The Red Shirt Syndrome

[Kalai]

To Nyr:

You really put a lot of time and effort in responding to jriley.  More than I would.  Remember, you can't reason somebody out of something that they didn't reason themselves into to begin with.

I've been reasoned out of plenty of things that I started thinking for other reasons.

[Saellyn]

I'm just going to say that it's not hard to earn a job you want. Technically I could say I had earned a job that I was never given, but you know what? I didn't mind, because I was doing something to help move something along, and I worked pretty damn hard - for days at a time - to see it come up. Right now, I'm working damn hard and doing good stuff, and I think I'm being noticed espite my lack of reports, and I don't feel like a Red Shirt. Your opportunities are what you make of them. I haven't always tried my best, but when I want something I do very much set my mind to it, and I try damn hard to get it done in a way that suits me best.

So, if you're having trouble getting noticed by staff, I don't know... join a clan and do stuff? Eventually -somebodies- report will probably include you, and ten staff can go "Oh hey let's peek at this guy and maybe see what he's up to since he's being a jackass and not telling us" (yes I know you all thing of me like this ^^ I swear I report when it -really- matters).

[Bogre]

...which leads me to asking you what this Sergeant or Lieutenant's name was.  

Go ahead, post it.  It has been more than a year, and it's okay to post basic things like that, at least, after a year.

Paryl. I'm fairly certain he's remembering when Samos gave a bronze, not steel, sword to Lieutenant Paryl.

To be fair, it wasn't for keeps. If I remember rightly, it was given to him for combat RPTs, with Samos dabbling in the idea of letting him hold onto it at other times. I don't know for certain if Samos ever did give Paryl the sword on a more lasting lease (but still, definitely a lease, and definitely for sensible IC reasons that I can't disclose) because the templar I was playing at the time died.

What most people are forgetting is that Paryl had a steel shield, too. The bronze sword, which is a much storied weapon in and of itself, was mainly carried by Samos. (after having been in a lot of other characters hands too).

Paryl was completely from the ground up- he lasted around 2 or 3 years if I recall correctly...in fact he actually could have been a CAPTAIN but the PC templar decided to not promote him.

[Gimfalisette]

Bogre, I said that hours and hours ago...were you idling again 

[EldritchOrigins]

The game needs more "red shirts" to keep things in perspective.  If most player characters are "awesome", then that'd just be the "new" normal.

Arm has a pretty high turnover rate for characters.

I'm not suggesting more people die.  When I say "red shirts" I mean an average type of person, not the exceptional Tom Cruise type movie character (extreme, but it gets the point across).

As for turnover rates, (most) everyone dies at some point, even if they store, chances are they aren't immortal.

[Delirium]

Bogre, I said that hours and hours ago...were you idling again 

[Rhyden]

I remember watching that willowy, long-limbed recruit spar one time with my first templar and thinking to myself he wouldn't get too far (like most other recruits at the time).

Boy I'm glad I was wrong.

[Dan]

Paryl actually did possess a steel shield ("possess" in the sense of the templarate let him keep it after he acquired it during an RPT), but, he never used it. (And my PC was one of the very few to even know he had it--because Paryl knew how dangerous it was to have.) Samos did think about letting him use, or may have actually let him use, a bronze sword during another RPT or two.

There was nothing non-mundane about Paryl, though. He didn't even have great stats...his mate was stronger than he was She was also able to beat him in combat, eventually.

That PC and others of the time were just great examples of surviving and doing a good job, which eventually turns you into a badass mo-fo. Seriously, best role I ever had, and it was all earned in game.

On the flip side of this, I think it really sucks when these impressive objects with potentially huge stories behind them get lost in the abyss when a character stores, "retires", or falls into the Sea of Silt. It would be cool if certain such items were cataloged and kept track of by Staff. Even if only a few of them made such a list.

For example (either over a year old or made up): Gold Scepters wielded by Lirathans during Kryl invasions, bronze swords, steel shields, daggers found in chests on the other side of the Sea of Silt during major RPTs, diamond-studded silver stuff, little magic talking heads, daggers that suck out souls... that kind of stuff, ya know?

Why not let a few of these lost treasures float back out into the playerbase, causing envy and reasons for so and so to go after the guy on top aside from bragging rights? If you get your hands on something desirable, either get rid of it quickly or be tough enough to keep it from other people that want it. Right?

