02-27-2008, 10:28 AM
IN SHORT (for those of you who don't feel like reading all this):
If you feel the need to leave the server, that's fine. But if you throw tantrums and announce that you're "leaving forever", we will make an honest poster of you. Your account will be banned, and you will not be able to return a week or two later to say you've reconsidered.
And now, the details:
In the interest of preserving RP etiquette, please note the following addition to the server policies.
First, a discussion on choices:
We are aware that sometimes this server is simply not right for a person and they may choose to leave. This choice may have to do with the price of internet service, the condition of the players computer, the workload of the player, the family life of the player, the health of the player, the interests of the player, conflicting personalities, politics, the price of tea in China... any of these reasons are perfectly acceptable. No other player will (or at least should not) hold it against the player who chooses to leave. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about this.
Second, a discussion on manners and common decency:
The right way to make an exit from any server, or in fact any social situation, is to go with dignity. All that is needed is a quiet statement to those who work closely with you (in this case, if your characters are involved in their storyline, or vice versa). You do not need to state your reason for leaving, and in fact if it is for reasons of personality conflict or politics, it may be best, and certainly reflect more favorably on you, not to. If you can state these reasons in a mature fashion, especially involving possible improvements in a constructive fashion, that's fine. Not making a scene shows maturity, and preserves social connections.
That being said, there is definitely a wrong way to leave a server or social situation. This normally does not apply to physical reasons, such as heath or workload, and mainly pertains to the social and political reasons. If a player finds themselves upset with how a server is run, or with others who populate the server, they may feel the need to let the populace of the server know exactly why they are leaving. Discussing private conversations in public channels, calling out other players, making accusatory remarks, and sabatoging storylines are not only impolite and immature, they severely damage your reputation amongst those who experience it. As many roleplayers "hop" from server to server and genre to genre, it can be expected that a damaged reputation will tend to follow the incautious player. In summary: if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. You'll be happier for it.
Third, a discussion on the new policy:
If a player is leaving the server, that is fine, and is their choice. If they do so quietly and politely and later decide to return, they will be welcomed.
If, however, a player decides to announce their departure in a less mature fashion, by posting brooding statements in the forums and/or being impolite and immature in their farewell statements, public or private*, they will not be welcomed back to the server. This is not a statement that they will be rejected by the populace of the server, it is a warning that the offending account will be banned.
Please note that simply stating "I'm not satisfied with how the server policies handle (insert situation here)" will not get you banned, and may even be taken into consideration for improvements. It's not so much in what you say, it's how you say it.
Obviously, if the player truly has no intention of returning, this will mean nothing, and is in essence a neutral reaction. In the event that the player reconsiders and attempts to rejoin, however, they will be barred from doing so. We hope that this encourages players to consider their words and intentions carefully.
This policy is not retroactive, so if a player has made a goodbye statement and returned, they will not be banned. However, from now on this is a zero-tolerance policy.
*This does not mean we are going to monitor player conversations, or that players cannot voice their displeasure to sympathetic ears. However, if a player decides to harass another just before leaving, either directly or indirectly, it will more than likely come to surface and reflect very poorly.
If you feel the need to leave the server, that's fine. But if you throw tantrums and announce that you're "leaving forever", we will make an honest poster of you. Your account will be banned, and you will not be able to return a week or two later to say you've reconsidered.
And now, the details:
In the interest of preserving RP etiquette, please note the following addition to the server policies.
First, a discussion on choices:
We are aware that sometimes this server is simply not right for a person and they may choose to leave. This choice may have to do with the price of internet service, the condition of the players computer, the workload of the player, the family life of the player, the health of the player, the interests of the player, conflicting personalities, politics, the price of tea in China... any of these reasons are perfectly acceptable. No other player will (or at least should not) hold it against the player who chooses to leave. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about this.
Second, a discussion on manners and common decency:
The right way to make an exit from any server, or in fact any social situation, is to go with dignity. All that is needed is a quiet statement to those who work closely with you (in this case, if your characters are involved in their storyline, or vice versa). You do not need to state your reason for leaving, and in fact if it is for reasons of personality conflict or politics, it may be best, and certainly reflect more favorably on you, not to. If you can state these reasons in a mature fashion, especially involving possible improvements in a constructive fashion, that's fine. Not making a scene shows maturity, and preserves social connections.
That being said, there is definitely a wrong way to leave a server or social situation. This normally does not apply to physical reasons, such as heath or workload, and mainly pertains to the social and political reasons. If a player finds themselves upset with how a server is run, or with others who populate the server, they may feel the need to let the populace of the server know exactly why they are leaving. Discussing private conversations in public channels, calling out other players, making accusatory remarks, and sabatoging storylines are not only impolite and immature, they severely damage your reputation amongst those who experience it. As many roleplayers "hop" from server to server and genre to genre, it can be expected that a damaged reputation will tend to follow the incautious player. In summary: if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. You'll be happier for it.
Third, a discussion on the new policy:
If a player is leaving the server, that is fine, and is their choice. If they do so quietly and politely and later decide to return, they will be welcomed.
If, however, a player decides to announce their departure in a less mature fashion, by posting brooding statements in the forums and/or being impolite and immature in their farewell statements, public or private*, they will not be welcomed back to the server. This is not a statement that they will be rejected by the populace of the server, it is a warning that the offending account will be banned.
Please note that simply stating "I'm not satisfied with how the server policies handle (insert situation here)" will not get you banned, and may even be taken into consideration for improvements. It's not so much in what you say, it's how you say it.
Obviously, if the player truly has no intention of returning, this will mean nothing, and is in essence a neutral reaction. In the event that the player reconsiders and attempts to rejoin, however, they will be barred from doing so. We hope that this encourages players to consider their words and intentions carefully.
This policy is not retroactive, so if a player has made a goodbye statement and returned, they will not be banned. However, from now on this is a zero-tolerance policy.
*This does not mean we are going to monitor player conversations, or that players cannot voice their displeasure to sympathetic ears. However, if a player decides to harass another just before leaving, either directly or indirectly, it will more than likely come to surface and reflect very poorly.