Arelith

These are hectic times for Arelith. Permanent bans are abundant. Lowbie writ grinders continue to be mugged around Brogedestein. The Arcane Tower is having a few more job openings than usual thanks to unsanctioned raids. Rumors abound of Harpers getting buddy-buddy with servants of Bane. "Rumors" abound of necromancers with DM approval fondling a druid grove's most tender bits. Frostblades are vanishing. Drow houses are vanishing. The surface is hemorrhaging players. DM's are being appointed silently, not during official recruiting cycles. Official policies on the wiki that affect all players are changing unannounced. The Suggestions forum continues to be under lock and key. Among many in the playerbase trust in DM's and Staff has, to put a positive spin on it, 'immeasurable potential for improvement'.
Many players can't get the image of a runaway train out of their heads when they think of recent Arelith developments. There's always time and opportunity for positive change I say, and the following essay lays out one way to improve a critical part of our community: The relationship between players, volunteers, and staff.

Accountability

Like any group with authority, enforcers need a strong and proper work culture. A culture of accountability in enforcement is especially important. Accountability ensures that the Arelith staff can work together effectively. DM's ought to know their associates will put the needs of Arelith and players ahead of personal stuff.
The players hold DM's to high standards after all, and when DM's violate the rules they break public trust and lose credibility. This ultimately makes policing more difficult as people are unlikely to cooperate with DM's if they don't trust them.
Accountability is a key component of effective community policing efforts. And yes, DM's are police and enforcers. Sure their beautiful amazing volunteer jobs go beyond that to storywriting and play and encouragement and reviews, but they are also enforcers. All enforcers need accountability.

The tl;dr is this: When players see that the DM team has systems in place to enforce DM accountability, they are more likely to see DM's as legitimate. Therefore will be more willing to assist and cooperate.

Arelith needs a few things to improve that culture. A few suggestions, though the Suggestion thread is sealed under the earth.

Emphasize Shared Values
Values drive behavior. Volunteers make decisions based on what they think their organization values. Write something out that emphasizes values like integrity, responsibility to player wellness, service, and transparency. A formal statement of core values, for all to see. So players know what they're getting into. So DM's know exactly their purpose. So players who want to be DM's know what is going to be expected of them.
Frankly, an organization's values ought to be repeated regularly and reinforced in everything it does.
A server mission statement would be nice to have.

Expectations of Accountability
Holding DM's accountable and encouraging them to do the best job they can means the sharing and enforcement of policies and rules.
Rule number one: It's impossible to hold a DM accountable if there are no formal rules to hold them to.
Consistent problems with DM's mean either policy doesn't exist or it isn't being enforced. Simply writing policy isn't enough. Make sure every member of the staff and DM team read and sign off on it. And make sure the player base has access. Publishing policy and letting the players see these rules will go a long way to building a positive future for Arelith.
I won't pretend to know what DM training is like and perhaps it includes accountability lessons. Good to have regardless! Keep everyone on the same page and conduct at least basic inspection of a DM's duties and why accountability is important.

The weird-seeming one, Stay Aware of Arelith Culture
Even in the controlled reality of a NWN server, culture can't be dictated. It has to be lived out. Culture works best when everyone is involved and shutting yourself off to it, eschewing transparency or open communication erodes trust. Walk the walk; accountability starts at the top. Keep apprised of small issues before they turn into larger disasters. Don't be afraid to talk about the DM team's values and culture.
Talk about issues both for DM's and Arelith as a whole. DM misbehavior or worries about the community at large. Making the Feedback space a healthy spot to discuss issues would be a heck of an accomplishment, but also make sure that the DM's have their own space to discuss among themselves. If you've already got that? Nice job.
Confronting and talking about issues helps to solve problems before they cause harm.
If you're ambitious you could even conduct surveys among your DM's. Gauge their opinion of the team's conduct, and you'll get honest answers in an anonymous form.

