A Letter To The Community

[Leanthar]

[SIZE=16]It seems a few in the community feel that there is a GM vs Player mentality at times; however that is not the case at all. I want to explain why we need to make decisions the way we do, why we can't satisfy everybody and why we are always working towards goals. [/SIZE]  [SIZE=16]Layonara must grow and continue to do so; we have to evolve so that we can continue to bring in more players so that existing players have something to do and new faces to interact with. It is the nature of any online game (and any community really) for people to come and go over time—thusly a community must continue to have new blood in order to survive. In reality, the goal should always be growth, and that is indeed one of our top priorities. [/SIZE]
  [SIZE=16]Layonara is a family oriented server but we also support RP, even enforce RP, but there has to be a line and it has to be one of decency, understanding, and respect for the community as a whole—not just for a few people here and there, but for the community as a whole. This will indeed make people leave as we adjust rules because of people pushing the limits or just outright doing things wrong/bad for the community, but that is a fact of life and it will continue to happen. RP’ing an evil character, evil race, evil deity, etc is very difficult. It is very easy to cross the line of decency and respect for the community and that is why we enforce the rules on that side of the game so strictly. The rules are there so that players can play those evil classes/races/deities and at the same time ensure that the community as a whole is respected by all. Some people cross that line without realizing it—but at least 90% of those people know deep down when they are doing it and they feel they are probably pushing the boundaries. They ignore their sense of respect for the community for some reason or another and that is when we have to step in. Another one of our top priorities is to protect the community and make sure that the rules in place support the quality of the community that we want here. [/SIZE]
  [SIZE=16]The GM team is required to look at any series of events with a vision based upon the ideals of the server, the world, and the community as a whole. That is what we do when we make decisions. The community does not always know about various events (or chains of events) and they do not need to know since well over 98% of what we do is behind the scenes and in confidence. We are not trying to pinpoint any individual or any group unless that individual or group is the one that has caused us to make rule adjustments to keep the spirit and security of the community alive. We try not to put names to faces or incidents unless it is required. If players read between the lines and draw conclusions then it is them reading in to it and making their own assumptions, not the GM Team pointing at people. We have a difficult job but it is one that must be respected and continue to happen if this community is to evolve and grow even beyond its potential. [/SIZE]
  [SIZE=16]What some people fail to understand is that in a community the comfort of the many needs be considered against the freedom of an individual or an action(s). This is not an unusual social idea! On many levels real society functions with the same common principles, what is considered abnormal or deviant behavior, not for the good of the whole, remains hidden from common eyes. Unfortunately the line is too often pushed and additional steps to preserve the integrity of the community as a whole must be taken. That can either be seen as limiting and not desired, in which case people leave (unfortunately), or seen as something that was done for the benefit of the community and people accept it and move on (sometimes even praising the changes).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]   [SIZE=16]Regarding the GM team (Staff) vs. Players thing that I touched on above. Sadly, there will always be this perception, because a division does exist but we work hard to minimize it to the best of our ability. While the Staff are also Players, we're still Staff in your eyes (the players). Despite our best efforts to be approachable and egalitarian across the board, there will be some who will always hold that perception. And in full honesty, in any organization, there is that division. Any company for which one might work will have employees, and everyone is an employee, but some employees have greater authority. It's Management vs. Staff in that case, but it's still a difference. Some people resent that. Most of us learn to live with it. There is little we can do about this as the community must grow and it must stay true to the spirit of the community and I will ensure that continues to happen. The team tries to conduct ourselves according to the standards that we have to enforce within the community. Occasionally we're gong to have to make some hard decisions that will upset a segment of the community. There is no getting around that, because the alternative involves letting things go that will eat away at the fabric and heart of the community, and again I am not going to allow that to happen.[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][SIZE=16]   [SIZE=16]It is always unfortunate to lose good players, and it is even more unfortunate when we lose that player to the idea that we are doing things wrong or being unfair in some way. Sadly, the fact of the matter is we will not make everybody happy and from time to time players will leave due to this. However, another fact of the matter is that many of the good RP’ers come back because as they try out other worlds that have comparable quality to Layonara they realize that the same sort of decision process is happening there as well. As they try out other servers they also run across servers that do not go through the heart wrenching decisions that we do while enforcing rules within the community and they realize that is not where they want to be. Some also find exactly what they are looking for in another community and that is a great thing—we are all here to play a game and enjoy our time. But the GM Team is also here to provide enjoyment for the players, help to grow the community, support the community, as well as make and enforce rules when that needs to happen—which is most definitely the most difficult and heart wrenching thing we do because we know that it will always, in some way, make somebody unhappy—but we have to do it—it is our job.[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][SIZE=16]   [SIZE=16]I know a few also feel that the GM Team ‘spies’ on them and that simply is not the case. It is the job of the team to log in to the world and ensure the community is protected. They do this by jumping around from player to player or group to group but they are not spying, they are caretakers in essence—taking care of the community. The team does not have vendettas against groups, players etc. we are here to protect the community and enforce the rules—that is our job and that is why the community is as good as it is. If we did not do this then most assuredly things would go downhill fast. It is partially due to this caretaking that the community continues to grow and prosper while at the same time the RP of the server stays high. [/SIZE][SIZE=16]I know everybody that plays on Layonara is here to have fun and to role-play, and that is what we are all about and we will continue to be all about that. To do it though there must be rules, and if rules are not enforced or modified to meet the needs of a community then why have rules at all?[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][SIZE=16]   [SIZE=16]The team is also here to have fun and to provide quests for the players and they do a fantastic job at that—in the past year alone we have had over 550 scheduled quests on the calendar. That does not include all of the other impromptu quests that are not on the calendar and impromptu RP created by GM’s as they are jumping around. That is a major accomplishment and shows you how much work and effort they put in to their job, for indeed it is a job. [/SIZE]
[/SIZE]  [SIZE=16]So let’s continue to grow the community, support the community, help each other out across all levels, and have fun! [/SIZE]

