The rules of
the realm.

Introduction

All games have a basic set of rules, even if that set of rules is "anything goes." On Viking MUD, we used to have a pretty loose set of rules, leaving much to the supposed common sense of the players. With the increased popularity of the Internet from 1995 and forward, however, it seemed that more detailed rules were necessary. So for us, "anything goes" is not the rule.

You are expected to follow common sense and generally be nice to other people.

Be aware that the rules must not be interpreted too literally. Please note that the rules aren't necessarily very specific — this is intentional. If there is something you find unclear about the rules, ask an arch (those who show up on who -a, with (Arch) or (Admin) in front of their names), preferably someone within the Law department (help law).

The final authority on the rules of Viking MUD is the administration (those who are Administrators).

Also remember that Viking MUD is a game, wherein you have no rights, although you usually are treated as if you have some. The world of Viking MUD is imperfect; it is not concealed that there can be real persons behind a character's name, which makes "real roleplaying" near impossible. Keep this in mind!

1. Playerkilling

Do not attack or kill players except in areas where it is specifically allowed, even if they make you angry. See also rule 7.

This includes some cases of indirect playerkilling, such as leading other players into deathtraps.

2. Multiplaying

1. You may not be logged on with more than one character at a time. This does not apply to registered test characters being logged on at the same times as the owning wizard character. Note: A linkdead character still counts as being logged on, and so does using Guest.

2. You may not use one of your characters for the benefit of another of your characters. This applies to all characters you may have. This includes transferring money and equipment through other people's characters.

   Note: This rule also extends to Artifacts who help a player gain equipment and then log on with another character and receive that equipment or any form of compensation.

3. You are allowed to have at most one wizard character.

Be aware that logging in from the same computer — like sitting at the same keyboard when playing — could lead to misunderstandings. Please do your best to avoid such situations, and try to use different computers with different IP addresses. If you have to use the same computer (and therefore the same IP address), we recommend you tell Law about this in advance (send a mail!). It is also an advantage not to use the same user account, as this is one of the clearest signs Law has to go by, and also because it is most likely against the policies of most ISPs.

3. Robots / automatic playing

1. Your character is supposed to be played by you yourself, as opposed to by a program. Using tools like specialized clients to aid you in your playing is OK, but using such tools to actually play for you is not.

   When you are not at your computer or terminal, your character should be idle — do not use any tools to make your character look active when you are not. It does not matter for how long you do this; if an arch finds you to be a robot or "triggeridling", you risk getting thrown out of the game immediately.

   Any type of trigger is considered illegal if it can unidle your character by sending data to the MUD, triggered by any text executed by any object in the game. This goes for user tells and echos also.

2. Idling in a party in order to gain experience is also considered automatic playing.

If you are too busy to play your character at the moment, take a break or leave the game.

Final conclusion: Turn off all your triggers and turn off party follow when you leave the terminal. If you appear to be at your terminal, you are expected to respond to arches within a reasonable amount of time.

If you think you have a good reason to make and use a robot, contact the administration (mail admin), and your request will be considered.

4. Character sharing (borrowing/lending)

Your character is personal, and should not be used by others.

You may not give away your password or allow others to play your character, whether you are away or present. You may not give your character away permanently, sell it, or transfer it.

It is also illegal to use your character as a point of transfer between other characters, including your own. Consider this rule in combination with rules 2 and 3.

5. Quest help

Don't walk people through quests. One small hint ought to be enough to help someone on their way. The quests are there for people to solve, not for you to solve them for others.

Helping people with difficult kills or in cases where there is a physical need for two characters is okay, but don't overdo it. Ask a QC Arch if you're in doubt whether the quest in question is meant for several players.

6. Bugs, features and anomalies

The lines between the three can often be very thin — report strange things to the creator of the area or the QC arches (mail qc).

If you discover something strange in the game — an anomaly — that either harms you, traps you, or otherwise affects gameplay in a way you didn't expect, the administration and the creator really want to know in order to look into it (help rep).

Examples of anomalies: earning several hundreds of thousands of experience points or money in a very short time; a wizard handing you an item and telling you it's okay — don't trust this unless they are an archwizard or admin.

If you discover such an anomaly and report it at once, it will be fixed as soon as possible. Repeated failure to report bugs you ought to recognise is illegal.

7. Offensive / menacing behaviour or names

Players who behave in a way that is perceived by the arches as offensive, obnoxious, or menacing do so at risk of losing access to the game for a time ranging from days to years, possibly forever, and perhaps even for the site(s) you are calling from.

Looting is not illegal, but repeatedly stalking or ruining the gameplay for another player over a longer period of time may qualify as harassment. Harassment is not tolerated.

Keep in mind that minors may play the game, and that swearing, sexually explicit expressions, etc. may be damaging in some people's view.

9. Law

Never take the law into your own hands — always leave this to an arch, preferably someone in the Law team.

If someone breaks the rules, it is up to Law to do something about that, not you.

Revenge — petty or ingenious — is not tolerated, so harassing someone because they harassed you will only get you into trouble, or lead to Law ignoring your complaints.

10. Denial of Service attacks

The administration cannot tolerate attempts to disrupt the regular service of Viking MUD, whether they are successful or not.

Such attempts may include creating "lag" in the game, or other methods — internal or external — for preventing the continuous running of the game.

Severe cases will be reported to your ISP and can result in loss of Internet access, as well as other privileges, depending on the policies of your workplace or school.

Arch Wizards, Administrators and Their Common Sense

Arch Wizards and Administrators are contributors

Arch Wizards and Administrators are also contributors to the game, but with higher privileges and responsibility.

So what about rules for arch wizards and administrators?

Well, in the MUD, we have a humoristic set of arch rules, but in practice, Arch Wizards are mostly bound by their common sense, and answer to their superiors. Administrators are equal among themselves, and, as far as the MUD is concerned, answer only to themselves and their common sense.

What about actual, real world legislation/law?

We are not claiming to be exempt from real world legislation — this is about in-game rules.

As an example, Arch Wizards and Administrators have access to privileged tools and information, which also brings a greater responsibility, particularly regarding privacy legislation.

Why are Arch Wizards and Administrators exempt from most rules?

Arch Wizards and Administrators sometimes have things to do which would normally conflict with the rules for mortal players or normal wizards. It would be very inconvenient if, for instance, an Arch Wizard couldn't wander about in open areas to investigate bugs, or couldn't manipulate stats and clone equipment in order to test or fix problems.

The MUD depends on a certain level of trust between Arch Wizards and Administrators, and when someone has been appointed to Arch Wizard or Administrator, that is because they have earned that trust. Because of that trust, in some ways there is more tolerance between Arch Wizards, but also higher expectations.

Standards for behaviour among Arch Wizards and Administrators

A MUD should be an inclusive place, regardless of the player's background, and the Arch Wizards and Administrators are the people who enforce the rules of behaviour that ensure players don't behave badly towards each other. As such, Arch Wizards and Administrators should set the standard, and the standard should be high.

If you feel that an Arch Wizard crosses the line, contact someone higher or equal in the MUD's power hierarchy. They will listen to what you have to say and address the issue as necessary in order to resolve the conflict.