Guidelines for Solia Online.

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Rules and Guidelines

Here at Solia Online We have certain rules. These rules are not here to hinder your fun they are here to protect you and your fellow members. Following the rules is easy, just remember the golden rule: "Don't be a jerk."


General Rules
Forum Specifics and Where does my thread belong?
Gaming Contests
Skill Contests
Events and Special Occasions.


Solia Online is an English speaking website. Please remember that because we have to moderate these forums all text needs to be in English. You may post in another language ONLY if a translation is posted in English in the same post directly below the non English text and that the translation be easy to see.

Banning: All situations are handled case by case. If you were banned, bans are not discussed on the forums. To discuss your banning please contact us at support@soliaonline.com. Failing to do so may lead to additional punishment. If an account is banned all items on that account are unreachable.

[Roc Crater]

General Rules

These are the General Rules and Guidelines for Solia Online. They pertain to the entire forum and all of the sites features.

No Trolling/Harassing/Flaming

• What is this and why?
  Abuse will not be tolerated on Solia Online. Therefore, directing a racial, or verbally abusive attack at another user, or deliberately posting in order to provoke other users is not permitted. Continuing to post in a thread when you have been asked to leave by the thread owner, or continuing to contact someone after you have been asked to stop is considered harassment. "Quitting" threads/posts are generally considered trolling. They are often times only done to cause a fuss or scam people. Public Blacklists of any kind are considered a form of harassment. It makes people upset, uncomfortable, and is an attempt to get other people to attack the person as well. Solia is a place for relaxation and recreation; don't ruin people’s fun. You would not want it done to you, don't do it to other people.

No Impersonating Staff

• What is this and why?
  This is pretending to be a staff member. Regardless of your reason for doing so it is not allowed. This will result in an immediate ban.

No Excessive Spamming

• What is this and why?
  Spamming is anything that would be considered not relative to the post, or topic. Adding tons of smilies (or any excess use of images), words, or letters in a row would also be considered spamming. Chain letters, advertising or soliciting are also considered spam. Copying and pasting the same text or triple posting** is also considered spamming even each post is changed slightly. Posting a thread with all Cap title or titles with curse words in them will mark it as spam and get the topic locked. Please do not spam the report button it makes it more difficult for moderators to properly do their job. "Bumping" of any kind, this includes "saving", is spam. If you need to bump a thread please use the bump button. Reviving an old (not posted in for a period of 2 weeks) dead topic without relevant purpose or intention of continuing its conversation is also spam. Click pets are not allowed in your post and must be kept in your signature only. Posting referral links, advertisements for offsite products and services, or asking users to participate in MLM or religious organization is not permitted on Solia Online.
  
  If you are found to be spamming gold will be docked immediately as well as warnings given for this offense. When you find an instance of spam, please do not reply to the spam or start a conversation with the spam. Just click on the report button and let us take care of the issue.
  
  **You may Triple Post ONLY if you are setting up a Shop, Hangout, Role Play or Guide.

No Explicit or Sexual Content

• What is this and why?
  Images, Description, or Videos depicting blood, violence, self mutilation, or any other violent act is strictly prohibited. Images, Description, Videos depicting or referencing to the reproductive organs; Cybering; or other sexual acts. Role Playing may be somewhat seductive in nature, but all content should be age appropriate. Cleavage signs are considered inappropriate. This is considered Trolling.

Respect the Ownership of Others' Work

• What is this and why?
  Do not claim to something you did not make entirely as your own. If you use parts of someone else’s work give them credit, and make sure you have permission. Do not misrepresent the source, identity, or content of the information transmitted via Solia Online. Do not share, post, direct, instruct, or encourage the use or download of illegal content or pirated content. This is not only a rule but a Law.

No Botting, Scaming, or Tampering

• What is this and why?
  These are nefarious methods for gaining advantage in some way. Using a program or script to automatically post or click things on Solia. This includes pets and their toys. Doing something to gain gold, Items, or services under False Pretenses. Tampering with the site in some way to gain gold, items, or access to non public things. These are all methods of cheating, or harassment. There is no warning for these offenses.

No off-site trading

• What is this and why?
  Trading or selling items/gold for anything not on or pertaining to Solia Online.
  The reason we cannot allow this is unfortunately legal and so our hands are tied on the matter. Currently there are legal battles going on because the IRS wants to tax users online for their "gains" in games. This is due to people off site trading or selling items for money. In order to keep you all safe we cannot allow off site trading. It is not only against our rules but all other sites rules as well.
  

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Forum Specifics - Where does my thread belong?

