Cheysa Finn
Pirate Lord
Ahoy everyone,
I keep running across topics that I feel could use some helpful in-depth re-visitation. So here's another.
From the outside looking in, especially when listening to some very loud opinions around the community, it can seem like the people with power around here don't use that power right. You may think I'm biased in thinking the opposite way, but I'd like to take you through a logical thought process to a conclusion so that maybe we can all be on the same page.
There are two sides to every story. It is extremely unwise to form an opinion after hearing just one side. It's even worse to take action on that opinion. Also, it's not smart to accept rumor as fact, even if that rumor is repeated by several. Always go to the source. Second-hand information is often inaccurate and unfairly biased.
We as humans enjoy breaking the rules. Following them can be extremely boring and un-fun. It gets even harder to follow the rules when one place is more strict about things than another. For example, games like SWTOR allow players to swear as much as they want. Then you come to TLOPO, and zero swearing is tolerated.
Often when we disagree with the rules that are in place, we get to feeling that it's almost our right to disobey those rules in order proclaim our disagreement. But, honestly, that's not a good way to handle it. When you behave that way, it's just disrespectful and only proclaims to everyone what poor character and lack of integrity you have.
All of that above ^^ was basically an introduction to this thread... So I'll try to get moving more quickly now.
In your own words, what would you say a moderator's job is? To help players? To enforce the rules? To protect players from being harassed by other players? To make sure the game remains a fun place to get away from real life?
For those of you that played POTCO, do you remember what it was like when Disney didn't properly take care of hackers? All day long people would bypass the filter, spam local chat, kill people with the PvP glitch, hack your account and delete your inventory, autoclick to gain first place on the leaderboards, and glitch enemies off the map to ruin your looting binge. Some even went so far as to harass players and threaten their lives. Was that fun? Didn't you want to scream at Disney to start doing their job? After all, you were paying hard-earned money in order to play! And some random jerk of a person over the internet was basically wasting your money.
One of the things TLOPO is working to do is eliminate those problems for us players. Sadly, while doing that, they get accused of abusing their power and banning players just to get their jollies.
As has been said a few hundred times now, TLOPO has clearly stated what is expected of their players in the Terms Of Service. If you read that and then choose to disobey, you only sabotage yourself. It is no one's fault except your own. You are the only one in control of yourself, no matter what you are feeling or what real life has dealt you. But many players choose to scream as loud as they can about how they were unfairly warned/kicked/banned/terminated instead of taking responsibility for their actions.
Now at this point, this thread seems like a rant about how people complain, but it's not - I promise! Hang in there.
Moderators are human. Humans make mistakes. So, moderators will make mistakes. Is that a reason to jump on their case and roast them in every social media outlet around? No. Do you like when people rip you apart for your mistakes? I don't think so.
If you as a player expect to be treated fairly, respectfully, and with no bias, then you must also be willing to treat the moderators in the same way. If you want to be forgiven for accidentally breaking the rules, then you must also be willing to forgive a moderator if a mistake is made that affects you personally.
Some of you will not believe me when I say these next few things, that's your choice. But, regardless of whether you believe it or not, these things are 100% true. Our moderator team does their best to be fair, to be kind, to give 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th chances, to find the whole story before taking action, to get second opinions before acting, and to listen when someone disagrees with a rule or choice that has been made. If these things were not true, I would not be here supporting this team.
No matter what is done in this community of over 100,000, at least one person is going to disagree. What does one do when that's the case? They choose the best thing they possibly can that will work in the best interest of as many players as possible. If you're one of the ones that doesn't get pleased, such as in the case of not allowing profanity in game, then you have to be willing to not get your way. You can certainly share your two cents in a respectful way, and TLOPO will take it into consideration. But in the end, they must do what they think will be the best thing for TLOPO in the long run. Because you want TLOPO to last a long time too, you must be willing to make a few sacrifices.
Going back to all those people that made the game annoying for us rule-followers in POTCO, what happened to POTCO? It was closed. There are many reasons why it may have been closed, but I'm sure the break-down of a system with enforced rules was one of them. If a project doesn't stay grounded on a solid structure of basic principles, it will fall apart. If rules are not enforced, the game slowly dies because the loyal players grow sick of struggling on a game that is supposed to be a fun escape from real life.
Disney stopped enforcing their rules, and the "bad" players had the run of the game. You now have the same game, but it's being run by a group of volunteers that are looking to succeed where POTCO failed.
Now, changing the subject a bit, I'm going to discuss ban appeals. If the moderator team was truly ban-happy, they would not have an appeal system. If you get banned and feel it was unfair, you are more then welcome to respectfully and privately communicate your concerns with the moderator team. I invite you personally to do that. This helps the moderator team stay accountable. If they make a mistake, it's good for it to be addressed so that changes can be made for the better.
Now, just because an appeal was made, that doesn't mean it will be accepted. To put it plainly, if we state a rule, and you break that rule, then you deserve a ban. This is assuming that you ignored the Terms Of Service and the warning that is given before the ban in most cases. Keep in mind that bans aren't meant to be malicious. It is simply us trying to steer you in the right direction. Sadly, some people don't listen to the gentle warning, so they force us to give some incentive.
I think I've talked enough about these things, so I'll bring this to a close. If you read this far, thank you for sticking with me.
Remember that we are all fans of POTCO. Some of us just have different jobs, but we all work towards the goal of having TLOPO survive, and having it be a fun, unstressful place to escape from reality. Please help the moderator team accomplish this.
