Editing Ban

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A '''ban''' is the denial of a person or group's access to a service or resource. Bans are typically enacted by people in positions of authority in response to rule violations committed by an individual. The ability to ban is sometimes satirically referred to as "the [[Wikipedia:banhammer|banhammer]]".

In the ''Halo'' community, bans are administered by [[Bungie]] staff members when users break the rules for in-game conduct. Furthermore, the term "Banhammer" takes on a new meaning in the context of ''Halo'' gameplay.

== The Banhammer ==
Bungie's banning system, commonly referred to as the "Banhammer", is an advanced anti-cheat mechanism used to regulate user activity in ''[[Halo 3]]''. A July 2008 Weekly Update<ref name="bwu-14568-ultraban">{{Cite BWU|14568|07/03/2008}}<div style="margin-left:2em">"''This includes some never-before-unleashed technology that will effectively terminate your Halo multiplayer experience online in ''every imaginable facet''.''"</div></ref> stated that the system was being upgraded; the same update announced that the presence of [[Modding|modded]] content on a [[File Share]] would result in a ban. It also may have hinted at the then-unfinished "Ultra Ban".

A Bungie Weekly Update in August<ref name="bwu-14994">{{Cite BWU|14994|08/01/2008}}</ref> announced that the Banhammer was upgraded with new features designed to crack down on File Share violations. The update also elaborated on specific File Share-related rule violations.

''Halo 3'''s September Title Update introduced the "Ultra Ban"<ref>{{Cite BWU|15475|09/12/2008}}<div style="margin-left:2em">"''Last week, we mentioned some of the “Peace of Mind” changes that were coming to TU2, one of them being a new type of ban.''"</div></ref>, which was applied retroactively to those who had committed severe rule violations in the past<ref>{{Cite BWU|15475|09/12/2008}}<div style="margin-left:2em">"''For special folks ''[...]'' we’ll be retroactively applying this ban to their accounts.''"</div></ref>; the ban is documented in more detail in its section below. Various other anti-cheat systems were also introduced, though they were not elaborated on<ref name="bwu-15545">{{Cite BWU|15545|09/23/2008}}</ref>; an additional weekly update identified the system as "Banhammer 2.0".<ref name="bwu-15595">{{Cite BWU|15595|09/26/2008}}</ref>

The Banhammer is capable of administering bans automatically<ref name="bwu-15595"/><ref>[http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=26126383&postRepeater1-p=2#26129780 '''Bungie.net: Halo 3 Forum:''' Ultra Ban Help]<div style="margin-left:2em">"''Bungie specific bans are not based on feedback from users. They are based on automatically collected data.''" ~ [[Tom Gioconda]]</div></ref> and it keeps extensive records both when a ban is administered<ref>{{Cite BWU|15475|09/12/2008}}<div style="margin-left:2em">"''You see, dear reader, whenever the Banhammer strikes, records are kept and those records are sortable, viewable and actionable en masse. M-Dub and the Wolf take great pride in the numerical sorting of massive amounts of data while Shishka languishes softly on a waterbed of e-tears.''"</div></ref> ''and'' during the course of normal gameplay; records taken in the latter instance can then be analyzed to detect cheat-related behaviors.<ref>{{Cite BWU|15659|10/03/2008}}</ref> It is also known that Bungie employees can manually strike with the Banhammer.<ref>{{Cite_BWU|15595|09-26-2008}}<div style="margin-left:2em">" [...] ''And yes, I did send the proper form to Banhammer afterwards.''"</div></ref>

== Types of Bans ==
=== Matchmaking Bans ===
[[Matchmaking]] bans prevent players from participating in [[Xbox Live]] matchmaking.

=== EXP Bans ===
An EXP ban prevents players from earning EXP from ranked [[playlist]]s in Matchmaking. Such bans are usually temporary.

=== Voice Bans ===
Voice bans may be administered when users misuse or abuse the microphone during a game. Excessive vulgarity may result in a voice ban.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=28476360&postRepeater1-p=2#28477531 '''Bungie.net: Halo 3 Forum:''' shishka, this one is for you :)]<div style="margin-left:2em">"''You can potentially get voice-banned if a Bungie employee catches you being extremely vulgar (and no, we do not accept reports of vulgarity, so don't message me about it), but I've never played a game with someone who I then turned around and banned because he called me a name or something.''" ~ [[Shishka]]</div></ref> Such bans prevent players from using the microphone to verbally communicate with other players.