Arelith is a fantastic place. A glorious world with great mechanics, cool places to explore, devoted staff, and a glorious playerbase. It's worth the effort to make it better. There's nowhere else to go that compares. There's no way that living in fear and uncertainty will build a better future for this wonderful world.
To respond to Spyre, everything a DM does is meant to impact our own play. Therefore whatever rules they're held to can impact our play as well. Don't let the players you serve live in fear.

This thread has been on my heart. There is a feeling around the server that RP is reaching the climax in the story but their is a general feeling that DMs are shutting it down by putting their hand on the scale in a heavy way.

The current PvP engagement rules are not helping anyone, it's making everything super confusing and it is requiring so much OOC effort and coordination to figure out who is /with who./ Myself and several people I know have stopped playing as actively and certainly don't want anything to do with pvp or conflict because the possibility we'll eat a perma ban for a light offense is looming over every person's head.

I'm not entirely convinced wild hyperbole ever helped anyone, frankly.

Aodh Lazuli wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:52 am I'm not entirely convinced wild hyperbole ever helped anyone, frankly.

Probably not no. But any 'proof' anyone could post would 100% be under pointing fingers and probably viewed as bullying. So we're in a catch 22 (All praise Ievos.). Post the proof get banned. Don't post it. You're clearly making stuff up. Send to DM's, they dismiss it as nothing's wrong (Is what a lot of people I talk to are at right now.)

Kreydis wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:54 am Probably not no. But any 'proof' anyone could post would 100% be under pointing fingers and probably viewed as bullying. So we're in a catch 20. Post the proof get banned. Don't post it. You're clearly making stuff up. Send to DM's, they dismiss it as nothing's wrong (Is what a lot of people I talk to are at right now.)

Do you believe yourself persecuted against, or is this all "on behalf of other people"?

Also, 22.

Aodh Lazuli wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 2:01 am

Kreydis wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:54 am Probably not no. But any 'proof' anyone could post would 100% be under pointing fingers and probably viewed as bullying. So we're in a catch 20. Post the proof get banned. Don't post it. You're clearly making stuff up. Send to DM's, they dismiss it as nothing's wrong (Is what a lot of people I talk to are at right now.)

Do you believe yourself persecuted against, or is this all "on behalf of other people"?

Also, 22.

Thanks for the correction. I always get that wrong. Also it doesn't matter what I feel, because I'm still talking to DM's.

I don't see how the pvp rules are all that confusing. if you're going to attack a settlement, npc run place, or NPCs then DMs have to be notified in advance. Mainly don't be a cheeseball about things. I would say the majority of the server has never had an issue. Also how do you know the DMs don't do anything when you send them stuff?

JubJub wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 2:07 am I don't see how the pvp rules are all that confusing. if you're going to attack a settlement, npc run place, or NPCs then DMs have to be notified in advance. Mainly don't be a cheeseball about things. I would say the majority of the server has never had an issue. Also how do you know the DMs don't do anything when you send them stuff?

They're confusing because in larger group pvp you essentially have to take a time out to OOCly communicate to make sure no member of each party has been involved in pvp with the other side, or with the faction they may represent. In the heat of the moment this is nigh impossible. Then it just takes a couple of reports and you're suddenly banned.

Penwize wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:08 amRumors abound of Harpers getting buddy-buddy with servants of Bane.

Can confirm, had my harper token revoked for questioning said harpers.

if you are being reported enough times to get banned, there might be a bigger issue. Both sides need to avoid each other which means the other side should be trying to leave and avoid it also. This is where rp before pvp should be taking place. if the rp is simply look elves kill them then attack, there will be issues.

This thread was opened with the intent of putting onus on the DM team and staff for the state of the server. In attempt to point a finger at a problem and say this is why it is the way it is. But, there is a lot of inaccuracies in the original post. And, I’ll go through it all.

“Penwize” wrote:Permanent bans are abundant.

I can count the number of bans that have been long term since the announcement on a single hand with fingers left over. So, no. The DM team is not just throwing permanent bans out because they can. If someone has earned a permanent ban then they have done something to deserve it.