[Erythil]

I second the desire for seeing a few more objects of power (not world shattering stuff, but like, say, a bronze-headed spear) leak out into the game world.  Easy way to create an intriguing plot, and since this sort of stuff inevitably ends up in the hands of the powers-that-be, easy to have NPCs leverage them back out of existence if they prove troublesome.

[jriley]

The only other things I'm kind of picking up on are...you're not getting enough attaboys or enough Staff interaction via NPCs or whatever...which kind of strike me as petty concerns.

On the contrary, I'm doing fine.  This thread is not about me.  It is about redshirts.  Although I play a disproportionate amount of redshirts, I by no means am the sole redshirt in this game and cannot represent their opinions.  However it was a much decried post by you on another thread that was the real genesis of the entire posting.  Both you and I seem to emphasize self-reliance as an operational component of having a good experience with this MUD, while official staff position seems to have become that regular player-staff communication is encouraged. 

It's not a zero-sum game in terms of awesomeness, though.  Armageddon doesn't have to be Star Trek.

Firefly didn't have redshirts.

Agreed.  I think there is a difference between playing a red shirt and being treated as a player like a red shirt. 

Seriously, all you have to do is:

1) Stay alive
2) Be able to choose an organization and stick with it
3) Not be an elf

If you feel like the staff is passing you over for other reasons...frankly, the best clan to prove you have leadership skillz is the Byn. High leadership turnover, a preference for IC-hired clan leaders when possible, lax induction and promotion requirements,  and fucking easy to stay alive.

Oh no, I agree.  My last character was in the Bynn.  It's hard for me to imagine characters outside of the Byn.  In fact, I pretty much oscillate between Bynn characters and desert elves, with the occasional Kadian, clanned criminal or raider thrown in for good measure.  I have to take my hat off to comrade Mansa who has given up his karma, according to legend, long ago to focus on "mundane" characters.  My experiences playing gemmed, ungemmed and half-giants were not overwhelmingly positive. 

I guess I don't get this thread. Jriley, at first from your OP I thought you were talking about being passed over as a player, but now it seems like you're saying your PCs aren't getting the attention you would like from staff, which also definitely seems like a problem that is easily solved by communication with staff.

I agree staff should always be pointing out good things players are doing when they notice, and they often do this, but it's probably easier for them to notice if you're in regular contact with them through the request tool and doing things that enrich the game.

I don't think most people did through the first pass.  It's a subtle point.  Some of the players are treated like stars and some are treated like Red Shirts.  While I think that this treatment is in some cases suitable, it is in other cases rather conspicuous and detracts from community cohesion.

Forewarning:  I'm not going to patty-cake this and I will be honest based on what you've posted here.  Another warning:  This is a long ass-post.  I've also edited it to include information that was discovered a bit later.

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Hope that helps--it isn't what you asked for exactly, but it is honest at least.

That's fine, Nyr.  Both you and I are engaging in discussion because we're interested in each other's points of view, not because there is any antagonism.  I appreciate your directness. 

Some of your criticism is no doubt well-founded.  That being said, don't you think that your points would be better-emphasized if you refrained from questioning the very basis of my claims?  Other players have substantiated Paryl.   

The game needs more "red shirts" to keep things in perspective.  If most player characters are "awesome", then that'd just be the "new" normal.

Agreed.  It's pretty rare that I play something magical or exotic or sponsored.  Everyone should play one once in a while. 

What most people are forgetting is that Paryl had a steel shield, too. The bronze sword, which is a much storied weapon in and of itself, was mainly carried by Samos. (after having been in a lot of other characters hands too).

Paryl was completely from the ground up- he lasted around 2 or 3 years if I recall correctly...in fact he actually could have been a CAPTAIN but the PC templar decided to not promote him.

Yeah, Paryl was awesome.

At any rate, is anyone opposed to me making a poll?  If no one agrees with me, then let us change the subject?  I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong. 

[Synthesis]

Being a "red shirt" and being a PKer...two entirely different things, bro...unless you're referencing some other post I've made and since brain-dumped.

[Talia]

It's a subtle point.  Some of the players are treated like stars and some are treated like Red Shirts.  While I think that this treatment is in some cases suitable, it is in other cases rather conspicuous and detracts from community cohesion.

