Profiles
+ Mod: Players write controversial things in their profiles, like the horses that died on the filming of 'Flicka', and that eating meat is bad, and then post:
+ ATTENTION PLEASE read through the start of my profile if you love animals you will want to hear this!
+ in global, making smaller players read it, and get disturbed with some of the content? its not exactly profanity or anything, its more their opinion, but its somewhat graphic and other players get annoyed with them saying these things. Ive asked them not to advertise it in global, but should we ask them to delete it off their profiles?
+
+ Answer: Stuff like that needs to stay out of global. If they are saying 'read my profile' and it has those things in it and players are getting upset over it, then ask the player to get rid of it. If you just see it in a profile (depending on how graphic of course. You'll have to use your best judgment) leave it be.
+ Basically, the best thing to do is take cues from the other players. If a lot of players are getting upset about something in someone's profile and it's causing problems in global, then maybe the player should remove it.
+
+
+ Clubs/Clans/RP in Profiles
+ Clubs are allowed. Including RP clubs. They may say Warrior Club, or Warrior Camp/Troop, it cannot say it is a clan, herd or gang. These reference a type of behavior which isn't allowed. They may list club members and their club names such as "playername is Medicine Cat" or whatever. They may not say Thunder Clan members. It needs to be Thunder Club/Camp/Troop.
+ They also may have mates and kits, but nothing graphic (no dating content.) Example: they may say Feather Paw mate is Cloud Feather, kits are... They may not have territories, no fighting, no wars between Clubs, no violence of any kind.
+
+ Ask them to please remove the "problem" parts before deleting if possible. Be sure to explain why, since they will be more likely to comply. Something like: "Please remove ____ as it does not conform to the no violence, or no dating, or no territories, or clans... You may read the detailed rules under G for gangs. If you do not wish to RP according to the rules of this game, then please do not RP on this site. This is a Family Game with young children and their parents playing. Thanks." If the player will not remove this from their profile, please delete it. Rules regarding role playing can be found in the detailed rules under R.
+
+ The object is to let them have fun and be creative, but not break the rules of this game, or offend or harass others by their actions.
+
+
+ Inappropriate Player Usernames
+ For names that should be changed, but aren't that bad, mention it to them but also contact me and I'll deal with it. For a username that is really bad and you feel it should just be off the site, then feel free to find another mod and ban them.
+ Please remember that we do not allow real names as usernames. If it is an obvious celebrity name, that's fine, but a name like "KatySmith" would not be allowed. Player usernames can be first names though unless they make it clear that the username is, in fact, their real name. If that is the case, please file an abuse report letting us know this so we can ask the player to change their name.
+
+
+ Bad Horse Names
+ If you see a horse name that would be changed by the filter, or is inappropriate, ask the player to change it. If they won't then the best way to deal with bad horse names is to send in an abuse report stating that they have a horse with an inappropriate name.
+
+ I really feel we are being too strict about horse names. The way we are going now, players with horses that have vampire, witch or magic names should also be changed since many people find those inappropriate subjects.
+
+ So, please only make people change a horse's name if it directly breaks the rules. This would mean innuendo, swearing/avoiding the filter, violence, obvious drug references. Remember that we have tons of teenagers playing the game, and they are rarely happy all the time. So long as it is within the rules, let them express themselves. If someone wants to name their horses "war", "tequila" or "famine" let them. As for the alcohol names, they aren't talking about getting drunk, so I don't really see a problem with it.
+
+ If you have questions regarding specific names, please contact me directly. Hopefully this will keep players happier since they won't feel like we are breathing down their necks about every little thing. This should mean some less conflicts between mods and players.
+
+
+ Bad Things in Drawing Room
+ If you get any complaints about the drawing rooms, you need to get to the room and see what it says as the last person to have drawn. Whether that person actually did the bad thing on the drawing, it doesn't matter. They shouldn't have added to it if they didn't specifically draw it.
+ Never trust what a players says when it comes to the drawing rooms. I will not give violations for drawing room things unless it is seen by a mod.
+
+ If you can take a screen shot and send it to me, that's the best way to go.
+
+
+ "Eating" Players
+ Players often joke about eating, or biting, others. Please ask players to refrain from this since it can be disturbing to younger players and their parents.
+
+ Mod: I usually just say: "Eating of other players (aka cannibalism) is frowned upon in most modern societies and in this game; therefore, please discontinue."
+
+
+ Enforcing Ads Chat
+ Mod: How do you all enforce the use of ads chat? Are people handing out mutes for players that are warned a few times and still use global?
+
+ I had one smart... *ahem* Smart kid tonight who, during his mute, told me that I need to read the rules MYSELF... because ads chat is not mentioned in the rules at all. I explained why it's there, yada yada, same old story though. I'm being mean, and it's not in the rules.
+
+ What's up?
+
+ Mod Answer1: First offense, I put a reminder in global and PM the offending player the same reminder, so that I am sure they see it. The reminder in global is so the mini-mods don't take it upon themselves to tell the person to use ads chat. If I see the same player do it again, I PM them a second warning. On the third offense, they get a 5 minute mute, and I tell them to please not put ads in the global chat because it is bothersome to the other players.
+
+ I do not mute ads, so I can see who is consistently using them. I occasionally hand out topaz necklaces to people who consistently use the ads chat and don't tend to "slip up."
+
+ Mod Answer 2: If I notice a player post an ad in global, and I have seen them use ads chat all the time, I just ignore it. It is usually followed quickly by a "sorry wrong chat".
+
+ Mod Answer 3: Just went and read the rules. Ads Chat is in the rules. Under rule #3 it says:
+ There is an Auto-Sell and auction system to sell horses. Please use that instead of spamming the global chat. There is even an 'Ads Only' channel specifically for selling things. This should be used for any ads instead of global chat.
+
+ Mod Answer 4: I do the three warnings also - they get a pm that I have created first - then a *second warning* with the pm - then *last warning* then a 5 minute mute. Once I mute I send a pm explaining they were muted because and that they must use the ads chat. It usually doesn't go past this. However just a couple of times they have gotten unmuted and done it again. Then it's a warning one time and if it happens again an immediate 10 min mute followed by the same explanation. If they argue I just repost the explanation to them - I think they must wonder if it's automated *laughing out loud!*. I won't provide addt'l explanation though or justify it to them. That's where it usually ends I've noticed.
