Really? I mean really? I'm not sure how to comment, because for my understanding of "community", "rule making", "human nature" and "western culture", it is quite obvious that it won't work. Your explanations above contain several "catches 22". I won't go into details now, perhaps someone else can? If I'm the only one who sees problems here, then I will, in a democratic sense, accept and adapt to the majority. The idea that the rules that affect community life are best discussed in private with the authority is ________ (fill the blank). Let's assume we all, including all new players know Kryssy or whatever "Community Manager" and staff very well, so well that we can have a priori full confidence in every of their future decisions. Even under that assumption, it wouldn't work well ... why not? PS: Not at all. What is needed are just healthy rules, not a wildcard-rule. New situations can arise and new rules may become necessary, but you don't write that into rules and by no means in that tone - which in the end tells the reader not the obvious thing that new circumstances might need new rules, but something else. Catch 22. The rules are exactly for people who will read them. I guess that people above 14 and all who had experiences with servers and rules will read (skim through) the rules when joining. By reading the rules you get the impression of the mental state and mental health of a community. The rules also form the community, so healthy rules improve the community and vice versa. This is a key factor for how willing a member will be to invest into the community. Obviously, the staff will have the last say. Mentioning this in an appropriate form at the end of rules won't scare anyone. But having a childish wildcard-rule is something different, because it is not only stressing an obvious thing in a weird way, it is saying that the staff is childish - it just makes the staff look less trustworthy. Even if the children don't understand that (yet), they do sense what is going on. It should worry them and yes: a key factor for how willing a member will be to invest into the community. I'm by no means advocating to conceal anything behind "prettified" rules. Do you thing there is anything regarding community life that needs to be kept secret from (new) members? If yes, then this is a road to failure. It is a two side process: choose and be chosen. All of the members here are here by their free will. Healthy rules <=> healthy community <=> quality players <=> high commitment <=> flourishing community. Speaking in business terms, I'd like EMC to be a high quality product. (And I'm willing to pay for it.) They already did go wrong when you have less than healthy rules with high potential to scare off good players. Catch 22. They wouldn't if they are good. Having to hide them just says "they are most probably less than good." See why (mentioning) secret rules comes off even worse in combination with the wildcard rule? There are plenty of pay-to-win and scam servers that will do whatever, and delusion and abuse kids in whatever possible way to maximize short-term profit. But that's just sick. I'm sorry for the children who happen to join them. EMC was primarily conceived as a community and slipping into pay-to-win waters is hopefully something that is more and more only history. (Pay-to-win aspects are only one factor influencing the community and rules ...) OMG. Spies are around us. We need a secret forum for the "real" EMC community? You see where that leads?
Read above - this rule will be updated. As I understand it, it will be forbidden to use the EMC forum or in-game communication to advertise any out-of-game transactions. Of course, EMC is not allowed to forbid anyone to participate in buying or selling outside of EMC - attempting to do so, or punishing anyone because of any outside-of-EMC transaction would be illegal.
I was a little confused by this subject, since it's focused around real money. I asked for clarification, and if I've understood the response correctly: It is against the rules to trade real world money for EMC things. It is also against the rules to trade EMC money for real world things. (Don't buy non-EMC things with rupees.)
I'll add it here, since I just sent it to you in PM too. Valid for EMC media (forums, mumble, in-game, etc) Basically, We do NOT allow Real money trading of any sort between players, whether that is any of the following: In-game money for real world item Real world money for in-game item real world money for real world item What IS allowed: Free giveaways of real world items in-game money for in-game item
Does this include things like avatars, sketches, drawings, video graphics, or any of that sort of commissioned art that's sent to the buyer digitally? It's not "in-game", so does it count as "real world", or is there a third category here?
With all due respect here, you are completely misinterpreting the 'wildcard' rule, as you call it: 'Staff directions are to be followed at all times and are noted as unwritten addendum to the following listed Rules' This is not meant to cause war, this is not to hide secret rules. This is simply a written precaution for when I join a server and I tell someone to do something that may not be covered exactly by one of the other rules, such as for events when people are acting up and causing a ruckus. We aren't going to write out every single possible rule limitation of chat, but if I say something is inappropriate during an event and tell a player to not say it, then they better not say it or I'm going to take action. I've had players argue with me that Staff told them to do something, but it wasn't a rule so they didn't follow directions. Then they got upset when they were punished for not following the Staff's directions. The main purpose of that one sentence is to include the old rule 'Obey the Staff' without having to devote an entire number to it. It shouldn't even be argued that you should always follow Staff's directions, but for those people that feel the need to argue the point, it's there to quote when I need it. A lot of the common sense rules listed are the same way; simply something to quote when someone breaks them. The rules aren't meant to make you feel warm and cuddly inside. They are meant to be lines that you do not cross. The mental state and health of the community has nothing to do with it. Our community is doing fine BECAUSE we have clear regulations in place to keep everyone playing fair and nice with each other and players know that if they cheat or grief someone, there will be repercussions for their actions. It's the same way with normal laws. If you park in a handicap spot and you are not handicapped, then you can't complain when the cop hands you a ticket for breaking the law. It's a law for a reason and it's not prefaced with 'Please' because it's not an option. Next time you'll make sure you park in a different spot to avoid the fine.
