Bushtarion Manual
Cookies
* Essentials
* Common Problems
* Testing Your Cookies
* Cookie FAQ
* Cookie Locks
  
Essentials:
  Cookies are small text files on your PC that a website can use to store a little bit of basic information on for visitors to a site. Bushtarion uses cookies as a way of help to monitor accounts, and can help to enable the admin to ensure that all players of the game are abiding by the game rules. It is down to your web-browser software (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera etc.) to store and retrieve data to and from these cookies. They must be enabled in order to play Bushtarion.

Common Problems:
  There are a number of common problems which may have a simple solution as to why cookies may not be being stored by your web browser for the Bushtarion website. The main culprits are:
* Cookies Disabled within browser. Solution: Consult your browsers help files for instructions (usually pressing F1 calls these files up) on how to either enable cookies, or add "bushtarion.com" to the browsers "Safe" or "Allowed" or "Trusted" list, so that cookies can be enabled just for Bushtarion.
* Corrupt cookies. This can happen for a number of reasons, and is more common with Internet Explorer. Within Internet Explorer, go to Tools->Internet Options. "Delete Cookies", "Delete Files" (ticking "Delete all offline content", and "Clear History". Close Internet Explorer and re-open. Other browsers you will have to consult their help files (pressing F1 should call these help files up), though they should all have similar options to wipe all the old cookies.
* Security Programs (ZoneAlarm, Norton Security Suite etc.). Go in to the programs settings and look for options to disable cookie blocking or add "bushtarion.com" to the programs "Safe" or "Allowed" or "Trusted" so that cookies are enabled just for Bushtarion. Consult the programs help files for further instructions.
* Third Party Privacy Programs. You will have to check your "Add/Remove Programs" list and try to track down if you have any third party privacy software installed. There are some privacy programs people install but then "forget about" which do things such as automatically wipe all your cookies & history every time your browser closes, or every time you reboot.
* School/College/Work/Net Cafe Network. Currently there is no solution if your school or college network has software or hardware on a different PC that is automatically preventing any cookies being created on any of their PCs. You can try talking to the appropriate IT staff or admin and ask if they can enable "bushtarion.com" as a safe site, and explain why you need them enabled, otherwise - try to minimise logging on from these PC's.

Testing Your Cookies:
  Open your browser, go to the Bushtarion forums, log in but on the login screen tick the "Log me on automatically each visit" box. Close your browser, re-open it and head back to the Bushtarion forums. Are you still logged in?
* No: If not, then either the cookies aren't being created, or something is deleting the cookies every time you close your browser. Try going through the possible solutions, and keep re-trying until you get the answer below.
* Yes: Close your browser, and restart your PC. Once you've booted back up, re-open your browser and again head back to the Bushtarion forums. If you are still logged in, cookies should now be working fine. If you are no longer logged in, then something is deleting cookies every time you reboot - and the prime suspect for this is a third party program installed on your PC "hidden" in the background - check through "Add/Remove Programs" and your "Start Menu->Programs" list thoroughly for anything suspicious.
  If this fails to do enable cookies try using www.google.com or search the Bushtarion forums for a solution. If you still fail to find a solution then try giving your PC a spring clean: http://www.bushtarion.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5488

Cookie FAQ:
Q: Why might you lose a cookie?
A: You lose a cookie if you log in on a PC that has no cookies for Bushtarion on it. They can also "refresh" themselves after 30 days+ (so you may lose 1 inadvertently). Also using anonymous proxies will lose you a cookie every time you log in. If you lose 4 cookies in one go, it means you just broke the "30 Minute Rule" - check the EULA or FAQ page for more details on this.

Q: I keep losing cookies every time I log in, is there a solution?
A: Run through the list of common problems and the solution is more than likely there. If not try using the forums search function or Google for more answers, or giving your PC a good Spring Clean.

Cookie Locks:
  If your account ever hits 0 cookie allowance for any reason, you will be "cookie locked" - this essentially means you cannot use your world 1 ID. You can access the ID, but cannot use many of the pages (mail, politics, hiring, military, etc. etc.). Other users cannot see that you are cookie locked. Your ID will appear as normal to other users, and they can still attack/ defend you (but you will be unable to send your troops away, or hire new troops!). You will still gain seeds while cookie locked, as long as you have harvesters at home.