+
+ Answer: Please please please be sure when you mute someone that they deserve it. There was a player that started out not using ads chat and was told to. From that point on she consistently used ads chat except for once when it went into global, and she was then muted. Let that stuff go. If you see them mostly using ads chat, then if they do slip up once or twice, who cares. Chances are it was an accident, and if it wasn't, they'll do it more frequently to the point that you should mute them.
+
+ Just remember to announce to your fellow mods that you are warning a player. In one instance, a mod warned the player, but another one muted them. So, one assumed the player was getting a warning but the other just straight out muted. Remember to communicate so you know what's going on and so players don't get bombarded.
+
+ Mod: Players are using ads chat to get around the limitations of global chat. One player challenged me about it, saying that's not in the rules.
+
+ Can I get a clarification, please?
+
+ Answer: If people are constantly using ads chat for regular chat because they are running out of global minutes, then they should be spoken too. For the most part, don't worry about it though. I assume a lot more people mute Ads Chat than global, so less people are hearing what they're saying anyway. It's just another thing you guys really don't need to worry about as it just makes things more of a pain for you.
+
+
+ How to Handle Riddles/Passwords/Quiz Questions
+ Mod: I have a question as to how riddle and password requests are handled. Now in the rules, it says don’t give out passwords and riddle answers in global, but it doesn’t say not to say the riddle. Soo… I have automatically muted people for giving answers because if they have read the rules (which they are supposed to have done) then they should know it is against the rules. But the actual asking is a little bit of grey area… I have recently found that in the Appleton riddle room it says Do Not discuss riddles in global. So those asking these ones in global I have begun to mute also, but the other riddles and password areas do not say anything about not asking. How do we deal with those people.. should we mute them too? Can we have something added to all the quiz and riddle areas to warn people not to discuss them in global?
+
+ Answer: We may be able to add something, but if you can catch when someone asks and quick, ask nicely to not ask the riddles in global because it spoils the surprise for others, hopefully people won't answer. In that case, if you explain it (not just say "no riddles in global") hopefully people will understand and not ask again, or not answer the riddle. I know that's asking a lot.. but... hopefully it helps some.
+
+ When it comes to real time riddles, I don't care about discussion regarding the answers to saying what the answer was. Originally we did try to get people to answer it in different chat, but that was pretty much useless, so we gave that up. That being said, feel free to completely ignore anything to do with the real time riddles.
+
+ Now, for real time quizzes, we just don't want them discussed in global or island chat. They can PM or even buddy chat the answers and discuss things between themselves. I don't like the answers for that in global because there are a number of people that want to figure it out on their own and saying the answers in global does ruin it for them. If they really want help with questions, ask them to not directly ask the quiz questions in global. They can ask for the question number or the general idea of the question. "What's the one about South Africa? PM me."
+
+ Try to keep it light hearted too. "Guys, don't spoil the quiz for others please :( " etc. Directly yelling at players, whether global or PM gets them upset and less likely to comply. If you see the same player asking questions directly/giving answers after you've asked them not to, then mute.
+
+ Mod: If with the real time quiz players are encouraged to web search, is there any problem with them discussing the answers afterwards. I see it as a learning process - particularly if the players wants to know why the answer was the answer...
+
+ Answer: The problem is, the answers come up again. There are about 400 questions and they do circulate around pretty regularly. The more the answers are discussed in global, the more others find out the answer for next time it comes around, then they don't have to do the looking up.
+ I love that you guys like to discuss the questions and help them learn and understand, but if you have a group, maybe try and get the group in a general area and use chat near, or try to PM people.
+
+ There are bigger things to worry about than this stuff however, so don't stress about it too much.
+
+
+ Player-run Quizzes
+ Mod:I had a player last night, actually two, doing their own quizzes and handing out prizes. One of them said that the players had to meet them at a certain place, while the other posted the question in global and told players to PM her with the answer. I figured both of these ways, since they had found ways to mostly keep it out of global, was fine.
+ I don't know how the player you're referring to was doing their quizzes though...
+
+ Answer: If there aren't many players on and most appear to be participating (no one's objecting) then I wouldn't worry about it. It is a good idea to ask them to keep it to Ads Chat, so that it does limit them to posting the question once a minute at the most. But do let them have their fun. If it's the prime time when there are 100 players on, then best to ask them to go to a specific area and use Near or Island Chat (if it's a small, not frequently traveled isle).
+
+
+
+ Players Asking for Donations
+ Remind players this is against the rules if they are asking for donations in chat. The specific rule is found in the Detailed Rules. Do remember that they can ask for donations via their profile so long as they aren't actively telling people to look at their profile for that reason.
+
+ Mod: I also PM players asking for donations with a way to earn money. ie, Minigames, selling items they collect. I also give them a short list of NPC's who pay nicely for common items like dandelions, logs, worms, coconuts, etc. Once they find out what they can sell, and how much can be earned, it decreases the amount of donation requests.
+
+
+ Players Marrying Horses
+ Mod: Okay..this is going to sound like a silly question but recently some players on grey server have started holding "weddings" for their horses. Now this kind of thing between players would not be permitted because no dating is allowed...but what about the horses? Would this be considered against the rules?
+
+ Answer: That used to be quite common on Pinto. At the time we decided it was fine when it was all in fun. If they do start imposing it on players, then step in. Otherwise, let them have their fun.
+
+
+ Released Horses
+ Mod1: I have had this happen a lot lately- a player releases a horse for whatever reason- someone else catches it and keeps it. Now- if I understand right- once the horse is released it's fair game to anyone. If someone else catches the horse- they do not have to give it back to whoever released it and we as mods don't get involved in the dispute. If they feel they were wronged they file an abuse report. Am I correct or have I been thinking all wrong? any advice would be much Appreciated.
+
+ Mod2: I believe that logic is correct. Also, if a players says "I'm standing on a wild horse" in global, then wants whoever catches it to pay them money, no money is owed, correct?
