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| Player Conduct Policy | Started by: Billy_Bathtub on Oct 06, '08 18:38 |
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Hello all, In the last war we saw the site get transformed from 6 Dons to 1, and now there is the aftermath of rebuilding. Unfortunately, this war also affirmed what many Admins and even players had suspected for a long period of time prior. That player conduct is in need of a firmer hand. IRC ran wild with accusations of cheating, and abuse that crossed the line from game matters into real life. It is, tragically, not something that is uncommon. This sort of thing happens all the time, and has become systemic to our very way of life. It ends now. We have sat back long enough and tried to view IRC and the game as two very separate entities, and the bottom line is they are not. IRC will always influence the game, and more often than not, vice versa. We are not looking to be tyrants, and in fact, the idea that we are having to implement this policy is heartbreaking as it reflects what we have allowed ourselves to become. We are all guilty of using IRL events that are embarrassing, horrific, or otherwise to harm other players in this game. The fact that people escalate from game insults to real life taunts so quickly is appalling. MafiaReturns is now and always will be a form of escapism not much different than going to see a movie. It is a chance to imagine yourself in another time and how you would react to mob circumstances. However, that has not been the case for a long time and I believe most of us know it. The abuse many of us have suffered as a result of actions in game is unacceptable, and pops the bubble of any kind of role-play we might have. We have allowed the players leeway in how they treat each other in a vain hope that you would all right the ship together. You have forced our hand in this. Now you can insult each other all you want about game-related stuff, just remember that reflects on you. So during a war if one of your enemies dies and you say, "LOL Fuckin Noob!!", or "God, you are such a FUCKING ASSHOLE" we won't ban on that, just remember that your image might take a hit. When you progress past that and say something to the effect of "LOL @ U DYING OF CANCER, CANT WAIT UNTIL YOUR TIT FALLS OFF FROM ROT LOLZOR", you are going to get hammered. We will not allow people to terrorize each other any longer. It's not funny, it's sad that people with really nothing going for themselves need to tear others down to be noticed. Why they can't just type in all caps like me to get their attention quota I'll never know. We will also no longer accept accusations of "Admin cheating" or "Admin favoritism", that stops. There is a difference between complaining about the game (which is fine, we know it can be frustrating at times) and insinuating or full out accusing Admins of cheating. I ask all of you to think about it for a minute. How many times has IzzyCreamcheese/Squishy looked into issues you thought were bugs or not right with the code, and have ANY of you EVER been turned down by him? I can't recall a time, no matter how trivial the complaint is or how much abuse you've heaped on to him prior to him looking at it. If you can't trust that and his word, then by all means get out of our game. That being said, I'm sure a majority of us are guilty of crossing the line at least once. None of our hands are clean, but consider this where the buck stops. When we refer to ourselves in threads we call ourselves the Mafia COMMUNITY or the IRC COMMUNITY, I don't know about any of you but I haven't felt that way in a long time. What right do we have to refer to ourselves in such a way when we do nothing at all to cultivate that feeling? You know I read through some of the threads as to the reasoning of the last war against Iris, Daera, and Marietta, and one of the main complaints was that the game had grown stale. Well folks, I wonder why that is. I for one wouldn't want to war another person on fear of being insulted on my life outside of this game, it's hurtful and embarrassing. I DO remember a time when war was fun and strategic, not spiteful, and I hope we can find a way there once again. So take a good long look at yourselves, look at the people you support in this game and IRC, and then wonder, have you contributed to this pandemic? I would bet that you have. So from here on out if you cross the line your first offense will be a month-long ban from IRC and game. The second offense will be a permanent ban from our game and IRC. If we catch any of you helping these people get back into the game, supporting them once they are in again before their ban is up, or not reporting their names to us if they get past the ban on their own we will Admin wack your account, and ban you from IRC for a week on the first offense. The second offense a month from both game and IRC. A third and consider yourself gone. To make sure that you don't get "tricked" into helping we will provide some method to let all of you know who exactly is banned inclusive of their IRC handle and last game name. We are throwing down the gauntlet. We would rather have 100 users who can co-exist and utilize this game to its full potential than a 1000 users who act like utter assholes to each other. We're not saying you have to be good players or even good people to play this game, we are asking you to act like human beings. This is no longer Lord of the Flies. Since the problem has become so deeply rooted in our culture here, we are stepping in, which shouldn't have happened, because the last thing we want to play are zookeepers. We want to enjoy the game as much as you guys do, so please do not cross the line or you are going to be dealt with, no matter who you are. We truly do care for a lot of you, and we want this experience to be great for you, as many of us once felt it was. Welcome to MafiaReturns.com. - Management |
