Tutor Guide

The Tutor Guide was a set of instructions to players who would like to become Tutors, as well as to active tutors, on the principles of the Tutor System. The Guide used to be available in the official website until the removal of the tutor system on May 3rd, 2023.
== What Are Tutors? ==
Tutors are experienced Tibia players who know the game and the documentation, e.g. the manual and the Tibia Rules, very well. They help others to find their way around Tibia by answering questions and by giving general advice. However, tutors do not enforce the Tibia Rules. If they find that a rule has been violated, they must make rule violation reports like any other regular player. However, tutors can directly report bugs.
Players can contact tutors online using the help channel. Alternatively, they can use the support boards.
Note that tutors are not official representatives of CipSoft. They are not authorised to give orders to fellow players, and above all, they must not ask for account data. Statements given by tutors should be understood as personal opinions like those given by any other player. CipSoft cannot guarantee the correctness of such statements, and they may be subject to clarification by CipSoft at any point of time. Always keep in mind that a tutor is a regular player just like you!
== What Is Expected From Tutors? ==
=== Required Qualifications ===
In order to be a tutor in Tibia, you must be an experienced player. The following requirements must be met:
You must have played the game for at least three months. Also, there must be at least one character of level 20 or higher on your account.
In case you have one or more entries in your rule violation record, your conduct level must be green.
Your account must be registered.
You must have received 40 "Thank you!'s" in the last 90 days.
=== Duties ===
* Tutors Answer Questions Related to the Game
The single most important duty of tutors is to answer questions concerning all aspects of Tibia. They must answer truthfully and to the best of their knowledge. Also, they may offer advice on problems concerning the rules, but their opinion does not necessarily reflect the official position of CipSoft. Every tutor is free to decide whether he wants to answer in-depth questions concerning the content of the game, e.g. questions about quests or not. Generally tutors should support their help by referring to a corresponding part of the documentation. For additional information they can also link to a supported fansite.
* Tutors Check Both the Help Channel and the Support Boards on a Regular Basis
The help channel is where players can contact tutors in the game. Consequently, tutors should always keep an eye on it. If a tutor finds that no other tutor is active on the help channel, he or she should be prepared to step in and take over. In addition to the help channel tutors should also check the support boards regularly to see if there are questions that need to be answered.
* Tutors Check the Tutor Board and the Tutor Channel Regularly
Tutors have a special tutor board where they can learn about latest developments and discuss players' questions. All tutors should make sure to have a look at this board now and then in order to be up-to-date. Moreover, tutors have to follow the guideline announced at the tutor board to keep the board tidy. In addition to the tutor board, tutors can use a special channel ingame to discuss difficult questions and problems with other tutors.
* Tutors Report Bugs
Tutors who learn about a bug or find one themselves should deliver detailed bug reports to CipSoft. To do so the client's bug report dialog should be used. Note that tutors should only report actual bugs and not mistake them for game weaknesses. For a more detailed description see the section concerning bug reports.
* Tutors Observe the Code of Conduct
Tutors should act in an appropriate, dignified way befitting their position. There is a special code of conduct which tutors should follow when communicating with other players.
=== Limitations ===
The tutors' scope of duties is narrowly limited. It is important to know that there are a number of rights tutors do not have:
* Tutors Do Not Enforce the Rules
Tutors cannot impose banishments or notations on players, and they must not threaten to do so. However, tutors can report other characters just like every other player.
* Tutors are Not Authorised to Interrogate Players
Of course, players may choose to answer a tutor's question if they feel this will help to solve their problem. However, there is no obligation to answer a tutor's question - a player can refuse to answer anytime. Above all, players should keep in mind that any attempt to steal account data from other players is a serious offence of the Tibia Rules.
* Tutors May Not Pretend to be Representatives of CipSoft
Under no circumstances must a tutor lead other players to believe that he or she is acting on behalf of CipSoft. Impersonating a member of the CipSoft Team is considered a serious violation of the Tibia Rules.
== Code of Conduct for Tutors ==
Tutors should observe the following guidelines at all times:
* Be Polite
Some players may be rude and irritating. Never get carried away. If a person proves to be tiresome, it is better to ignore this player rather than getting involved in some unnecessary argument. Maintain a polite and neutral level of conversation with players as well as with your fellow team members. Remember that you should act as a role model and deal with problems on a professional basis.
* Be Calm
Do not haste your answers. Take your time. Answer only one question at a time and think carefully. If you know you will have to leave soon, it is better to leave that extra question to some other tutor rather than trying to answer in a rush.
* Be Brief
Some players may try to involve you in pointless discussions. Unless you have plenty of time and energy to waste you should not encourage such players. Try to identify the question and answer it in a brief, concise statement. If you find a conversation with a player turns into a chat, move over to the world chat channel.
* Be Precise
Always keep in mind that language poses a problem in Tibia, so tutors should make sure that players understand what they are saying. When talking to a player, express yourself in correct, well-chosen English sentences that are easy to grasp. If you encounter a player speaking the same language as you and that language is not English, you can of course switch to that language.
* Be Objective
Even though tutors do not act as official representatives of CipSoft, people will listen carefully when you speak, and if they feel you are biased, your reputation will suffer. Try putting personal feelings aside while acting as a tutor. If you feel you are biased, refer the question to another tutor.
