I respect all that. But nowhere in there is the player forced to do these things- the threats/punishments are on the character. He always has an IC option to defy the order. If that means taking a fine or a ban, great, good for RP. Suck it up and move on with honor or acquiesce and dishonor your family name. But nobody's threatening harm to his account or his honor/prestige/fame or his RL mother. That's why I don't get what makes them player rights.
Am I just dense here? I don't want to beat a dead horse if I'm the only one stuck on this. Like I said, I respect and support the IRs, simply because it's what you've dictated as best for the game. And I'll continue to do so.
I understand where you're coming from.
Yes, there is this mix or contradiction there. And yes, it could theoretically all be handled purely IC. However, 10 years of experience have shown that many players, especially the two kinds that we would like to attract more of - newcomers and casual players - simply don't want to put up with all the stress and uncertainty of standing up for their rights in a roleplayed conflict. Therefore, we give them a few IRs that protect the most important gameplay decisions from becoming such matters.
And yes, the punishments are on the character - of course, because you can't reach other players to punish them. But the pressure is on the player, because most players (especially of the two kinds mentioned above) will bow to, rather than stand up to, this kind of pressure.
