Player complaints

[Fathi]

I've filed less than one per year of playing and they were almost exclusively for poor OOC behaviour. I only flile complaints in extreme circumstances, such as a guy firing a PC ingame and then going on a tirade about it with the OOC command and actually stating that the reason he fired the guy was because of the GDB. Or two people using the OOC command to have a "lol hey babe" conversation complete with emoticons while people were awkwardly standing in the room with them. I also once filed a complaint when I witnessed a high karma magicker guild abuse some pretty specific mechanics of a spell. And once when someone quit out to avoid gettin' murdered.

I also sent a complaint email to staff once upon a time when a creeper kept asking for my GDB handle via the OOC command while trying and failing to bang my character. Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, etc.

Generally I don't see the point of filing complaints about IC stuff because even if someone is being a nitwit, problems in the game tend to sort themselves out pretty quickly. I can only think of a couple instances where people severely stretched the bounds of believability and the rules with their RP and didn't just get murdered. Not to disparage people who do file complaints - to each his own, just not my personal preference.

[BadSkeelz]

I've only ever filed player complaints having to do with people taking to the GDB to complain about IG events. And even then, I've probably only filed half as many as I could have.

When I started playing, I honestly thought player complaints were strictly for reporting violations of the consent rule. I still have a rather narrow field of what's worth filing a complaint about: consent, exploits, OOC skeeviness... basically out of character behavior that's unacceptable for whatever reason.

IC events I don't really think fit the criteria a player complaint, so long as they don't also violate the above conditions. See an elf riding a mount? It's funner to make fun of that stupid sharp, may be wish up to Staff that "Hey this player may need a reminder of the docs." I like to think most people break the docs out of ignorance, not willfulness. I do have some long character reports where I complain about in-character events, but those were never about "This situation is wrong and doesn't belong in the game," just that "This situation sucks, what can I do to make it suck less for my character?"

I do encourage anyone who is feeling troubled or upset by something in game to file a complaint to bring it to staff attention. If there's something wrong that's the first step towards solving it. Even if there isn't anything rule-breaking going on, Staff have always been supportive to me and helped talk me through troubling times.

[Saellyn]

If I see an elf riding a mount I'm going to send a player complaint and just note that maybe it's a brand new player who missed that part of the docs.

[Lizzie]

Maybe if we could have a "Heads Up" category in the request tool, people wouldn't feel so awkward about submitting reports about folks who just "aren't getting it" and need a nudge in the right direction.

Leading by example is only useful when the targetted player chooses to a) notice, b) care, and c) comply. If you try to use exclusively IC methods to teach someone something, and that person just isn't getting it, and doesn't seem to care about getting it, well - they're not breaking any rules are they? Like the half-elf who is being played as someone who just flat out rejects the concept that half-elves are discriminated against. Or the human who apparently has absolutely zero idea, whatsoever, why anyone would care that he's trying to get laid with that damn fine-looking elf Kuraci Regular chick. Or the northerner who visits Allanak, meets a gemmer, and starts flirting with him and wants to know all about how he can make her fly.

Things that are so "out there" that it's obvious the player is clueless - but going OOC on them with the OOC command would just result in a whole big to-do, and keeping it IC would confuse the obviously-clueless player.

So you send a "heads up" to the staff and let them direct this player to a helper, or the help files, or give them whatever information the staff feels would be most helpful.

Because really, it's not our job as players to tell other players how to roleplay. But some of the newer players really need to be guided. Presently, a Player Complaint is the only method we have of getting this reinforced. If people are refusing to use it, because they think it's "getting someone in trouble," then what happens if no one complains about these things, and the players who are doing them, don't learn? It just makes it uncomfortable for everyone.

[RogueGunslinger]

Maybe if we could have a "Heads Up" category in the request tool, people wouldn't feel so awkward about submitting reports about folks who just "aren't getting it" and need a nudge in the right direction.

Leading by example is only useful when the targetted player chooses to a) notice, b) care, and c) comply. If you try to use exclusively IC methods to teach someone something, and that person just isn't getting it, and doesn't seem to care about getting it, well - they're not breaking any rules are they? Like the half-elf who is being played as someone who just flat out rejects the concept that half-elves are discriminated against. Or the human who apparently has absolutely zero idea, whatsoever, why anyone would care that he's trying to get laid with that damn fine-looking elf Kuraci Regular chick. Or the northerner who visits Allanak, meets a gemmer, and starts flirting with him and wants to know all about how he can make her fly.

Things that are so "out there" that it's obvious the player is clueless - but going OOC on them with the OOC command would just result in a whole big to-do, and keeping it IC would confuse the obviously-clueless player.

So you send a "heads up" to the staff and let them direct this player to a helper, or the help files, or give them whatever information the staff feels would be most helpful.

Because really, it's not our job as players to tell other players how to roleplay. But some of the newer players really need to be guided. Presently, a Player Complaint is the only method we have of getting this reinforced. If people are refusing to use it, because they think it's "getting someone in trouble," then what happens if no one complains about these things, and the players who are doing them, don't learn? It just makes it uncomfortable for everyone.

I love this idea. So many people talk about not wanting to send somethign as serious as a player complaint.

I bet more people would use it if it was "player advice" or soemthing.