+
+ Answer: Many players claim to release a horse accidentally. You have to push an "are you sure" button before a horse is released, so if they are really that click-happy to not notice they were releasing a horse, than they need to pay more attention. If they are releasing horses in order to trade with each other, tell them that even if they have full horses and want to trade with another player, so long as both players add a horse to the trade, it can go through. They don't need to release a horse to get down below max horses.
+
+ No selling the location of wild or released horses. If they want to release fine, or announce a wild horse fine, but they may not charge for it.
+
+ A horse that is released disappears after 1 hour but a wild horse will stay wild and, if not caught, will disappear on its own after 24 hours. All releasing does is prevent new horses from being randomly put into the game if the number wild is above 30, so if players want to release horses instead of sell to a player or the Pawneer, don't worry about it. The act of releasing a horse does not remove a wild one from the game.
+
+
+ Companion/Releasing Parties
+ Mod: A player found a profile that disturbed her, and asked me to look into it. It's below:
+
+ COMPANION PARTY REQUIREMENTS- You must have a companion that raises your horses stats +100 that you WILL drop for others- You MUST listen to the orders given at the companion party or you WILL be ordered to leave, and MAY be reported- PM me in the following scriptI will be dropping a [companion type here] and I will listen to your rulesAfter reviewing your PM, I will tell you the location of the companion party and at every party I WILL be dropped at LEAST 5 foals P.S. You WILL be getting a GREAT companion or two if you decide to come to the party. You WILL get a foal if you show up but ONLY if you drop your companion.
+
+ Does this look like a scam to you? What, if anything, should be done?
+
+ Answer: This has been a popular thing lately and all it seems to do is get people upset. Of the few I have checked, the person that claimed they were going to drop a foal never did. So, these "companion parties" are not allowed to be advertised and are highly discouraged. They are not strictly against the rules, because there is no way to actually enforce that. The way we have it set up, you, the mod, shouldn't even know that it is happening.
+
+ If they do feel the need to have these "companion parties" and you do know about it, just be sure to warn people in general that it's highly unlikely anyone would actually drop a foal at these things and if they participate it's their fault if they lose a companion.
+
+ Joe said it's kind of like a person on a playground telling a kid, hey, if you give me your twinkie I'll give you my iPod. :)
+
+ All of these statements apply to "releasing parties" also. We don't want them announcing 'releasing parties' in global, but they can do that with their buddies if they want, though charging for these at all is not allowed. The big thing here is, so many people whine that someone stole their horse, or companion, or whatever their releasing when they have these 'parties'. Again, it's always good to remind them that once an item or horse leaves your possession, it is no longer considered yours and someone else catching it or picking it up is not stealing it.
+
+ Mod: I've had times I've stumbled upon a releasing party, grabbed the horse, and took it to the pawneer. Might not be the nicest way to do things, but the reality that they need to face is that it will happen.
+
+ Answer: I realize you want to teach the kiddos a lesson, but most will learn it from other players. I would prefer the mods were helpful and nice.. not taking horses that you know were released by a player out of good faith that it would be returned. So, if asked, please return a horse in these types of situations and be sure to let the player know that most players wouldn't return the horse so they would have lost it and to remember that once a horse is released it is no longer considered theirs.
+
+
+ Threatening With the Pawneer
+ Ignore it if it's worded all right and not causing a raucous, but do say something if they are wording it threateningly or if other players are reacting negatively. It's better if not mentioned at all, but it also isn't a huge deal and it's also a good idea to not make a bug fuss about it. Making a big deal out of it yourself, if no one else is, will just make things harder for you.
+
+
+ Unfair Trades and Scamming
+ Mod: With regard to an unfair trade (or), scams, are players allowed to report at least a name to a mod, should moderators compose a list of those attempting to spoil HI with scams and keep an eye on them (with perhaps a rule where if a player is reported 5 times they get a days mute?)
+
+ Just seeking some clarity, normally I would copy and paste my general reminder about unfair trades, but I know from experience that its not always easy to avoid one of these situations.
+
+ Mod Answer: Names are fine for them to give to you. As for a list of players to keep an eye on. There's probably certain players that certain mods have had run-ins with time and again. But as I recall Joe and Miranda saying they wanted the mods to treat every player equally. Not playing favorites if one player has been good, or not disliking a player for doing a bad thing. And if a player does enough bad things then Miranda and Joe will probably have noticed them because of the abuse reports.
+
+ Answer: If someone comes to you and says they've been scammed, get them to file an abuse report against them. If the scamming is clear, the 'bad' player does get severe violations and could be banned. So we watch for this behavior.
+ There are times when a player will say they were scammed just to get another player in trouble when they were the scammer. There is no way for you to know this, so be sure to get them to file an abuse report.
+
+ Mod: What should we say to warn the kids of potential scams. I know some of the Mods had little sayings they use but I can't remember the gist of it other than Beware of Scams
+
+ Mod Answers:
+
+
+
+ I usually say that "If it sounds too good to be true it's probably not a good deal" and encourage folks that if they've been taken advantage of in a trade or deal to report it immediately
+
+
+ "Never give someone something you can't afford to lose" is another one.
+
+
+
+ I have a habit of NOT sugar-coating things and the two 'phrases' I use are:
+
+
+ Please be aware of other players attempting to scam. Do NOT willingly give out your money, horses or items as that will fall under an unfair trade.
+
+
+ The only services you should pay for are those provided by Horse Isle itself, and not other players.
+
+
+
+ Sometimes I get players mad at me because they think I am pointing fingers directly at them, but usually after I tell them I am just saying it as a general reminder to everyone, they cool off.
+
+
+ Payment Plans
+ Players really need to pay for something completely or not at all. Some set up these "payment plans" and often end up with one of the players being slighted. Either they gave the horse and don't ever get completely paid for it, or the person making the payments, makes a few, then the player with the horse decides not to sell it anymore, but keeps the payments that have been made up to that point.
+
+ This is trading on a promise, so if you see someone advertising payment plans, please warn them of this problem.
