Expectations

[Sanvean]

Sometimes there's confusion about what the staff expects, and there's few things more frustrating for a player than to be told that s/he isn't living up to expectations that were never communicated. So I wanted to lay out some of what I expect - other staff members may have more to add - from a player in general, as well as the separate roles.

In general, I expect people to abide by the rules and to focus on roleplay. To make decisions based on what their character would do, rather than the player's knowledge of the code or game world, or their OOC inclinations.

I expect people to be civil on this board, and to avoid being rude or trying to provoke rudeness.  To my mind, flaming, trolling, and discourtesy destroy the sense of community and give potential new players a bad impression of the game.  Right now we're discussing what the board policy should be among the staff, since it was a topic of discussion at the AIM, and I'll be posting about that when we've finished implementing some changes.

I expect that people not abuse bugs, and that they report it if they notice an anomaly.

I expect that people go by the documentation and not do things that majorly diverge from it, as well as not create concepts or histories that have a major impact on the game world or a particular clan without running them past staff.

I expect that people use common sense, and not claim "the code let me do it" as an excuse for actions that do not make IC sense.

I expect people to play out coded effects, such as being wounded, spiced, hungry/thirsty,  under the effect of a fear spell, etc.

I expect players to help newbies, and thus keep the mud growing, rather than driving them away through hostility or taking advantage of their lack of knowledge.

I expect people not to spread OOC information, as well as not to spread misinformation about the game or attempt to cause schisms between groups in the game, whether it be clan/clan, player/staff, etc by spreading gossip or innuendo. Like flaming on the board, these actions harm the game.

I expect people to take the virtual world into account - for example, playing as though the NPCs described in the room description are really there. I expect members of clans to realize they are small cogs in very large virtual machines.

From half-elves: I expect these characters to be played out according to the documentation at http://www.armageddon.org/rp/racial/halfelf.html. I expect that their description not make them look entirely human or entirely elvish and that there be some clue about their ancestry in it, even if they are trying to pass for a purebred human or elf.

From dwarves: I expect dwarves to have a focus, and to allow that focus to drive play, as spelled out in http://www.armageddon.org/rp/racial/dwarf.html

From muls and half-giants: I expect these not to be used solely as an resource to pkill, and again to be played out according to the racial documentation.

I expect magick users to roleplay out their magick - to spend time thinking about where their powers might come from, what their implications might be, how they might be refined, to experiment and wonder.

Similarly, I expect psionicists to roleplay out their powers, and not sit there spamming a command in an attempt to drive up the skill.  I expect them to think about the Way and what it means, how it would feel to be a psionicist and have the thoughts of others pressing in on yours.

I expect members of feared classes - Nilazi, psionicists, and sorcerers - to roleplay out that feeling of persecution and fear and not to reveal themselves readily to other people.  I personally dthink any member of these groups should not reveal themselves to anyone who hasn't earned their trust at an "I just saved your life" or higher level.

I expect people in special roles to drive and encourage play, and to give the staff members working with them information about what they're doing as well as feedback on how the role and/or its demands can be made easier, more enjoyable, or more realistic.  I expect them to work with the staff on the role, and to understand that the role may require that they balance the demands of the game against what they may want to do at times.

I expect players in clans to keep their clan immortals in the know about what they're doing, and to play in accordance with the clan docs.

From the other side, there are things players should be able to expect from staff and which we are still working towards, just as the playerbase continues to work towards what's outlined above. To be notified when their behavior doesn't match expectations, for one. To be given accurate information. To be treated courteously and fairly. To have email responded to in a timely way.  That list is probably a subject for a different post, though.

Just my thoughts - but in looking over the post before I hit submit, I'm not seeing anything there that I consider unreasonable. If there is something there that seems out of line, please let me know, either on here or in email, if you prefer.

[Sanvean]

I've moved Bestatte's reply to its own thread because it strays from the purpose of this one. As noted in the original post, "That list is probably a subject for a different post, though." Thanks.