I really don't see this a New policy as much as clarification of present TOS.. some people just don't get it. Rudeness is so common place in reality they are just bringing their reality into virtual. Maybe now they will understand why they have problems in real life communication. Rude is Rude. It has no place in reality or virtual. Personally I play to escape conversations about race, religion, politics and jerks trying to make others feel bad so they can feel better about themselves.
Thank you for being concerned and proactive to keep this game drama free and fun for everyone.
Kudos to our Mod.. you Rock!
Roak
Squirrel
Platform
- PC
Last edited
The problem on US2 wasnt that people were rude, i'm pretty sure the problem was that our sense of humor would often lead to us making long series of not kid friendly jokes on wc.
Making jokes that only adults would understand isnt something knew and wasnt a problem, but when world chat started having line after line after line of those, this is where (i think) it became problematic.
I would like to add that US2 ''special' sense of humor is enjoyed by many of us there and is what makes us like this server. I hope we'll be able to balance things so that everybody can have fun.
Edit: I would like to add that i am a bit offended by you saying ''Maybe now they will understand why they have problems in real life communication '' . We are a bunch of weirdos on US2, but we're good people,and what you said is insulting. The fact that people actually gave you 'likes'' is really sad. Ironically, you're the rude one here,imo. Does it makes you feel better about yourself to accuse a group of people you dont even know of being rude and lacking social skills irl?
Kilgharrah
Adventurer
Characters
Kilgharrah, Gwayne, Sylvaena, GeraltOfArdent
Platform
- iOS
Last edited by a moderator
I think we should be careful to not let this devolve into a heated argument, but I have to agree that <mod edit> is being unfortunately presumptuous about the people and culture on a server that is not where she spends most of her playtime. To <mod edit>- I'm sorry if you ever found some of us to be rude, and I'm certainly not claiming that there is no rudeness from time to time, but you have really missed the mark here. The cases of someone actually trying to make another person feel bad in world chat are few and far between: there have been a few especially bad cases of that recently, but they don't define the culture on US2.
Beyond the nature of the joking in world chat which <mod edit> mentioned, the other big component of the problem (as I've observed it) has been a few select people continually airing out grievances with others (especially particular mods) in world chat, at length. I think that has been the biggest recent change to negatively impact the atmosphere. Once everyone can adjust to the idea that world chat (like all public forums) is not meant to be anyone's personal soapbox, and should be comfortably accessible to a very broad spectrum of people, we'll all be better off.
Sinjin
Jack Of All Trades
Platform
- iOS
… if you leave a server on default for too long, the ass-hattery accumulates to the point where that server gets new rules.
The sense of humor on US2 is a very special one. Sometimes a bit over the top, maybe a little bit offensive but basically never hurtful.
What I think, that many people forget is that a written word always leaves a lot of room for interpretation. If I want to feel attacked, people manage to do it too.
I am not a native speaker and accordingly make more or less mistakes. For this I sometimes get stupid comments. But sometimes someone whispers and tells me how it is called correctly. That's great and I am very grateful for it.
When the situation finally escalated, I was not online. What I read about it afterwards didn't sound good, but in the end I can't and don't want to form a final opinion about it. However, I find the words that fell absolutely not okay, but can not judge how it came to that.
The big advantage here is that we have the block function. If I feel attacked, then I block the corresponding player and continue with what I'm here for: play and escape a little from everyday life.
Also, US2 is the server where help is always offered the most when it's needed!!!
I so much like this licking, farting and full of poop server and am thankful and happy to play here.
What I think, that many people forget is that a written word always leaves a lot of room for interpretation. If I want to feel attacked, people manage to do it too.
I am not a native speaker and accordingly make more or less mistakes. For this I sometimes get stupid comments. But sometimes someone whispers and tells me how it is called correctly. That's great and I am very grateful for it.
When the situation finally escalated, I was not online. What I read about it afterwards didn't sound good, but in the end I can't and don't want to form a final opinion about it. However, I find the words that fell absolutely not okay, but can not judge how it came to that.
The big advantage here is that we have the block function. If I feel attacked, then I block the corresponding player and continue with what I'm here for: play and escape a little from everyday life.
Also, US2 is the server where help is always offered the most when it's needed!!!
I so much like this licking, farting and full of poop server and am thankful and happy to play here.
Roak
Squirrel
Platform
- PC
Last edited
True. Since people on US2 actually try not to break the TOS rules, our humor often leaves room to imagination. I've often been given warnings after making kid friendly jokes because sometimes mods interpreted them as naughty jokes.