It's good to state your main point un-subtly and clearly. However, what you have stated is your opinion and belief, it's not fact. There are actual facts that would relate to what you're claiming, but they don't support your argument; for example, did you know that over 175 different players have played sponsored roles in Armageddon since 2006? (Gee, that sort of makes it seem like staff really do give a lot of players a chance to play these roles.) Did you know that, on average, each of these players only played 1.9 sponsored roles? (And that sort of seems like not any particular player or set of players is hogging all the roles, either.)

Another fact: Every player of this game is allowed to request and receive their account notes, with a karma review, every six months. And now, karma awards are based on a very detailed and clear set of criteria for staff. We don't have to guess or feel about karma...we can evaluate in an objective and factual manner. (Gosh, that sort of seems like staff really want to make karma fair!)

That being said, don't you think that your points would be better-emphasized if you refrained from questioning the very basis of my claims?

The basis of your claims is all anecdote, mostly vague, and the one situation you did point out as "proof" has been completely refuted by a chorus of players and staff. You are making claims, and we are questioning their basis. That's fair to do in a debate, which is what this is. Your claim is that staff is not fair, and treats some players like Stars and other players like Red Shirts. Your evidence, thus far, is nothing.  

It's pretty rare that I play something magical or exotic or sponsored.  Everyone should play one once in a while.

Hey, you know what, me too. Personally, I don't really enjoy playing magickers. I like mundanes. And I can't play sponsored roles, because I'm on staff. But that doesn't make me more righteous than other players who do enjoy playing magickers, or who can play sponsored roles. In fact, the world of Armageddon needs those roles to be played, too. (Especially sponsored roles. There are many areas of the game which cannot operate without the active filling of sponsored roles.)

Also, you seem to be implying that the vast majority of the playerbase is off playing their magicker or sponsored roles blithely uncaring about the state of the game, while you and the other Red Shirts are patiently slogging along and bearing the whole burden of keeping it all together. But, you actually, factually, don't know how many magickers are being played at any point. Staff can look at this, staff do look at this, and I'm not going to quote any numbers here (because that's IC info), but I will say that the balance looks fine to me. The Producers and Admins keep an eye on balance, many clans have guidelines to help keep things in balance, and I'm pretty sure we're doing OK here.

As to "everyone should play one once in a while," there are 8-karma players all around you who are doing just that. For the most part, the best players of the game enjoy gritty, mundane, shit-kicking roles and play them frequently. They'll also dabble in karma roles or leadership on occasion. I could list a whole bunch of these excellent players who are not playing karma or leadership roles right now, but it's not my place to out them.

If no one agrees with me, then let us change the subject?  I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong. 

You can probably blow off a lot of what I've said as "well that's just your opinion, man" because I'm not actually able to quote you specific players or specific guilds or whatever. I don't think I'm going to change your opinion that staff is unfair through the facts that I've quoted, or through the sharing of my observations and experience staffside. It's not just that I don't agree with you, it's that your argument is based on nothing. But you keep making it, and that is frustrating. It's like boxing with a ghost.

[Reiloth]

The only other things I'm kind of picking up on are...you're not getting enough attaboys or enough Staff interaction via NPCs or whatever...which kind of strike me as petty concerns.

On the contrary, I'm doing fine.  This thread is not about me.  It is about redshirts.  Although I play a disproportionate amount of redshirts, I by no means am the sole redshirt in this game and cannot represent their opinions.  However it was a much decried post by you on another thread that was the real genesis of the entire posting.  Both you and I seem to emphasize self-reliance as an operational component of having a good experience with this MUD, while official staff position seems to have become that regular player-staff communication is encouraged.  

It's not a zero-sum game in terms of awesomeness, though.  Armageddon doesn't have to be Star Trek.

Firefly didn't have redshirts.

Agreed.  I think there is a difference between playing a red shirt and being treated as a player like a red shirt.  

Seriously, all you have to do is:

1) Stay alive
2) Be able to choose an organization and stick with it
3) Not be an elf

If you feel like the staff is passing you over for other reasons...frankly, the best clan to prove you have leadership skillz is the Byn. High leadership turnover, a preference for IC-hired clan leaders when possible, lax induction and promotion requirements,  and fucking easy to stay alive.