When a player toes the lines of the rules all the time, bending it to benefit themselves and to ruin the fun of others, and that prior attempts to correct it have failed, the DM team will act accordingly. This may mean a long term ban.

However, the complaint that problematic players have remained when they shouldn’t has been a thing I have heard through the community. When the DM then acts upon their changes policy because they do not see the person learning after all that time, it’s then seen as too strict. Either way they handle it, people are against the team. Not everyone, but a good handful.

DM's are being appointed silently, not during official recruiting cycles.

These DMs are not appointed silently. I can direct you to the thread of their announcements which can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=7892

These DMs are players who have applied and brought on with administrative permission for the reason that their presence on the team will be beneficial for both the DMs and the community and to provide extra assistance.

Official policies on the wiki that affect all players are changing unannounced.

Any policy changes would first be mentioned on the forums, likely by an admin. This had been previously done by LittleWeasel as you can find the threads relating to this.

The wiki is not run by the server staff; however, updated by dedicated players to reflect accurate information on the forums. But, not everything is caught and sometimes inaccurate information is present. I have no problem spending time to update parts and working with that team on reflecting everything that needs to be reflected.

The Suggestions forum continues to be under lock and key.

While we would all like the suggestion box thread opened once more, Irongron will be the one to decide when it is done. You have to understand there is a lot of suggestions and a lot of potential ideas that take time and effort. Adding more only piles on the work load and does not let people finish their original projects.

When it is managed to a point that Irongron wants, it will be opened again. So give it some more time.

Now for the big discussion:

Arelith is not a train speeding down a track where it will derail, crash and burn. There will always be difficult times that arise from time to time. And, added fuel by players that genuinely do not care for the state of the server to fan the flames. But, Arelith recovers, problematic players are removed and the community continues to grow.

Arelith is not perfect. It will never be perfect. There will always be room for improvement. This happens at both a staff level and community level. Each person likely knows what they should work on as themselves, and the teams do take the criticism handed as feedback to improve policy and conduct. But, as a community we can not say there is one problem. It is impossible to define the state of behaviour to one thing.

What needs to happen though is for the individuals, the factions, the teams - pretty much everyone - to look internally and ask: Am I doing what is right? What is fair and fun? If you can answer yes to all that, then you are doing amazing. But, if you can’t answer yes, then look to figuring out what you can do differently and improve from there.

But, since the finger is pointed at the staff (DM and Admin) as being the problem that needs to improve so the community improves then only a small part of the larger picture will change. The stuff that the players need to do to help will be unchanged as it’s not the fault of the team we are where we are.

A lot of the problem is manifested by problematic players and the rumour mill - echo chambers picking up on that mentality that those players are presenting and then acting similarly or turning a blind eye to the problems they see. Only to point a finger.

And, with defining the already established guidelines that the DM staff is privy to for the public to see will enable for players to lord over the DMs. I will not publish it for the sake that those guidelines are for the DMs to follow, the Head DM / Admin to enforce. But, to give you a few:

- A DM will not take a case / RPR recommendation involving friends, factions they play in or players they actively play with to remove bias.

- A DM is to keep their identities separate. When they play, they are a player. When they DM, they are a DM. They do not mix and the expectation is that nothing is spread that shouldn’t be.

But, what we have had is the community send me private messages telling me that the DMs should not be allowed to play characters. That the DMs should only DM and be on that side at all times - that their presence as a PC ruins the fun, ruins the system and that it’s bad overall. Let me clear the air and say that this will never be the case. The DMs are first and foremost players. They are entitled to their freedom from their other responsibilities to enjoy the game that they support.

A lot of the finger pointing to the DMs is due to the leak of identities. We have done our part and protected the person who leaked it. But, we have received backlash because of the names on the list that were shared. These people were selected through their interviews as they represented the best of the candidates at that time and what the server could benefit from. They earned their spot, like anyone else can earn.

Just know that the team will continue to take the bumps and bruises they receive and continue to act in the way they have - on behalf of the interest of the server and it’s community to promote fun, enjoyment and fairness.

