Overview
The team at TDN will not be in the business of selling user data (*Existing privacy agreements would presumably remain in affect and said agreements would supersede the prior commitment: Forums, anything Beamdog has you agree to regarding NWN, Steam agreements, etc.). In essence, there is no data that we are collecting and distributing to a third party in exchange for cash. (I.e. Public CD Keys, IP Information, Logs, etc.)
Chat Logs & Logging
The Dragon's Neck will have chat logging in place, this includes tells. There are a myriad of reasons, however I'll highlight the primary reasons:
- This is to ensure the staff has all information available in the event of OOC disputes, harassment, etc.
- TDN's custom Identification/Naming System makes it simple for someone to potentially impersonate another user's PC when observing a simple screenshot. We feel that the best course of action is to keep chat logs stored so we can validate reports of illicit behavior that would violate our Rules & Conduct. Attempting to impersonate another user via manipulation of the Identifcation/Naming system for purposes of falsifying a report or situation will be met with harsh consequences, up to and including permanent ban from the server.
- Admin Note: Only Aschent_ will have access to these logs, and honestly, I have zero interest in spying on anyone's chat & tells. My committment is to leave the logs alone unless there is an event that requires me to investigate a particular user's records. Additionally, there really should be no behavior happening on the server that anyone would be concerned about being 'found' during discovery of a report. If there is, I recommend you adjust how you plan to engage with the server and other users.
Recordings
Streaming (via Twitch, YouTube, etc.) will not be allowed for players.
Over time, the admin [Aschent_] will be recording DM events, scenery, combat, roleplay, and more. DMs have a unique naming in place that floats above Player Characters, and we do not anticipate showing the names of the PCs involved at any point to ensure that confidentiality may be maintained for those PCs. In the event that showcasing the player character's true name would make the video more meaningful, we would discuss that with the player ahead of time. Dungeon Masters would be made aware of recording plans and they have the ability to either delay, or request a cancellation if they felt it is going to stifle the experience for them or the players involved.
Privacy
Ultimately, I recommend operating in TDN with the understanding that what is happening in-game is tracked to some degree. The vast majority of this tracking is in the form of analytics so we can look for trends and adjust our approach based on a mixture of objective (data-driven) and subjective (community-based) feedback. For example, it is helpful to be able to find out how often a particular herb is spawning module-wide. We may also want to know the date, time and frequency that a particular PC is harvesting that herb. That data may encourage us to provide a better spread of that herb in the region if there is not enough general availability for the rest of the playerbase.