For the most part the forums are holding the general rules but in a few places there are some special details due to the purpose of that forum. An example of this would be "A user is allowed to triple post in order to set up a shop/guide". Please pay attention to where you’re posting!

News and Announcements

Beta Tester

• This forum only appears if your account has Premium Status
  
• While the General Rules must be followed in this forum its purpose changes depending on the sites current needs. Look for stickies inside this forum for further direction.

Site Announcements

• This is where the news can be found. There are updates usually daily, and you will get an alert for these updates unless you turn them off in your settings.
• Members are unable to post in this forum.

Support/Feedback

• Support is when you're asking for help.
• Feedback is when you're making a suggestion or statement.
• Harassment or snide comments of any kind in these forums is not tolerated. If you dislike a suggestion explain why, do not attack the person posting.

Testing

• If you want to save avatars, test your post style, test shop layouts, font, or anything that really doesn't belong anywhere else on site; it goes here.

Town Life

Welcome Inn!

• This is a forum for new members to get acquainted with Solia.
  
• Though is mostly for new members it is appreciated when older members visit and help them get comfortable.
• Rules broken in this forum are handled very strictly. Scaring away newbies in any way is a serious offense.

Solian Community Discussion

• A place to discuss the happenings of Solia Online.
• Many User-made guides can be found here as well as official story updates and some events.

Avatar, Profile, and Profession Discussion

• These are forums dedicated to certain features of Solia Online.
• Avatar discussions, item discussions, item errors, avatar contests and things of the like are posted in the Solian Avatar Discussion.
• The Profile Discussion is for showing off or getting help with setting up your Custom Profile. From time to time Contests can also be found here as well.
• The Profession Discussion refers to Mining, Lumberjack, Botany, Farming, Zoology, Kogo, Crafting, Tailoring, Alchemy, Jeweler, or Blacksmiths. Post here to get help with or chat about any of those features.

Solar, Lunar, and Eclipse Faction Forums

• These forums only appear if you have reached level 15 in a chosen faction and complete the quest for access.
• You may only have access to one of these forums at a time.
• These forums are like a guild. They're to get to know your fellow faction members and hang out with them. You may post and talk about whatever you like while following the General Rules however Game threads are no longer allowed in these forums.

Public Forum

• This forum is for debates. Because of this, threads can get quite heated. Just remember attack the subject not the person. No personal insults.
• When quoting subjects remember to cite your source.

Town Square

• The town square is a place for the things that fit nowhere else. Overall this is a general Chat area.
• Remember all games belong in the Games and Contests forum.

Games & Contests

• Games are things that require no chat this includes things like A-Z Games, Avatar Above You games, Word Association, Add a piece of the story games, and other things that are generally post-and-run participation.
• Contests that consist of top of page rewards, raffles, post counting or generally non-skill participation belong here.

Hangouts

• You can make a hangout about anything you like within the General Rules. These are used like clubs to find people interested in the same stuff you are! Of course you could always just make a general chat hangout if you wanted.

Role Playing/Private Role Playing

• These Forums contain Role Plays have already begun. If you were not invited to participate in the Role Play it's very rude to post in these unless the title says its open for posting. If you are looking to join a Role Play visit the Looking for Group forum to star recruiting for a new Role play or join one looking for more members.

Coffee Break

• Tired of Out of Character (OOC) chat cluttering up your role play? Make a thread here so when you all just want to chat, plan the unraveling of your RP, ask questions about a fellow participants character or anything you really just don't want to post in the RP itself you can still say!

Looking for Group

• If you're looking for more participants for your role play or want to start a new Role Play make a thread here. Here you can give the details of your RP to help people understand what it's going to be about and decide whether or not they want to join. The more information you give them the more successful your Role play is likely to be!

Shops

Exchange

• A place to buy items off other users or sell your unwanted items. Remember the exchange does have an extra set of rules so be sure to read them!

Good Will

• Are you looking for help getting some items? Or maybe you have extra gold or items you don't want and don't care to sell. The good will is the place to give and receive charity.

Art Emporium/Art Auctions/Art Freebies

• Are you an artist? Or maybe you just want to get a drawing done of your avatar. You can head in here and post what you have to offer.
• Art Emporium is for permanent art selling shops and art request threads.
• Art Auctions are for one time sales with no set price.
• Art Freebies is for giveaways ONLY request threads are not allowed here.

Solian Lifestyles

Artist Alley

• Need help or advice with your art? Head in here.

Writers Cafe

• A place to post and get help with your writing.

Life Support

• This is a place to discuss and get help with the things going on in your life.
• Rules are strictly enforced in these forums. Harassment or snide comments of any kind will not be tolerated.

