The World of Layonara
The Layonara Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lynn1020 on December 31, 2007, 08:05:49 pm
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Not wanting to start a debate here. But what is the rules now about traveling with different levels? I have been told many different things.
I've heard that it should be no more than 5, 7 level and 10 level difference.
I have been told that GM's will drop things on you to kill the party of there is to big a level gap.
But then again I was traveling with a much higher level pc and there were many creatures put out for us and we handle them very well. Then afterwards we also received xp for role playing. Which was very nice! :D
I'm not talking about taking a lower level to get diamonds or something like that. I mean normal adventuring around Mistone and lower parts of Dregar. It seems many of the rules have changed in the last year about leveling and traveling together so I was just wanting to find out for sure what the rules are now. :p
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As far as i understand it, as long as it is not a XP run and there is a decent amount of RP, then I don't see what the problem is. When I do my rounds as a GM on West and Central, I look for RP. So thats probably where you are getting the RP XP from. Not because of the way you handled the creatures. ;-).
I mean if you are getting to one place or another. . .with a higher level to RP and you fight a few creatures thats ok. But then you just run the Sinister forests 4-5 times without saying something is something I frown upon..well you get the picture. Thats my understanding of it.
And I want to make it clear, as a DM I personally never would use to spawns to police a situation at all. I have written it here. (http://forums.layonara.com/general-discussion/120062-post-community-regarding-dm-encounters.html)
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Different level characters are usually encouraged to mix, as long as server level requirements are kept in mind. You can't just hang around in your own level brackets all the time - how would anything ever spread that way? You could see with the old, now-outdated PC story quests that there were clear intentions to mingle veteran players with lower levels. The Stormcrest guides exist for much the same purpose.
GMs should never be spawning things on people solely to kill the party, punishment or no. If there is an OOC problem they can be informed of it OOC and discuss it. Very rarely does this occur and I imagine it is addressed within the team itself when it does, since all it does is create bitterness and misunderstanding, not to mention punishing IC for an OOC problem.
Drafting, leeching, etc are against the rules. Some higher level characters can party with lower ones and show them around or make a time of it here and there, but shouldn't be dragging them through every high-XP spot on Mistone every other day just to level them. Everyone should serve a purpose in those kinds of parties and of course everyone should be roleplaying, which generally goes without saying!
If the level difference is close enough for them to just be in the same 'hangout' group that travels around and still have a purpose for everyone, then it probably isn't significant enough to worry too much about, especially since we're mostly talking Mistone.
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Not wanting to start a debate here. But what is the rules now about traveling with different levels? I have been told many different things.
Ah rumors.... ;)
I've heard that it should be no more than 5, 7 level and 10 level difference.
The key factor is RP. There absolutely has to be a legitimate reason for a large level spread that doesn't involve the high level(s) clearing spawns for the low level(s). Be smart about it.
That said, if we see a high level leading a group of lower-level characters, we're going to take notice and see what's up. That's not to say that anyone has done anything wrong, but that will get our attention. Likewise, if we see a lone (or a small number of) low level among a larger group of high-levels, that too will get our attention. If we intercede or interrupt such a situation, it is only because we have concerns about the grouping and the purpose of same. It is not because we're targeting anyone.
I have been told that GM's will drop things on you to kill the party of there is to big a level gap.
If this is happening, I personally want to know about it, and I want names. It is not the policy of the GM Team to cause party death because of level spreads. Period. End of statement.
It's far more effective to stop the group and give a verbal and OOC kind of statement rather than just rain death down on the party and make everyone hate us. Really...that just wouldn't make sense.
But once again, I want to caution everyone about something. I GM may add some creatures to change things around a bit. There may be a purpose to it other than a party-kill, but sometimes characters just plow on through and don't realize that that creature that may glow red just might have something to say.
Like I said above, RP is key.
But it touches on an important point and that is one of perception.
As players, we may perceive that additional creatures are there to up the difficulty or provide extra challenge, and one that may produce RP opportunities. If we as players then get squished by said creatures, then we may perceive that the GM wanted to kill us, even if it is our own poor decisions when dealing with the increased threat that cause the party death.
Likewise, GMs may see a very unbalanced level spread, peek in and see no RP and perceive that the low levels are kiting or sponging XP/loot/etc. We might set up a situation as an opportunity and a test, but at the same time we will let the consequences of dealing with that opportunity flow freely.