Now:

I am aware there is a current group of players that are intending a “revolt” where they believe leaking information, making things public in Discord and Reddit will achieve change and push the current team out. It will not. What it will do is reveal your true nature, your true view of the server and it’s community and you will find yourself off the server.

If you are willing to go down this path, you do not care about Arelith or its players. You do not care for the stories told, the friends you made or for any person that may want to come and give our server a try.

Arelith, as I said, will never be perfect. It may never be what you want it to be. It will continue to develop and build as a community though. And, if you can’t find enjoyment here, or think your own vision may be better, I implore you to create your own world and give it a shot. You may be correct.

If you are interested the base engine of Arelith can be found on the Neverwinter Vault. Download it, build and experiment. It’s a great system for anyone to use.

You can then build your own world with your own rules and guidelines and enjoy yourself. However, coming onto Arelith, you agree to follow the rules and guidelines established. If there are concerns of conduct from a DM, please first message the Head DM before reaching the admins. There is established processes for this.

All in all, if things are meant to improve, it first needs to come from within.

And unlocked.

Have you ever asked why people made this thread? A section of the playerbase feels they are being treated unfairly, meanwhile a toxic culture of just "Report things or it didn't happen." Is forming.

DMs are literally becoming the intermediate between pretty much all conflict on the server because so many reports. The fact these new PvP rules make it so you can violate the in game rules without even realizing it, I think makes it quite unjust and silly.

People are also being banned for causing collateral damage in large scale pvp fights. I am not defending the players but I certainly feel this needs discussion. Collateral damage, is just part of the Arelith world. If a big conflict goes down, get the hell out. Civilians in real life run from conflict too because it kills them same should apply to Arelith. Especially with how NWN targeting and the -hostile command works. That in my opinion is completely ridiculous.

Would you ever ban a wild mage for causing a volcano in a public place? Would you ban a player who ran around as a lycan and ended up engaging someone because in game mechanics caused him to lose control of their character? Would you ban a sorcerer who shot chain lightning at a target, and it bounced to someone out of party and instantly killed them? How about some idiot who runs into your implosion cast?

I understand people need safe spaces, but they need danger too. People know if they're making a character in Andunor, they can expect to be involved in PvP. The Hub is not a safe space, neither is the West or East Wheel.

I'd like Arelith to be as close to reality as possible, and thus I judge these rules to be a bunch of unrealistic OOC barriers. Designed to what? Slow down the speed of conflict? Arelith is the server of no OOC and I always thought that was one of its best traits. Can we please not add more unnecessary OOC to the mix?

I love Arelith and I want it to succeed, but while this server is the DMs sandbox. The players are the sand and if you just treat us like our opinions don't matter, you'll lose a lot of great talent.

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pm Have you ever asked why people made this thread? A section of the playerbase feels they are being treated unfairly, meanwhile a toxic culture of just "Report things or it didn't happen." Is forming.

I'm not going to touch the very specific incident you're pointing to, but this part of your message I will respond to. Of course people being punished feel like they're being treated unfairly. That's the nature of a punishment. If you know you're doing wrong you won't be doing wrong (Unless you're deliberately doing wrong, in which case you'll try to obfuscate that as much as possible by playing the victim), and if you're doing wrong without acknowledging that you are, of course you'll rage against being punished.

And the "Report things or it didn't happen" isn't a new thing nor is it toxic. There is so much misinformation flying around these days. Half truths, cropped conversations, rumors and straight up lies being shared around in discord. A conclusive, concrete report is the only thing that should be done about problematic players, not sharing some rumor or complaining about all the 'bad' things they've done. Collect all the actual evidence, give it to the DM's and let it rest at that.

Final note. the "You" in this message isn't aimed at anyone.

The jist of the post by sypre I see is that he states that "All is well, nothing wrong, nothing to see here"

without trying to be rude, there is absolutely nothing further from the truth and to state this is not only intellectually dishonest but in my opinion an outright lie.

I would however put forward, that while I used to think the DM team had a huge amount of influence on the toxic swamp that is brewing on the server, I think their previous inaction, and now Thelma and Luis style dive off the proverbial cliff isnt 100% only on them.

