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Thread: From the Support Desk

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: What will <EVENT> be like? How much will <ITEM> cost?

    OMG, you have NO idea how many times people have emailed asking about Valentine's Day. We've been dealing with dozens of emails a day since last April! I have no idea why everyone is obsessed with Valentine's Day... it's not even a very good holiday in real life (Old Person advice : If you love someone, don't wait until Feb 14 to tell them!)! But, boy oh boy, is it popular in Growtopia!

    No matter what holiday or item you are wondering about, the answer is going to be the same:

    We aren't going to tell you anything about the holiday event or the items before the fact. You, like everyone else, will have to wait until the event happens to see what it will be like. Even the mods aren't told anything about the events ahead of time. That's just the way it is.

    The One and Only Exception:

    We have been telling people since about April of last year that we intend to bring Angel Wings back next Valentine's Day. They will be exactly the same as they are now. Use that information as you will.

    We will not ever again share information about a future holiday, event, or item. So don't bother asking.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: I gave my password to a gem hack site and now I've been hacked!!! HELP!!

    We get THOUSANDS of these emails every week. I'm afraid that you're not going to like my answer at all.

    First of all... WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU TELL A HACKER YOUR PASSWORD?? If someone is telling you they are going to cheat for you, they have already proven to you that they are dishonest. If you tell a hacker your password you are going to get hacked.

    Secondly... we have already banned the accounts that created these phishing sites. THAT'S WHY THEY WANT TO USE YOUR ACCOUNT. By sharing your password with hackers you are literally making it impossible for us to keep them out of the game.

    Thirdly... I know you are telling us about it because you want us to ban the person who is hacking you. But since the ONLY accounts those guys have access to are YOUR ACCOUNTS, the only way for us to ban THEM is to ban YOU. (I know you also want your stolen stuff back, but that's not going to happen. We don't return items that are lost because you handed them over to the thief on a silver, password sized platter.)

    Finally... there IS a solution that doesn't involve us banning your account. CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD AND STOP SHARING IT WITH HACKERS.

    So it's your choice:
    A) We ban your account permanently so that the hacker can't use it.
    B) You change your password and keep it secret, so hackers can't use your account.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: What happens if I own/talk about/use a password phishing site?

    Password phishing sites are websites that try to trick you into giving away your password. They often claim the will give you free gems if you tell them your name and password or offer a downloadable program that will "hack" the game for you. In both cases, the owner of the phishing site gains access to your account and steals items from you.

    We don't have a lot of sympathy for people who try to steal from us and end up getting scammed. After all... it was your own greed and poor ethics that led to the problem. We do NOT restore stolen items that are lost due to your password being stolen by a phishing site or download.

    If you create a phishing site: YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED.
    If you advertise (posting on the forum, broadcasting in game, etc) a phishing site: YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED.
    If you log into someone else's account using a password you learned from a phishing site: YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED.
    If you talk about, joke about, brag about or otherwise suggest that you own or use a phishing site: YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED.

    If you use a phishing site or program and your password gets hacked: YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED, as this is the only way to prevent the "hackers" from using your account to play our game.

    99% of the "hackers" are already banned on their own accounts, which is why they need to steal YOUR password and use YOUR account. If you keep your password safe you are making sure you don't get scammed, AND you are making sure "hackers" can't get into the game through you.

    - - -
    PLEASE NOTE: The "hackers" who run phishing sites aren't really HACKERS at all... they are just liars and thieves. They aren't HACKING the game... they are stealing passwords and logging in. This is NOT a problem with OUR security, it's a problem with YOUR security.

    You can easily prevent your password from being stolen by doing the following:

    * NEVER share your password with ANYONE
    * ALWAYS delete your password from any device you use when you log off
    * NEVER enter your password while someone is watching
    * ALWAYS change your password immediately if you have any reason to think it's been compromised
    * ALWAYS use a complicated combination of at least 7 letters and numbers as your password
    * NEVER use your name, your GrowID, or sequential numbers (ie: 12345) as your password
    * NEVER use an easily guessed, common word or popular meme (ie: password, lol, doge, nyan) as your password

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: I saw a moderator breaking a rule!