It's a two-way street, and while I am sure there are misunderstandings, it is actually counter-productive for the GM Team to have a policy of wiping out parties for no reason other than party spread.
One policy I personally have always tried to maintain is to "debrief" a party after any impromtu interactions, especially those involving combat and deaths. This little gesture goes so far in keeping GMs and players on the same page, and it is something that I have tried to reinforce among all the GMs who came after me.
But then again I was traveling with a much higher level pc and there were many creatures put out for us and we handle them very well. Then afterwards we also received xp for role playing. Which was very nice! :D
Like any good dwarf would tell you: AS IT SHOULD BEEEE!!!!! ;)
I'm not talking about taking a lower level to get diamonds or something like that. I mean normal adventuring around Mistone and lower parts of Dregar. It seems many of the rules have changed in the last year about leveling and traveling together so I was just wanting to find out for sure what the rules are now. :p
Common sense is the best guide. There is no catch-all rule we can state. As I said above, we'll look in on any group with a large spread of levels. Every situation is different, and so we'll take each situation as its own unique set of circumstances.
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Well said on the replies.
"....I have been told that GM's will drop things on you to kill the party of there is to big a level gap.
If this is happening, I personally want to know about it, and I want names. It is not the policy of the GM Team to cause party death because of level spreads. Period. End of statement....."
This statement I could not have said better. It is unacceptable in any form, period.
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Thanks for the replies. Thats pretty much what I thought it was. As long as there is rp and not just flying through areas for xp and loot.
As far as GM dropping things... I have never had that done to me. I guess I really shouldn't have brought that up. I have had GM add things to an area we are traveling through which I LOVE!! It adds so much when things are changed up to keep you on your toes. ;) I think we all enjoy a little challenge.
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I'm glad this came up. I was a little wary of running a high lvl PC with lower ones due to this.
A few days ago.... me and another high lvl player had a low level player doing a small run in the Forest of Fogs cave. Was all RP driven of course.... but a GM did mention that we were much higher level than the lower one... over double.
Now "Death" was certainly not rained down on us.
A polite mention about the level difference came up... followed by a short impromptu quest to keep the RP going which was greatly welcomed.
I've certainly never seen a GM do anything harmful to a group because they happened to have a low level in tow.
Also... if your some lvl 20+ character... taking a group of low levels out... you have to remember that the high level character is going to get high level spawns... which the lower levels may not be able to deal with.
Deaths may ensue... and on many occassions for me... it certainly has.
But Im glad to see this has been clarified. :)
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Thought this could use a little bump. Everyone is confused over the allowed level differences. It seems to vary from GM to GM to what is allowed.
We had a great group going in Redlights and someone was asked to leave the party by a GM because of his level. We had good rp going even with conflicts of deities among the group. Once someone was asked to leave it just puts a damper on things.
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I'm not sure on this either, but I do know that when levels are split too much the low levelers tend to get less xp, sometimes only 1xp for things that they should be getting a lot more for. I don't know how this works though or what the cutoff is.
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I'm not sure on this either, but I do know that when levels are split too much the low levelers tend to get less xp, sometimes only 1xp for things that they should be getting a lot more for.
Thats pretty much how it works. The more level difference there is, the less xp the 'lower' level; party member gets.
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I'm willing to give up the xp to allow others the chance to get out with a party to see new areas and enjoy some great rp.
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The problem that I would see is the high level items that could be given to a low level of the area....apart from that its all good.
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The problem that I would see is the high level items that could be given to a low level of the area....apart from that its all good.
Yes I can understand that.. which is why we normally don't give something to someone unless they can use it themselves or can in their next level.
CNR goes to those that can craft with it or going to have something made for them to use.
Pawn whats left and split the coin.
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I'm willing to give up the xp to allow others the chance to get out with a party to see new areas and enjoy some great rp.
Ditto. RP should always come first.
I think I've said this elsewhere, but I think sometimes people forget that they don't have to wear their emerald jewelry and wield their mithril weapons... they don't have to cast wierd or thunderclap in combat, they don't have to use knockdown or power attack. Any character can nerf themselves to be an appropriately powered member of a lower level party... if you find yourself travelling with lower levels often, keep some darts or shuriken in your bag... If you're a wizard, you can just practice your melee skills, a cleric or druid can keep themselves as healing patrol... whatever it might be for your character, I just have a hard time seeing how players can't find ways to travel in groups without being over-powered. (Drexia keeps nunchacks, two sai, a fan, and a rapier in her bag for this reason).
