What do you think is wrong?

[Gloria]

Forum forum or D-list?

I think I recall one long discussion on the d-list about what it meant to be a commoner.

[DoctorHarte]

Yes, but you can't force my character to change his views of adventurers. I'f how I like to play him and how it works well. He still kills plenty of filthy peasants who no one needs (except for Barca, hehe)

[Vellos]

Yeah, um, indiscriminate killing of peasants isn't really what it's about either.

[DoctorHarte]

Yeah, um, indiscriminate killing of peasants isn't really what it's about either.

I didn't say that was what it's about, did I? No I just added that comment in their because I'm am humorous.

[Alpha]

Then you haven't had the pleasure of meeting my noble Sundar, who corpulently overweight, rude and annoying... Glaumring is filthy like a Pict, and half naked most of the time, he is like a noble barbarian more than a fantasy platemail style noble, and then there is Akrogath which is the fantasy platemail wearing 15ft tall brooding blond haired 12ft sword guy...

Sundar is an exception. I always enjoyed reading your RPs in Arcaea.

[^ban^]

That game option was removed years ago for abuses.

Still, I think I will run for judge next month, and enact a reign of terror.

Not because of abuses. It was removed because the reason for its existence was not understood.

[Gloria]

Not because of abuses. It was removed because the reason for its existence was not understood.

Yes.  People saw it as a kind of ban, when it was much more serious.

[Indirik]

The major problem with "question nobility", and the problem that caused all the misunderstandings with it, was the description given to the ruler. The system blatantly told the ruler that they could use it to get rid of someone that the judge couldn't, or wouldn't, deal with. It told the ruler that you could use it to get someone out of a position, and remove their titles. The *mechanism* used to do it was to plant rumours that the noble wasn't really a noble at all. i.e. the game flat out told the ruler that you could strip someones titles by claiming they weren't a noble.

But then everyone was told that using it that way was an abuse of the game. That the "Question nobility" was really only supposed to be used when you actually wanted to really claim that someone wasn't a noble. Which was a complete contradiction of the what the game mechanics text claimed.

This led to huge flame wars on the DList. End result: Everyone was pissed off at everyone else, and game feature removed.

[Gloria]

And I think the vulgarity feature was a much better replacement for it.  But I wish more people would agree that admitting to be related to a commoner is vulgar.

[Vellos]

But I wish more people would agree that admitting to be related to a commoner is vulgar.

It is. I have judged messages in the past about it. And I have reported messages about it, and my careful monitoring of other peoples' H/P seems to indicate that my complaints were confirmed.

Then again, I am trigger happy with the vulgarity button. I get a thrill out of reporting comments as vulgarity, and feel resentful when someone beats me to it.

[Gloria]

careful monitoring of other peoples' H/P

Wow.  Your careful obsession impresses me.

[Vellos]

Just with a few pet issues, like vulgarity. Well, really on anything SMA.

[Indirik]

After reading through this thread again, I don't think anyone has touched on what I feel is one of the most severe problems that we face in BattleMaster. Everyone is focusing on trivialities: sexual freedoms, visiting whores, going to "pubs", not being mean enough (or too mean) to advies, etc.

What I feel is what is most wrong, is the rampant disrespect, incivility, and insulting attitude among the nobility. Too many players think that the proper way to respond to something you don't agree with is to fling insults and vitriol. It has become pretty commonplace for nobles to insult their lords, question the competence of councilors, and other such blatantly disrespectful and insulting behavior.

I'm not saying that everyone should shut up and follow orders. Far from it. That would be about the most boring thing I can think of. But too many people think that if your lord says something you don't agree with in a council, the proper thing to say is: "That's stupid." Or, when the leader of the religion declares a holy crusade, for ten members of the religion to stand up and try to shout him down because "All the elders a bunch of corrupt politicians and liars, spouting propaganda that makes us laughingstock of our enemies, who are all really honest, upstanding fellows." A lot of this stuff is not necessarily vulgar, and reportable as vulgarity, but disrespectful and insulting in ways and situations that just shouldn't happen.

I actually stepped down from the leadership of Sanguis Astroism, a position I greatly desired, because I couldn't handle all the abuse that was being tossed back and forth. Not just in my direction, but back and forth between supposed realm-mates and allies. The screaming and frothing at the mouth was more than I could take.

Whatever happened to "My, Lord, are you sure that's the wisest course? Surely the enemy won't be fooled by that misdirect." or "Marshal, if those are your orders, we'll do it, but I think there may be a better plan."

I know that fantasy/fiction books aren't the most reliable source of historical material, but you generally don't see nobles in fantasy literature act like complete asses, like many players seem to think is perfectly acceptable.

IMHO, stuff like this sours people on the game much more than some random noble claiming that some dirty commoner is his long-lost fourth-cousin-twice-removed from a forgotten branch of the family. I don't remember things being this bad back when I joined in early 2006. Or maybe this is just me "remembering the good old days through rose-colored glasses".

[songqu88@gmail.com]

People playing online in a game where they are supposed to compete against each other can sometimes lose themselves, both as players and as characters. Unfortunately there is no cure for being a jerk, although it befalls the leaders of the realm to make sure such nobles who are unable to follow proper decorum as expected of any noble do not get anything like lordships, council positions, marshal appointments, etc.

Basically, if you couldn't talk like a noble, act like a noble, have the proper decorum and protocol to act completely in control of yourself even if you were inwardly fuming, you didn't deserve to lead anyone else, nor deserve to be a model for the lesser nobility. I believe the saying goes something like "He who cannot control himself is unfit to control others"?

[Anaris]

I believe the saying goes something like "He who cannot control himself is unfit to control others"?

I think it's actually "master" rather than "control" (one wouldn't usually talk about controlling others, unless one is a multi ;) ).