* Be Informed
You will be asked many questions, and you should be prepared to answer most of them without having to look up the answer first. Know the whole documentation and try to answer as well as you can. The FAQ will provide you with exemplary answers to most common problems. Support your help by referring the player to the corresponding part of the official documentation. If you are not sure about an answer, forward the question to somebody else rather than making something up! If you are confronted with a new problem, you should discuss it in the tutor channel or at the tutor board first.
* Be Respectful
Although tutorship entails some special features, tutors are still considered to be regular players in all other respects. Maintain a respectful attitude towards fellow tutors both in the game as well as on the boards. Finally, keep disagreements to the tutor board or the tutor channel and do not provoke pointless discussions.
* Be a Model Tibia Player
Remember that even though tutors are still regular Tibia players, players will pay attention to the way they behave in the game. You should try to set an example for your fellow Tibians. Play fair and make sure to follow the rules at any point of time. If you violate the rules, you will lose your position on top of any regular punishment.
== Tutor Career ==
=== How to Become a Tutor ===
Check the Requirements
Check your account profile and compare it with the list of required qualifications. If you do not meet one or more of the requirements, you will not become a tutor. Please do not be disappointed. Remember that entries in the rule violation record eventually get deleted. Given time you may still make it.
Get "Thank you!'s"
In order to be appointed as tutor, you must have obtained 40 "Thank you!'s" by different players in the last 90 days. Players can hand out "Thank you!'s" in the:
Help Board
Technical Support Board
Payment Support Board
Help Channel
Of course, also already appointed tutors can receive "Thank you!'s". The more "Thank you!'s" a tutor has received, the more stars will be shown below the tutor's name in forum posts. This way, players can easily recognise how experienced the answering tutor is.
Be Appointed
If you fulfil all aforementioned requirements, you will be automatically appointed as tutor.
Show your Status
By default, nobody will see your new status once you have been appointed as a tutor. If you want other players to recognise you as a tutor, you need to unhide your status on your account page. You can choose to do this for single characters as well as for the complete account.
If you do not hide your status, you can be recognised as a tutor by:
writing in orange in the help channel
the title "tutor" below your character name in your forum posts and on the characters page
the number of stars you have already gained as a tutor below the title in your forum posts and on the characters page
=== Dismissal ===
Tutors will be dismissed if their conduct level turns orange, red or black. Tutors that have been dismissed can become tutor once more as soon as they meet all requirements again.
== Bug Reports ==
=== How to Report Bugs ===
Whenever you find a bug or a player informs you about one, you should report it to customer support. Bug reports are made in the game via a special client interface that is only available to tutors. You can open this dialog by using the key combination Ctrl+Z. Further, you can report map bugs by right-clicking on the concerned map field and selecting the entry "Report Coordinate" from the context menu. Mistakes in NPC chats can be reported by right-clicking on the NPC text in question and selecting the context menu entry "Report Message". The NPC's name and line will then be sent automatically with your report. Only reports made one of these ways will be forwarded directly to the responsible department.
Once the report dialog has opened, please select in which category (Map, Typo, Technical, Other) your report fits best. If you are unsure, please select "Other".
The description should be as detailed as possible. Ideally, it should include a short evaluation of the bug's seriousness and, most importantly, a detailed listing of the steps that are necessary to reproduce it. When reporting you should try to focus on important information and leave out anything which is not crucial to understand the problem. It is not necessary to provide your name or to describe your character's location because bug reports automatically include your character name as well as the coordinates of the map field on which your character stood when submitting the bug.
=== Guidelines on Reporting Bugs ===
* Take the Right Attitude
Tutors should always take a mature and rational approach when identifying a bug. Do not report rashly. It is not necessary to report everything that is not coherent with what you know from your personal experience. Remember that this is a fantasy setting and some things simply do work differently here. Also, please understand that CipSoft cannot give rewards for reporting bugs, so do not ask for one. Most importantly, keep in mind that the bug report function is reserved exclusively for bugs, so you must not use it to report rule violations or illegal names. Finally, keep in mind that abusing bugs is a rule violation.
* Verify Bugs Before Reporting
Make sure that what you are reporting is really a bug. Do not mistake a game weakness for it. Contrary to a bug, a game weakness is not an obvious error of Tibia but usually a side effect of a certain program feature which is supposed to be the way it is. Therefore, it must not be reported as a bug. If you are not sure whether or not you have really found a bug, you should first discuss it with your fellow tutors either in the tutor channel or on the tutor board.
* Make a Thorough and Correct Report
If your report is about a bug in the game, always make sure that you first position your character as near as possible to the map field where the bug is. If you cannot get there yourself, include an exact description of where the concerned map field is, seen from the field where you are standing when making the report, e.g. "two fields to the south from here...". If the bug you are reporting has no connection to any specific location on the map, you may of course make your report from anywhere you like. Please never forget to include a step by step explanation as to how to reproduce the bug. Make it as detailed as necessary and as short as possible.
== Appendix: Help and Report Functions of the Client ==
+: Help Channel
This is where players may pose questions to tutors. It can be processed by tutors. Their answers will be highlighted in the channel.
+: Bug Report
This is where bug reports should be submitted. It can only be used by tutors. Players can inform them to hand on a bug report after verification.
Category:Positions