Oh no, I agree.  My last character was in the Bynn.  It's hard for me to imagine characters outside of the Byn.  In fact, I pretty much oscillate between Bynn characters and desert elves, with the occasional Kadian, clanned criminal or raider thrown in for good measure.  I have to take my hat off to comrade Mansa who has given up his karma, according to legend, long ago to focus on "mundane" characters.  My experiences playing gemmed, ungemmed and half-giants were not overwhelmingly positive.  

I guess I don't get this thread. Jriley, at first from your OP I thought you were talking about being passed over as a player, but now it seems like you're saying your PCs aren't getting the attention you would like from staff, which also definitely seems like a problem that is easily solved by communication with staff.

I agree staff should always be pointing out good things players are doing when they notice, and they often do this, but it's probably easier for them to notice if you're in regular contact with them through the request tool and doing things that enrich the game.

I don't think most people did through the first pass.  It's a subtle point.  Some of the players are treated like stars and some are treated like Red Shirts.  While I think that this treatment is in some cases suitable, it is in other cases rather conspicuous and detracts from community cohesion.

Forewarning:  I'm not going to patty-cake this and I will be honest based on what you've posted here.  Another warning:  This is a long ass-post.  I've also edited it to include information that was discovered a bit later.

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Hope that helps--it isn't what you asked for exactly, but it is honest at least.

That's fine, Nyr.  Both you and I are engaging in discussion because we're interested in each other's points of view, not because there is any antagonism.  I appreciate your directness.  

Some of your criticism is no doubt well-founded.  That being said, don't you think that your points would be better-emphasized if you refrained from questioning the very basis of my claims?  Other players have substantiated Paryl.  

The game needs more "red shirts" to keep things in perspective.  If most player characters are "awesome", then that'd just be the "new" normal.

Agreed.  It's pretty rare that I play something magical or exotic or sponsored.  Everyone should play one once in a while.  

What most people are forgetting is that Paryl had a steel shield, too. The bronze sword, which is a much storied weapon in and of itself, was mainly carried by Samos. (after having been in a lot of other characters hands too).

Paryl was completely from the ground up- he lasted around 2 or 3 years if I recall correctly...in fact he actually could have been a CAPTAIN but the PC templar decided to not promote him.

Yeah, Paryl was awesome.

At any rate, is anyone opposed to me making a poll?  If no one agrees with me, then let us change the subject?  I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong.  

Few things. First -- Your want to change the subject kind of implies you aren't really digging the scrutiny you're getting. You presented an argument, and people have a right to respond to the foundation of this argument. You don't really get the ability to back out, make a poll, and change the subject -- You have the ability to not respond further, but yeah. Sorry man.

Second, Mansa was not the only player to give up his karma during 2006. There was actually a movement of players that decided to 'return to mundane', myself among them. We perceived, at the time, a heavy increase of poorly played, high powered Magickers, and decided to as a whole forego playing Karma roles for the sake of perpetuating the story of Armageddon. As Talia later corroborated, there are many high-karma players around you that love playing truly gritty mundane characters over high-powered karma classes.

Third, your perception of higher treatment and lower treatment of certain players cannot possibly be accurate, as you are not privy to knowledge of every player's account notes, or the variety of treatment between Staff and Player. Players that have good account notes might be more likely to get a sponsored role; it may also be because of their track record in sending character reports, keeping in good communication with Staff in general, and playing characters that react to the game environs appropriately, responsibly, and realistically. Players that have poor account notes may not get a sponsored role; but I guarantee you they won't be black listed. When i've had bad account notes (which I definitely have), it allows me to enter a conversation with Staff as to how I can improve. We usually have a little back and forth, and then move on. The account note stays, but as time goes on (and as Nyr and other Staff have pointed out) the more time there is between you and that note, the less it is considered.

Armageddon is fueled by the mundanes, not by the sorcerers. If Templars didn't have Red Shirts, if the Byn didn't have Runners, and if the Legion did not have Legionnaires, nothing would get done. Red Shirts, honestly, make the world go round.

Your perception of Paryl requires context, which it seems you do not have (though other Players have provided hints to in their responses). Context is everything. What may seem like a hand-picked, doted-on-by-Staff character with super l33t loot and bomb stats may very well just be Pure Luck combined with Working Hard.