Example: I once joked by saying that i would like to bathe in chocolate with whipped cream. I was given a warning for that, despite the fact that chocolates baths are actually a real thing offered in spas and have a detoxifying effect for the skin. Was it a naughty joke? Idk, maybe for some, but not for me. Did it deserved a warning? I dont think so, as i see nothing breaking the TOS there.
I was also given a warning for saying that i rub peanut butter on my chest and let squirrels go crazy on me. Weird? sure is. TOS breaking? Not in my book (and honestly, that doesnt sound any weirder than irl ''goat yoga''...)
Perlio
Servant of Mallok
Karismo
Hunter
Platform
- PC
Making mountains out of molehills is a great way to destroy a game...
Roak
Squirrel
Platform
- PC
C'mon, we have an in-game organisation named the BRA, with bra-related humor, and iirc there's a gnome in Memorial Pond that once told me something about him spending time in is hut to ''play with my zog''.
TheRam
Adventurer
Platform
- PC
Last edited
They are just making new rules up as they go. I have NO problem with abiding by any rules, but they need to notify their customers what those are BEFORE they start enforcing them. They publish an Ardent Ledger using the phrase, "Size Does Matter", yet if anyone said that in World Chat they'd receive an immediate warning. Their hypocrisy is epic, as detailed above. This entire dramatic fumbling by the powers that be needs to be in the next edition of "How Not to Treat Customers".
Roak
Squirrel
Platform
- PC
Last edited
When i saw that line in the Ledger i was like...
What i love about the in-game humor is the sillyness and ''double ententes'' . Often before making a joke i ask myself ''is this the kind of joke i could see in-game?'' , if the answer is yes then i say it. I think that this method, more than any rules, is a good way to define what is acceptable or not.
This is actually not 100% correct. What rating our game depends a little on a) platform and b) country (or rather what rating system is used in a specific country). While the age rating for Villagers and Heroes in Apple's Appstore is indeed 12+ (and not 13) for North America, the Google Playstore rating for the same region is Everyone (E), which I think is 6+. Europe uses different rating systems (PEGI and USK mainly and the USK Rating is 6+ as well, not sure about PEGI, I guess it's either 7 or 12). Why there's that noticeable difference, I'm not 100% sure, but it has probably something to do with when the rating was obtained on y aspecific platform and what rules were in effect at that time. (They change every few years and getting a new rating or re-rating a game is quite costly). Also, us wanting a family friendly game for people of all ages isn't tied to any specific minimum age.
TLDR Version: It's complicated
Adult is a little vague term, because age of majority also differs a little from country to country (and sometimes even from state to state). While it's indeed 18 in most countries, it can be as low as 15 or 16 or as high as 20. So I guess it's best to just stick to what the TOS says verbatim and what you have already quoted , so not only "adults" but users "who have completed their 18th birthday or whose legal representatives have consented to the use. This regularly includes minors as well. Also depending on the platform our game can be played without us collecting any personal information (mobile quick play, maybe even Steam, but I'm no COPPA or GDPR expert and a quick Google search yielded different opinions if Steam ID qualifies as personal information or not).
TLDR Version: it's still complicated
Chief Breaker
Warrior
Platform
- iOS
- Android
- PC
Regardless of ALL these people defending the actions of CERTAIN mods, we at US2 did see some changes and steps towards the right direction. And that is all that matters.
So you heard us, and thank you for listening @Devs.
So you heard us, and thank you for listening @Devs.
Littlenymph
Squirrel
Characters
Layla Littlenymph
Platform
- PC
- Steam
Warning! Incoming TLDRpedo! Estimated impact in 3... 2... 1......
There is a lot of misunderstanding in this thread. There is even more misunderstanding on Discord, in-game, and possibly Xanadu. Some of it is little more than a matter of perspective. Some are a result of incomplete information, and some of it is outright misdirection. It's not my intent to single out individual members and assign intent. What I do wish to do is single out a few perceptions that I feel have missed the mark for one reason or another.
Why do they say there are no new rules when they go on to list all the new rules?
The short answer to that is there ain't no new rules. Every "new rule" that is in the OP is drawn directly from the existing ToS.
The thread title is "New US2 Policies". The new policy is that the existing rules will be enforced more strongly for the simple reason that they are, with increasing frequency, being violated more strongly. See how that works? This is nothing new. It is a reaffirmation of established and acceptable conduct that is as old as the game itself.
Mad Otter has singled out US2 because they don't understand our totally rad brand of humor and are overreacting to it.