On the other end, if you're a low level with a bunch of higher levels, well, don't be a leech. You as player know far better when that's happening than trying to stick to an "x number of level spread" formula. You as player know whether you're doing it because of legitimate RP, or because you want to get xp fast. Don't do the latter.
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No RP and ... the low levels are kiting or sponging XP/loot/etc
The above along with not meeting level requirements for a given area are the only reasons why a GM should ask a character who doesn't fit the general level spread of the party to leave, whether that character be ten levels higher or lower.
There is nothing wrong with mixed level characters adventuring together, whether that mix be a 40th level character and three 2nd level characters, or ten 20th level characters and one 10th level character.
Sponging XP/loot at the expense of a high level character's power is what's wrong (according to the rules of this player world), and if you think that adding your 24th lvl character to a group of 8-10th lvl characters will cause that to happen, here are a few choices you can make:
1) Ignore the rules, help them leach as much XP as possible and summarily ignore the rules as well, and impress the digital women with your 1337 gaming power. Then suck up the GM warnings and/or worse consequences.
2) Change to your lower level character and join the group.
3) Wish the group good luck, maybe offer them a goodwill stoneskin or two, and send them on their way while you join a party with other characters of your level.
4) Join them, but instead of showing off your sweet bum-kicking super-slaying spell of deathykins along with your massive sneak attack critical damage, you break out the sling and healing potions and pretend to be a low level with an abnormal amount of HP. For an added challenge, don't cast any buff spells on yourself. You'll find you feel very much like the mid-level character of days gone by, both in terms of damage output and survivability.
My personal favorite is the latter, where I can revisit the old haunts (like Haven) with it still being challenging and allowing me to connect with more characters, more players, and generally just have a good time, even if I don't get more than 40xp for the whole event.
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Well I have to feel a bit like lynn when she started this thread a year ago. I've been told and seen so many different things in the past, even if there was rp, rp reasons and a good group of mixed people. A true guide line for the gm may be needed here, cause there is to many different views and personal opinions. Which is why now I stick stricly to the 6 level difference that L mentioned in a previous post. But then again, sticking to that me and others have been stopped and warned, even if we were withing the rules. so eh!
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The reason for the requested maximum in level disparity is so that you don't find yourself in the unintentional position of helping another character sponge XP (whether that other character is also aware of the situation or not). And really, because you could ostensibly be five levels apart and still able to leech off each other in terms of XP and loot, you always need to be considerate of whether you're allowing someone (or being allowed) to leech XP/loot/whatever in an unfair manner or in some way that violates the standards we have here.
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The reason for the requested maximum in level disparity is so that you don't find yourself in the unintentional position of helping another character sponge XP (whether that other character is also aware of the situation or not). And really, because you could ostensibly be five levels apart and still able to leech off each other in terms of XP and loot, you always need to be considerate of whether you're allowing someone (or being allowed) to leech XP/loot/whatever in an unfair manner or in some way that violates the standards we have here.
This is true. Storold is much higher level than Fenrir and I always feel like Storold leeches xp off Fenrir. O.o
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The problem is this:
The issue is usually not the split of levels itself but rather the way in which things are handled by the party as a whole. This assumes all other factors are equal, such as the whole party meeting the level requirements for a given area.
Long ago, we didn't have any rules or requests in place about who could travel with whom. Unfortunately, we started observing higher-level characters dragging their lower-level "friends" through XP and loot-rich areas that were too difficult for the low-levels but a breeze for the higher levels. Since repeated requests to not do such things seemed to fail, as people either didn't understand or simply didn't care, we instituted the level spread rule/request to put hard numbers behind it.
Of course the main complaint here is that it harms RP. People were afraid to even RP with people too far above them in level for fear of corrective action by GMs. People would lament that they couldn't travel with their old friends because these friends could play 4 times more often and thereby leveled faster. We want everyone to have fun, and we really don't like adding rules to things that shouldn't need them. Further, we started to realize that the cure in this case was worse than the disease.
So we sort of opened it back up again, or at least tried to better describe the meaning behind the level-split rules/requests, however it seems that there still isn't an understanding of what we want to see...or rather what we don't want to see.
So to make another attempt, let's look at the primary cases of things we do not want to see:
Case 1: One (or a small number) of high-level characters leading a group of low level characers through a place like the Red Light caverns. The high-level characters are basically doing all the work, clearing the goblins away with realtive ease while the low-levels come long behind, maybe even loot, and do so in complete safety. There's little or no no risk or contribution on the part of the lower level characters.