I had a character named Ranak, who was a sponsored Sergeant for the Legions back in 2008. I rerolled his stats to Ex/Ex/Ba/Ex. I was very surprised at these stats -- But like every other time i've rolled a character, they were completely random. Ranak served for a long time as a Sergeant, under various Templars. He rocked in combat, mostly because he trained often, went on plenty of patrols, and just generally did as he was supposed to. Later in the year, the next Grey Hunt was announced. Ranak wanted to participate. He worked very hard, snubbing out the competition, and making deals with the best contenders. In the end, he was chosen to become a Hlum Noble. Historically, Ranak was from the Warrens, and joined the Legions to flee a criminal organization. Staff was aware of all of Ranak's history that I wrote, because I kept a lot of bios. It made the story seem that much more visceral; from rags to riches. Ranak won the Grey Hunt because of IC plots and reasons, not because of Staff doting on me. I think Staff was willing to work with me, because I sent in regular reports, made realistic requests (no statues of myself), sent logs when requested, and was generally pleasant to work with.

If the point of your argument is to call attention to a vast disparity between Star Players and Not-Star Players, good luck. I think there is very little evidence in your court. What you need to do is get past your mentality of working separate of the Staff as the only means to enjoy Armageddon. Earlier in the year, I was caught in the same trap, and thankfully, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck finding it, jriley.

[palomar]

Paryl actually did possess a steel shield ("possess" in the sense of the templarate let him keep it after he acquired it during an RPT), but, he never used it. (And my PC was one of the very few to even know he had it--because Paryl knew how dangerous it was to have.) Samos did think about letting him use, or may have actually let him use, a bronze sword during another RPT or two.

There was nothing non-mundane about Paryl, though. He didn't even have great stats...his mate was stronger than he was She was also able to beat him in combat, eventually.

That PC and others of the time were just great examples of surviving and doing a good job, which eventually turns you into a badass mo-fo. Seriously, best role I ever had, and it was all earned in game.

On the flip side of this, I think it really sucks when these impressive objects with potentially huge stories behind them get lost in the abyss when a character stores, "retires", or falls into the Sea of Silt. It would be cool if certain such items were cataloged and kept track of by Staff. Even if only a few of them made such a list.

For example (either over a year old or made up): Gold Scepters wielded by Lirathans during Kryl invasions, bronze swords, steel shields, daggers found in chests on the other side of the Sea of Silt during major RPTs, diamond-studded silver stuff, little magic talking heads, daggers that suck out souls... that kind of stuff, ya know?

Why not let a few of these lost treasures float back out into the playerbase, causing envy and reasons for so and so to go after the guy on top aside from bragging rights? If you get your hands on something desirable, either get rid of it quickly or be tough enough to keep it from other people that want it. Right?

I'm under the impression that staff already keep track of these things, where possible. Also, I believe chances are slim that such items are brought back into the game if the plot has run its course. Not saying it never happens though. I might be wrong, but I get the feeling staff are more restrictive with these magickal/metal items these days.

[roughneck]

Oh no, I agree.  My last character was in the Bynn.  It's hard for me to imagine characters outside of the Byn.  In fact, I pretty much oscillate between Bynn characters and desert elves, with the occasional Kadian, clanned criminal or raider thrown in for good measure.  I have to take my hat off to comrade Mansa who has given up his karma, according to legend, long ago to focus on "mundane" characters.  My experiences playing gemmed, ungemmed and half-giants were not overwhelmingly positive. 

At any rate, is anyone opposed to me making a poll?  If no one agrees with me, then let us change the subject?  I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong. 

You're complaining about not enough treats from staff?  You obviously have karma if you're playing delves and half-giants.  Half-giant, desert elves and magickers are more codedly badass than good stats on other pc's.  In your opening post you were complaining about other characters being more 'awesome' than you.  In terms of abilities, delves are more 'awesome' than most other 10 day characters right out of the gate.  Karma is how staff give you awesome treats without having to waste their time coding you some special dildo or +10 sword of singing or whatever it is you're looking for.

As a side note, there's already too much awesome shit carried around by joe-nobodies in a game world plagued by famine and hardship.  Not that I'm complaining about it, I try to get l337 gear too, when it's appropriate for my pc, but it doesn't make you awesome. And if you recieved your fancy pants from a staff handout, it's the opposite of awesome in my book, although I'll enjoy getting my filthy paws on what they gave you with my pc.

