FAQ of In Game Moderators

[M_A_D]

Posted by IROK

OK, over the past few days my PM box has been filled with requests, and many people in game have asked the same requests of me.

Recently, many people have had their accounts "hacked". Well, these "hackings" are not actual hackings, so don't come to us saying that your account is hacked. It isn't. Now, here is a list of things that, as I mod, I cannot do for you.

1. Change passwords
2. Restore accounts
3. Give you drops
4. Ban your account (read other section for further input on this)
5. Increase your stats

Now, here is a list of things I can do for you.

1. Kick anyone that comes on your account (this is a 3 hour ban from TAO, but nothing permanent, which I was referring to above)
2. Tell you the last drop
3. Keep the lobby clean of spammers/scammers/boosters

Other than those 3 things, until Seed returns I cannot do anything for you (and even when Seed returns I do not know the extent of my own powers). So please, do not flood me with PMs asking me to change your password or restore your account. And do not ask me to give you an account, as I will not.

Now, if you would like to report someone breaking the rules, feel free to PM myself or one of the other game mods, as we would be more than happy to rid TAO of them, but note that boosters/spammers/scammers can only be removed from TAO temporarily, so you'll have to put up with them.

Thank you for your cooperation.

[M_A_D]

Frequently Asked In-Game Moderator Questions

Moderators

Why do some people type in colors in the game?
Why are some people Not Rated in stats?
These few people are known as In Game Moderators. Their names are a White Color. ( Not gray or gold.)

What is a Mod?
A mod is short for moderator and is a part of the TAO staff whose purpose is to ensure TAO is a fun, safe space in which users of all ages can play. This involves answering questions and removing inappopriate content from the site. This may also include temporarily banning players from the game should inapropriate conduct continue after being warned.

How do I become a moderator?
The best way is to never ask that question. The fact is, everyone wants to be a moderator, and there is no set way of becoming a mod. However, moderators tend to have a few things in common. Namely, they are all active and respected members of the game and forums that greatly contribute to the community. While many people believe it to just be a position of power that has a lot of benefits, it is actually far from it: moderating takes a great amount of time and effort.

Can I type in colors?
No. This feature is reserved for the game staff that use it to stand out and catch people's attention. If everyone could type in green, it would be harder to distinguish who the moderators are.


Kicking / Banning

What can get a user get kicked / banned for?
So long as you aren't cursing, have an obscene name, trying to set cyber meetings, spamming, scamming, boosting, excessively trolling, or on the Stolen/Hacked Account List there is absolutely no threat of action taken against you. The details of each of these are described below. Mods will warn users if they begin to break these rules, and tend not to just kick, so shouldn't fear that anything you accidentally do will get you kicked.

Cyber Meetings - Directly asking another user to cyber or dropping inuendos that such is your intention is grounds for kicking. Asking what girls/guys want some "hot chat" is the exact same thing as asking "do you want to cyber".

Spamming - Spam is but no limited to the posting of multiple unwanted characters or unsolicited messages or advertisements. Typing excessive characters with the intent to fill space instead of convey meaning is spam. This can be a single letter typed down many lines, or many many characters typed on the same line.

Scamming - This is any form of trickery: instructing a user to push buttons that will disconnect him from the game, attempting to obtain someone's password against their wishes, and/or any other form of social manipulation.

Boosting - This is where one person plays a friend or their own secondary account with the object to have one account consistently lose, thus boosting the stats of the other. This can be seen as any game set where there is not two people playing and trying to win the match.

Trolling - This is the act of excessively harassing other users with the intent of upsetting or annoying them in some way. The most common form of this is seen when a male user will harass a user that has a female name for a game despite frequent declines to the request. If a player or moderator declines any request, please respect their decision.

Stolen/Hacked Account List - A Stolen account is an account that has had its password given out to one or more people that do not have permission to have it. They use the account to Scam, Spam or other things in the Lobby or in a game that are unacceptable and disrupting to the game. Most accounts end up having there units deleted and stats drained.

I saw a moderator kick someone without warning them!
If a user has been appropriately warned and kicked by a mod previously, there are circumstances where they may be kicked again without further warning. This is known as a ban-on-sight. Users are also warned that they will enter this category if they persist with inapropriate behavior. If you feel this wasn't necessarily the case, or that a mod is abusing their ability, you are welcome to ask them about the details of the case. Just be sure to maintain a respectful inquisition. Making slanderous accusations against a mod (especially without knowing the details of the case) is strongly discouraged. Also remember that a mod does not need to display who he or she kicks - meaning the kick messages you see are from mods who want the public to know their actions.

I was kicked by a mod and they denied it when I came back! Why does that happen?
Grey (free) accounts that sit in the lobby for extended periods of time will be automatically disconnected after a while. This is not a mod kicking/banning the account, just the regular disconnect which allows other players to gain entrance to the lobby and play.

My friend got kicked/banned but I wanted a game with them. When can they come back?
When a user is kicked/banned from the servers, they will be unable to log on for a few hours. The purpose of kicking/banning is to discourage bad behavior, and we cannot "let them back in".


Clans

How do I make a clan?
Only gold accounts can make clans - the grey accounts can not. This can be done by typing /clan followed by the desired clan name.

Can a grey account become leader of a clan?
Yes, anyone can be a leader of a clan.

Can a mod make me a clan pretty please!?!
No. Clans can only be attained by upgrading to a gold account. If you are a gold that has already used their one chance of making a clan, it is not the mod's position to make another one. Having someone trick you out of a clan, claiming you were never able to make a clan, losing a clan after a wipe, or otherwise losing your clan in any other way are not valid reasons for a moderator to make/restore a clan.

How do I make someone a co-leader?
There is no TAO function that allows for co-leadership. You may hear other clans refer to co-leaders, but this is only in title. The game has no way of distinguishing such a position. Most clans get around this by either passing the leader to different users, or allowing multiple secondary users to have access to the primary leader account.

Someone stole my leadership, can you make them give it back?
No. It is not a mod's place to interfere with clan politics or drama. Remember, we are here to ensure this is a fun safe place to play, not take sides in clan disputes. Sharing leadership in any capacity is at the discretion of each user, and as such TAO can not be held responsible to restore any unwanted changes from sharing. This extends to all aspects of an account: stats, units, and leadership.

Golds

My grey account got deleted! Why?
This is called the grey wipe. All stats and units are lost and your account must be recreated. It happens if you do not login and play once a month.

How do I get a gold account?
Visit this LINK and follow the instructions to upgrade your regular grey account to a gold.

What if I don't have paypal?
Tao Upgrade by Money Order. International money orders accepted only. Information is listed on the Upgrade link.

My gold account has been hacked!
I want to change my password or have lost units restored.
Just goto this Link to change your password. More information is posted in the help section of this forum. Help Section

How do I get my Maintenance Code?
Maintenance code can be found by logging into your Paypal account history or checking your Paypal email records. For mail-in or old accounts you will have to request one from Seed at this Link.

Other information and this information can be found at: TAO Information


Some information was taken from Frequently Asked In-Game Moderator Questions at: FPS