Case 2: A group of high-level characters with a small number of lower-level characters in tow. The group goes to a place which is more fitting for the higher-level characters than the lower level ones. While technically the lower-level characters meet the level requirements, they could not hope, on their own, to survive the area. In this scenario, it is again the higher-levels doing all or most of the work with the lower-levels sitting back and watching the show.
These are the two prime examples, and in each case, it amounts to essentially a free ride for the lower level characters. Note that I didn't mention anything about RP in there. RP or no, those sort of mechanically exploitive things are not what we want to see. Lack of RP only makes it worse.
But in those two above situations, they can both be salvaged by having at least a solid attempt at contributing on the part of the lower-level characters. Maybe their weapons won't hit, but they can toss healing potions or at least try for a critical hit, or maybe toss in spells to keep the enemies distracted or whatever. They may not ultimately have a huge impact on combat, but they need to at least try.
We really don't want to have rules that impact fun, but we also don't want things to be a free-for-all in terms of rushing through the levels, getting all the best stuff and a fat bank account. There's a whole lot of middle ground in between those two.
It really boils down to a helping of common sense and the "smell test." If something seems too easy/risk-free/exploitive, then it probably is, and if it is, don't do it.
Any time another GM asks me about a large level split, my first two questions are: "Are they RPing" and "Are the low-levels contributing?" If those are both "yes" then I'm usually happy to let the group be.
I know that GMs and the community want some sort of hard and fast guideline as to what is and isn't OK. There's unfortunately too many variables to really define things in specific enough terms. We'd much rather trust you to make wise choices about what would be best for everyone involved.
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The reason for the requested maximum in level disparity is so that you don't find yourself in the unintentional position of helping another character sponge XP (whether that other character is also aware of the situation or not). And really, because you could ostensibly be five levels apart and still able to leech off each other in terms of XP and loot, you always need to be considerate of whether you're allowing someone (or being allowed) to leech XP/loot/whatever in an unfair manner or in some way that violates the standards we have here.
Oh i fully understand that and totally agree. The time i have in mind specifically, the person was able to go there with one other person of her level, so the leach really wasn't applicable.
But like I said it is very valid that leaching should be frowned and disallowed. Just that what one Gm says should be followed by the others Gms also, and this is what lacks from time to time, as it is mostly left open to the interpretation of the gms. Not a bad thing, but it can be frustrating at times if not confusing.
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Just that what one Gm says should be followed by the others Gms also, and this is what lacks from time to time, as it is mostly left open to the interpretation of the gms. Not a bad thing, but it can be frustrating at times if not confusing.
Agreed to a point. But no two situations are ever exactly the same, and without writing a 40-page legal-style document outlining each and every possible situation, we simply have to rely on interpretation and "gut" when adjudicating such matters. I'm all for consistency, but there is no single rule to cover the breadth of possibilities.
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If you're a Dorandite Defender and the wee ones need help getting ore, then Dorand has spoken... tis his duty to protect them. If you're a 20th level paladin and somebody asks for help to get from point A to point B, it is your duty to protect them as long as they're not evil heretics. It's bad RP to look at somebody with a scoff "ha, yer wearing noob copper and dont got 1337hp". This to me, is far more damaging than the big guy dragging the little guy, that somebody would metagame to the point of exclusion of another players enjoyment of the game simply due to a mathematical formula. That for some reason an otherwise helpful protector of the weak refuses to assist the weak because they're too weak. Help out the lower level players, show them the ropes, help them train their skills so that they can become self-sufficient, thats what heroes are supposed to do.
In game, I cannot see levels or training. There is no perceivable difference between an 4th level dwarf in copper or a 20th level dwarf in copper. In Character, all I can see is how well they perform on the battlefield. As long as they're pulling their own weight or offering some form of contribution then all is good. I don't follow the 6 or 10 level rule as set in stone; its metagaming. What I DO follow is if there is a decent RPable reason to be in the same group together. Are the spawns or CNR in this area way too tough for a party around their level? Are they leeching MY gold and CNR, or earning it? These factors, as mentioned above are more relevant than party level difference. Of course I have never been warned of it in game, most likely because our RP has been spot-on, in fact I usually get xp drops.