[Barzalene]

I just checked and I haven't actually done a player complaint. Though I did complain about a post on the GDB.

[Delirium]

I take Fathi's approach. I've only ever filed one; and it was for something that looked extremely suspicious and resulted in rather Sudden Death.

[Malifaxis]

This whole thing made me look over my request log and realize that, no, I never actually did lodge a formal complaint about the dumb fuck who, for a year or more, consistently tried to kill the same PC I was playing over multiple different characters.

Then I realized it was because I half-way enjoyed finding new and entertaining ways to have him fucking murdered as soon as he made it blatantly obvious (as he always did) that he was about to try again.  Or surviving his attempt, THEN getting him.

I also realized that of the three total player complaints I've made, only one of them was about someone else.  But that's because I'm a shitty player and I feel the need to complain about myself in an official format.

[BleakOne]

I wonder how staff would respond to a self-complaint.

"Oh god, I'm going for another Rough Circle! SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!"

Ahem.

In all seriousness though Malifaxis, you are a cool RPer... and I'm not just saying that because your avatar scares the crap out of me.

[X-D]

I think my average is like 1 every seven years...I have done two...maybe three ever I think.

[Fujikoma]

I've only filed one player complaint. I wonder how many have been filed against me, they notify you after processing a complaint against you, right?

[Nyr]

I've only filed one player complaint. I wonder how many have been filed against me, they notify you after processing a complaint against you, right?

No.  We notify you if we feel like there's a valid complaint about something you're doing.  There have even been times where the person putting in the complaint is actually the one in error and we end up responding to it by saying "not only is the other person in the right, your complaint exposes something you are doing that is improper, please shape up on that."

[Saellyn]

I've only filed one player complaint. I wonder how many have been filed against me, they notify you after processing a complaint against you, right?

No.  We notify you if we feel like there's a valid complaint about something you're doing.  There have even been times where the person putting in the complaint is actually the one in error and we end up responding to it by saying "not only is the other person in the right, your complaint exposes something you are doing that is improper, please shape up on that."

Guilty.

[Zoan]

I've only filed one player complaint. I wonder how many have been filed against me, they notify you after processing a complaint against you, right?

No.  We notify you if we feel like there's a valid complaint about something you're doing.  There have even been times where the person putting in the complaint is actually the one in error and we end up responding to it by saying "not only is the other person in the right, your complaint exposes something you are doing that is improper, please shape up on that."

Sounds like me, I am literally the worst.

[Lizzie]

Zoan's right. I complain about him every day!

That gosh-darned Zoan....

[Fujikoma]

I complain about people complaining. You should try it, never run out of things to complain about that way.

[Zoan]

Zoan's right. I complain about him every day!

That gosh-darned Zoan....

;_;

[Is Friday]

I've filed less than 10. I can't be fucked to look it up.

Ones that I remember:
1.) Character logging out (then logging back in an hour later) to avoid pursuit.
2.) Quit out during arrest/torture scene with an OOC "F U guys, this is dumb. File a player complaint on me if you want."
3.) Some mul random charging my suped up Krathi. Nobody died, it just seemed 'tarded. Wouldn't file nowadays.
4.) Inappropriate emotes.
5.) Murdering my PC slave in a public clan location with 50+ VNPCs (training yard at morning) and then AIMing the clan Sergeant to tell him a different story about what happened.
6.) Krathi got shadowed/backstabbed in the gicker temple. My complaint was that it was kind of silly that you could follow past the GIANT FIRE WALL. Staff said they fixed it. Assassin player apparently sent in the same request, heh.
7.) Vagina rubbing in a public room.
8.) Someone hunting with training weapons.

Should have filed for:
My PC was sexually propositioned in an alley by a fellow clanmate (some touchy vagina grabby emotes). Other player asked for consent OOC and I said "Eh, no. Just fade." To which they responded "Let's just see where this leads..." and then I changed my character's reaction and beat her up IC instead.

Looking back at most of these, they were mostly for play outside of the rules or perceived behavior/something that was messed up with the code.

[Kismetic]

7.) Vagina rubbing in a public room.

Oh, the foot puns that were made ...  Good times, good times.

[Is Friday]

7.) Vagina rubbing in a public room.

Oh, the foot puns that were made ...  Good times, good times.

That wasn't even for that. hahahahahhahahaa. I just gtfo of there for that instance.

[Kismetic]

"gtfo of there" = get the foot out of there, ahahaha

[Is Friday]

"gtfo of there" = get the foot out of there, ahahaha

..... LMAO!!!!!!!

[Fujikoma]

The game really needs a few more easily accessible private rooms, or more public rooms where the rules are "either ignore it or gtfo".

Or just more apartments, where people most often seem to go to murder eachother.

Like I'm sure if you saw something gross go down in the Kuracci pleasure den you'd wonder, hey, what was I doing sitting around back here in the first place?

There's always the alleyways, suppose someone's gotta be backstab bait.

EDIT: Also, hunting with training weapons is suprisingly effective.

[Is Friday]

Consent is a pretty solid, easy to understand rule.

[Fujikoma]

Pretty solid, until someone sneaks in then bitches.

My poor (unspecified classes) eyes were burned from their sockets! My kids were watching when I went to spy on that hapless couple!