+
+
+ Contests
+ Players may hold contests, such as Beauty Contests, so long as they do not charge any fee for it. They should use Ads Chat to advertise it. This is outlined in the Detailed Rules.
+
+
+ Selling Presents
+ This is currently in the rules:
+ 6] Do not trade for a present because it could contain anything.
+
+ Be sure to quote that if a player is selling presents. If the player selling them seems to be claiming there is a lot of good stuff in the presents then they really need to stop or be more honest because we all know they are mostly filled with cheap stuff. Also, they cannot claim there is money, pawneer orders, companions or horses in there since those cannot be wrapped.
+
+ Technically, the presents are not really a raffle because the player is getting something for their money, it just probably won't be worth what they paid. Take it as a good lesson to the kids that decide to buy the present. Just watch how the player selling them is claiming what is in them.
+
+
+ Selling Pawneer Orders
+ It's better for a player to gift Pawneer Orders instead of having it in their inventory. They just need to follow the policy in the Detailed Rules under "Selling Gift Subscriptions". That is actually safer than doing it via one in their inventory. In that case, they have to make the horse, then hope that the person still wants the horse and will pay for it. Which, if the person decides they don't want the horse anymore, or it's not the right height, then the person with the Pawneer Order is stuck with a horse they don't want.
+
+
+ Chatspeak
+ The main thing here is to just not over-mod. Most people can't stand it, but it's another thing that isn't that big of a deal and I don't want you guys over fretting about it. Now, if there is a player that is continually chatting in a way that is basically impossible to understand, then, by all means, deal with them. If you have someone saying "Did u want it 2?" Or something like that, where it's really simple and easily understood, don't worry too much. And the more other players get upset about it, the less that player will be able to actually chat using chat speak.
+
+ As much as I also can't stand chat speak, I just don't want you guys to make things more difficult for yourselves or the players.
+
+
+ Other Languages
+ One important thing with the languages (why we require English) is because the filters don't catch foreign languages. It has nothing to do with discrimination. The game is made in English so they need to speak English. If you try and make the player(s) understand -why- something is a rule, it generally helps.
+
+
+ How to get to Islands
+ It has come to my attention that maybe we should have a general policy on telling players answers to quests. This includes informing players how to get to islands.
+ I have no problem with you telling players whatever you want, but this is another thing that should be done in pm so as not to spoil it for others. Feel free to give hints I guess if there are a number of people asking (such as, check out the new available quests, if it's a new isle that just opened), otherwise best to leave answers to things like how to get to islands (at least the smaller ones where you have to talk to someone specific to get there) in pm.
+
+ Do not feel the need to police this in global too much. I guess it's similar to passwords and riddles in global, but no need to mute for it, just explain to the players that some people like to find out that stuff on their own.
+
+ Some mods and players have directions to isles in their profile. That is just fine.
+
+
+ Players Threatening Self Harm
+ Mod: So I'm noticing something of a trend: players claiming they're going to harm themselves, or worse, to mods. This has happened to a fellow Pally mod, and I remember someone awhile back mentioning a similar problem on their server, here in the mod forum.
+
+ Now I realize that there is not much we can do as mods, and I realize that alot of this is just to get attention. However, I take suicide threats very seriously. In the past I have given friends the number for the national suicide hotline. Would giving out the number be an appropriate move for a moderator to take, if we had reason to believe a player was serious in their threats? Or is this overstepping the bounds of what a moderator does? I have done no such thing, but I am disturbed at the threats of suicide and/or self-harm.
+
+ What would be the best way to handle such threats?
+
+ Mod1 Answer: I have to say that with the vast majority who say something like that, my line is this (in PM of course)
+
+ "I am assuming that what you have said is a very, very bad joke. If for any reason I thought you were serious, my next action would have to be to give you a prolonged mute on this game and refer you to some suitable help and counseling sites. Am I right in thinking this is a joke?"
+
+ To date, every single person has backtracked and said they weren't serious. Most have then claimed it's their little brother/dog/friend/aliens at the keyboard and they didn't say it.
+
+ I've also noticed that the word seems to be getting round that this is my response as I rarely seem to see this sort of thing when I'm online.
+
+ I have no idea if this is the best way to handle it, it's well outside my experience. It seems to work. That's all I can say.
+
+ Mod2 Answer: I think that muting the player right away and chatting with them privately could help the situation. Then they can't keep talking about it in global and continue making the new trend popular.
+ If they really want someone to talk to, they can talk with you instead of scaring younger players in global. I think after a few minutes, if even that long, you'll be able to tell if the player is depressed or just attention seeking. If they are depressed, you can encourage them to seek help or talk to a parent or trusted teacher/counselor- if they are attention seeking you can explain the severity of these "threats" and keep them muted as a punishment for not taking it seriously and worrying other players needlessly. But I really liked [Mod1's] response a lot. I'll use that phrase myself if I run across it.
+
+
+ Weird Typing Glitch
+ Mod1: Is there a glitch turning a random word you type to individual posts? for example
+
+ help into
+ h
+ e
+ l
+ p
+
+ There have been several players claim this on chestnut, is it true or are they just trying to pull wool over my eyes?
+
+ Mod2: Some computers glitch I think... This also happens occasionally on Dun. And with some good players who don't spam or break the rules.
+
+ Answer: I've actually had this happen to me once, and some of you will remember when [Mod] was having this problem severely. So, for the most part, the players are probably not lying. Especially if they are saying some sentence and stop partway through a word. This probably means they just looked up and were like "oh shoot!". Apparently a shortcut program can cause this problem for some.
+
+
+ Off Game Chat
+ I have gotten some complaints about mods being too hard on players chatting in global. Not letting them chat about anything other than the game.
+ If they want to mention stuff outside the game, just watch it. If there are other players getting annoyed or a fight is starting to break out because of a disagreement, then stop it. No reason to really stop it if they are civilly talking about something.
+
+
+ Mini Mods
+ Mod1: I know this has been briefly mentioned before, but I know I can speak for most of the frequent Roan mods, we've been having problems with a few 'mini mods' in global. It's gone beyond just trying to be helpful. One player in particular even goes as far as saying 'I think I speak for the mods...', and jumps in when we're trying to do our job, clearly, in global already. I think its beyond these players being helpful, and them truly being a pest, because it continues even after we ask them to let us do our job.
