Forums → Support Forum → [GUIDE] Guide to AG

Hello, and welcome to the new and improved guide to AG.

While using the site we assume you will follow simple net-etiquette and behave properly as you would in real life. This includes no bad mouthing and following the rules.

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So, what are the rules?
The current ground rules can be found at the top of the page, in read text.
These rules are currently not entirely up to date and are subject to change, so it is preferred you keep an eye out for changes to be announced.
To add to the rules listed in above link, it is prohibited to post referral links on the site or using it for advertising, as per our Terms and Conditions, it is also preferred you do not include links to your own threads in other threads to gain more attention. This counts as advertising as well, and will cause the thread to be locked or deleted.

What can I if I see someone breaking the rules?
It depends on what it is, really.
Flagging]/i]: If you find spam posts or comments on the site, you are welcome to use the little red flag on the right side of the screen. This alerts the admins to the problematic comment, which will then proceed to be deleted.
Note that this system might take a while to get something done, which leads to the second option:
[i]Report to a moderator: If you see someone harassing another user, spamming excessively or otherwise making a lot of trouble, you can report them to a moderator. This is done by visiting the moderator's profile and leaving a comment there including a link to the offending user's profile as well as a link to where this trouble is going on. Usually one link is enough, but in case this is happening on several users' profile, it is preferred to give several links to get the whole picture of what is going on.
If this is happening on your own profile, do not delete the comments before you have gotten a reply from a moderator, as you otherwise might remove evidence.

How should I behave if someone is harassing me?
First of all, don't reply to them. If this is an argument that started escalating, stop replying. The less you are involved in the trouble, the better.
After that, you should report the user in question to a moderator, and they will mediate between you and the other user, if they find the problem to be solvable.
NOTE: It is important you do not involve yourself in other users' trouble. White-knighting* is not looked upon fondly and does nothing but escalate the problem. Instead, step back and report to a mod.

* From Urbandictionary: "On an internet forum, a person who defends a member who is clearly wrong, usually with the hopes of gaining brownie points with said member. Often seen as negative behavior."

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Who are the mods?
The current moderators are listed here, though some might not be active at any point in time. It is often a good idea to check around the forums to get a view of who might be more active, or online when you need them.

What does a mod do?
Moderators can be considered the police of the site. They make sure everyone is following the rules, reward merits to game comments and delete spam in the forums and on the game comments.
A more throughout list can be found on any moderator's profile.

I want to be a mod, how do I do that?
We have a handy thread for that right here.
To sum up, you need to be a good and respected member of the site, preferably older than 18 and have a good knowledge of the rules.
It is, however, recommended not to think too much about this and just enjoy the site and go about as usual, as trying too hard usually will mean the moderators does not feel right about working with you, and while the final-final decision on who to become a mod lies with the administrators, the final decision lies with the moderators.
They have to work along side you, after all.

Who are the admins and what do they do?
The admins can also be found here.
These people are the staff of the site, and the ones working directly for Armorgames. They take care of glitches, programming trouble and so on, while also being able to do the same things a moderator is able to.
These are also the people responsible for permanent bans from the site, so such matters will have to be supported by them to prevent abuse of power.
A better explanation can be found on any administrator's profile.

Wow, how do I become an admin?
Currently it seems you have to be an employee of Armorgames for that.

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Wait, what is a merit?
Glad you asked.
A merit is a reward by a moderator. It is usually given for outstanding game comments or in certain contests like the Poetry contest or the Haiku contest found in the Art, Music and Writing section of this site.
Most mods look for merit-worthy while cleaning spam from games, and while there might be a better chance of getting a merit on newer games, it should not stop you from reviewing other games as well. You might get lucky.
There are several guides to writing merit worthy comments on the site, though you might need some digging to find them.
Remember, however, that merits are a reward, not a right.
Or to quote another mod:
"You do not write a merit. You write a review of the game, and maybe it will get rewarded with a merit."

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A short guide to the sections
Support and Suggestions: Come-to place for announcements on rule changes, information on glitches, issues and, hopefully, solutions.
Newcomers' section: A place for newcomers to introduce themselves and ask questions about the use of the site. This section does not add to your AP or your post count.
Armor Games v3: The section for suggesting changes to the site, keeping updated on the process of the Beta and give your opinion on it as well.

Video Games: The place to discuss consoles, PCs, portables, smart-phones and any other device for gaming, and the games related to these. Do however note that discussions on flash games, like the games found on Armorgames, does not go here.
Game Walkthroughs: Have a handy walkthrough for a game on AG, put it here.
Flash Games: Discussions in this section involves any flash game on the internet.
Forum Games: This is where the little text based games go. "Rate the above -", RPGs and other games like these are welcome here. This section does not add to your AP or your post count.