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I earnestly look forward to a time when I can watch the site explode into a war without waiting for the other shoe to drop and have the game bogged down by the inevitable complaints of cheating. I haven't been here that long, but it was a disturbing trend and I hope that this policy by the management team, while it's existence is regrettable, will eliminate the useless accusations. Not only do complaints of cheating make the accuser look foolish, but they also resulted in tarnishing the game for new players who don't know any better. I've never seen anything but honor, dedication, and dignity on the part of Izzy/Squishy, and I can only thank him for the work and time he has put into this venture. With regards to the ridiculous insults, I'm glad for that. Too often people feel that the geographical and technological distances that separate them allows them a viciousness of speech that would be otherwise missing from their personal interactions. Men and women should be able to curse and shout at each other within reason, of course. Before anyone gets freaked out about freedom of speech please remember that you CAN get arrested for verbal assault. If it's a crime in the "real world" you should face strict repercussions for it here. Thank you to the management team for taking these steps, and I truly hope they have the intended effects. |
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| Reply by: ThesaurusRex at Oct 06, '08 19:27 | |
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I am glad to see we have a clear declaration of acceptable standards, however when you log onto IRC was there not a list of rules sent to you. Was there not a statement along the lines "Anyone not adhering to these rules will be banned from the network"? Do we not have a list of rules on MafiaReturns? The system of rules has been around for ages, rules have been broken for ages, only the punishment was lacking... Can we get a list of exact comments that are unacceptable? "You're a fucking asshole" = ? "You're a fucking stupid asshole" = ? "You're a fucking stupid fat asshole" = ? "You're a fucking stupid cunt" =? "You're a jewish fuck" = ? I realise you can't possibly include every single phrase, but perhaps a list of unacceptable words? In the way that #divinelunacy kicks for Cunt, shall continued use lead to an IRC ban? Does that mean if I call someone a cunt on IRC on a Non-Game matter I still get banned in game? You've stated you are gonna be more strict but unless we get a clear definition of where the lines are, you will still have accusations of favoritism... Is it acceptable to cross the line if you tell an admin that it's just a joke, ala PegLegPaulie. Which should have resulted in a ban (by current standards) but didn't. I assume in emotional situations the line will move? If my friend has just died and I come onto IRC and threaten to kill someone, do you get banned? I assume if an admin or assistant on IRC crosses the line they don't get banned? Or they do? Or they lose their admin/assistant status? You see where I'm going with this :/ |
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| Reply by: Jalapeno at Oct 06, '08 20:44 | |
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I understand what you're saying, and I'm sure there will be a few false alarms of people coming to us and saying "That person crossed the line", but that's under our purview. A lot of this policy is going to be developed as we go, and the complaints might be there that we should have this structurally sound before proposing it, but I truly don't care. We are going to ensure that none of the users can heap IRL abuse on to one another. This is one of the first times we've had to be so strict with the users, so we're learning as we go. There'll be some clear-cut examples, there might be some murky ones, but either way the time for sitting idly by is over, and we won't be disuaded in our effort to restore order. Honestly, I don't think it's that hard to think a moment and evaluate if what you're about to say crosses the realm of game insults to real life insults. I mean I didn't think we needed to make guidelines to teach people how to act like decent people, but here we are, and we're going to keep moving forward. Allow me to re-iterate, if you go at someone with the premeditation of hurting them with topics that do not pertain to the game, you are going to be gone for quite a while. This has been open for discussion for a long, long time, and it's been thrown back in our faces with repeated instances of abuse. So yes, I see where you are going with your point Jalapeno, and this is where we're going with ours. |
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| Reply by: Billy_Bathtub at Oct 06, '08 21:20 | |
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I see where you are going Mr. Tub, however you came out and send "If you cross the line then ban". Which is why I asked for clarification... When it's more like "We are going to be clamping on rude conduct, we will be developing the 'line' as we go". That's all. Thank you |
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| Reply by: Jalapeno at Oct 06, '08 21:21 | |
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| Jalapeno there is no "word list" for the inherent cruelty that human nature can sometimes exhibit. Recently, we have seen the absolute worst of that from several users. "Word lists" just don't exist when the possibilities for inflicting suffering on to other people is endless. I wish there were a "word list", it would make this all much more scientific, but we're taking the leap to better the environment you all play in, it seems pretty cut and dry to me. | |
| Reply by: Billy_Bathtub at Oct 06, '08 21:25 | |
