We are in the process of updating the entire POLICY command in game, but two POLICY updates are live effectively immediately.

POLICY 18 has some minor updates about botting. The big change is that all the penalties have moved out of POLICY 18 and into POLICY 19, which was severely out of date. The key takeaway is that we are retiring the three strike rule to a lockout and we are introducing a new form of penalty with more manageable consequences (such as removing the lifetime bans on certain activities like the Adv. Guild). If you're running multiple accounts, the penalties stack. If you're caught up with a group that aren't your accounts but you're all AFK scripting, the penalties stack. Lastly these updates have no impact on previous penalties and nothing is retroactive.

I have pasted POLICY 19 below.

GemStone IV Player Policy: Violations of Policy

Anyone found to be in violation of the GemStone IV POLICY or Simutronics Terms and Conditions, at the sole discretion of Simutronics, may be warned or removed from the game. Please keep in mind that GameMasters may not rely on a player's word alone when handling possible POLICY violations, however a player's history may be taken into account on any given violation decision.

This list is used as a general guideline by GameMasters in determining steps to take. The actual decision will vary based upon the severity of the decision and the history of violations on any accounts connected to a player's account.

First Offense: Players who receive their first warning will undergo a period of 24 hours where they cannot gain any new experience, silver, treasure, Adventurer's Guild tasks, or work the locksmith pool. This will be referred to as a timeout period. Additional areas will be added in a future update.

Subsequent Offenses: Every offense afterward will start a 72 hour timeout period like the first offense. If another warning occurs within 30 days of the last one, the timeout period will increase to 7 days. If another happens within 30 days of the last one at this point, it will result in a 30 day timeout period. Continuing this pattern, it will increase to 60 days and 90 days. In addition to the timeout period, a fine in the town they were performing the POLICY violation will be applied in the amount of how much silver they generated in that day. In cases where it straddles multiple days, a multiple day assessment fine will be applied.

Free Account Offenses: If an account is using our free to play (F2P) subscription or is on a promotion that gives them free game time, it may result in an immediate F2P lockout or a loss of the promotional free time.

Lockouts: Lockouts will be reserved for extreme violations of our POLICY, but the timeout period will be the primary penalty moving forward.

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Wyrom, PM

Yes, if you receive an official warning, you can receive any of the penalties listed in POLICY 19. Vulgarity has a monitoring system that is automated, so that is separate from an official warning. But if you get an official warning for POLICY 3 or 4 (Disruptive Behavior or PvP) then penalties will also be placed. Typically warnings like that resulted in a 30 to 90 day lockout previously.

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Wyrom, PM

>>So if I space out in a reim group or something and so do 9 other people, we all get 10 violations each? Even if we don't share any accounts or even know each other?

No. But if you're all joined and automated, you're all getting busted. And that's ONLY if you're violating POLICY 18 in this case. If you're scripting and there, no worries.

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Wyrom, PM

I'd suggest the timeout either use in-game time or increase in duration. I understand wanting to avoid excessive penalty, but the way it's being set swings the risk vs. reward pretty far the other direction. I have a hunch quite a few players will consider a short mandatory break every month nothing at all to risk for a failed afk script check that might or might not happen. Or, perhaps, in exchange for a regular disruption of another sort.

I'd also suggest more effort be made to coaching aspiring script writers on what kinds of scripts are good or bad and more liable to failing a script check -- in a general sort of away. 20 years ago there was more of this than there is today, and habits can be hard to break.

<I'd also suggest more effort be made to coaching aspiring script writers on what kinds of scripts are good or bad and more liable to failing a script check -- in a general sort of away.>

Any script that allows you to earn silvers, exp, or receive other benefits is liable to failing a script check if you can't or won't watch the game window while running it.

Any coaching beyond that defeats the purpose of a script check.

Starchitin, the OG

A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.