+
+ There was also a complaint today that if we reprimand these mini mods, its eliminating peoples chances of getting noticed to be a mod... That's not the case... I just feel that some of these players are doing it outright to annoy us...what should we do?
+
+ Answer: What players don't realize is that being an over assertive 'mini mod' can actually hurt their chances of being a mod. Even if another mod recommends them and I see them actually tending to cause problems because of trying to act 'modly' I won't make them a mod.
+
+ I don't look at players that act like mods. I look at players that are helpful in the sense of being willing to answer questions when asked, always answering things politely, often with a smile, deal with hard situations without getting upset, etc.
+
+ In the case where you are having problems with players acting like mods, be sure to pm them and explain that you are handling it and what they are doing is actually causing more problems. If they get rude or continue, then go ahead and mute for 5 like [Mod2] mentioned and try to explain to them again. If you are consistently having problems with the same player(s) let me know and I can try looking into them and maybe talking to them.
+
+ Here is [Mod2]'s post for reference:
+ I would give the player(s) a talking to first, then, if that didn't help the situation, I'd do a short mute, maybe 5-10 min. I'd explain that it's good to be helpful, but to not step in and try to take charge of a mod's duties, especially when there are mods present. Also, make sure they know mods pm players if issues arise, not mention them in global. .
+
+ I had a similar discussion with a few players a while back. One just couldn't wrap her mind around why it was bad. I borrowed a page from my hubby, who's a cop. I told the players to think about it this way: If you're standing next to a police officer, and the officer is telling a person who is misbehaving not to do something, and then you, a regular person, also fuss at the misbehaving person, then you're just making the situation worse, because there is someone there whose actual job is to take care of things, and he (or she) is doing it. I could almost hear the light bulbs going on over the players' heads. :) Worked great. Feel free to steal if it works for you guys.
+
+ I'm seeing mods jump on some people for something that seems pretty petty... Let me try to clarify what I see as 'mini-modding'. If any of you want to add to it, feel free, say why, or what harm it causes and we'll see.
+
+ When a player is constantly correcting people:
+ "Use ads chat ________"
+ "Stop spamming!!"
+ "Stop talking about that ____" <- the player should PM a mod and ask them to get the person to stop
+ "Don't use caps like that."
+ "Don't share riddles!!"
+ etc. I think you get the point
+
+ What I consider to NOT be mini-modding but simply helping:
+ "Use the library to find characters in the game."
+ "Using ads chat will probably increase the chance of you being able to sell your horse!"
+ "Ads chat is used by either selecting it in the drop down box or typin /$"
+ "You can find the password by talking to the residents."
+ etc.
+
+ It's really important to distinguish between people that are just helping and answering questions, and those that are actually causing problems because they are telling people what to do. If you see someone as a mini-mod, but other players don't seem to have a problem, then leave it alone. The only time you should talk to someone that is acting like a mini-mod is if they are actually causing more fighting in global.
+
+ Mod3 Answer: A mini mod is someone who decides to reprimand players after every little infraction and not allowing the mods time to even respond or still post it after we say something.
+
+ Lastly, please do not tell other players they are being 'mini-mods' or they are 'mini-modding'. The best thing to do if someone keeps correcting others in global is to PM them and say something like "I know you are trying to help, but please let the mods handle it. We do so in PM and we don't want a(the) player feeling bombarded". Or something like that.
+
+ Calling a player a 'mini-mod' or saying that they are 'mini-modding' is basically name calling and many take offense to it. If you let them know that we handle things in PM and talk with each other to be sure a player isn't bombarded then maybe they will be less prone to attempt to get players to follow the rules in the future.
+
+
+ Harassment of Mods
+ Mod1: This evening [actually, it's still going on as I post this] a few of the known "troublemakers" on Bay server were harassing and being extremely disrespectful towards 2 of the 3 mods [both of us being new]. It was asked repeatedly that players drop this and keep their comments to themselves, but they refused, and continued saying rude/hurtful things. I do not know what is to be done about this. If I do something to reprimand them, I don't think it will help the situation, but I do not feel it should go unpunished. I considered muting for 15 minutes in regards to teasing, but wasn't sure if this was the proper thing to do. Please help!
+ I know most of these players are children. It almost sickens me to see the actions of some players. It's amazing what the internet can do for a person. Leaves them safe to be rude and hurtful, even if they wouldn't do it in everyday life. Provides them with something to hide behind - leaves them anonymous. It's sad, and I actually feel bad for them. I try not to take it too personally, but it's hard not to. There's someone openly saying to 80 other players that they HATE you. Not dislike, but HATE. I actually don't think I've ever said that to anyone in my LIFE. Ugh.
+
+ Answer: For these types of things they need to be muted. Especially if they are doing it in global and not stopping after being asked to. By not muting them, they think they can get away with it. They probably would start harassing you after you mute them, but you can always personally mute them.
+
+ Just remember that the anonymity applies to you also. They don't know who you are or what you're really like, so what they say doesn't really have any bearing on you. It's really important to ignore these types of hurtful things and not take it personally, though I know that can be tough.
+
+ Mod2 Answer: When I first started dispatching my trainer told me the best piece of advice I have ever heard. As it is highly applicable here I want to share it :)
+ She said " It's never personal! Unless someone says to you - Hey! You - so and so (insert name) I know you! I know where you live and how you live your life! I know how you treat your family and your kids and I just want you to know that I hate you and I think you suck at the way you live your life! - Unless a caller, or an officer (or a PLAYER), can say that to you - it's never personal.
+
+ Mod1: Okay so here's the deal. On Roan during more than one instance I've noticed different moderators trying to remind a player of certain rules and instead of the usual 'my bad' they get backtalk from the players. It seems to me that more and more players are viewing certain mods as being "power hungry" and that mods "discretely lord their power over us [players] by boosting their egos with mutes" when they're only trying to do their job.
+
+ Answer: Telling the player to file an abuse report if they feel they've been treated unfairly is probably the best thing you can do. You should also let them know that starting disputes in global is against the rules.
