Discuss the Players Department

[SekoETC]

But in some cases it apparently is legal to whisper to your own characters and trade with them - seeing as PD members do it all the time. You just gotta know the difference between keeping mules and having normal interraction.

[Nick]

But in some cases it apparently is legal to whisper to your own characters and trade with them - seeing as PD members do it all the time. You just gotta know the difference between keeping mules and having normal interraction.

I think you're definately giving off the wrong message there.
You'd have to have a very convincing reason why two characters of your own interact. Only way I would do it is if it was ordered by other characters.

For instance, if I have Joe the resource gatherer in Beeville, and Jake the dictator who controlls the hematite in Ceetown, and Joe's boss sends him to trade with Jake, then they will.

This will rarely if ever happen. As a general rule of thumb, don't have your characters interact. At all. If you really think your case is special then you should contact the PD about it, but most likely you're wrong.

[Doug R.]

As a site admin for another gaming site, I'll attempt to shed some light on why this policy is enforced the way it is, and why you might be seeing some PD characters interacting IC.

The rules are strict, not because that is the desireable way to do things, but because the PD can't trust anyone. The best way to do things would be to RP the situation approprately for your characters, but the PD can't trust that anyone will do that, so they have to put a blanket rule into effect. If you see PD-owned characters interacting, it's because, as a member of the PD, they KNOW they are not breaking the CR, but they can't trust you, or anyone else The benefit of the doubt does not and cannot apply here.

[Shaderon]

I can understand what you are saying here, but if it's not ok for non PD players to do it the PD shouldn't do it either, even if they do know they won't break the CR.

Most people learn best by example and as it's been proven by various psychological tests (ok everyone stop yawning I know not everyone is into psychology) if someone witnesses something done occasional times they are more likely to think they can do it and get away with it then if it's not done at all or always done in a structured manner.

Hey sometimes late at night, or at 3am and you are tired you forget yourself and if you've seen it happen yourself, you might just do it yourself in that forgetfullness.

[Doug R.]

Oh, I agree with you. I wasn't justifying it, just giving a reason. Besides, I wouldn't know a PD-controlled character from Norman Newspawn anyway.

[Jos Elkink]

Yeah, I agree that PD members should not really be treated differently from others. But, that said, sometimes it's obvious that a player is not breaking the rules. E.g. I remember Richard playing several characters in Quillanoi, but it was always obvious he was not breaking the rules. It would be silly if the PD were to really intervene. In most cases, however, the case is not so obvious, and we do have to intervene. I think PD members should raise as little suspicion as other players ...

[Oasis]

Seko, PD members do not do it all the time. We avoid it as much as we can. We are held to an even higher standard than most players, and are questioned just like any other player if something doesn't look quite right.

What you say is somewhat true, Doug. We ensure we are not breaking the CR if we have the need for our characters to interact. We discuss it with other PD members to make sure what we are doing is unavoidable and necessary.

It is not fair to say we distrust all other players. It simply isn't true. Nor is it true that we disallow all interactions between all other players characters. That is why we do an investigation, so we can discover the circumstance, and discuss the situation with the player. It is often evident whether the player understands the intricacies of the CR, and their interactions with their own characters is deemed "unavoidable and necessary", or if they need more education before they understand it. Some just never seem to get it, but those players are not the majority, thank goodness.

No, we don't just give a player the benefit of the doubt. That wouldn't be fair to other players, if they are in fact in the wrong. But we do strive to understand the situation, and explain to the player why it isn't allowed. We do even sometimes find that the situation is acceptable.

[Doug R.]

If you don't distrust all the players, you must not have been duped by them as many times as I have. I just gave up trust to save my sanity.

[Schme]

The players departement is not responding to the reported CR breaches.

[Jos Elkink]

The players departement is not responding to the reported CR breaches.

The PD is currently understaffed and overwhelmed with work ... It's difficult to handle the situation and also spend time training new PD members at the same time. Please have some patient with us - it has currently top priority for PD and GAB alike.

[Schme]

I do not like the Player's Departement.


They are rampantly corrupt and hypocritical. They constantly violate and neglect to enforce the rules. They are favoritist to a near explicit degree.

The Player's Departement sucks. The staff is all hypocrites. I don't mind corruption, favoritism and abuse of power, but at least don't deny and lie about it.

Come on, guys. Get real. We're not stupid. Not me, anyhow. I'm like Bhuddah and Hammer rolled into one, if you ask me.

Plus, this thread sucks. It's a way to streamline critiscism. Like internet Stalin.

It's full transparent. To hell with this thread.