=== File Share Bans ===
Players can also have their [[File Share]]s taken away.

=== Console Bans ===
Severe offenses may result in a player's [[Xbox 360]] console being completely banned off of [[Xbox Live]] itself. In some cases, the ban may be temporary, though permanent bans can also be administered.

=== Ultra Ban ===
The so-called "Ultra Ban" was introduced in ''[[Halo 3]]'''s second Title Update. The ban prevents players from playing ''any'' form of online [[Multiplayer]], including Matchmaking and even [[Custom Games]]; it also prevents players from organizing parties in the [[Theater]] lobby.

== Offenses ==
There are a variety of actions that can result in a ban. Note that this list is not comprehensive.

=== Gameplay ===
EXP [[boosting]], skill boosting, level reducing, habitual quitting, cheating, and standbying are all easily detected by the Banhammer and usually result in either Matchmaking or EXP bans.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?link=H3Bans '''Bungie.net: Banhammer Details:''' 12/18/2007 10:24 AM PST]</ref> [[Achievement]] boosting is not a formal offense<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=26461843&postRepeater1-p=1#26463228 '''Bungie.net: The News:''' TU2 FAQ]<div style="margin-left:2em">"''Yeah, "achievement boosting" is kind of lame but honestly it's not really something we can/will punish people for.''" ~ [[Brian Jarrard]]</div></ref>, but the Banhammer often mistakes it for EXP boosting and bans it as such.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=27388615&postRepeater1-p=2#27391466 '''Bungie.net: Halo 3 Forum:''' Should Bungie provide us with a terms of use?]<div style="margin-left:2em">"''Acheivement boosting often looks like EXP boosting to the banhammer - so if you acheivement boost, you're likely going to get punishments for EXP boosting.''" ~ [[Tom Gioconda]]</div></ref> Attempts at EXP boosting by playing with inactive guests (that is, additional controllers without additional people) can also be recognized by the Banhammer and will result in EXP bans.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=29532590&postRepeater1-p=3#29534014 '''Bungie.net: Halo 3 Forum:''' Wow no reason banning]<div style="margin-left:2em">"''We can tell when you're playing with a party, and we can tell when no input is being given via the controller. ''[...]'' the unused controllers method of social boosting is the most common and most EXP bans result from that behavior. ''[...]'' playing with "bad" players won't get you banned, unless they are so bad they are unable to figure out how to pick up the controller.''" ~ [[Shishka]]</div></ref>

=== Modding ===
Authors of [[Modding|modded]] content will receive permanent Matchmaking and File Share bans as well as one-month console bans if the content is uploaded to a File Share.<ref name="bwu-14994">{{Cite BWU|14994|08/01/2008}}</ref> Note that this applies even if the content is uploaded by someone other than the author; also note that when a player renames a file, they become its new author.<ref name="bwu-14994"/> Uploading modded content to a File Share will result in a File Share ban, even if the uploader did not create the content.

The above policies were enacted during July.<ref name="bwu-14568">{{Cite BWU|14568|07/03/2008}}</ref>

=== Offensive Content ===
Uploading offensive content to a File Share can result in a File Share ban. This includes, but is not limited to, racist and pornographic content.<ref name="bwu-14994"/>

== Non-Offenses ==
=== Modding ===
Contrary to popular belief, uploading screenshots and film clips of modded content will ''not'' result in a ban, provided that the screenshots and films themselves aren't modded.<ref name="bwu-14994"/> As of August 1st, 2008, there are no rules against downloading modded content to one's Xbox 360.<ref name="bwu-14994"/>

== Trivia ==
[[File:Suspended.jpg|thumb|right|100px|The consequence of using mods in online matches.]]
*An anonymous US gamer using the gamertag "Scar" managed to [[Cheating|unwittingly download]] [[Halo 3 Epsilon|''Halo 3 Epsilon'']]. He played the game with his console connected to [[Xbox Live]], and quickly came to the attention of Microsoft. On September 2007, his gamertag and console account were banned until December 31, 9999, resulting in the longest ban from Xbox Live ever.
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== Sources ==
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[[Category:Terms and Phrases]]
[[Category:Multiplayer Lexicon]]