+ However, if they don't take that hint and continue to make a dispute in global then I'd say muting is definitely in order.
+
+ Mod3 Answer: This is going to sound dumb. But I definitely up the amount of smiley faces I use when asking players to follow rules through PM's. If they argue about it I will remind them that the rules are there for a reason, also with a smiley face.
+
+ Example: A player keeps using global chat instead of ads chat for their selling ads.
+ Me: Please remember to keep that in Ads Chat Please :)
+ Player: But I can only post once per minute with ads chat!
+ Me: That's true, but ads chat is there to keep the global clutter down and it is a rule to keep all advertisements in that chat. Thanks :)
+
+ The player will usually just say "okay" after that point and use ads chat. If not, I mute for 5 mins.
+
-The following is a brief explanation of what we would appreciate from the moderators.
-Too much "moderating" can be counter-productive to the community peace :)
-Also PLEASE try to talk to players privately, NOT in global chat. Doing so makes it
-a "scene" which often embarasses the player and makes them less likely to behave.
-
-Example: Chat Spam Definition: Repeating same thing over and over within a short time.
- (Once every 5 minutes is fine, but not in a row.. ESPECIALLY when old chat still on screen :)
-"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - normal chat, no problem.
-"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - repeated.. maybe on accident.
- If this is first time player repeats stuff, ignore
-"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - private message them nicely asking to stop spamming the chat.
-"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - MUTE player 10
-
-Example: Begging Definition: A Player asking for money/horse for free repeatedly.
-"Can i have some money!" - Once, ignore it, maybe offer ways for them to earn money
-"But i really need some money!" - Twice, private message them a warning to not Beg and suggest ways to earn money/acquire a horse
-"But I REEALLY need some money! anyone?" - Third time, MUTE player 10 And explain that begging is not allowed.
-
-
-
How to Handle Certain Situations
-Always be courteous when talking to other players, whether chatting globally or privately. You are a mod and are held to different standards than other players. We all tire of hearing the same questions over and over. It is a good idea to nicely point out the Help Center and New Player Guide as a place to get questions answered, but please answer the question as well. Some people simply like to chat and not read information pages. You can also choose to not say anything at all. Remember, "please" can go a long way.
-Here are some general scenarios and the best way to handle these situations. This is so we know we are all handling situations relatively the same and are not confusing players.
-If a player accepted an unfair trade, should you mute and report the other player? The basic answer for this is that the player accepted the trade, therefore if the trade was unfair the player should not have accepted it in the first place. The way the trade system is set up now, there is no reason players should accept a trade that is not completely fair. They need to be sure they are offerring everything that was agreed upon along with the other player BEFORE hitting accept. An important statement in the rules is to never trade something you aren't willing to lose. This goes strongly for horses and tack since players seem to like to lend those out.
-The only time a player should really be reprimanded for an unfair trade is if they were clearly taking advantage of a new player (have the 'victim' send in an abuse report against the player) or if someone is consistently saying one thing then doing something else. Such as someone consistently saying they will train a player's horse, then turning around and releasing it or selling it to someone else.
-That also brings up training/boarding. We DO NOT endorse training or boarding. For players that trade their horse to someone to be trained, they do so at their own risk. That player may not give it back or they my even get banned for some reason. One very important thing to remember with any statements made to you about something that occurred with a different player. If a player reports to you that someone else scammed them, lied, or whatever, DO NOT get involved as you cannot see their chat and one could be lying just to try and get the player in trouble. I have seen this happen. Instead, tell them they must file an abuse report and they should mute and ignore the player. If you don't think they will file the report or seem confused on how to do so, then please do so yourself.
-The Art Rooms: Only subscribers can draw in art rooms and have it be seen by other players. This basically means that the person probably cares about their account and won't want to be banned so there is less of a chance if abuse of the art rooms. Because there still has been some abuse, now the last person that either drew or loaded a picture will be shown in the art room. If you see something bad in the art room, the name will say either who drew it or who added to it. If someone added to it, it is as bad as drawing it since it should have just been erased, not encouraged. If something bad is drawn in the art room and another player sees it and erases it and a mod doesn't see it, DO NOT go by who the player said drew it if they already erased it. A mod must see it in order to take action. This is so that a player cannot falsely accuse another. If you do find an offending drawing and the person is on, depending on the drawing, the person should be muted and possibly banned (if the drawing is extremely inappropriate). Be sure to privately talk to the player to let them know that what they drew was inappropriate. They were muted for that reason and could be banned. If possible, please take a screenshot of the drawing and email it to me (miranda@horseisle.com).
-If a player is teasing others, what should you do? If this is occuring where you can see it (global, buddy, island, etc.) please ask the offending player(s) to stop. If they don't, MUTE for an appropriate length of time for what was happening (generally 15 minutes). If it is reported to you that teasing is occuring, particularly over private chat, inform the player that they should personally mute the offending player and ignore them. If it is serious, they should file an abuse report to be reviewed by one of the admins. As a mod, if something is happening in private chat, you can't see it, so you can only take a player's word on it. Having them ignore/mute the player allows them to continue playing without being harrassed and, if they file an abuse report, the other player could get a chat violation. The mod shouldn't confront the offending player because even copy-pasted chat could have been typed by the player 'copying' it to the mod.
-Commonly players are not realizing that someone isn't private chatting with them, but actually buddy chatting with someone else. If you find someone complaining that a player keeps chatting to them when they've asked them to stop, it is possible that the person is on their BUDDY LIST and are chatting to someone else on their buddy list, but not the other player's. Remember that BUDDY CHAT is pink and PRIVATE CHAT is blue. If the person doesn't want to hear all the chat from someone, they can simply remove them from their buddy list.
-If any of you have questions about how to handle different situations, feel free to send me an email to ask. I can be reached directly at miranda@horseisle.com.
-
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Moderator Commands
-
-The following commands are available to moderators in the game. These need to be used for REAL rule breaking! Never for fun or for personal reasons. Doing so will immediately remove your Moderator Privileges.
-Use these ONLY when it is necessary. No one appreciates getting "yelled at". So make sure it deserves it. Make sure you are FAIR also. If someone else started something and you just penalize the second person, that is not fair. Try to penalize both parties equally when possible.