Ahhh... No. Mad Otter and its moderators have not singled you out because they don't get you. They have singled you out because the majority of your fellow players don't get you and made that opinion known in a massive number of CS tickets. The number of complaints about the over-moderation of US2 humor and expression is dwarfed by the number of complaints about that particular brand of humor and expression. So no, you did not draw their attention to you. Your fellow players drew their attention to you. The only thing that Mad Otter is doing is responding to its majority player base. Contrary to what many seem to believe, those that are deeply offended by these "new rules" are a small but vocal minority.
Moderators play favorites and target players they do not like. There have even been examples of Mods hopping to servers they do not moderate in order to stalk and harass disliked players.
Let's address the last part, first. I'm of the opinion that when players see threads such as "Our New US2 Moderator!" it gives the impression that all moderators have been assigned a single server to moderate. I can see where people would interpret it this way but that is not how it actually functions in reality. It is true that all moderators are assigned a primary server to monitor and are expected to spend the majority of their time there. That said, the moderators work together as a group. The vast majority of them have characters on multiple servers and are always available to assist wherever needed. Yes, they are server Mods, but they also function as Global Mods. I, for example, am a US3 moderator but my authority to moderate any other server is no more nor less than that which I possess on US3.
As for complaints about Mods playing favorites and targeting disliked players, all I can say is that it's not something I've ever had to witness. I've seen several complaints about it but I have yet to see any evidence of it. Hey, we're not perfect. we don't always get it right and we don't always catch everything but we try to be fair. And when we do get it wrong... the Otters have no problem with letting us know about it. Like you, we are held accountable for our actions. Mad Otter has zero-tolerance for player harassment and Mods have no exception for that rule. If anything, they are held to a higher standard. In my experience, those that tend to draw a lot of attention from the Mods are generally worthy of that attention. If you honestly believe that you have been unfairly treated by a game or forum moderator, report that conduct in a CS ticket and provide any mail, text, or screenshots to support your complaint.
Players were prevented from having a discussion of WW2 because Mods were afraid it might get out of hand. A player was reprimanded for saying Pirate Booty. And many, many more...
These are but a couple of examples of excessive moderation but they are the two most recent and that's all that's really needed to examine the issue. First, it's all true... more or less... which makes a powerful statement. Sadly, they are also examples of restricted and misleading context.
The WW2 discussion was not discouraged because it was relative to WW2. It was discouraged because it devolved into a discussion of Fascism, Nazism, Concentration camps, and how comparable these things were to the Mad Otter Gestapo and its jackbooted SS moderators that dared assault the sacred institution of free speech and US2 humor. It was an opportunity to bash at the game and its moderators, carefully packaged within a broader conversation. One of the things that annoy me most about current popular culture is how it devolves the language. Nazi has been redefined as anyone that disagrees with you on any issue. Damn Nazis! I've no doubt that this will offend some of you but if the strongest point you can put forth is to call your opponent a Nazi, you have already ceded the debate. It was highly disruptive and that's why it was discouraged.
The Pirate Booty comment would have been ridiculous if there was a warning or a mute for simply saying Pirate Booty. Arr-har-har.
Frankly, I regard Pirate Booty as a harmless bit of sexual innuendo... if it was limited to that... but it wasn't. It was simply a small snippet from a much longer conversation that became less restrained and more graphic the longer it continued. It's all about boundaries and context. It's been remarked that even Mad Otter uses humor like this in its character dialog. This is true but the lead writer of Mad otter understands restraint and context where others tend to ignore these things, altogether. If you are going to cite examples of excess moderation, please feel free to provide actual examples that can stand up to the chat logs. When a fact is revealed as little more than half a fact, it is little better than an honest lie.
On a side note. The most frequent reason for warning a player is usually based on something said. On an ironic note, the mute is not usually based on what the player said but is generally a result of the player choosing to ignore the warning and/or arguing the warning in world chat.. Contrary to what some believe, a good day for a Mod is a day without warnings, mutes, or kicks.
We need clearly defined rules. Moderators are inconsistent when applying rules. How can we be expected to obey the rules when even the Mods can't agree with what they mean?
Correct. I could not agree more. Unfortunately, that which sounds reasonable is not necessarily practical. So you want a list of unallowed terms, phrases, and acronyms, with a description detailing when said comments may be allowable? No problem. It will be about the size of an unabridged dictionary, but I'm sure all you guys are gonna read it, right? Of course, it will have to be constantly updated in order to stay current. Perhaps Mad Otter can hire a wordsmith whose sole function would be the official keeper of the sacred naughty words. No?
