Terms of Service

1. Provider and Scope

These terms govern use of ShardWorlds and related web services between you and Chris Schmidt.

2. Service Description

ShardWorlds is a persistent browser MMORPG. During beta, features, content, and game balance may change at any time. Continuous availability and unchanged feature sets are not guaranteed.

3. Account and Use

• You must provide accurate registration details and protect your login credentials.
• Multiple accounts must not be used to evade rules, restrictions, or enforcement measures.
• Cheating, botting, exploits, unauthorized automation, data scraping, and circumvention of technical safeguards are prohibited.
• The Fair Play and Technical Abuse Policy explains these duties and forms part of these Terms.

4. Fair Play, External Tools, and Enforcement

In particular, you must not deliberately exploit defects or unintended interfaces, automate gameplay, bypass access or protective controls, systematically scan IDs or coordinates, or automatically collect, transmit, or publish game or interface data for external maps, databases, alerting systems, or similar services. Creating, distributing, advertising, or using tools for these purposes is also prohibited.

Display, translation, and accessibility aids are allowed only where they do not automate gameplay, retrieve data not intended for that account, or transmit game data to third parties. Using browser developer tools is not prohibited by itself; using them to manipulate, replay, scan, or circumvent the service is prohibited.

Where abuse is suspected, we may temporarily limit access while reviewing the matter. Depending on severity, intent, impact, repetition, and attempts to evade enforcement, measures may include a warning, reversal of improperly obtained advantages, technical restrictions, temporary suspension, or permanent account termination. Where appropriate, a warning or opportunity to remedy the violation will precede permanent termination; serious or continuing violations may require immediate action. No permanent sanction is imposed solely by an automated heuristic. Mandatory legal rights remain unaffected.

5. Subscriptions and Pricing

• Subscriptions are paid recurring contracts.
• Total price, billing interval, duration, and cancellation terms are shown before checkout.
• Payments are processed through Stripe.
• Subscriptions renew automatically for the selected period unless canceled before renewal.

6. Cancellation

You can cancel at any time for the next possible end date. Cancellation is available through your account billing portal and through the statutory cancellation page: /cancellation.

If we permanently terminate a paid account, its recurring renewal will also be stopped. Accrued claims and mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

7. Withdrawal Rights (Consumers)

For distance contracts, a 14-day withdrawal right generally applies unless a statutory exception applies. If service starts at your explicit request before the withdrawal period ends, compensation may apply. For digital services, withdrawal rights can expire early where legally permitted. We provide /withdrawal as an electronic method to submit a withdrawal declaration.

8. Virtual Content

Virtual items, currency, and progression are part of an in-service license and are not redeemable property outside the game service.

9. Liability

We are fully liable for intent, gross negligence, and injury to life, body, or health. For slight negligence, liability is limited to breach of essential obligations and foreseeable typical damages.

10. Consumer Dispute Resolution (Germany)

We are neither obligated nor willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

11. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms for future effect where required for legal, technical, or operational reasons. Material changes will be announced in advance and in clear form. Where consent is legally required, we will request it. Changes do not apply retroactively, and mandatory legal rights remain unaffected.