Firstly id like to address is post :

" you are being reported enough times to get banned, there might be a bigger issue. Both sides need to avoid each other which means the other side should be trying to leave and avoid it also. This is where rp before pvp should be taking place. if the rp is simply look elves kill them then attack, there will be issues" -jubjub

I used to think like this. Until I found out there are subsets of groups on this server who are fully willing to admit that they Mass report players even when they know no rules have been broken. This was a rumor to me, and was confirmed by players within said group. Do not tell me that it is a rumor, do not tell me it holds no water. This is factual.

Now Spyre will respond and say a mass report has no Onus on how they view a player, this is also intellectually dishonest and another outright lie. These players are frowned upon and recent rulings have supported this FACT by the DMs treating players who have been mass reported by these groups as negative influences, and in some cases ADMITTING THEY BROKE NO SERVER RULES and banned them for lengths of time,

These players, who only reported because they witnessed rulebreaks themselves, and did not participate in an OOC war of bans. Eventually, as you would guess, lost said war by being banned.

Id also like to address spyre claiming that the DMs should be allowed to be players.. sure. Why not. Just don't let them hold office, or control election proceedings, or influence the story in the sandbox you claim the server is...
So far the DMs I have known to be PCs in game have been rumored to not only having affected the large amount of player stories by stealing elections, but also join certain groups and factions because their friends were on said factions.

Thus leading to why people are telling you not to let DMs be PCs.

This. Is. Always. A. Conflict. Of. Interest.

We are in an RP community, which means there is always a certain amount of personal investment into the game. Therefore a player with absolute power to ban their enemies, spawn items, spawn events, affect the server in ways impossible for others, will Always be a temptation, and in some cases have been recorded as happening within the server as soon as a month ago.
Next to address
"
When a player toes the lines of the rules all the time, bending it to benefit themselves and to ruin the fun of others, and that prior attempts to correct it have failed, the DM team will act accordingly. This may mean a long term ban.
"
This sounds good and dandy, yes. Nobody wants a rules lawyer in the server. However you and you DM team will only make rulings like this against those who harm certain subsets of players. And has been evidenced to be the case.

Infact this is a point that deserves to be brought up.

You have an entire subset of players on this server who actually wont report wrongdoings becuase they KNOW for a FACT that the DMs will shrug it OFF if a certain subset of tge player group is ruled against.

Players who refuse to report eventually get banned, and those that report these certain players tend to get banned faster. Because the DMs feel that volume of reports is indicated and seem to, SEEM to think that no one would abuse the reporting system to garner a win in the server.

Now this is all I will say before I am removed from being able to post on the forums because I am a "negative influence, and a griefer"

Players will not respond to these threads, not becuaee they dont want things to change. But because they are afraid of getting banned off the server because their friends play here.

My intent, and non who have recently banned have been negative. Each one voicing their opinions arent doing so as a REVOLT they are doing so becayse they want the server to stop the spiral dive into the ground. We all love the server and have put multiple thousands of hours on it only to watch abuses and accusations gone undefended. Just so that players of DM friends. If they truely are DM friends, can become the main characters in their own story.

I have approached spyre on multiple occassions telling him while I do not play on the server, my friends are here and as me to represent them because I speak my mind and,I have no fear of being silenced becuase of my views. Those that silence only prove that they fear what the other has to say, so the saying goes. Approaching him to express concerns and met with "everything is fine, move along"

Well I will tell you everything is not fine, you know it, I know it, and those of us that do know it are jealous of those that do not know.

Will it be an easy fix by permabannijg players you dont like spyre? Absolutely not. And I hope you realize that before arelith has ten people in it and your precious gaming news articles and interviews go away.

I'll be awaiting my trip to the forum spellhold. Those that wish to speak to me can do so on discord

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pm meanwhile a toxic culture of just "Report things or it didn't happen." Is forming.

Is "report or it didn't happen" more or less toxic than permitting wild accusatory rants in public places?