Fine. I get it. Different Mods have differing standards and are left to their own discretion. It's messy and sometimes it's a little frustrating. Believe me, it ain't so pretty from my side either. So here's the thing. A word is akin to a handgun. It's not always the gun that's dangerous. It's the intent of the holder of the gun that matters. Words are tools and timing, context, intent, and a million other things define the tool. Do you really want Mods to come hammer down because you slipped and used a forbidden phrase in a moment of frustration? Would you prefer that the Mods lay off and let the chat go where it will, regardless of how disruptive or offensive it may become? Neither of those two options is acceptable and this is where the discretion comes in. There will always be those that think I did not moderate as hard as I should have while others might feel I went overboard. I'll never make all of you happy and I'm not even going to try. I'm just going to do what I believe to be is in the best interests of the community at that particular point and time. It's messy. It's complicated. It's human, and it's all I got. But I promise to always use it fairly.
Now Get offa mah lawn and go play a game. I gots Trolls to whack!
BOOM!
There is a lot of misunderstanding in this thread. There is even more misunderstanding on Discord, in-game, and possibly Xanadu. Some of it is little more than a matter of perspective. Some are a result of incomplete information, and some of it is outright misdirection. It's not my intent to single out individual members and assign intent. What I do wish to do is single out a few perceptions that I feel have missed the mark for one reason or another.
Why do they say there are no new rules when they go on to list all the new rules?
The short answer to that is there ain't no new rules. Every "new rule" that is in the OP is drawn directly from the existing ToS.
The thread title is "New US2 Policies". The new policy is that the existing rules will be enforced more strongly for the simple reason that they are, with increasing frequency, being violated more strongly. See how that works? This is nothing new. It is a reaffirmation of established and acceptable conduct that is as old as the game itself.
Mad Otter has singled out US2 because they don't understand our totally rad brand of humor and are overreacting to it.
Ahhh... No. Mad Otter and its moderators have not singled you out because they don't get you. They have singled you out because the majority of your fellow players don't get you and made that opinion known in a massive number of CS tickets. The number of complaints about the over-moderation of US2 humor and expression is dwarfed by the number of complaints about that particular brand of humor and expression. So no, you did not draw their attention to you. Your fellow players drew their attention to you. The only thing that Mad Otter is doing is responding to its majority player base. Contrary to what many seem to believe, those that are deeply offended by these "new rules" are a small but vocal minority.
Moderators play favorites and target players they do not like. There have even been examples of Mods hopping to servers they do not moderate in order to stalk and harass disliked players.
Let's address the last part, first. I'm of the opinion that when players see threads such as "Our New US2 Moderator!" it gives the impression that all moderators have been assigned a single server to moderate. I can see where people would interpret it this way but that is not how it actually functions in reality. It is true that all moderators are assigned a primary server to monitor and are expected to spend the majority of their time there. That said, the moderators work together as a group. The vast majority of them have characters on multiple servers and are always available to assist wherever needed. Yes, they are server Mods, but they also function as Global Mods. I, for example, am a US3 moderator but my authority to moderate any other server is no more nor less than that which I possess on US3.
As for complaints about Mods playing favorites and targeting disliked players, all I can say is that it's not something I've ever had to witness. I've seen several complaints about it but I have yet to see any evidence of it. Hey, we're not perfect. we don't always get it right and we don't always catch everything but we try to be fair. And when we do get it wrong... the Otters have no problem with letting us know about it. Like you, we are held accountable for our actions. Mad Otter has zero-tolerance for player harassment and Mods have no exception for that rule. If anything, they are held to a higher standard. In my experience, those that tend to draw a lot of attention from the Mods are generally worthy of that attention. If you honestly believe that you have been unfairly treated by a game or forum moderator, report that conduct in a CS ticket and provide any mail, text, or screenshots to support your complaint.
Players were prevented from having a discussion of WW2 because Mods were afraid it might get out of hand. A player was reprimanded for saying Pirate Booty. And many, many more...
These are but a couple of examples of excessive moderation but they are the two most recent and that's all that's really needed to examine the issue. First, it's all true... more or less... which makes a powerful statement. Sadly, they are also examples of restricted and misleading context.
The WW2 discussion was not discouraged because it was relative to WW2. It was discouraged because it devolved into a discussion of Fascism, Nazism, Concentration camps, and how comparable these things were to the Mad Otter Gestapo and its jackbooted SS moderators that dared assault the sacred institution of free speech and US2 humor. It was an opportunity to bash at the game and its moderators, carefully packaged within a broader conversation. One of the things that annoy me most about current popular culture is how it devolves the language. Nazi has been redefined as anyone that disagrees with you on any issue. Damn Nazis! I've no doubt that this will offend some of you but if the strongest point you can put forth is to call your opponent a Nazi, you have already ceded the debate. It was highly disruptive and that's why it was discouraged.