    We investigated every moderator very closely before offering them the position of moderator. We watch everything they do very closely (which is why some of them don't get to remain moderators for very long).

    It is VERY unlikely that you actually saw a moderator breaking a rule. Often players misunderstand what they are seeing and assume they are seeing a mod doing something wrong.

    However, if you are concerned about something you've seen, you are welcome to report it to We investigate EVERY report we get about mod misbehavior.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: I updated the game/my device and now my account is reset!

    This only happens if you are using a guest account (a name with _### at the end) instead of a GrowID (created by entering an email address). Your account hasn't been reset. You are actually using a new guest account.

    Every time you start up the game without a GrowID, the game warns you that your account could be lost at ANY time. When you change devices, update your device's operating system or update the game, your device ID changes and you are no longer able to access the guest account connected to your old device ID. This is very sad, but that's why the game warned you EVERY TIME you logged in to create a GrowID.

    It is very easy to prevent this from happening: if you are going to play for longer than a few hours, make a FREE GrowID! All you have to do is click the options menu (the paper icon in the upper right corner) and choose "Create a GrowID". You will need to enter a VALID email address. If you enter a fake or mistype the address, you will not be able to prove you own the account or change the password in the future... SO USE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS!

    If you have lost a guest account, you can contact and we will try to recover it for you. However, it is not always possible. Your old account might be gone forever. That's why we warn you every time you log in that it could disappear forever! When you email, tell us your ENTIRE guest account name (including the numbers at the end) before AND after you did the update and we will let you know if there's anything we can do.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: My credit card is being charged without my permission!

    We do NOT have access to your credit card information. There are NO repeat purchases in our game. We do NOT have any pop-ups that entice purchases at any time.

    For EACH PURCHASE, the user must press the BUY MORE GEMS button, then the item they wish to buy, then (they are now in Google's system, not in our game) they must click "YES" to indicate they really wish to purchase this item for this amount of money, then they must enter their password, then they return to the game and receive their purchase. This must be done manually EACH TIME you purchase. You can verify exactly when and what orders were made by logging into your Google Wallet or going to the iTunes store and seeing your list of purchases.

    If you have questions about purchases made on your account or wish to request a refund, you will need to email with the name of the in-game account used to make the purchases AND copies of the receipts in question so they can determine whether a refund is possible. You can get these receipts by logging in to your Google wallet or your iTunes account. DO NOT SEND US BANK STATEMENTS OR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS. You should NEVER share those statements with anyone online and anyone who asks for them is probably up to no good!

    PLEASE NOTE: If you request a refund for gems that have already been used in the game the request will be denied OR your accounts will be permanently banned, depending on the situation. We do not allow accounts that have been refunded money to continue playing with the gems they didn't pay for. Just like the department store doesn't let you keep the shirt after they refund the money you spent on it.

    - - -

    It is a very good idea for you to check your password settings on your device and your Google or iTunes accounts if purchases are being made without your permission. Children are very tech savvy these days. We are regularly contacted by parents who didn't realize their children were making purchases without their knowledge. Because children do not understand how credit cards work or the real value of money, they will spend thousands of dollars and not think anything of it.

    We have daily purchasing limits on the game and we have rated our game 12+ for this reason, but it is really up to parents to be aware of what their children are doing on their devices. There are plenty of other games and apps that do NOT set these limits and are happy to take advantage of children in this way. Be aware of which apps your child is downloading and what the IAP policies are!

    - - -

    If you do not have a Growtopia account or you do not have Google wallet or iTunes account or have no receipts for Growtopia purchases in your records on these accounts, then someone else knows your credit card information and is using it to make purchases on their own accounts. Contact us and we can help you address this situation as well.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: Why won't you ban this person I'm reporting?

    Every single day we get reports of "hackers", scammers, bullies, and cheats. Often those reports include something along these lines:

    "I know you can't give me my stuff back, but at least ban him!"

    It may seem strange that we don't immediately ban everyone who is reported, but imagine what would happen if we did...
    - - -

    You: No, I don't want to trade my whole store for one world lock.
    Bully: That's not fair! I'm mad. I'm going to report you!
    You: Um... ok?