I really only have two pieces of advice if that's what you started this thread looking for.

1) You're only limited by your own ideas and creative thinking: You can get a lot done if you collaborate, rp your plan and process, communicate with staff and have an idea to begin with that is interesting, contributes to the game world and involves other pc's.  Even without staff, you can do some really cool things that people will enjoy and remember.

2) Take the awesomeness away from other poeple:  This is what armageddon is all about to me.  And when you do manage to steal items, out-rp other people, triumph in combat or create a badass scene with a red-shirt mundane, you will actually feel satisfied, because YOU did it.

Nut up.  You're wrong.

[Dan]

Paryl actually did possess a steel shield ("possess" in the sense of the templarate let him keep it after he acquired it during an RPT), but, he never used it. (And my PC was one of the very few to even know he had it--because Paryl knew how dangerous it was to have.) Samos did think about letting him use, or may have actually let him use, a bronze sword during another RPT or two.

There was nothing non-mundane about Paryl, though. He didn't even have great stats...his mate was stronger than he was She was also able to beat him in combat, eventually.

That PC and others of the time were just great examples of surviving and doing a good job, which eventually turns you into a badass mo-fo. Seriously, best role I ever had, and it was all earned in game.

On the flip side of this, I think it really sucks when these impressive objects with potentially huge stories behind them get lost in the abyss when a character stores, "retires", or falls into the Sea of Silt. It would be cool if certain such items were cataloged and kept track of by Staff. Even if only a few of them made such a list.

For example (either over a year old or made up): Gold Scepters wielded by Lirathans during Kryl invasions, bronze swords, steel shields, daggers found in chests on the other side of the Sea of Silt during major RPTs, diamond-studded silver stuff, little magic talking heads, daggers that suck out souls... that kind of stuff, ya know?

Why not let a few of these lost treasures float back out into the playerbase, causing envy and reasons for so and so to go after the guy on top aside from bragging rights? If you get your hands on something desirable, either get rid of it quickly or be tough enough to keep it from other people that want it. Right?

I'm under the impression that staff already keep track of these things, where possible. Also, I believe chances are slim that such items are brought back into the game if the plot has run its course. Not saying it never happens though. I might be wrong, but I get the feeling staff are more restrictive with these magickal/metal items these days.

I would say it is true insofar as plots are now more player driven, with staff assistance coming in where required instead of as plot-pushing flavor. Most of the major over-arching plots were magick based, well, not every time but a lot of the time. It does seem the shift is pushing towards smaller plots, or maybe that is a byproduct of the way plots are going these days. Either way, I think the amount of tracking of these items isn't as thorough as you suspect. Sure, a staffer or two might have all the information on this item or that as it passes through players in their clan, but then the players move on, or the staffer is reassigned and it might fall out of view entirely.

I think re-introducing some of these items might cause players to find a reason to go for them politically, physically, or with major deals involving massive amounts of goods/coins with plenty of threats and pressure all around. It might cause that Jihaen to start tracking down a particular d-elf raider to take back a piece of Tuluki History, bringing in everyone surrounding them both.

I guess there seems to be a general shift towards less conflict with an actual objective these days. Some physical and sustained conflict, political alliances being built with a definite moment where someone can say, "We did it!" just before being double-crossed.

Maybe I am way off here though, and this never happened when these items were more prevalent.

[Cutthroat]

I don't think most people did through the first pass.  It's a subtle point.  Some of the players are treated like stars and some are treated like Red Shirts.  While I think that this treatment is in some cases suitable, it is in other cases rather conspicuous and detracts from community cohesion.

Okay. Well, if that's your position, then I was right about your point the first time.

Honestly, if there is one thing threatening the balance of the game, it isn't how staff treats good, involved players (arguably a large chunk of players considering the large amounts of clan requests [including independents] solved every week). It's how a subset of players believe the staff as a whole are against the players' interest, and believe staff are looking to stamp out players' plots and make things unnecessarily difficult, while avoiding interaction with staff because of those beliefs.

You said you're open to the possibility that you're wrong, and I'm sorry, but it really seems like you are. You're not going to get attention from staff without really asking for it, and communicating with them is the first step.

