• Code of Conduct


Introduction


The Code of Conduct is subject to change without notification, though Grove Street Games will do its best to ensure that changes are communicated clearly to those on the Official Network.


Failure to abide by our Code of Conduct can result in the removal of your structures, creatures, items or banning of your account from the Official Network of Servers. Grove Street Games reserves the right to immediately suspend player accounts as it deems fit. Action taken is at the sole and absolute discretion of Grove Street Games and its employees.


This list is not exhaustive but represents clear guidelines for players to adhere to when playing on our Official Network. For something you’re unsure of, please use your best judgment. When in doubt, reach out to us. Ensure you’re acting with some semblance of decency when conducting yourself on our Official Network.


Hacking and Exploiting:


Hacking or exploiting game mechanics to gain an unfair advantage over other players is not tolerated.


> Hacking - examples are not limited to but can include using third-party programs such as in-game automated bots, ESP, Aimbots, and Game Engine Modifications.


> HWID ban evasion - If you have been hardware ID (HWID) banned, any attempt to access the Official Network with an alternate account is subject to another hardware ID ban.


> Exploiting - examples are not limited to but can include:


  • Attacking from, traveling through, or building in unintended game-zones (under the mesh or above the map)

  • Duplication of tames, items, or characters

  • Unintended building mechanics (such as floating structures, using the world barrier as a snap point)

  • Building a box on a platform saddled dino or skiff to completely prevent it from taking damage

  • Modifying your game files to remove key graphical components (water, fog, etc)

  • Attacking or blocking players through the terrain with dinosaurs

  • Intentionally crashing users or servers (through DDoS or otherwise)

  • Placing excessive quantities of C4 to prevent hostile C4 from being placed

  • Stacking multiple creatures inside each other's models via raising babies close together, teleporting them near each other, downloading them, etc (ex: multiple brontos in a 1x1 foundation area)

  • Floating structures or structures that extend past normal building limits on platform saddles or rafts for PVP purposes

  • PVP (ORP specific rule) - Use of a Proxy tribe or an alternate account to place structures or buildings to hide behind in offline raid protection is considered an abuse of ORP build mechanics and will not be tolerated.

  • Benefit Hacking/Exploiting, Tribes, Alliances, and teaming up


When playing on our Official Network, players must ensure that they are not taking advantage of hacking exploits and unfair play. Do not under any circumstances allow hackers to join your tribe, alliance, or party up alongside you within the game. It is your responsibility to remove them or yourself from the tribe. If you witness someone breaking the rules through the use of a game exploit, or a third party program (such as ESP or AIMBOT) ensure that you isolate yourself from those users and are not playing with or alongside them to avoid breaching our code of conduct.


Hack related chat:


There should be no discussions in game or otherwise regarding abusing hacks and exploits, including access to cheats, where you can acquire them, or how they are utilized.


Griefing:


Spawn Blocking


Spawn Blocking occurs when tribes intentionally block spawn points for the purpose of not allowing any new players to play on the server. In the event your base inadvertently or accidentally resides on a spawn point you will not be penalized.


Here are some examples of what spawn blocking can consist of, but is not limited to:


  • Using structures that players spawn into and can not get out of
  • Using spikes/spike walls at player spawn locations
  • Turrets located on or near spawn points
  • Dino gates, or any type of structure/cage that is meant to trap or instantly kill a player and prevent them from spawning on the map
  • Aggressive dinos placed near spawn points in order to instantly kill players that spawn in.


Teleportation zones (on Genesis, Fjordur) are treated as spawn zones and as such they should not be blocked nor have any turrets in them in either pvp or pve game mode .


PvE Specific Griefing


  • Game Blocking - you are not allowed to block other tribes from playing the game on PvE servers. This can include but is not limited to:
  • Building at their base
  • Blocking in other tribes dinos
  • Blocking access in/out of a tribes base
  • Obstructing pathways or waterways for the purpose of denying another tribe access
  • Blocking access to important resources (ie. charge nodes, Extinction City Terminals, Orbital supply crates on Extinction, Teleporters, Dispatchers, or Mission Terminals and etc)
  • Intentionally filling the server tame limit via spamming tames (such as Dodo, Jerboa, or easy to ‘tame and maintain’ dinos) and/or rafts
  • Leaving tames inside of artifact caves or on obelisk teleportation platforms
  • Leaving tames in mission areas or blocking mission areas with tames
  •  Structure Spamming - placing structures down such as pipes or wires for the purpose of disrupting others' gameplay is against our code of conduct.
  • Intentionally using wild creatures to destroy a player's base.


GM intervention may be necessary if your structure or creature is negatively impacting a server (ie. you block off a large portion of the map so that other members of that server cannot access it).


Misconduct


Behavior, Chat, and Interaction With Others


Interactions with other players or Grove Street Games employees through text chat, voice chat, and signs or paintings must adhere to the rules below and you cannot use an alternative spelling to circumvent restrictions.


Ensure that you do not:


  • Offend - this includes but is not limited to language which is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, sexually explicit, or racially, ethnically or otherwise offensive.
  • Post Personal Information - belonging to someone else in the game, or any Official websites or forums related to the game.
  • Harass, Stalk, Threaten - such as sending repeated unsolicited or unwelcome messages to specific users/tribes and can include but not limited to those sexual in nature or messages that would cause discomfort.
  • Disrupt the game - such as intentionally causing the chat screen to scroll faster than other users are able to read, or setting up macros with large amounts of text that, when used, have a disruptive effect on the normal flow of Chat.
  • Promote - do not send messages which are advertisements for inappropriate topics, including scamming, hacking, exploits or the sale of goods and services unless trading within the game for game specific resources, for example, 50 Stone for 1 Polymer, A trike for a Rex, etc.
  • Real-Money Trading (RMT) - ARK items, creatures, or services must only be exchanged for other items, creatures, or services within the game. Trading for real-world currency (real money) is not an accepted form of trading.


 


Player and Tribe Names


When choosing your name, or tribe name you must adhere to general decency and abide by the following rules. If GSG determines your name to be improper, we may change the name and or terminate your use of our Official Servers. You should not use an alternative spelling to circumvent the name restrictions listed below. You should ensure that your name does not:


  • Offend - names may not contain vulgar, defamatory, obscene, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise offensive, including any usernames which are sexual in nature.
  • Impersonate - pretending to be someone else with intent to impersonate Game Masters ("GM") or Grove Street Games employees. 


 


False Reports


When reporting others, please ensure that you are genuine. Reports made to harass other players or for restricting their gameplay when no codes of conduct have been broken are deemed punishable by Grove Street Games .


You can increase the effectiveness of your reports by including as much information as possible, as well as video or picture evidence. We never take our decisions and actions regarding potential malicious player behavior lightly. Suspensions, server wipes, and/or bans are only issued after careful review of all internal and external evidence.


Please be aware that submitting multiple reports for the same issue does not accelerate the review process and can cause your case to take more time to process.