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I'm honestly glad to see this and hope that it is a sincere attempt to curb the unacceptable conduct from people who utilize this game. The main issue with this is going to be universal, unbiased enforcement, which has always been the stumbling block with pretty much every previous set of rules. They haven't been enforced fairly and as a result we've frequently witnessed as offensive behaviour from Staff if not worse and their friends, either in their player incarnations, or on IRC go unpunished. If you really want to promote a positive atmosphere here and let's face it, we really need one, then this has to work both ways. You obviously care about this game as developers and staff and you're doing the hardest jobs with few of the rewards. We understand that. But often you find yourself so embroiled in the politics of the playing of the game; you've lost sight of where the line between Administrator/Player needs to be. I see this and a thread in the announcements from FullMetal and hope it a sign of things to come - even if people who are not popular with the Administration rise to the top again. I've never had a problem with a firm but fair hand. Provided it does not shy away from disciplining everybody who needs it, regardless of their affiliates, this has my full support. |
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| Reply by: WindowsVista at Oct 07, '08 05:14 | |
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| Does this mean if I am called a paedophile again on IRC, even my one of the "cool" people, I can have them removed for a whole month? This sounds promising. | |
| Reply by: VagInATube at Oct 07, '08 05:43 | |
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"That being said, I'm sure a majority of us are guilty of crossing the line at least once. " lets not speak for everyone, im clean as jesus |
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| Reply by: Premier at Oct 07, '08 07:45 | |
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| Surely downright lying should be somewhat punishable. | |
| Reply by: IHaveTheLongestName at Oct 07, '08 23:27 | |
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| Can we have retrospective bans for being called paedophiles and cock jumpers. I think that's fair. | |
| Reply by: linuxmandrake at Oct 09, '08 03:58 | |
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| interesting idea linuxmandrake but I dont think it will happen | |
| Reply by: Gianluca at Oct 09, '08 06:01 | |
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| linuxmandrake, if we did retroactive bans, I am more than sure that we'd be left with maybe Shuki to play the game. I know you'd certainly be gone several times over. | |
| Reply by: Billy_Bathtub at Oct 09, '08 12:14 | |
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| As fitting an end as any. | |
| Reply by: RonMexico at Oct 09, '08 12:19 | |
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| I'm fairly certain that Shuki has called me a cock jumper in the past. Worst part was that he was 100% right on the money. | |
| Reply by: Briana_Arao at Oct 09, '08 12:47 | |
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| I think half the time it's more the fact that the users take every little thing said to heart and feel the need to vent to an admin, conveniently, which leads to repurcussions for something that may not have been said out of spite or may not have been intended to cause offence. Maybe users should also be reminded that this isn't primary school and they shouldn't always go whining to admins or assistants screaming about how so and so said this, that and the other. The majority of us are adults, and should learn to take the odd bit of abuse on the chin now and again. Toughen the fuck up. | |
| Reply by: Mane at Oct 09, '08 15:18 | |
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So, to take an example of something that recently just happened, if someone told me they wished my house blew up (IRL and OOC) I'm not supposed to take offense to that? It's not a matter of acting like an adult and toughening up, as there is a definite line that people keep crossing, and when they're caught try to blow it off with "lololol it wuz joke!". Some things are taken more seriously than others. If you honestly have a hard time telling the difference between 'right' and 'wrong', you shouldn't be conversing with the public. |
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| Reply by: Marietta at Oct 09, '08 16:36 | |
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| Honestly, that is pretty tame as far as insults go on here. | |
| Reply by: WindowsVista at Oct 09, '08 17:21 | |
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How can anyone query this thread? The admins come out with a new policy quite well explained and there are still people trying to nitpick at it and find loopholes. I must say i find that rather sad. Also, if you need an explanation as to what decent conduct is, and what is and isnt acceptable, well there isnt alot of hope. Even if you despise a person, there is no excuse for some of the words ive seen banded about IRC in the time ive used it. |
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| Reply by: tish at Oct 09, '08 19:54 | |
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There was this saying, along the lines. Just because we're separated by thousands of miles, let's still act like human beings. And it's true, there is no need for excuse immaturity, filth or even hate-derived attacks. If you find that this game causes you to hate a particular party, perhaps it's time to consider your cards and find another source of entertainment, we're here to enjoy ourselves and escape reality a bit. Chill out fool! |
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| Reply by: Sal_Giaquinto at Oct 09, '08 23:48 | |
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