Server policing expectations

[wtsgoodtime]

Hi there,

Background:
I used to play EQ back in 1999/2000 and quit shortly after Luclin was released. I've recently started playing on p99 with my friends who have been here for many years. I've been playing way too much and am lvl 47 in a few weeks.

Question:
I've noticed it is easy for people to start yelling about camps and spawns being contested. My friend was recently suspended without warning or explanation and we think it was due to someone complaining about taking their pulls. The pulls in question were probably pulled about the same time (within a second?) and were not part of a camp. They were also green to the petitioner and don't drop any special loot. If anything, this sounds like the petitioner is violating not disrupting normal playability of the zone for those of us who get XP.

We invest a lot of time in our characters in this game. Do we want GMs suspending/banning people without talking about it? This is only going to lead to people petitioning all the time for anything as a CYA technique. I want fair and honest discussion getting to the root of the issue before action is taken. You may not care until it happens to you.

Thoughts?


(Was previously posted in "Server chat" and the initial thought was that there were ragey /tells that caused suspension, but how can you know when there is no explanation?)

[Argh]

It comes down to this: who did your friend call a cunt?

[wtsgoodtime]

I don't think anyone. I may only have 1 side of the story, but that would be highly uncharacteristic of him.

[skarlorn]

let me give you some advice

1) post the names of the offending parties

2) post screenshots, or edited logs if you don't have them

[Dreenk317]

It's just kind of how the server works. Is it fair/right? No, but is is what it is. You will get yelled at and threatened with petitions. Yet if you yell at and threaten that person with the same petitions, for the same reasons. They will have an argument for how it's not against the rules when they do it. But only when you do it.

For instance, every time I kite Lodi, even if I'm actually engaged and actively casting trying to land slow or root or w/e. I receive a million tells about how I'm stalling and it's against the rules and I need to concede. Yet if I tell someone else they can't kite Lodi and are stalling, they are quick to point out that Lodi is not a raid mob and therefore it's a grey area and therefore they can stall. (Often these are the same people that have told me kiting (for any amount of time) is against the rules.


Welcome to p99 and it's wonderful world of hypocrisy, I really do hope you have a good time.

[wtsgoodtime]

That is good advice... I suppose you have to take screenshots of any altercation and petition them before they petition you. However, I thought as a relative server-newbie that GMs would realize that not everyone who calls the police is in the right.

Next time we'll make sure to get that evidence.

Can we take the discussion not to my and my friend's case specifically, but to server policing in general?

Do we want GMs to slow down and take their time addressing issues so that they can get them right? Or do we prefer hasty and potentially inaccurate suspensions/bannings? I know I'd prefer the former.

If all of your efforts can go down the drain from some (tiny) misunderstanding, it isn't worth playing in the same way. It would still be worth playing without attachment to the characters, but it isn't quite the same, ya know?

[rictus204]

"yeah we took his spawns, but they don't give him exp or any special loot, so we deserve them more.. he is the bad guy here!!!"

maybe try red during the suspension, i hear its a real good time over there.

[wtsgoodtime]

Originally Posted by Dreenk317 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's just kind of how the server works. Is it fair/right? No, but is is what it is. You will get yelled at and threatened with petitions. Yet if you yell at and threaten that person with the same petitions, for the same reasons. They will have an argument for how it's not against the rules when they do it. But only when you do it.

For instance, every time I kite Lodi, even if I'm actually engaged and actively casting trying to land slow or root or w/e. I receive a million tells about how I'm stalling and it's against the rules and I need to concede. Yet if I tell someone else they can't kite Lodi and are stalling, they are quick to point out that Lodi is not a raid mob and therefore it's a grey area and therefore they can stall. (Often these are the same people that have told me kiting (for any amount of time) is against the rules.


Welcome to p99 and it's wonderful world of hypocrisy, I really do hope you have a good time.

This makes me sad. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Dreenk317]

I will say that you should read the server rules if you haven't. As it clearly states that I can be a level 60 with capped exp and I can run around killing lvl 5 mobs for as long as I want and you couldn't touch them. I engage them first, they are mine.

[wtsgoodtime]

Originally Posted by rictus204 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

"yeah we took his spawns, but they don't give him exp or any special loot, so we deserve them more.. he is the bad guy here!!!"

maybe try red during the suspension, i hear its a real good time over there.

In this case, we were there first, and I don't think you can actually claim these as a camp, so it may not be relevant. It is a side point that these spawns did not gain him anything (or so little it makes no sense to fight these).

I'd like to make the distinction from spawns and pulls, where pulls are mobs you have actually tagged.

The main point was there can be times when 2 people tag the same at the same time, and there should be no hasty suspension for that. Rather, investigation and talking to players should be first. Is that a poor expectation?