If the items are used on EMC, then it's an EMC item exchange for rupees and allowed. So signatures, avatars, etc are fine.
In that case then I've seen plenty of times in the past that people: - Sell non-EMC video intros for rupees - Sell non-EMC signatures for rupees - Sell non-EMC avatars for rupees - Sell various non-EMC media (renders, maps, etc) for rupees - Sell video intros that could be used on EMC but don't necessarily have to be for rupees - Sell signatures that could be used on EMC but don't necessarily have to be for rupees - Sell avatars that could be used on EMC but don't necessarily have to be for rupees - Sell media (renders, maps, etc) that could be used on EMC but don't necessarily have to be for rupees How would you draw the line there? How about 'items' that are used on EMC but could also be used elsewhere? Or media that isn't to be used on EMC at all?
This rule repeatedly states that marketing EMC items for real world items is illegal. What about marketing EMC rupees for real world items? Marketing EMC rupees for real world currency?
Highlighted as not allowed: "Rupees exchanging for real world item" You asked: "What about marketing EMC rupees for real world items?" Are you asking about 'marketing' as something separate from 'exchanging'? I'm confused by the wording so want to ask in case it helps you get the answer you want more quickly.
This rule is quite confusing. So you are allowed to sell non-EMC items intended for use on EMC for EMC money, but you aren't allowed to sell non-EMC items not intended for use on EMC for EMC money?
EMC can't make rules that are valid outside of the EMC forum and EMC servers. I trade real world items and services for reald world money all the time, and this has obviously nothing to do with EMC. I suggest to rewrite that "RMT" part so it is clear that its domain is the EMC forum and the in-game communication. The point here is using the forum and using the in-game chat - not buying / selling / trading. (You can not forbid people to trade, to attempt this would be illegal, as many companies have already found out in the court.) Suggestion: "It is not allowed to use the EMC forum or the in-game chat on EMC servers for any kind of out-of-game commercial activity." Are you trying to use EMC Forum and game to (help you) in RL economic activity? Not allowed. Are you using the forum in peer-to-peer trading as part of the game or activities connected with the game, clearly with no commercial aspect? I think this should be allowed as it's a normal thing in a gaming community. Another aspect here is "pay-to-win", where, in the past, EMC was hoping to have monopoly on selling of rupees / in-game stuff for RL money. I don't think I need to explain what such monopoly means and why. I hope this is just history and EMC is really leaving the pay-to-win waters for ever.
I'll look at adding something like this, but that's not really a rule that I changed at all, except adding the clarification. It's been up since the beginning this way. Why it's just now causing confusion is beyond me. If you were to be caught using youtube to sell promos for RL money and we had evidence on our end of it, then you would be banned. (Using an example we've banned someone before for) Monopoly: 'the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service.' In EMC, the right for exchanging real money for in-game items is reserved for the server only. This has been this way since the beginning of the server and is set up to protect the players as well as the interests of the server. You may NEVER sell in-game items for Real money. If you did, you would be banned. This isn't negotiable. Empire Minecraft DOES and always has had a monopoly on selling of rupees/in-game stuff for RL money. That does not mean that we are a pay-to-win atmosphere.
Correct. We allow the signatures, avatars, etc that you will use for EMC to be sold for in-game currency because in retrospect, they become EMC items as soon as they are used on EMC.
Legal matters tend to get pretty complicated, and I think you might be walking a fine line there. It is legal for a company to deny access to their game servers due to the trading of in-game items. I don't understand all of the nuances behind this.
Okay. Now knowing I violated the terms of two websites at once with a transaction in the past, I'll be sure to watch out more in the future.
Let me try to clarify things a bit here (hopefully). Because what people overlook (or so I think) is the reason why this isn't allowed. And it's really quite simple... Lets assume we have 2 players (A & B) who are both broke (in-game). Player A wants to sell their supporter voucher but player B has no money. No worries: they make a deal that player B sends $15 to A's paypal account and A provides the voucher. The problem should be obvious: that's $15 not going towards EMC but another player. Who may even have gotten that voucher by in-game activities (so fully bought with rupees). This simply isn't fair towards EMC; running a server is pricey and our donations are also used to support all that. It a bit too far fetched for me to insinuate that A now stole $15 from EMC but it sure comes close enough in my opinion. And this example can basically be applied to every other comparable transaction. It's simply a matter of courtesy here. As always: just my 2 cents, obviously.
