I find controlled starvation of cites to be meta gaming, as it is based upon knowledge of our the food consumption code works. Should we raise some SMA violations against every realm that has used that technique on Dwilight?
How about the fact that some religions choose not to have temples in some regions, because they can avoid follower limits imposed by the temples that way. Even though to most people it would seem obvious that is a non-intended aspect of the code?
Or my favorite, entire realms deciding to treat advies nicely, perhaps even respectfully, because they are "useful". How do we know this? We have only their word that they actually hunt and kill rogue forces. Again players know what advies do, and realms act to encourage them based on this.
I have found the tone of both these thread to be aggressive enough that I have decided to post rather just lurk as I usually do. So here is my take. For me it is meta gaming to deliberately cast doubt on a game mechanic that provides reliable information, and to try and RP it away. I'm not a Dev, I can't know what the Devs intended by a feature, so I take it as face value. I don't try and deconstruct it to so that I can excuse it, anymore then I would try to deconstruct the fact we have instant messaging, or the fact I can see where everyone within my realm is on the Dynamic map.
When I started this game I was taught that Game Mechanics trump RP, so yeah I would think that people that RP around and invalidate game mechanics are meta gamng to try and avoid the realities of the code. Does that mean I am right? Does that mean I should throw my personal opinion in people face and accuse others of !@#$ty play or being "dickish". This could have been a rational, calm discussion. It could have been, hey guys I have always had this opinion, what does everyone else think, can we get a consensus that might help guide peoples actions in the future? Pity that emotion has pretty much destroyed any merit the argument may have had in my mind.