Nobody has ever complained about Bjorn and Willy, they're best buds and live together, and he pulls his weight. When we go diamond mining, that wee little gnome with the bow kills 2/3 of the critters on screen, gotta love rogue archers. He ducks and weaves staying behind Bjorn as much he can not to get hurt. Is this leading people into areas much too tough for them? Heck no, it's called playing a non-mentally challenged rogue. If you're not a frontliner, stay back from the front line.
Buffer-mages pull their weight as well, even if they're invisible 90% of the time. Why? Because those buffs on this dwarf grease him up to the point that they help him more than a fighter his own level. That is why I am totally willing to take even a level 10 mage somewhere within reason, or a cleric or a bard who can cast spells the rest of the party does not have access to. Level means little in the overall scheme of things. Never on any of those occasions have I been warned or sent a tell, usually I get xp drops. Thats because the RP is great. Heck, my roommate Skabot RPs with his Golem, Grumpy when he's out, and Bjorn's always making suggestions for diamond-embedded rims, perhaps a detachable pickaxe-arm... just because you're invisible doesnt mean you cant RP or contribute.
The fine line is whether you're dragging them through an area or whether their presence actually makes a difference in the battle. Even if they're not on par with your souped up uber character, if you at least see them getting a bloody nose or making some attack rolls, or in the case of the inviso buffer, at least fielding some summons and casting spells on the party before they vanish, then its good. Bjorn won't bring however, those mages who buff THEMSELVES up as if they were a frontliner, vanish and just loot. Come on magelings! I know yer frail, but dont be hoggin the weave! ;)
Generally, if the party is above 10 members or so, designated looter actually becomes just as dangerous as the front line! With all those people running off, monsters around corners, tricky spawns, etc... a lower level character gathering loot runs the biggest risk of dying, and it is kind of a tedious "squire" task that is somewhat demeaning in combat. "oh, yer a frail one, gather the gold from these reeking dead corpses". How do you regulate this kind of gap then? One suggestion I have is if you're the highest level character in the group, stay GLUED to the looter. Protect him, talk to him, cheer him up cause his job stinks. Then laugh your butt off when the rushers sprint off ahead to get killed around the corner because the big guy is being patient. That right there is a good litmus test to see if they should be in that area.
Nerfing onseself to match the party is also fun... gives Bjorn a chance to work on his naked sumo stances and Farros gets to stay in his tuxedo, healing most of the time. Just because he can run in and wail of death the whole screen all the way to the boss doesnt mean its fun, if anything it ruins the fun a bit. Singing a nice blind or fear song is better though, since the enemies are all still fighting, just the party has a wee better chance. And honestly, I just love seeing everybody sprint in all directions like headless chickens trying to catch those fleeing critters... seeing them chase them into rooms full of other enemies, etc. Point is, let the other guys get some kills! Don't hog all the glory for yourself if you're an uber old-timer, but instead try to point out what you're doing, explain to them your tactics, build a character-to-character relationship.
Above all when grouping with lower levels, try to make them feel useful! If you have a group of 15-20 levelers with a 10th level rogue, send him ahead to SCOUT and set TRAPS! Have him look for traps as well, because its really just metagaming to assume that there are none just because you "know the area". Try to watch the lower level characters and note how their tactics could be better and teach them things like line-of-site, taking cover, frontline, flanker and archer position, why its bad to arch ahead sometimes, and other times when its good to do so with a nice ambush in place. Show them the chokepoints in a tunnel system, show them where CNR is located and hand them a pickaxe to mine it, help them carry.
In any case, this is how I've handled it these past couple years. One of the main reasons I'm not 80th level right now is because I enjoy interacting with the newcomers to the server! Sure I could go solo the no-magic mountain for uber lootz or hammer on hapless villaigers 6 hours a day, but whats the point? Then it's just like playing a solo-module or an action server. Every character is a new story and a new personality to interact with, and those that run off to higher level areas never looking back are actually doing themselves and the server a huge disservice. I feel it my duty as an old timer and defender to look out for the little guy, to make sure people are having fun and to hopefully help others to enjoy the game enough to stay for good and become horribly addicted as the rest of us. That is why more than half the folks above level 20 remember at some point this fat dwarf in Leringard, because I showed them the ropes way back too. The trick to it all is ask yourself if you're truly training them, or if you're a crutch to them. I've seen all too many lads perm out around lvl 17 or so because they didnt learn proper tactics or have patience. So worry not about asking for help from the big fat uber dwarf, that's what he's there for! If at any time he should refuse to help people learn to craft just because of their level (unless they're evil heretics) then he should probably lose his defenderhood. Just keep requests within reason... IE: no diamondmining for 8th levellers who fumble polishing topaz. "If ye don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! How could you have any pudding if ye dont eat yer meat?!"
