Babylon System is the Vampire wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 3:56 am
Gouge Away wrote: Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:24 pm
There should be consequences to your actions but I think you have to be mindful of punishing the character and not the player. Gathering hundreds of granite and busywork like that, that doesn’t involve rp and takes hours of boring rl grinding time is sending a “bad player” to the corner for time out. It’s taking away a night of their play time. That kind of thing can be a catalyst for fostering resentment.
Now some players might not mind that punishment at all.. And if you want to be a truly good leader as a player, you have to learn to read the room. It’s difficult but if you can figure out how to punish someone in a way that’s actually fun for them and still feels like their character take their lumps IG that’s one of the signs you’re an exceptional player.
(Just to add, consider one reason a character might act out against a settlement is because the player is frustrated and feels like it’s the only way to get noticed. If someone’s feeling excluded or ignored to begin with then going straight to exile or sending them off on a busywork gathering quest is just pouring salt on the wound. That’s one reason I think it’s always best to at least try to offer punishment that involves active rp in the community)
Alright, let me do my best to explain the reason why I think this is fine. First, for your character to be punished, you had to do something that got you there in the first place. Pickpocketing, robbing someones chest, pking, whatever. Did you take the time to think about how that might effect the player you are targeting, or did you just do it because its part of the game? I suspect its the latter because no one really likes getting robbed or murdered, so the chance of them being ok with it seems slim to none. So how is this as a punishment not along the same lines of ok? You can find me defending the evil character's right to do there thing all over these forums, and I would be a hypocrite if I turned around and said "but its not ok to punish those who get caught."
As for what's fun or not, you the player are responsible for making the most of your situation. If you choose to grind it out alone, that's on you not the punisher. Now I agree there are some excessive things that people in law enforcement positions shouldn't do, just as there are rules about what you can do as an evil person. Me personally, I think this would be waaaay down on the spectrum of what constitutes excessive however, especially since you can say "Ok just exile me instead then".
As for your part about lashing out because a player is frustrated, I suggest taking it to the dms if you feel that way. The minute you lash out and go out of character because of reasons like this, you become the jerk no matter how guilty the other party is of whatever you are accusing them of doing.
Part of the issue and the imbalance between antagonists and protagonists is the responsibility of storytelling.
A murderer, a necromancer, a raider, a slaver - whatever they may be, their actions might be detrimental ICly, but that detriment is usually a trigger for a whole rippling effect of narrative.
Those who are in need of "punishment", in fact, foster a lot of roleplay through that pursuit.
But what roleplay does mining granite foster?
Arelith is hard, because we often have to struggle between what a setting, character, or world would call on us. A sheriff in Bendir might legitimately need to punish the highwayman who has been targeting travelers in his domain, but that highwayman has made Hawk'in go on patrols, created investigations, provided rivalry, had show-downs, and so on and so forth.
So when the highwayman finally comes into your graces to be punished - you what, you turn around around and tell them to go collect X of Y resource?
All the Hawk'in might look on and see this upholds Bendirian law; the wandering paladin might think this is good; everyone will nod and praise the sheriff for doing good work -
but what roleplay have you actually enhanced?
Conflict only ends in Arelith with death or departures (or the very rare corruption/redemption story). Nothing else. Punishment must be seen just as another step in the overall narrative, and while some few players/characters might think mining granite is fine, you really need to step up and deliver something more meaningful and more empowering to your fellow players.