-
-%PRISONPlayerNameBECAUSEExpain valid reason here
-Using this command sends the player to prison isle where they need to spend a few minutes breaking rocks to get off. THIS is not used for serious rulebreaking. Just minor stuff, such as: Begging, globaling private riddle answers / bridge passwords.
-
-%MUTEPlayerName15BECAUSEExplain valid reason here
-%UNMUTEPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
-This disables(or enables) a player from chatting to anyone OR getting any chats for 15 minutes. (Admins excepted)
-Valid reasons for doing this include: Potty talk, severe chat spamming (continuing after being asked to stop), severe begging, being mean to people/rude, etc.
-Appropriate Lengths of Time to Mute:
-5 Minutes - More of a warning for a mild offense.
-15 Minutes - Break up a small dispute.
-30 minutes - Minor chat filter avoidance.
-1440 Minutes (Full Day) - SERIOUS racial slurs/extreme swearing filter avoidance.
-2880 minutes (Two Days) - Someone that should probably be banned from the game. Send an abuse report that an admin will review and take appropriate action.
-If a player does not seem to learn from being muted and continues the behavior after the mute is up, increase the mute time slightly. If they were muted for 15 minutes, then mute for 30. If they continue after that, mute for 60, etc.
-
-%RULESPlayerNameBECAUSE
-This will send the offending player to a part of Prison Isle called, basically, Rule Isle. This is only to be used for players that don't seem to understand the rules, as in, they are frequently getting muted for spamming/begging/rudeness. This is also good for players that seem to laugh at getting muted. A player will be automatically muted for 20 minutes when sent here.
-Do Not use this on players that continue to post riddles/passwords in global. This is for more serious offenses. For that, if they are chronic sharers of such things, mute them for 5 or 10 and remind them why they shouldn't share those in global.
-Important:DO NOT overuse this isle! It will lose its effectiveness if used too frequently on the same player(s). There are 4 sets of questions asked. After the 4th time there the questions stay the same. If sent too often, the player will be able to memorize the answers and will get nothing out of being sent there.
-
-%BANPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
-This requires TWO moderators to actually happen. Both have to ban the same player one after the other.
-Appropriate reasons for doing this:
-Very bad PlayerName - Offensive
-Terrible behavior that cannot be controlled by a MUTE (??)
-Mainly for use when a new player logs in with an awful name that is certainly not wanted.
-IT BLOCKS: email / name / and IP from being able to sign up again. It also kicks the player off.
-
-%VIEWPlayerNameSTATS
-used to view a players money mainly for determining if they have any when helping, etc.
-%VIEWPlayerNameINVENTORY
-used to view a players inventory to see if they have a certain object when helping, etc.
-%VIEWPlayerNameQUESTS
-used to view a players completed quests.
-%VIEWPlayerNameMONEY
-show money on hand, and in bank for player.
-Please do not advertise to the players that you have this ability. There is no reason for them to know about it.
-
-%SHORTCUTS
-used to view a list of Text Shortcuts for common responses to players. Please try to PM to players to keep from flooding the chat with these. These should really only be used in global when saying a general reminder because a number of people are breaking that rule, such as a number of people forgetting to use Ads Chat. If only one person forgets, please private message them.
-example: /joe *ADS* - Would yell at joe for forgetting to use Ads Chat :)
-
+The following is a brief explanation of what we would appreciate from the moderators.
+Too much "moderating" can be counter-productive to the community peace :)
+Also PLEASE try to talk to players privately, NOT in global chat. Doing so makes it
+a "scene" which often embarasses the player and makes them less likely to behave.
+
+Example: Chat Spam Definition: Repeating same thing over and over within a short time.
+ (Once every 5 minutes is fine, but not in a row.. ESPECIALLY when old chat still on screen :)
+"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - normal chat, no problem.
+"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - repeated.. maybe on accident.
+ If this is first time player repeats stuff, ignore
+"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - private message them nicely asking to stop spamming the chat.
+"Hi i have a great horse for sale" - MUTE player 10
+
+Example: Begging Definition: A Player asking for money/horse for free repeatedly.
+"Can i have some money!" - Once, ignore it, maybe offer ways for them to earn money
+"But i really need some money!" - Twice, private message them a warning to not Beg and suggest ways to earn money/acquire a horse
+"But I REEALLY need some money! anyone?" - Third time, MUTE player 10 And explain that begging is not allowed.
+
+
+
How to Handle Certain Situations
+Always be courteous when talking to other players, whether chatting globally or privately. You are a mod and are held to different standards than other players. We all tire of hearing the same questions over and over. It is a good idea to nicely point out the Help Center and New Player Guide as a place to get questions answered, but please answer the question as well. Some people simply like to chat and not read information pages. You can also choose to not say anything at all. Remember, "please" can go a long way.
+Here are some general scenarios and the best way to handle these situations. This is so we know we are all handling situations relatively the same and are not confusing players.
+If a player accepted an unfair trade, should you mute and report the other player? The basic answer for this is that the player accepted the trade, therefore if the trade was unfair the player should not have accepted it in the first place. The way the trade system is set up now, there is no reason players should accept a trade that is not completely fair. They need to be sure they are offerring everything that was agreed upon along with the other player BEFORE hitting accept. An important statement in the rules is to never trade something you aren't willing to lose. This goes strongly for horses and tack since players seem to like to lend those out.
+The only time a player should really be reprimanded for an unfair trade is if they were clearly taking advantage of a new player (have the 'victim' send in an abuse report against the player) or if someone is consistently saying one thing then doing something else. Such as someone consistently saying they will train a player's horse, then turning around and releasing it or selling it to someone else.
+That also brings up training/boarding. We DO NOT endorse training or boarding. For players that trade their horse to someone to be trained, they do so at their own risk. That player may not give it back or they my even get banned for some reason. One very important thing to remember with any statements made to you about something that occurred with a different player. If a player reports to you that someone else scammed them, lied, or whatever, DO NOT get involved as you cannot see their chat and one could be lying just to try and get the player in trouble. I have seen this happen. Instead, tell them they must file an abuse report and they should mute and ignore the player. If you don't think they will file the report or seem confused on how to do so, then please do so yourself.