[Bowser]

I do not like the Player's Departement.


They are rampantly corrupt and hypocritical. They constantly violate and neglect to enforce the rules. They are favoritist to a near explicit degree.

The Player's Departement sucks. The staff is all hypocrites. I don't mind corruption, favoritism and abuse of power, but at least don't deny and lie about it.

Come on, guys. Get real. We're not stupid. Not me, anyhow. I'm like Bhuddah and Hammer rolled into one, if you ask me.

Plus, this thread sucks. It's a way to streamline critiscism. Like internet Stalin.

It's full transparent. To hell with this thread.

I admit having a thread liek this is inviting feedback, whether it be negative, positive, constructive, or not. I suppose the people in power shouldn't really condemn you for your rude crybaby comments because they asked for it with this thread... but I didn't start this thread so I think I'll throw a few stones.

Shut up, you whiney crying scorned woman. What, were you accused of a CR breach? You reported one and nothing came of it? You grouping your characters? Why all the venom towards a volunteer group of fellow players who are spread very thin at the moment.

Maybe you are upset that the PD isn't earning their money... of I forgot, they don't get paid and you don't pay to play. You have a problem, learn to deal with it like an adult or try and fix it, or maybe volunteer for the PD yourself. You never really had any credibility from the start, but any you had just got lost.

[chadpants]

I do not like the Player's Departement.


They are rampantly corrupt and hypocritical. They constantly violate and neglect to enforce the rules. They are favoritist to a near explicit degree.

The Player's Departement sucks. The staff is all hypocrites. I don't mind corruption, favoritism and abuse of power, but at least don't deny and lie about it.

Come on, guys. Get real. We're not stupid. Not me, anyhow. I'm like Bhuddah and Hammer rolled into one, if you ask me.

Plus, this thread sucks. It's a way to streamline critiscism. Like internet Stalin.

It's full transparent. To hell with this thread.

Hey look... isn't this refreshing. A critical post that offers a solution along with the critique...

Oh, wait... I actually read the post...

[Schme]

I've not been accused of anything, I'm afraid.

Rather, it is me doing the accussing.

You seem rather fast to jump to conclusions, my friend. Your assumptions are entirely wrong, I'm afraid.


Also, I really don't appreciate being called a "crybaby scorned women." That’s an extremely rude thing to say. It’d be the equivalent of me calling you a dumbshit punkass motherfucker, and very unkind. Had you been polite, you would have come across as reasonable rather than a jerk, making me look bad. Unfortunately for yourself, at present, it appears to be the reverse.

If you actually read what I wrote, you’ll see that I’m not upset that the Player’s Department isn’t living up to their duties (something which you brought up, not myself) especially seeing as they have no duties to anyone be the guy who owns the game. There is nothing for them to not live up to.

Nor am I upset that they break the written rules for themselves and their friends, or whatever else.

All I’m saying is that they should not pretend that it isn’t done. Honestly, I don’t care if they do. In fact, it’s not hurt me at all, and most have shown great restraint. But what I was saying was that they should not pretend that they do not. That’s all.


You brought up a bunch of other shit that has nothing to do with anything.

Oh, and the terror, my “internet cred” is gone! Woe is me!

Respect from people on the internet may mean a lot to you, but it doesn’t mean all that much to me, especially the respect of jerks.

Furthermore, I don’t seem to remember you being the controller of who has credibility or not, my friend. You seem to dismiss people rather quickly, while all the while knowing nothing.


Basing criticism on nothing is never a good strategy. From what you said, you could no glean what I was talking about from my earlier post. In that case, you should have asked me to explain it further, so that then, after obtaining an understanding of what I was talking about, you could point out the folly. Instead you criticized things you did not understand. That’s just foolish. You should try again, as you didn’t have much to work with the first time.

And I don’t appreciate being called a woman.







And Chad, if you actually read the post, you could see that I did in fact make everything very clear. “Stop pretending there is not favoritism and that he PD members don’t use their positions to break the rules.”

If you didn’t understand that, you could have asked me to clarify.

Instead, made a critical post that offers solution along with the critique.

Oh wait, I actually read the post.

[Bowser]

I read your post and all I saw was someone calling the PD names... as for the woman comment, I was referring to Helll hath no fury like a woman scorned. Your comments come across as someone crying due to some percieved persecution.

If you don't care how your comments come across and just like to post to get things off your chest, go at it.

If you would prefer a more manly analogy, your post sounded like a football player telling the ref he needs glasses after a bad call.

As for what kind of person I am, I have been around this game and forum for years and have a very low post count. I don't make comments on many things, but you struck a nerve.