[Nyr]

I don't think most people did through the first pass.  It's a subtle point.  Some of the players are treated like stars and some are treated like Red Shirts.  While I think that this treatment is in some cases suitable, it is in other cases rather conspicuous and detracts from community cohesion.

It's not a subtle point.  It's an incorrect point.  You're saying something that is your opinion as if it is fact.

Forewarning:  I'm not going to patty-cake this and I will be honest based on what you've posted here.  Another warning:  This is a long ass-post.  I've also edited it to include information that was discovered a bit later.

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Hope that helps--it isn't what you asked for exactly, but it is honest at least.

That's fine, Nyr.  Both you and I are engaging in discussion because we're interested in each other's points of view, not because there is any antagonism.  I appreciate your directness.  

Some of your criticism is no doubt well-founded.  That being said, don't you think that your points would be better-emphasized if you refrained from questioning the very basis of my claims?  Other players have substantiated Paryl.  

No, I don't think so.  The very basis of your claims were wrong.  In a specific instance:  you had the date wrong.  You had the details about the situation wrong.  You had your details about the character wrong.  The only thing you had "right" was that yes, there was a Lieutenant PC that at one point did have metal items.  It was not two years ago, they did not "belong" to him in the strictest sense, he did not have boosted stats, and he did not have boosted skills.  He was the antithesis of everything you were saying he was, and he attained it entirely by playing well and sticking it out through the tough times.

At any rate, is anyone opposed to me making a poll?  If no one agrees with me, then let us change the subject?  I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong.  

I'm opposed to it.  All that you've done here is a hit-and-run bout of philosophical/sociopolitical philosophy interspersed with several subjective claims masquerading as objective points.  When any of your points are refuted specifically (despite their lack of specificity to start with), you want to change the subject.  There's not a possibility that you're wrong--you're completely wrong and have no actual evidence to prove your points, and you've somehow overlooked most of the rules of the game.

from help rules (the rules I believe you've ignored in your posts here and in your "Depressing Death" posts):

2. Life is hard. There are no free lunches on Zalanthas. There aren't even
   free drinks of water. It is likely that your character will die, and if
   you are not clever your character will die very fast. Only (and we mean
   only) the very fittest of all live long enough to retire in comfort at
   the end of their careers.

So if you die, get over it.  Your PCs are not entitled to live long, prosper, or be stars.

3. Sometimes people are nasty. There are no rules against being extremely
   mean to others that your character may meet, be it cheating, stealing,
   killing, swindling, or otherwise making a fool out of.  The sole
   exception to this is termed 'the rule of consent', and is outlined
   both in "help consent" and in point 5, below.

So if you get ganked in Luir's for playing while elvish, get over it.  Your PCs are not entitled to not get screwed over.

4. Complaints of unfairness will not be given an audience. If you think
   your character's situation was unfair, too bad. Live with it or don't.
   See point 2 above.

This is the basis of your claims, that other PCs got "stuff" that your PCs did not.  It goes off into philosophical/sociopolitical kankshit land from there (no, somehow it's the player--not the PC--that is being rewarded and treated differently!), but it starts out from this point.  Get over it.  Your PCs are not entitled to get anything without work.

6. Despite all of this, there are virtually no limits to what can happen,
   barring the ludicrous. If your character sets up a mercenary company,
   he/she may one day lead an army of loyal soldiers on an assault of one
   of the great city-states. As a magicker your character may one day become
   a fabled elemental being. Burglars may reach levels of affluence beyond
   imagination, and merchants may likewise become so rich as to own their
   own merchant house and dominate the world's economy. The limits are
   truly whatever you can imagine occurring.

So if your imagination is limited or you feel that staff is completely curtailing everything you do (while at the same time you want nothing to do with them and play roles that involve little to no staff interaction), get over it.

7. Only ONE living character per player is allowed at a time.  If you
   attempt to circumvent this rule by making multiple accounts, you will
   be banned for a month after the first occurrence, and banned permanently
   after the second.

You may not be circumventing the multiple characters rule, but you certainly do have two accounts and you are not being cooperative about it.  If you're not going to address the issues you have with staff and adhere to the rules of the game, then get over it.

[Nyr]

I'd recommend re-reading the rules, getting acquainted with a helper, or talking to staff via the request tool.  You have not proven anything, so I'm locking this thread.