Health, Beauty & Cooking

• Share Health, Cooking and beauty tips with your friends!

[Roc Crater]

Gaming Contests

Every month we hold a series of contests. Winners of these contests are rewarded with the coveted Prize Crowns.

The Gaming contests are ones that involve gaining a top score or simply playing on Solia. Gaming contest rounds reset and winners are announced on the first of every month. Please remember these are meant to be fun, cheating ruins it for everyone. If you are caught cheating in any contest you will be disqualified from all contests that month and a week ban. Repeated cheating or use of "mule accounts" to cheat will result in getting permanently banned. Harassing other contestants of the contest is cheating. If you have a scheme or "special plan" to win it's probably against the rules and going to get you into trouble. Play fair and no one gets into trouble. Deal making while unsportsmanlike is to be upheld and "making a deal" to get your competitors to stop competing and then beating them last minute is scamming and cheating.


Top Waterer

Goal: To water the most plots.
How to Participate: First, you may want to make a farm. This is optional as you do not need your own farm to participate but it can help you earn points! What you will need is a Watering Can, a Golden Watering Can will make watering faster but only a Silver Watering Can is needed. Many participants go beyond just watering their own farm though so it will take a bit more than that to win. Look in the Profession Forum for people looking for help keeping their farm watered or for lists such as this one for plots you can water. Every dry plot you water is worth 1 point! Remember a plot does not have to have a plant in it to count.

Top Picker

Goal: To grow and pick the most plants.
How to Participate: This requires you to start a farm. If you're having trouble you may want to try this guide. Once you've got the hang of farming you may want to try competing. Remember though it's a competition to pick the most crops so you want something fast growing not necessarily something with the largest profit margin.

Top Seller

Goal: Sell the most items in the Auction House.
How to Participate: First you need a thread in the Exchange or Charity forum with an Auction House upgrade. Once you have a shop set up use it to sell items in the AH. The item must be at least 750g to count for a point. The idea here is quantity of items you sell not the price of the items.

Top Earner

Goal: Earn the most gold through selling items in the Auction House
How to Participate: First you need a thread in the Exchange or Charity forum with an Auction House upgrade. Once you have set up a shop use it to sell items in the AH. Regardless of the price of the item you will get earner points. 1g is 1 point. If you sell an item for 5g your amount on the leader board goes up 5 points. Likewise if you sell an item for 100,000g you earn 100,000 points. Will you try to push a handful of very expensive items or go with selling a large amount of lower priced items? How you do it is up to you.

**PLEASE NOTE** The Exchange contests do have special sets of rules. Please read them before attempting to participate.

Top Leveler

Goal: Have your pet gain the most levels.
How to Participate: The idea is to gain levels, not to have the highest level pet. For this reason it may be best to start with an egg then a pet you've already begun to raise. Lower levels are easier to get through and every level gained counts for only 1 point regardless of if your pet goes from level 1 to 2 or from level 50 to 51. For help on how to raise a pet you may want to read this guide.

Top Catcher

Goal: To catch the most pets in Kogo Park.
How to Participate: Enter and catch pets in Kogo Park. Every Pet caught is worth 1 point no matter if is a Dirty Egg or a Mynx. For help on how to use Kogo Park you may want to read this guide.

Top Viewed

Goal: To have the most Viewed Pet
How to Participate: Once you've registered a pet get it out there and get it seen! Only Views that come from off-site sources will count toward the contest. So do you have a facebook? Post it on your wall! Frequent forum sites? Post it in your signature! Have a blog? Write about your pet and trying to win the contest! There's lots of ways to get your pet out there and get seen. The best part is doing this will not only get you point in the contest but make your pet grow faster and if someone signs up for Solia Online while looking at your pet you'll get referral tickets and points in the referral contest too! Just remember you cannot pay for clicks the people clicking must be real and must do so on their own. If you're having trouble registering your pet you may want to read this guide.

Top Referrer

Goal: Refer the most people
How to Participate: A referral is when you invite someone to Solia Online. In order for it to count for you, give them a link to your pet or your referral link. Once they've signed up they'll be given a time period to try the site out and see if Solia Online is for them. If they stick around you not only get a Referral point but a referral ticket as well which can be saved up and spent at Serge's Lockup.

Top Poster

Goal: Be the person who posts the most
How to Participate: Nothing special is needed to join this contests. Think you're the most talkative person on Solia? Let's find out, the person who makes the most posts wins. Remember spamming is not allowed and posts in Testing, and Games and Contests forums don't count towards your score.