So like Dorg said above, there is no fast, hard guideline, but rather one of common sense. Does it make sense that these characters would be together, do they interact well, is the little guy even wetting his blade? GMs consider this above and beyond all methematical formulas.
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no argument to what you and Dorg said.
The problem here, lorn , is when for the people that are traveling together it makes sense and there is Rp, and unfortunatly for the gm looking at it, who may or may not have been there throughout the whole trip, he sees it differently.
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Let me guive you an dexample here.
A year or so ago, Me (lex) and Quantum where Rping with players into the krandor krypts. Being that Q is an undead slayer, and lex was one and his aprentice, they were accompanying the lower level chars showing them what to look for. There was some good deal of rp going on, and we made sure not to do everything for them, letting them get in the fight and also get hurt. (yeah it suck but eh, someone has to learn)
The first day we did it with a group, a gm came in and gave us rp points. A few days later, we went back in with a different group and this time with some family members of Lex (his niece Sarah and her GF at the time) and other chars. There was a lot more rp going on that day than the previous time, but then instead of being complemented, me and Q were repremended for being with people that were lower levels than us. Again that time we made sure to let them do most of the action.
so for both time, we acted the same witht he second time having even more rp, but from one Gm to the other, there was two opposite reaction.
So basically yes, I holeheartidly agree with Dorg and how it should be, but from experience, by following that guideline, it has hardly this experience.
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I don't know about how much work it would take , but there is a solution to both the " leeching " and the " too high level items pick-up "
I don't know a thing about coding or anything other needed , but i'm sure it could be worked into the game to have items higher then " x " levels above the characters level , to disappear from their inventory .
Just like it probably is possible to have the exp be lowered to " 0 " if the level gap is too big .
If that would be implemented , it would free up the level restrictions between characters because there will be nothing " exceptional " to gain any more .
I know in the past there always came the same answer : " this would interfere with the gm-driven quests and the exp that can be earned on them "
My thoughts are and always have been to that : the exp earned on quests is handed out at the end by the GM , if " no exp to be gained during the quest " is holding people away from quests then they don't go on quests for the RP but for exp .
Just my two true .
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there is a system like this on the vault. It can actually be switch one and off, area wise if I remember correctly. Which means that a gm coudl turn it off while doing a quest.
That systemm if my memory serves, is fully customasible, to allow a xp range affect. Having a steady xp gain if within a certain level range and sever xp drag to no xp at all, if you fall out of that range.
I agree, that type of system would be something benific to those who love to rp and trip at the same time, but are prevented to do so due to what has been said before.
The other one to disallow a certain drop per level, or having it cleaned out of the inventory.. would be a bit heavy on the server as a script I think. But not impossible to do I`m sure.
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So basically yes, I holeheartidly agree with Dorg and how it should be, but from experience, by following that guideline, it has hardly this experience.
That's why I'm hoping players and GMs alike will read this and at least give consideration to the concepts I've stated. It's true that, in the past, GMs have been as confused as players about the level split rules/requests. Some time ago, we sought to try and correct that within the GM Team, so hopefully there will be some improvement.
That said, there are two sides to every story. Taking your example for a moment, there's the possibility of other factors that you did not mention. In no way am I saying this is what happened or pointing any fingers. It's just to illustrate a point.
Saying there was more RP in one instance than the other is easy. Previous discussions have established that "RP" means different things to different people, especially what is "good" RP. But as I stated above, that's only part of the equation. If a GM perceived that there was less contribution from the lower-level party members in the second instance, that GM would be correct to make mention to the party. It's not just the RP...it's the whole situation.
That said, perhaps the GM was just trying to enforce the 6-level split, having misunderstood it as a hard-and-fast rule.
In any case, it doesn't do to talk much about what has happened. We know there have been misconceptions on both sides of the GM screen on this, and threads like this are an attempt to reconcile the preception with the intent. Moving forward, we should all try and use these guidelines and some good old-fashioned common sense.
As for a technological solution to the issue, it's not going to happen. While technically possible, it would get into so many interconnected things that it runs a serious risk of causing more problems than it solves. The investment in time and effort are not worth it, as the community wouldn't really gain from it at all.
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reading back on myself on my break, and not having to write while talking to customers..... man that was some bad grammar on my part ;)