Hello bay12 community, I would like to respond to the discussion regarding our ToS. First, let me say that on a personal level, I do not disagree with you. However, we are a very small operation (you're talking to it), and don't have the resources to cover all the laws of every country in the world. Games run by large corporations can afford the management required for an international audience. If we are fortunate enough to build a modest user base, this will certainly be one of the first walls I'd love to take down. In fact I have personally questioned the lawyer on residency restriction on more than one occasion. In the end, this is simply an undesirable, but necessary, part of starting a small business.
Regarding age restrictions, there are specific laws in the USA for online services. Again, I personally fought to request as little information from players as possible. As it was explained to me, I have to put up a fence. The minimum requirement is to request your birthday (with a timeout) and check-box the ToS. If somebody, as a hypothetical example, puts in a false birthday and is not a US resident but ticks the box anyway, I still maintain a strong legal position that you were made well-aware of the rules.
One feature of Island Forge that complicates both of these matters is the central role of player-created content. This is still considered a very new type of service - it's downright bleeding-edge where the laws are concerned. So, I hope the community appreciates a small independent game trying to break the mold. It's all about community support, and I am more than willing to discuss these matters further. In any case, it is very worthwhile to hear what potential players have to say, so I know what to improve when we get there! Thank you for your feedback and your interest!