    Bully: That guy stole all my stuff. You should ban him!
    Support: Ok. *bans You*
    You: Wha...??
    - - -

    Obviously that would be really unfair. We get fake reports ALL THE TIME. We have had people photoshop fake "evidence" and even go so far as to create elaborate fake videos. We cannot accept your evidence at face value because then we would have to accept everyone's evidence at face value and not everyone is as honest as you.

    Most of the time, there's nothing we can do anyway, because the "scam" was really just one player getting tricked into doing something dumb. We can't prevent dumb. Only YOU can prevent dumb.

    ALSO... Don't bother emailing us to ask what kind of punishment we gave another player. We're not allowed to talk about other players' accounts with you. Sorry.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Default Can I make a START world translation?

    We appreciate your interest in translating our START world into your language! It will really help other people from your country to understand the rules and enjoy our game. Now that we've updated our START, we are also updating the rules for having a translated world linked to START.
    - - -

    * Building your START world is entirely your responsibility. You will not be given free items. Mods and developers will not be able to help you build it.

    * Your START world must be an exact copy of our START, only written in your own language. It may not have any extra doors to your other worlds. It may not have additional signs discussing your worlds or other players. It must be an EXACT copy.

    * Your START world will not receive honors or WOTD or any other special prize.

    * We will be checking your translations, so make sure that you are using appropriate language at all times.

    * If we receive complaints about something in your START world - such as inappropriate language, bullying, or misinforming or cheating other players in some way - it will be removed and your account will be temporarily banned.

    * If your world is chosen, we will remove your lock and place our own lock. This is because there have been too many people who have edited their worlds to scam other players after receiving a START link. We will give you a world lock and we will place a sign telling everyone that you are the translator.
    - - -

    If you are still interested in making a START world translation, please let us know when it is completely done. Send an email including:
    - the name of the world
    - the name of the player who created it (no more than 3 names)

    Please, do not send us this information until your world is 100% ready!

    Thanks again for being willing to donate your time, energy and supplies to help other players! We look forward to seeing your START world translation!

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Default FAQ: Why did my 2 year ban turn into a permanent suspension?

    The only reason we ban accounts for 2 years is if they commit serious crimes. During that 2 year suspension, we review the account and all information connected to it. There are several reasons your account might have been permanently suspended upon review:

    * the account is deemed to be a security threat (for example, banned for IAP fraud or "hacking")

    * the information we found indicated that the owner of the account intended to continue breaking rules (for example, they have been evading the ban on other accounts)

    * the account was suspended for something illegal in the real world (for example, sexual harassment or phishing sites)

    If your account was permanently suspended, it will NOT be unbanned at any point.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: What exactly are the rules of the forum?

    1. BE CIVIL
    Although this is a very simple, straighforward rule, I am including some examples of civil behavior below. This is not a comprehensive list and specific situations will be evaluated individually.

    * treat the community and the individuals within it with respect
    * use family-friendly language
    * when disagreeing with someone make your points calmly, politely and with evidence
    * avoid threatening people in any way
    * avoid sexual content (including content that can be interpreted as sexual because of context)
    * avoid bullying behavior
    ----bullying = ongoing abusive behavior involving a power imbalance
    ----power imbalance = a popular or experienced member attacking a new member or a collection of people attacking one person
    * be tolerant of others' beliefs, cultures and personal quirks
    * avoid trolling behavior
    ----trolling = drawing attention to yourself and causing problems in the community through lies, manipulation, alt accounts or other disruptive actions


    Threads posted in the wrong sub-forum may be deleted. Infractions may be given for intentionally or repeatedly posting in the wrong place.

    * Spam includes advertising other companies, posting multiple copies of the same thread, bumping your own thread repeatedly or posting nonsense in order to raise your post count or disrupt normal forum activities.

    * limit your signature to a reasonable size, use spoilers to hold pictures or text that is too long
    * see rule #1

    You can find these rules and a thread discussing them here:

    The purpose behind our rules is to help us maintain a community where people can share their Growtopia experiences. Any posts, threads or members who are disrupting the community as a whole may be removed in order to protect this purpose. If you don't like the rules of our forum, there are a plethora of other forums that might work better for you.

  11. #31
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: Why does your game allow people to do horrible things?