[miltonyorkcastle]

Amen.

[crazedgoblin]

i think you all do a fine job

[jrizz]

All in all I feel that you have found a very good balance in the rules and structure of Layo that promotes good RP and fair play. I for one never felt constrained by the actions of the GM team or by the rules of the world. There were times that I needed to sit with a new rule or idea for a while to understand it (like crafting badges) but that understanding always came. Furthermore I feel that the community input is always considered in making additions or changes to the world and rules. All of this shows in the type of people that Layo draws in.

[ThrainSil]

Your willingness to actually control the world is what makes it as good as it is.  Knowing that DMs (gods) may be watching is an online conscience that reminds me of what it was like to play in a PnP game with a great DM.  

Thank you for that.

[Weeblie]

Rules are like taxes. They are alright, as long as they are equal for everyone.

As for spying DMs... The more the merrier! Love those spontaneous interventions!

Don't know how much this is worth, but... Good job all DMs!

[xXDenizeNXx]

Bleh. Been involved in online communities for 12 yrs. I have seen all the posturing and dramas etc before so who cares lets just play, if peeps want to quit whatever let them, don't get caught up in there drama  thats just what they want, tis human nature. I have seen it and done it so I know what i'm talking about.
Layo is a cool place, some things I like about it some things i don't but all in all its what i and all of you log onto everyday so what does that say? Can't be too bad then eh?

I don't really run around saying 'Yay good job team' it's just how I am, But I make exception for this place, said it before will say it again the folks on the team here at Layo deserve every accolade they can get for the time, effort and energy they put into layo, from my heart to my fingers to your eyes thank you sincerely from me for what you do here every single team member, contributor and Player, Ya'all make layo rock!
My only advice to the GM's would be to forget the naysayers and look to the ones you don't hear from, they are actually telling you what a good job you must be doing.
Peace
Den

[XL Prime]

Keep up the good work guys.  You have provided much more pleasure to the players here than pain produced from the rules.  There is no real freedom with some restraint otherwise there is just anarchy.  The rules and supervision in Layo are what make it special and keep it from falling into anarchy like a lot of other places.  Thanks again.

[Sage of Artifice]

If you look at this world like a PnP campaign (which it really actually is, not an MMO), the DM(s) have the final say in what direction the players take. Since the focus of the campaign is combatting the evil that has come back, with the players specifically "called" to oppose Sinthar, it (to me) makes sense that players not be allowed to drift towards becoming evil as a general rule.

I've been doing a lot of design work on my own material, but I've decided to take some time out to play while waiting on the next patch for NWN to be finalized and released, and then the community content that will follow to also be finalized and released. I was giving thought to joining the Arelith persistent world, but I actually decided against it after reading their boards for awhile and seeing the the conflicts that playing evil-aligned characters and having PvP created.

What I'm saying is that if choosing evil alignments is restricted, and that unacceptable behaviour is policed here, then in my opinion this is the place for me. To me, playing an evil character seems to be a lot less about roleplaying that character, than being able to abandon your morals and act however you feel like it in a place where there are no real repercussions for your actions.

Just my take on the whole thing...

[xXDenizeNXx]

fairly spoken Sage but if you ever saw POD or had seen Aragen RP evil you might not be so jaded. It can work, just not for the majority of folks.

[Sage of Artifice]

Sage of Artifice - 4/11/2006  10:34 AM
To me, playing an evil character seems to be a lot less about roleplaying that character, than being able to abandon your morals and act however you feel like it in a place where there are no real repercussions for your actions.

That was actually quite a generalization. Mature individuals CAN handle roleplaying such a character. Immature individuals? Well, they're the ones that engender such generalizations. Attitude is a much better indicator of maturity than age in my opinion, and I'm actually more than willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

[OneST8]

//Begin Flashback...

