theworldofdreams.com

Very well i was wrong and i admit it.

I seem to find myself in the somewhat uncomfortable position of being in disagreement with of of the server gods ...

Laephis wrote:This issue has come up several times recently, and in different forms, so I'd like to clarify and hopefully put an end to these kind of threads.

Having seen message boards where this sort of disccusion is squashed as soon as it starts to happen, I would consider said squashing to be a bad thing.

There are no "off-limits" areas on WoD.

No officially off-limits areas yes.

Players are free to hunt in the location of their choice. However, if you are an established player in plate armor, it's inconsiderate to be hunting in an easy place like the Brit GY. It's downright rude to be doing that when you see other younger players already there. But there's no rule against hunting there, and if you don't mind the stigma, then have fun.

Well, rule 9 basically says absentee macroing in public is against the rules because its rude (yes I'm paraphrasing a bit). Unless of course some sorts of rudeness are ok and others arn't.

Also, if these sorts of posts stop then there will be no/very little stigma involved.

Basically I snipped all the parts I agree with, hehe. In a specific instance talking to said person first is of course the best thing, on the other hand there are always new players joining and it dosn't really hurt for there to be a post now and then that indicate that certain sorts of behavior, while not against the rule are fround upon.

Eldric wrote:In a specific instance talking to said person first is of course the best thing, on the other hand there are always new players joining and it dosn't really hurt for there to be a post now and then that indicate that certain sorts of behavior, while not against the rule are fround upon.

I agree with this, but would add (for my part) that not just in a specific instance, but in nearly all instances a rational discussion with the person you have an issue with is best. My reasoning for this is two-fold:

1) Newer players can not be "expected" to know
what is known etiquette, and what is
generally considered "rude". We don't all
come from the same backgrounds. And what may
have been considered commonplace in their
prior experiences, might not be acceptable
here. And vice versa.

2) Not everyone reads the forums. We have a lot
of younger players (in actual age). I for
one have a ten year old that plays here. I
don't allow him to read the forums. Not yet.
he is not ready for the kind of things that
can take place here. Because they don't read
the forums, they may not know about all of
the discussions that go on here. The only way
they'll ever know, is if we take the time to
tell them.

It has been my experience with WoD, that the majority of the people who play here, young and old, want to play well with others. And are more than happy to modify things they may be doing "wrong" for the greater good. But they can't change it if they don't know about it. And it is hard to not get defensive if you are blasted right off the bat. A little diplomacy goes a long way. Talking things over to start with, is never a bad thing. I'm not saying it will work every time, but it is definitely the right place to start.

*sees a Deer and wanders off*

~Tristan Gryphon~

I think the majority of problems of this kind can be resolved by talking it over with the other person in-game. There are some, however, who just don't care for other people's feelings and want to do their own thing and be "left alone" (as if a multiplayer environment was the best place to be antisocial). If the latter is the case, I think the person who has observed or been victim to blatant rudeness is more than justified in bringing the case to the public forum, where the culprit is assured to receive a verbal flogging. That's why it baffles me when people try to defend rude behavior on the boards.

WoD is a community, and as a community we have NO OTHER METHOD to regulate player behavior other than the public forums. Unlike pvp shards, WoD rules do not permit any sort of "police action" by players in-game, so the only way we have to chastise selfish and obnoxious behavior is by denouncing it on the boards.

I agree that there has been an unnecessary number of threads like this lately where the situation could have been resolved without resorting to public chastisement on the boards. Personally, I adhere to the belief one needs to know the circumstances and intentions of a person before you can judge his or her actions. That's why I have no sympathy for people who try to defend unacceptable conduct on the basis of "it is my right to do whatever I damn please." Clearly, there are no actions involved there, just wrong, misguided motivations.

The day the majority of WoD players adopt such an attitude it will be the day when the WoD community ceases exist and WoD becomes a society of competing (self-serving) interest-groups fighting bitterly against one another (just like Congress!).

Well, rule 9 basically says absentee macroing in public is against the rules because its rude (yes I'm paraphrasing a bit). Unless of course some sorts of rudeness are ok and others arn't.

Good point, maybe this is a good time for the Admins to come up with a "rudeness scale" rule. What kinds of rudeness are acceptable and which aren't? Doesn't rude by definition affect other players in negative way? On the other hand, how could you make people act nicely to one another? If I think the color green is obnoxious and rude (to the eyes), does that mean it should be removed entirely from the dye tubs [as stupid as that sounds, it has happened before]?

Eldric wrote:I seem to find myself in the somewhat uncomfortable position of being in disagreement with of of the server gods ...

I can understand why you might feel uncomfortable, but I'm glad you posted anyway. No one's ever gotten in trouble for disagreeing on the boards with an admin.

Having seen message boards where this sort of disccusion is squashed as soon as it starts to happen, I would consider said squashing to be a bad thing.

I disagree that "coming down hard" in this situation is squashing discussion. Squashing, in my book, is locking the thread. Or banning players who continue to flame (I've seen boards that do that.) You are still free to discuss my comments after the fact, obviously.

Lest the main points get lost, let me try to summarize:

1) Neither players nor adminitstation decide where players can or cannot hunt.

2) Posting personal complaints concerning another player who is not breaking the rules does us all a disservice. Talk to that person privately first and only seek other methods after those attempts have failed.

Well, rule 9 basically says absentee macroing in public is against the rules because its rude (yes I'm paraphrasing a bit). Unless of course some sorts of rudeness are ok and others arn't.

It's simply impossible for us to ban rudeness in general. It's too big and too subjective of an issue. There are a few things that have been chosen, but the rest left for you to work out amongst yourselves.

Also, if these sorts of posts stop then there will be no/very little stigma involved.

If the person in question was concerned about social stigma, then politely asking them about it in person would be sufficent. If a person is not concerned about offending other people, you will know right away when you talk to them: posting it on the boards will change nothing.