+The Art Rooms: Only subscribers can draw in art rooms and have it be seen by other players. This basically means that the person probably cares about their account and won't want to be banned so there is less of a chance if abuse of the art rooms. Because there still has been some abuse, now the last person that either drew or loaded a picture will be shown in the art room. If you see something bad in the art room, the name will say either who drew it or who added to it. If someone added to it, it is as bad as drawing it since it should have just been erased, not encouraged. If something bad is drawn in the art room and another player sees it and erases it and a mod doesn't see it, DO NOT go by who the player said drew it if they already erased it. A mod must see it in order to take action. This is so that a player cannot falsely accuse another. If you do find an offending drawing and the person is on, depending on the drawing, the person should be muted and possibly banned (if the drawing is extremely inappropriate). Be sure to privately talk to the player to let them know that what they drew was inappropriate. They were muted for that reason and could be banned. If possible, please take a screenshot of the drawing and email it to me (miranda@horseisle.com).
+If a player is teasing others, what should you do? If this is occuring where you can see it (global, buddy, island, etc.) please ask the offending player(s) to stop. If they don't, MUTE for an appropriate length of time for what was happening (generally 15 minutes). If it is reported to you that teasing is occuring, particularly over private chat, inform the player that they should personally mute the offending player and ignore them. If it is serious, they should file an abuse report to be reviewed by one of the admins. As a mod, if something is happening in private chat, you can't see it, so you can only take a player's word on it. Having them ignore/mute the player allows them to continue playing without being harrassed and, if they file an abuse report, the other player could get a chat violation. The mod shouldn't confront the offending player because even copy-pasted chat could have been typed by the player 'copying' it to the mod.
+Commonly players are not realizing that someone isn't private chatting with them, but actually buddy chatting with someone else. If you find someone complaining that a player keeps chatting to them when they've asked them to stop, it is possible that the person is on their BUDDY LIST and are chatting to someone else on their buddy list, but not the other player's. Remember that BUDDY CHAT is pink and PRIVATE CHAT is blue. If the person doesn't want to hear all the chat from someone, they can simply remove them from their buddy list.
+If any of you have questions about how to handle different situations, feel free to send me an email to ask. I can be reached directly at miranda@horseisle.com.
+
+
+
Moderator Commands
+
+The following commands are available to moderators in the game. These need to be used for REAL rule breaking! Never for fun or for personal reasons. Doing so will immediately remove your Moderator Privileges.
+Use these ONLY when it is necessary. No one appreciates getting "yelled at". So make sure it deserves it. Make sure you are FAIR also. If someone else started something and you just penalize the second person, that is not fair. Try to penalize both parties equally when possible.
+
+%PRISONPlayerNameBECAUSEExpain valid reason here
+Using this command sends the player to prison isle where they need to spend a few minutes breaking rocks to get off. THIS is not used for serious rulebreaking. Just minor stuff, such as: Begging, globaling private riddle answers / bridge passwords.
+
+%MUTEPlayerName15BECAUSEExplain valid reason here
+%UNMUTEPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
+This disables(or enables) a player from chatting to anyone OR getting any chats for 15 minutes. (Admins excepted)
+Valid reasons for doing this include: Potty talk, severe chat spamming (continuing after being asked to stop), severe begging, being mean to people/rude, etc.
+Appropriate Lengths of Time to Mute:
+5 Minutes - More of a warning for a mild offense.
+15 Minutes - Break up a small dispute.
+30 minutes - Minor chat filter avoidance.
+1440 Minutes (Full Day) - SERIOUS racial slurs/extreme swearing filter avoidance.
+2880 minutes (Two Days) - Someone that should probably be banned from the game. Send an abuse report that an admin will review and take appropriate action.
+If a player does not seem to learn from being muted and continues the behavior after the mute is up, increase the mute time slightly. If they were muted for 15 minutes, then mute for 30. If they continue after that, mute for 60, etc.
+
+%RULESPlayerNameBECAUSE
+This will send the offending player to a part of Prison Isle called, basically, Rule Isle. This is only to be used for players that don't seem to understand the rules, as in, they are frequently getting muted for spamming/begging/rudeness. This is also good for players that seem to laugh at getting muted. A player will be automatically muted for 20 minutes when sent here.
+Do Not use this on players that continue to post riddles/passwords in global. This is for more serious offenses. For that, if they are chronic sharers of such things, mute them for 5 or 10 and remind them why they shouldn't share those in global.
+Important:DO NOT overuse this isle! It will lose its effectiveness if used too frequently on the same player(s). There are 4 sets of questions asked. After the 4th time there the questions stay the same. If sent too often, the player will be able to memorize the answers and will get nothing out of being sent there.
+
+%BANPlayerNameBECAUSEExplain valid reason here
+This requires TWO moderators to actually happen. Both have to ban the same player one after the other.
+Appropriate reasons for doing this:
+Very bad PlayerName - Offensive
+Terrible behavior that cannot be controlled by a MUTE (??)
+Mainly for use when a new player logs in with an awful name that is certainly not wanted.
+IT BLOCKS: email / name / and IP from being able to sign up again. It also kicks the player off.
+
+%VIEWPlayerNameSTATS
+used to view a players money mainly for determining if they have any when helping, etc.
+%VIEWPlayerNameINVENTORY
+used to view a players inventory to see if they have a certain object when helping, etc.
+%VIEWPlayerNameQUESTS
+used to view a players completed quests.
+%VIEWPlayerNameMONEY
+show money on hand, and in bank for player.
+Please do not advertise to the players that you have this ability. There is no reason for them to know about it.
+
+%SHORTCUTS
+used to view a list of Text Shortcuts for common responses to players. Please try to PM to players to keep from flooding the chat with these. These should really only be used in global when saying a general reminder because a number of people are breaking that rule, such as a number of people forgetting to use Ads Chat. If only one person forgets, please private message them.
+example: /joe *ADS* - Would yell at joe for forgetting to use Ads Chat :)
+
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