I wish I had the chatlog of a specific period of thirty minutes that happened almost three years ago and starred POD at what I consider the finest example of Lawful Evil RP... Ever. Including all my past years of PnP DMing, I have to honestly say it took the cake. I'll do my best to elaborate the incident. Some names or details have probably been forgotten but here it is...

I was logged in as a GM at the time taking care of someone's pack ox problem near the middle of Hlint. Nathan Birche (aka: POD) walks in from East Hlint and is nearing the Inn entrance when a low level PC came running in from the Goblin Wastelands, near death. He literally bumps into POD's avatar (Making Nathan step out of the way), says "Hi Nathan" and promptly ducks into the Inn. My ears and eyes perk up because I know Nathan is Lawful Evil and so am expecting some sort of "incident". Nathan, showing signs of frustration and is bordering on spitful anger, waits patiently outside tapping his foot and so fourth. Not a minute later out pops the low level PC and sort of stalls for a minute looking at Nathan standing exactly in front of him who proceeds to (ever so carefully) educate said PC in what respect is about and why running through the streets bleeding all over the place is such a bad idea. "Look! Look at my cloak for goodness sake! It's got blood on it because of you!" The PC appologized profusely and offered to clean his cloak etc but Nathan simply asked him to be more careful and patient in his adventuring and that he'd clean up the mess later. I was simply riveted to my seat at that point. Sure he may have known I was online but not as to why or where I'd be so I was pretty confident that he wasn't just "acting for the audience" so-to-speak. After the PC wandered off about his business, Nathan, still hot under, the collar, walked his way over to a particular nearby spawn lovingly known as "the rotters". Nathan with diligance patience and precision took out the entire encampment with swift and clean strokes across the board. (Yes the spawn was probably well below him but there's something to be said for style and tact.) Upon reaching the crazed Necromacer, who maintains the rotting souls, Nathan wore out the Necromancer until it had no more magic death to share and threw down the gauntlet. Literally. Nathan sheathed his weapons and proceeded to take down the Necromancer. From virtually full health to nothing and all with his fists. The entire time Nathan was venting and "really educating" the Necromancer on what it takes to be a true follower of the art. (FYI: Nathan was a Necromancer and did indeed at one point have the title Prince of Darkness.) This bit of RP lasted almost fifteen minutes and was simply stellar work (for lack of a better word).

//End Flashback
//Begin Commentary...

While I may consider this moment of RP to be on some sort of pedestal for me, I don't ask anyone to try and follow his lead of "what it means to be Evil" but rather I can only ask a few simple things...

Know Your Alignment.
Know Your Class.
Know Your Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma levels (and how they restrict your character's personality).

//End Commentary

[jrizz]

In general I have to agree with Sage. Sage's point about the heroes of this world being called to fight the evil is key to the storyline. Under that, for a char to be evil the great gold dragon would have to be wrong about some "calls" or the char showed great promise but was pulled for some reason into evil. This would mean that Blood or some other faction would have to "seduce" the char (thus making that char a major plot item).

Alignment is a measure of where a char stands in relation to the world around her. This world, Layaonara, is a polarized world with a clear good against evil framework. The fun though is that the story stills leaves room for grey discussions in RP. But for a char to be evil in this world should mean that she stands on the side of evil meaning Blood. In such an evil char should not be able to participate in any quest that is geared to stopping Blood in anyway (unless to sabotage the effort). The evil char in layo would be aligned with Blood and should be doing all she can to stop the efforts of the heroes. Under this a really well played evil char would quickly become prominent to Blood and would have to move into NPC status or most plot quests would need the GM to run two groups, the heroes and the villains. This would lead to massive PvP.

All of this aside my feeling is that both chaotic and neutral evil should just not be allowed. Lawful evil chars still must operate under a set of rules. Chaotic evil is just one small notch above insane and neutral evil are evil for evil’s sake and so can act in almost any immoral way. If evil chars are allowed then I would say they must be tracked very closely and dinged anytime they act in a “good” way. This would make the evil char a very lonely one. It would become clear quite quickly that the char could not be relied on as saving a “good” chars life could be an act of goodness.

[OneST8]

Blood wasn't always Evil. Evil does not necessarily attract more Evil. The Good, Neutral and Evil characters of Layonara are (supposedly) fighting a common enemy if anything at all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying these things to be defensive or tell people how to play their roles. Just trying to add perspective.

[jrizz]

yes evil can struggle against evil for power and good can make the choice to team up with evil against a common enemy (unless you are lawful good then there can be no room for widging). Good point about Blood, my question is: Could Blood exsist as a PC in Layo?

[Leanthar]

No, Blood could not be a PC... No CE can be that.

Also, lets not discuss this in this paticular thread as that is not what this thread is about.