World Events: The place for the more serious discussions relating to the real world.
Popular Media: Books, music, movies and anything related to these can be placed here.
The Tavern: The all-round forum section. If something does not fit in the other sections, it can be placed here.

Programming Help: Anything related to programming goes here, so if you need help with your game, you should check out this section.
Art Music and Writing: Post your own pictures, music or stories here. As long as it is done by you, it can be placed here.

Do remember to check out the stickied threads for the sections to see what is allowed and what is not.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I use the codes on this site?
We have an amzing guide here for all around use, while image-posting is covered in this as well.
Always remember your codes need a beginning and an ending, and what comes in between will be what is displayed in the forums.

Help! I need help to find a friend!
No need to worry. If you know their username, you can insert it into this:
armorgames.com/user/PUT-NAME-HERE
which will take you to their profile.
If you don't know it exactly, you can try this custom AG search.
However, if you are not aware of what their username might be, we can only recommend you to go ask them, as there is currently no way to search for other criteria as such information is not stored or searchable.

If you need help to find friends in general, be active on the forums, and you might find someone that shares your interests.

I comes from -country-, I wonder if there are others from there?
Most likely, though they might be hard to find.
While we don't recommend you making a thread asking about such user, some users might know one or another and can direct you at those.
Otherwise you can introduce yourself in the Newcomers section, while including your country, and someone might be able to help you out there.

How do I add a friend?
Go to their profile and press the white "Add Friend" button.
It is located at the top of the profile page.


How do I fave a game?
At the top of the game's page, there will be a line of several little icons. One of the will be a little heart with a green plus on it. This icon, when pressed, will add the game to your favourites.


How do I...
Get an email notification when someone leaves a comment on my profile?
Get an email notification when I get a merit?
Enable or disable my comments?
The answer is found in your control panel in the shape of several drop down menus. Select an option and save the change, and it should be done from that moment.


I can't seem to find this game...
The site might be having some hiccups, or you might not be looking the right place. Refer to this thread, or contact Justin via email at support@armorgames.com

My Armatar/Avatar changed suddenly!!
If it changed from a chosen one to a starry backgrounded shield and does not change back after refreshing a few times, it will most likely be due to you having lost enough Armorpoints(AP), to have gone down a step on the Armatar ladder, thus losing access to the chosen Armatar.
If it changes at random, the site is acting up. It happens.

How do I earn AP?
ArmorPoints are earned through several means.
A simple breakdown would look like this:
Rate a Game: 2 AP per Game
Comment on a Game: 2 AP per Comment
Make a Post in the Forum: 1 AP per Post
Submit a Game: 20 AP per Title
Earn a Merit: 25 AP per Merit
It is however highly recommended not to care too much about AP, and just let things happen. After all, if your interaction on the site is found to be purely to gain AP, those comments, posts and ratings might be taken away.

Help! I lost xAP!
Your comments, posts or ratings have been removed. This is usually done if the post or comment was not following the rules, or the rating has been found to have been done unlawfully to gain points.
This can also explain great amounts of AP being lost. And no, it does not matter to argue about it, if it has been lost through this automated process, it was because it was too short.

What are the ranks, and how much do I need to get from one to another?
You can find a complete list here.

How do I submit a game?
You go here and fill out the requirements. Remember it has to be your own game.
If you want a game on the site that isn't here already, you can contact the developers and ask them to submit it for you, or contact the staff and ask them to get permission to feature the game. It is preferable if you do the footwork yourself, though.

How do I make a game?
This thread should get you started.

What is the rules on alternate accounts?
Please don't make any, and if you do, please refer to this thread for the relevant rulings.

Why was my thread locked?
A thread can be locked for a variety of reasons. If there is no message from a mod in the locked thread, they might have placed a tag in the title instead, which will explain the lock:
[ans]: The thread has been answered.
[dup]: The thread is a duplicate to another thread.
[spam]: The thread has been spammed to the point where it can no longer be salvaged.
[OPspam]: The opening poster/creator of the thread spammed in creating the thread.
[req]: The creator of the thread has requested for it to be locked.
[necro]/[nec]: This thread has been inactive for too long, and someone posted in it regardless.
[old]: Same as above, the reviving post might just have had a point, though the thread is still too old to have around.
[caps]: WE DON'T LIKE YOU TALKING LIKE THIS.
[what]: Exactly what is says. The moderator that locked the thread has no words.
[No.]: There is breaking the rules, and then there is breaking the rules. This tag is placed if someone is breaking the rules seriously and in such a way that a moderator has no words or patience to write out a proper message.

Threads of relevance:
THE HELP PAGE
Referral links are not allowed.
Are you missing Armor Points lately?
How to search the forums.
What does it take to become a moderator?
Friend related sticky
What is a merit?
Forum rules and guidelines
How to report.
BBcode guide
Mods and merits.
Earlier FAQ.