At any time you can see the top 10 for each category by looking on the Games page.

[Roc Crater]

Skill Contests

Every month we hold a series of contests. Winners of these contests are rewarded with the coveted Prize Crowns.

Skill contests unlike Gaming Contests require you go out of your way to do something. More than just be on site it requires you put in effort to participate. Skill contest rounds reset and winners are announced on the 15th of every month. Please remember these are meant to be fun, cheating ruins it for everyone. If you are caught cheating in any contest you will be disqualified from all contests that month. Repeated cheating will result in getting banned. Harassing other contestants of the contest is cheating. If you have a scheme or "special plan" to win it's probably against the rules and going to get you into trouble. Play fair and no one gets into trouble. Deal making while unsportsmanlike is to be upheld and "making a deal" to get your competitors to stop competing and then beating them last minute is scamming and cheating.


• Art Exhibits
  
  Goal: Draw a Winning entry based on the subject given.
  How to Participate: Each month a theme or subject is provided for the Art Contest. You then follow the given directions to create and enter a piece into the Art Exhibits. Remember to enter it under the "contest" category! Generally 6 prizes are awarded but sometimes as many as 9 have been awarded. If very few people enter only the top 3 will be awarded. Some rounds hold special prizes such as a position on the art team, InQy pens, or having your design made into Solia Items! Mule-voting is against the rules and will get you disqualified; mule voting for a friend will get them disqualified as well. Depending on the round winners may be chosen by the art team or by user vote.
• Avatar Arena
  
  Goal: To create a winning avatar based on the subject given.
  How to Participate: When the theme is given create an avatar and enter it into the Avatar Arena. That's all! It's that easy. Now vote on the other contestant's avatars as they vote on yours. The avatar with the highest average vote wins. Currently this holds the added prize of having art made by Staff Artists of the winning avatar. If the contest loses popularity however this prize may be cancelled as it takes a lot of time and money from the staff to provide.
• CSS Competition
  
  Goal: To create an outstanding Profile or Shop using the CSS upgrades.
  How to Participate: Use the free CSS upgrade from your profile or the 500g CSS upgrade on your Auction Shop to create a unique look for yourself. You will need to know at least basic CSS coding to do this. If you're having trouble head over to the Profile and CSS discussion to get some help. They even have easy to use copy/paste codes making your need to learn CSS minimal. By editing your profile or shop you are automatically entered into the CSS competition.
• Jokers Wild
  
  Goal: Have the most Net Profit on the Blackjack Tables.
  How to Participate: First you'll need tokens, stop by Bunni's Token Shop to buy some. (1 token = 1 gold) Once you have some tokens head over to the Blackjack table. Now you want to make sure your winnings are higher than your losses because your score is calculated by: WINNINGS - LOSS = SCORE. Person with the best score wins!

[Roc Crater]

Events and Special Occasions

Solia Online often runs events and special features. Generally, the rules are the same everyday rules. However there are a few special exceptions.

In the case of an event:

• IF a forum is made for the sole purpose of holding the event all threads are allowed in the event forum ONLY.

In Case of User-Run Event:

• ALL site rules apply. The event may have you doing special tasks for items or participating in unique ways. Regardless of the theme or how the event plays or is set up you must follow all of the sites rules.

**To Request a User-Run Event.** Yes, you can run an event on Solia
Online! What you need to do is first plan your event. Once you've planned your event create an outline. Submit this outline to an Admin via PM.


Code: Select all

Event Title:
Event Theme:
Date Requested:
Image Requests:
Item Requests:
NPC Requests:
Features of your event you feel may need special coding:
Summary of the event, all is activities, and how it will play out:


Your outline must be submitted at least 60 days before the event is to run. Submission of an outline is not guarantee of approval. Change of dates or additional details may be requested. Refusal to change date or provide additional details can result in the event being rejected.

When Power to Choose Tally's are run:

• Only ONE vote is allowed per person. Mule accounts are not allowed a vote in any way. Using a mule will result in losing your ability to vote at all as well as warnings for cheating.
  
• Rallying is encouraged muckraking or purchasing votes is not. What is the difference? Rallying people to an idea means making a thread in the SCD talking about the pros and cons of the feature. Remember to attack the issue not the person.
  What is not allowed is harassing people over their votes/suggestions, or paying people to vote for the feature you want. This includes using charity threads to promote the feature. These methods are cheating and will be dealt with accordingly.

We like to throw events and let you have a say in what happens to the site. However if you don't play nice we cannot provide these things for you. Please keep everything friendly and we'll be able to make Solia everything you want it to be together!