Respectfully,
~ Cheysa
I keep running across topics that I feel could use some helpful in-depth re-visitation. So here's another.
From the outside looking in, especially when listening to some very loud opinions around the community, it can seem like the people with power around here don't use that power right. You may think I'm biased in thinking the opposite way, but I'd like to take you through a logical thought process to a conclusion so that maybe we can all be on the same page.
There are two sides to every story. It is extremely unwise to form an opinion after hearing just one side. It's even worse to take action on that opinion. Also, it's not smart to accept rumor as fact, even if that rumor is repeated by several. Always go to the source. Second-hand information is often inaccurate and unfairly biased.
We as humans enjoy breaking the rules. Following them can be extremely boring and un-fun. It gets even harder to follow the rules when one place is more strict about things than another. For example, games like SWTOR allow players to swear as much as they want. Then you come to TLOPO, and zero swearing is tolerated.
Often when we disagree with the rules that are in place, we get to feeling that it's almost our right to disobey those rules in order proclaim our disagreement. But, honestly, that's not a good way to handle it. When you behave that way, it's just disrespectful and only proclaims to everyone what poor character and lack of integrity you have.
All of that above ^^ was basically an introduction to this thread... So I'll try to get moving more quickly now.
In your own words, what would you say a moderator's job is? To help players? To enforce the rules? To protect players from being harassed by other players? To make sure the game remains a fun place to get away from real life?
For those of you that played POTCO, do you remember what it was like when Disney didn't properly take care of hackers? All day long people would bypass the filter, spam local chat, kill people with the PvP glitch, hack your account and delete your inventory, autoclick to gain first place on the leaderboards, and glitch enemies off the map to ruin your looting binge. Some even went so far as to harass players and threaten their lives. Was that fun? Didn't you want to scream at Disney to start doing their job? After all, you were paying hard-earned money in order to play! And some random jerk of a person over the internet was basically wasting your money.
One of the things TLOPO is working to do is eliminate those problems for us players. Sadly, while doing that, they get accused of abusing their power and banning players just to get their jollies.
As has been said a few hundred times now, TLOPO has clearly stated what is expected of their players in the Terms Of Service. If you read that and then choose to disobey, you only sabotage yourself. It is no one's fault except your own. You are the only one in control of yourself, no matter what you are feeling or what real life has dealt you. But many players choose to scream as loud as they can about how they were unfairly warned/kicked/banned/terminated instead of taking responsibility for their actions.
Now at this point, this thread seems like a rant about how people complain, but it's not - I promise! Hang in there.
Moderators are human. Humans make mistakes. So, moderators will make mistakes. Is that a reason to jump on their case and roast them in every social media outlet around? No. Do you like when people rip you apart for your mistakes? I don't think so.
If you as a player expect to be treated fairly, respectfully, and with no bias, then you must also be willing to treat the moderators in the same way. If you want to be forgiven for accidentally breaking the rules, then you must also be willing to forgive a moderator if a mistake is made that affects you personally.
Some of you will not believe me when I say these next few things, that's your choice. But, regardless of whether you believe it or not, these things are 100% true. Our moderator team does their best to be fair, to be kind, to give 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th chances, to find the whole story before taking action, to get second opinions before acting, and to listen when someone disagrees with a rule or choice that has been made. If these things were not true, I would not be here supporting this team.
No matter what is done in this community of over 100,000, at least one person is going to disagree. What does one do when that's the case? They choose the best thing they possibly can that will work in the best interest of as many players as possible. If you're one of the ones that doesn't get pleased, such as in the case of not allowing profanity in game, then you have to be willing to not get your way. You can certainly share your two cents in a respectful way, and TLOPO will take it into consideration. But in the end, they must do what they think will be the best thing for TLOPO in the long run. Because you want TLOPO to last a long time too, you must be willing to make a few sacrifices.
Going back to all those people that made the game annoying for us rule-followers in POTCO, what happened to POTCO? It was closed. There are many reasons why it may have been closed, but I'm sure the break-down of a system with enforced rules was one of them. If a project doesn't stay grounded on a solid structure of basic principles, it will fall apart. If rules are not enforced, the game slowly dies because the loyal players grow sick of struggling on a game that is supposed to be a fun escape from real life.
Disney stopped enforcing their rules, and the "bad" players had the run of the game. You now have the same game, but it's being run by a group of volunteers that are looking to succeed where POTCO failed.
Now, changing the subject a bit, I'm going to discuss ban appeals. If the moderator team was truly ban-happy, they would not have an appeal system. If you get banned and feel it was unfair, you are more then welcome to respectfully and privately communicate your concerns with the moderator team. I invite you personally to do that. This helps the moderator team stay accountable. If they make a mistake, it's good for it to be addressed so that changes can be made for the better.
Now, just because an appeal was made, that doesn't mean it will be accepted. To put it plainly, if we state a rule, and you break that rule, then you deserve a ban. This is assuming that you ignored the Terms Of Service and the warning that is given before the ban in most cases. Keep in mind that bans aren't meant to be malicious. It is simply us trying to steer you in the right direction. Sadly, some people don't listen to the gentle warning, so they force us to give some incentive.
I think I've talked enough about these things, so I'll bring this to a close. If you read this far, thank you for sticking with me.
Remember that we are all fans of POTCO. Some of us just have different jobs, but we all work towards the goal of having TLOPO survive, and having it be a fun, unstressful place to escape from reality. Please help the moderator team accomplish this.
Respectfully,
~ Cheysa
