==Rules==

Every game has its own rules and when starting to play a game it is advisable to read its rules. In OGame there's a global set of rules which are common for every community, however each community has it's own set of Clarifications/Exceptions so it's important to check the rules for each particular community you play in. The global set of rules can be found at the bottom of your OGame page, and the community specific Clarification/Exceptions can be viewed on community specific forums.

==Support==

Even after reading the rules you may still have questions or even encounter a problem with your account so the best way to get answers to your questions or problems is by contacting the team through the support system tha you can find at the top of your overview screen. You can also post your questions in the "Help Section" in the community forum or by entering in the IRC chat ( you have the link to chat next to support link, on the top on the upper side of your game screen). For more information about how to use IRC have a look at the >>Info: IRC guide<<. For specific questions about the game join the support channel #ogame.tld-support where a supporter will try to help you.

==What happens if someone breaks the rules?==

If you break one of the rules your account might get banned. Depending on the violation you will get a ban which is permanent or temporary but with vacation mode. Any kind of insult will result in a ban so remember to stay courteous when communicating with others ingame.
Besides the normal bans there is a System ban (3 hours without vacation mode, not recorded in pillory) for refreshing the phalanx window and Payment bans. If you enter the wrong password too many times your IP will be blocked from accessing the game for 3 hours. In order to avoid this is recommended to use the " forget password" and have a new password sent to your e-mail before it happens. In case your IP is already banned for for entering the wrong password to many times, you can bypass it by connecting through a different IP.

==What can I do if I get banned?==

If you get banned you should contact the responsible Game Operator. In pillory you can find information regarding the ban reason, its duration and the responsible team member that issued the ban. You can contact the team through the Support System – open a ticket. A fast way to contact the Game Operator is the IRC chat. Please do not try to contact your Game Operator via email, PM (board) or ingame message and by no means discuss your ban on forum or on IRC public channel. All ban discussions must be private: between the owner of the banned account (the owner of the e-mail registered on the account) and the responsible Game Operator. Sincerity and being polite are the best ways to approach a team member. You have to know that the team is here to help you, guide you through the rules and all bans are a way to ensure a clean gaming environment, equal chances of development for all accounts and fair play. If you're not satisfied with the GO's decision or you have a reclamation regarding his/hers services you may contact the responsible Super Game Operator as well via Support System or IRC.

==How does the Support System works?==

To contact support through the Support System you have to register first an account atsupport.tld.ogame.gameforge.com/ using the e-mail you have on your game account. If you play in multiple universes and you are using different e-mails you can add them all to the same Support System account.
If you don't have already a support account, you can create one by registering with your ingame e-mail. After registering you need to validate the account using the link provided in the confirmation e-mail. Please note that no support will be given if you open a ticket using an e-mail that is not matching the e-mail you have in your game account.

After registering and validating the support account you can open a ticket by clicking the "Contact support" button, you will have to select a few options and provide the necessary information:
1. Game/board you select game or board depending where you have problems
-To discuss board issues or board bans - select Board.
-To discuss any ingame issues, bugs, bans or to notify your GO of something - select Game.
-To contact support regarding the purchase of Dark Matter or for payment issues - Select Payment. You will be then redirected to billing.gameforge.com/

After you select Game, you will have a few other options to select:
1. Which server do you play on? The name (number) of the universe you play
2. Nickname: your nick in game
3. Email address: the e-mail to be used (in case you have multiple e-mails – you select the e-mail that is registered to your game account in discussion)
4. Subject: you will have a drop down menu with a few options:
- Account exchange: always open ticket when giving away/receiving an account or exchanging them, you can use your own words, but need to include information regarding how will you do account exchange (switch two accounts in the same server/account give away/account takeover) and also the name and e-mail for all involved accounts, specifying the player that is taking over the account and the one giving it away
- Account sitting: please write name of account to be sat, date and duration and name of the sitter
- Account theft: give as many details you can
- Bashing/obstruction of the account development: please write the time it happened and the player doing the bashing
- Complaint about a ban: you can get more details about your ban or obtain a clarification in case the ban was not fair
- IP sharing: you inform the GO that there are other players using the same network to connect to the game
- Miscellaneous: you select this subject if you can’t decide which subject is best suited for your problem
- Other violations: anything not covered by the other subjects and that is implying a corrective measure
- Pushing: you can report players that are sending unsolicited resources or they are higher than you and refuse to pay for the trade, or anything else related to pushing rule
- Report bugs or other problems: here you can report or complain about bugs or unwanted behavior of the game. In this situation is better to give details about your operating system, browser (type & version), extensions and add-ons, it is very important to describe the exact circumstances the error occurred, and if possible, attach a screenshot of the page causing problems
- Report hackers/bots/scripts: give details about the possible hacker or scripter or inform the team about a possible situation. Please have in mind that account security is entirely the player’s responsibility
- Report mail activation problem: in case you are not receiving the e-mail with validation link
5. Description of your problem: To ensure that your ticket is handled as fast as possible, you should give all the necessary information and fill out all the details correctly ( see above details).
6. Attachments: you can attach files

Your ticket should get a reply within 48hrs, when this happens you'll receive an email notification. To check your ticket click on "Ticket History" and see your answer. If you need to answer, click "Send reply" to answer the ticket, please do not open a new ticket for the same issue. If you're unhappy with the reply you've received and want to complain to the supporter's superior then click "complain" in the ticket and it will be escalated to the next level. Please note, each time a Game Operator is answering, your ticket is automatically closed, you can open it anytime simply by answering to it. It is good to use the option “Rate this answer” to send a feedback regarding the efficiency and usefulness of support received.