    Our game doesn't "allow" anything other than freedom of speech and action. Once a player has created an account, they make choices about how they are going to act, what they are going to say, and what they are going to do with their time, worlds or items. We feel that this is one of the things that makes our game unique. People like to be able to make decision and get creative. This ability to make decisions, while being the key to keeping people interested and active in the game, means that it is possible for people make poor decisions. For example...

    • choosing to trust people who shouldn't be trusted
    • choosing to take things that don't belong to you
    • choosing not to properly secure your items
    • choosing to be verbally abusive
    • choosing to lie to friends and/or strangers
    • choosing not to read the rules
    • choosing not to read the instructions provided with an item or action
    • choosing to allow people access to your world/lock
    • choosing to lend someone an item
    • choosing to trade an expensive item for a promise or a fake item
    • choosing to give a fake email when you create the account
    • choosing to click impulsively past a warning the game is giving you
    • choosing to share your password
    • choosing to download a hacking app
    • choosing to use a spoofed receipt
    • choosing to act abusively toward other people

    These are all things players can choose to do. These choices often lead to consequences that people don't like. For example...

    • you lose an item
    • you lose a world
    • you lose your account
    • you are no longer allowed to talk
    • you are no longer allowed to play
    • your trade doesn't go as planned
    • you don't get the prize that was promised
    • you earn a reputation as a scammer

    Growtopia is about punching, building and growing. But it's also about making choices and dealing with the consequences. The mind-bending thing about humanity is that when you give a person freedom of choice she may choose to do something incredibly noble, something horrendously evil or something on one of the millions of points along this spectrum. A person with freedom of choice may choose to do something clever and intelligent or something foolish and ignorant. The words of humanity can be combined in an infinite number of ways, expressing joy or anger, kindness or aggression, truthfulness
    or falsehood.

    We know that not everyone is looking for this kind of experience while gaming. That's okay. There are lots of games out there that don't require you to interact with real-life people and their real-life choices out there. There are safe games that protect you from everything bad, allow you to re-do every decision, and prevent you from doing things that might get you into trouble. Lots of them are really fun.

    But they aren't Growtopia.

  12. #32
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Question FAQ: Is my casino illegal?


    After a lot of discussion and input from everyone, we’ve decided to take a big step in Growtopia. We are going to ban any form of betting in-game. Whichever way we came down on this decision, it was going to upset a lot of people, but the deciding factor was the extreme harm that the players running casinos have done to our community. So many thousands of players have gotten extremely upset, or quit the game, as a result of casinos (both by being scammed, and simply by losing legitimately). At this point, with casinos in the game, it feels like our game is teetering on the edge of no longer bringing joy to people, but rather bringing sadness. Growtopia is a game. Its primary purpose is to entertain and make people happy. So when we have such a terrible number of people being upset and having real unhappiness in their lives as a result of our game, it’s time to re-calibrate and figure out a way around it. This is the only solution we have been able to find. This is not a decision we have made lightly. We have spent days going over the opinions being posted on the forums and discussing it internally. It’s not perfect, and many people will be very upset about this as well (but far far fewer than are currently upset, which is the heart of the decision), but it is the best we can do:


    We will not enforce this rule at all until July 13th (a week from now), and then until July 20th, we will only be warning players about it and possibly doing “mass curses” (sending everyone in the world to hell for 1 minute) when we spot casinos to make sure the message gets across. But after July 20th, asking players to bet on something will result in a ban from the game for as long as we deem necessary. Just like with drop games, we’re not going to bother ourselves with technicalities - you know what gambling is, and you know if you’re doing it. We can tell too. Just because you call your casino a PVPino or whatever you want to say, or you only use signs to direct the players, or you just say “1 WL” instead of “bet 1 WL on this roll of dice”, we are not stupid. We will punish you, and we won’t remove the punishment.

    Just like with drop games, participating can also result in a punishment, but you won’t get banned for that, just a shorter curse/tape.

    Until July 13th: we will not enforce this at all, we’re just letting you know it is coming.
    Until July 20th: the most punishment you will get for being involved in betting is a warning and a 1 minute curse.
    After July 20th: you will be banned similarly to a drop game if you host betting. Participating in betting will also result in punishment, to a lesser extent.
    Last edited by Solorien; 07-06-2015 at 11:32 PM. Reason: Updated for official new policy

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