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pmDMs are literally becoming the intermediate between pretty much all conflict on the server because so many reports. The fact these new PvP rules make it so you can violate the in game rules without even realizing it, I think makes it quite unjust and silly.

Please quote these "new rules".

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pmPeople are also being banned for causing collateral damage in large scale pvp fights. I am not defending the players but I certainly feel this needs discussion. Collateral damage, is just part of the Arelith world. If a big conflict goes down, get the hell out. Civilians in real life run from conflict too because it kills them same should apply to Arelith. Especially with how NWN targeting and the -hostile command works. That in my opinion is completely ridiculous.

Context is king.

PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS PUBLICLY:
- Who was banned for causing collateral damage?
- Was that the sole reason for their ban?
- Did they knowingly and abruptly behave in a manner that they could predict would nuke uninvolved player characters?

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pmWould you ever ban a wild mage for causing a volcano in a public place? Would you ban a player who ran around as a lycan and ended up engaging someone because in game mechanics caused him to lose control of their character? Would you ban a sorcerer who shot chain lightning at a target, and it bounced to someone out of party and instantly killed them? How about some idiot who runs into your implosion cast?

I cannot imagine the wild mage nor the lycan would get banned, as those are mechanics which are objectively out of the cotrol of the player. The sorcerer could choose a better spell. The implosion cleric - Well... context dependent.

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pmI'd like Arelith to be as close to reality as possible, and thus I judge these rules to be a bunch of unrealistic OOC barriers. Designed to what? Slow down the speed of conflict? Arelith is the server of no OOC and I always thought that was one of its best traits. Can we please not add more unnecessary OOC to the mix?

God forbid arelith becomes realistic. I would fear for reality more than I already do.

I have approached spyre on multiple occassions telling him while I do not play on the server, my friends are here and as me to represent them because I speak my mind and,I have no fear of being silenced becuase of my views. Those that silence only prove that they fear what the other has to say, so the saying goes. Approaching him to express concerns and met with "everything is fine, move along"

Well I will tell you everything is not fine, you know it, I know it, and those of us that do know it are jealous of those that do not know.

You seem awfully sure about how things are for someone who does not play on the server. Do you mean to say that you have 100% accountable proof of these things or just the word of good friends that feel wronged? Perhaps some screenshots showing individual conversations or parts of a conversation?

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pm People are also being banned for causing collateral damage in large scale pvp fights. I am not defending the players but I certainly feel this needs discussion. Collateral damage, is just part of the Arelith world. If a big conflict goes down, get the hell out. Civilians in real life run from conflict too because it kills them same should apply to Arelith. Especially with how NWN targeting and the -hostile command works. That in my opinion is completely ridiculous.

Would you ever ban a wild mage for causing a volcano in a public place? Would you ban a player who ran around as a lycan and ended up engaging someone because in game mechanics caused him to lose control of their character? Would you ban a sorcerer who shot chain lightning at a target, and it bounced to someone out of party and instantly killed them? How about some idiot who runs into your implosion cast?

There's something categorically and substantively different between a little accidental friendly fire from a volcano or implosion and having multiple people simultaneously and intentionally, with voice coordination, transition into the hub, cast 4-5 synchronized hellballs, transition out, rest, and then do it again. One of these is clearly accidental, the other is done with both the certainty that it will cause collateral damage and a complete disregard for that collateral damage. Likening the two is wholly inappropriate, and it's disingenuous to do so. On some level, you probably know this, otherwise you wouldn't also try to clothe your argument in cries for "more realism".

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:07 pm I'd like Arelith to be as close to reality as possible, and thus I judge these rules to be a bunch of unrealistic OOC barriers. Designed to what? Slow down the speed of conflict? Arelith is the server of no OOC and I always thought that was one of its best traits. Can we please not add more unnecessary OOC to the mix?

