Another Open Letter

[prometheus]

All mine are on the same two islands, save for one. Out of 12.

[MonkeyPants4736]

My two most active chars live only two locations from each other, and I have four who spawned and live only two locations apart each. It's really not been any problem so far, but since two of them are frequent travelers, I expect to have to often give the PD a heads up about one or another of those characters being temporarily at the same location as another

[SumBum]

There is no rule stating that you cannot have more than 1 character in the same location. Your chars can even talk to each other. I've had 3 attend a party once and it was a non-issue (amazingly I managed to not post anything with the wrong char). There was a time when I had 2 chars settle in a town - they simply could not cooperate on projects or trade with each other. Those chars had very different goals/interests so it wasn't a problem to avoid those things but they did join in some of the same conversations. Was it awkward? Yes and I'd avoid it if a long-term scenario ever comes up again, but I don't have my chars go out of their way to avoid temporary or short-term encounters with each other.

[prometheus]

Wait really? I've been agonizing about even pass-bys, I thought we couldn't be near ourselves.

[SumBum]

From the Game Rules in the Wiki:

Your characters cannot be part of the same family or group.
Your characters may not help each other in any way: not by sharing resources, nor working together, nor influencing other characters to benefit each other.
You may never use two characters to attack or drag another.
You as a player cannot impart knowledge discovered by one of your characters to another: each character must discover for him or herself in game.

I'll probably get smacked for taking it to this extreme, but there technically is nothing stopping you from having all 15 chars in one town as long as they adhere to those rules above. I think it would be very difficult to follow those rules with 15 chars in one location, though.

Edit: Most players choose to keep their chars away from each other because it simply makes life easier. Mistakes happen like handing things to the wrong char or posting something with the wrong char.

[*Wiro]

Even trade is allowed, but this is only rarely possible in a neutral way. Usually only in places where the rates are set in stone, so that there is no room for negotiation (and thus being able to give your character a better deal). It's best to inform PD in advance of this. It's best not to do this unless you're confident about the situation, and you should expect questions from PD regardless.

These are the things that really need to be stated plainly in the rules, to help players form an idea of whether what they're about to do is okay. None of this is even remotely implied by the capital rule.

[Marian]

As long as you're not a special player with 'special responsibilities' it's okay to have two in the same town. This is on the wiki and having one sleep while the other visits is recommended...it just leaves out the exceptions that can lead to major consequences, even if the chars don't interact or cooperate in any way, or if you do all the usual things you do with your other traveling chars all the time.

I know in the Polish areas and in other language groups people do often have chars living the same town, but the rules seems much stricter for English characters. Except...when they're not?

Really the most confusing and frustrating thing about the CR continues to be the inconsistency in how it's applied.

[Wolfsong]

It comes down to likeability, IMO. If PD likes you, or at least has no reason to dislike you, you get a pass. If you're already on their watch list for reasons, IC or OOC, then they'll come down on any and all infractions they might normally overlook.

[ObsessedWithCats]

I forget most people can have multiple characters in the same place XD I'm pretty sure I'm 'on PD's watch list' or at least was at some point but I don't think they've been excessively hard on me. I'd say if there's a problem beyond the general situation of how hard the game is to moderate it's lack of communication, and I've established that at least a part of that is that the internet used to eat their emails.

[Marian]

I don't like to make assumptions like that but it really has seemed to me that long time players can get away with things, sometimes the exact same things, repeatedly, that new players would get harshly punished for.

I'm not going to make any guesses here as to what the reason for that is, except to say again that if I've gotten the completely wrong impression, I'm only drawing the obvious conclusions from the information we've been allowed to have. More transparency, communication and consistency would clear things up for everyone and leave no room for that kind of speculation as to why so much is being hidden and why fuzzy or unwritten rules seem so unevenly applied.

And meanwhile, at best, that whole policy is confusing and yet another one of those things that seems counterproductive to getting new blood in to keep this extremely niche game with a consistently dropping player base afloat. There's only so much more inbred the playerbase can get before the game is hardly worth it.

[Cdls]

It comes down to likeability, IMO. If PD likes you, or at least has no reason to dislike you, you get a pass. If you're already on their watch list for reasons, IC or OOC, then they'll come down on any and all infractions they might normally overlook.

Please don't spread misinformation. As a member of PD, I find such comments to be highly insulting. While there are areas that could use some improvement, this is most certainly not one of them.

[Optimus Christ]

Raising a point, and which this post would probably get deleted or worse:

The reason most likely for the "misinformation" is that people are feeling the favoritism. Its not misinformation when everyone has felt it. My suggestion is: Don't want misinformation as you put it? Then give us the correct info, and not something that I'm noticing to be copy pasta. I work in security a lot, and am given strict limitations. Dont powerbomb, dont tackle, just enforce these. And they hand me a sheet. When people go against the rules, and the response is "I didn't know" what I do is work to take those excuses away. It got so far as to put bigger than life posters up of "Badges are you be worn and displayed at all times while on (insert corporation name here) property. At that point, I've taken their excuse away. The reason I bring it up, because this situation is almost like that.

[Cdls]

My suggestion is: Don't want misinformation as you put it? Then give us the correct info, and not something that I'm noticing to be copy pasta.

Please show me an instance where I have not provided correct information, or copy pasta (whatever that is supposed to be).

[Optimus Christ]

My suggestion is: Don't want misinformation as you put it? Then give us the correct info, and not something that I'm noticing to be copy pasta.

Please show me an instance where I have not provided correct information, or copy pasta (whatever that is supposed to be).

Not specifically saying you, and please don't think I'm just trying to pick on people in PD. I'm just trying to put into perspective of what we would appreciate, and that we work on the information we have. I was actually trying to suggest maybe a clear perspective? Another point of view? My statements were not meant to be malicious in any way. The point is, the player base as a whole, may or may not feel mistreated, because of a specific reason or what have you. I was actually trying to be of some help. No need to be all defensive.

[Cdls]

Not defensive in the slightest, I was just asking for some information to clarify your commentary.

The point is, the player base as a whole, may or may not feel mistreated, because of a specific reason or what have you.

Given the number of active players, those contacted for committing infractions is barely a blip on that number scale. Those that have restrictions placed on them is an even smaller number. Those that have permanent restrictions is such a small occurrence that it would barely register. And yes, I know...since I cannot provide actual factual numbers to back it up, it is my word vs whoever wishes to debate it, but it really doesn't make it any less true.

Demonizing something that isn't understood, that is totally understandable as people have been doing it since the dawn of time. Jumping on bandwagons to toot your own horns over some slight you felt was done is also nothing new. (not pointing fingers at any person, just a generalization)

Another point of view?

Multiple point of views are always helpful, when they are constructive and informative, and there is a lot of constructive and informative feedback being presented by a few of those who are speaking up, and personally, I feel it is a good thing for the community.