All rules, by their very nature, are going to be OOC, because they are targeted at the behavior of players and not of characters (even ones demanding that players act ICly at all times are targeted at a player's OOC conduct by forbidding their OOC stance from bleeding into the game). What you see as "unneccessary OOC fetters" on your apparent view of Arelith as some sort of fantasy-themed reality simulator (?) are boundaries placed on the players of a game to keep that game fun. Arelith isn't here to mirror reality as closely as possible. It's here to be a vaguely sandboxish RPG with several dozen players. Don't obfuscate; that's also pretty disingenuous.

I seen proof of a UD player getting banned unfairly on discord.

But i also played on rp servers for some years now and know that all of them have some form of coruption so i just do my thing and try to get my rp fix and have fun...cous i dont know how to try and change it.

I have screenshots and evidence of everything. Those that know me know I would call out my friends for breaking rules legitimately.

I also discuss things with every subset of the community that doesnt consider me a "griefing mental retard" which I have been called on multiple occassions by the certain referenced people.

I like to be objective as much as possible. And even when I was accuses of being an Snuggybear to people I approached them OOC and tried to make sure I got every shred of evidence. Even removed toxic elements from my,faction and friends group off of recommendation. From people in this commmunity

Spyre wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 2:21 am

Official policies on the wiki that affect all players are changing unannounced.

Any policy changes would first be mentioned on the forums, likely by an admin. This had been previously done by LittleWeasel as you can find the threads relating to this.

The wiki is not run by the server staff; however, updated by dedicated players to reflect accurate information on the forums. But, not everything is caught and sometimes inaccurate information is present. I have no problem spending time to update parts and working with that team on reflecting everything that needs to be reflected.

Justs a heads up, I work on the WIKI, i am NOT an admin, I am NOT a DM, I hold NO! NADA ZIP! authority over the game.

What I put up in the Wiki is as accurate to my knowledge as I can get. If theres a mistake PLEASE let me know so I can update it!
If theres a question regarding the wiki, i will try my best to answer you OR ill find someone who can verify it for me, then ill update accordingly.

If a mistake is made on the wiki, it is possible to find out who posted and why, it might be a mistake, it might of been a bad translation/wording (not all of us are native English, and some of us have dyslexia!)

But all in all here:

tl;dr edition: Send me a PM if you want wiki updated, question on it etc. (There are others working on it, but its up to them if they want to be known)

Here's a thread about the new rules right here. viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23216

Screen shots exist also on DM rulings about what /the rules/ are. But I don't know if they are allowed to be posted in this thread.

Point is, if you can just -hostile every person not in your party within range. You should expect that occasionally random people are going to get crushed in conflicts.

Cerk Evermoore wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:36 pm Here's a thread about the new rules right here. viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23216

Screen shots exist also on DM rulings about what /the rules/ are. But I don't know if they are allowed to be posted in this thread.

Point is, if you can just -hostile every person not in your party within range. You should expect that occasionally random people are going to get crushed in conflicts.

If you read the name of the thread carefully, you will note that it is called "Rule clarification". This would indicate that the rule discussed is not, in fact, a new rule, but one previously established, which is now only elaborated upon.

Scurvy Cur wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:29 pm
All rules, by their very nature, are going to be OOC, because they are targeted at the behavior of players and not of characters (even ones demanding that players act ICly at all times are targeted at a player's OOC conduct by forbidding their OOC stance from bleeding into the game). What you see as "unneccessary OOC fetters" on your apparent view of Arelith as some sort of fantasy-themed reality simulator (?) are boundaries placed on the players of a game to keep that game fun. Arelith isn't here to mirror reality as closely as possible. It's here to be a vaguely sandboxish RPG with several dozen players. Don't obfuscate; that's also pretty disingenuous.

I am not arguing to mirror reality as quickly as possible.

But if you are chasing after a group and one of your people die, and you end up running into them by chance in a dungeon later. You should be able to pursue that group if that dead person isn't with your party.

If you attack a Cordorian boat and take a sailor as a prisoner, they should be able to launch a counter attack that same day.

I don't feel like I am asking for a lot of /realism/ here. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

*Edit* and once again, screen shots exist from DMs enforcing these rulings. But I am waiting for clarification from the actual DM team before any such thing could ever be posted here.