The Pirate Booty comment would have been ridiculous if there was a warning or a mute for simply saying Pirate Booty. Arr-har-har.
Frankly, I regard Pirate Booty as a harmless bit of sexual innuendo... if it was limited to that... but it wasn't. It was simply a small snippet from a much longer conversation that became less restrained and more graphic the longer it continued. It's all about boundaries and context. It's been remarked that even Mad Otter uses humor like this in its character dialog. This is true but the lead writer of Mad otter understands restraint and context where others tend to ignore these things, altogether. If you are going to cite examples of excess moderation, please feel free to provide actual examples that can stand up to the chat logs. When a fact is revealed as little more than half a fact, it is little better than an honest lie.
On a side note. The most frequent reason for warning a player is usually based on something said. On an ironic note, the mute is not usually based on what the player said but is generally a result of the player choosing to ignore the warning and/or arguing the warning in world chat.. Contrary to what some believe, a good day for a Mod is a day without warnings, mutes, or kicks.
We need clearly defined rules. Moderators are inconsistent when applying rules. How can we be expected to obey the rules when even the Mods can't agree with what they mean?
Correct. I could not agree more. Unfortunately, that which sounds reasonable is not necessarily practical. So you want a list of unallowed terms, phrases, and acronyms, with a description detailing when said comments may be allowable? No problem. It will be about the size of an unabridged dictionary, but I'm sure all you guys are gonna read it, right? Of course, it will have to be constantly updated in order to stay current. Perhaps Mad Otter can hire a wordsmith whose sole function would be the official keeper of the sacred naughty words. No?
Fine. I get it. Different Mods have differing standards and are left to their own discretion. It's messy and sometimes it's a little frustrating. Believe me, it ain't so pretty from my side either. So here's the thing. A word is akin to a handgun. It's not always the gun that's dangerous. It's the intent of the holder of the gun that matters. Words are tools and timing, context, intent, and a million other things define the tool. Do you really want Mods to come hammer down because you slipped and used a forbidden phrase in a moment of frustration? Would you prefer that the Mods lay off and let the chat go where it will, regardless of how disruptive or offensive it may become? Neither of those two options is acceptable and this is where the discretion comes in. There will always be those that think I did not moderate as hard as I should have while others might feel I went overboard. I'll never make all of you happy and I'm not even going to try. I'm just going to do what I believe to be is in the best interests of the community at that particular point and time. It's messy. It's complicated. It's human, and it's all I got. But I promise to always use it fairly.
Now Get offa mah lawn and go play a game. I gots Trolls to whack!
BOOM!
TheRam
Adventurer
Platform
- PC
Littlenymph
Squirrel
Characters
Layla Littlenymph
Platform
- PC
- Steam
The OP used the word policy. Don't blame me if you don't understand the difference between a policy, which was said, versus a rule, which was not said.
Do you need a dictionary? You can access those online for free.
And no, I really don't think you get it but I'll give you partial credit for the attempt at sarcasm.
TheRam
Adventurer
Platform
- PC
Last edited
LOL, all this hostility over word games? Calm down, you're one of my favorite people, no reason to get upset. "It is what it is."
www.dictionary.com
policy
Policy most commonly refers to a rule or plan of action, especially an official one adopted and followed by a group, organization, or government.
Dictionary.com Is The World’s Favorite Online Dictionary
Dictionary.com is the world’s leading online source for English definitions, pronunciations, word origins, idioms, Word of the Day, and more.
www.dictionary.com
Policy most commonly refers to a rule or plan of action, especially an official one adopted and followed by a group, organization, or government.
Littlenymph
Squirrel
Characters
Layla Littlenymph
Platform
- PC
- Steam
But... I like word games.
Policy is a plan, law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of business, governments, and other institutions.
While a policy most always has rules attached to it, it has a much broader meaning than "rule" which at best is a minor fraction of any given policy.
The point being, there are no new rules. There is a policy change in the frequency and manner in which the existing rules will be enforced.
The policy is new, in some respects. The rules remain the same.
Policy is a plan, law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of business, governments, and other institutions.
While a policy most always has rules attached to it, it has a much broader meaning than "rule" which at best is a minor fraction of any given policy.
The point being, there are no new rules. There is a policy change in the frequency and manner in which the existing rules will be enforced.
The policy is new, in some respects. The rules remain the same.
LegendOfZelda
Razorback
Platform
- iOS
- PC
I read your entire post - and there's some good information in there. Thank you for taking the time to read all of the comments and collectively address many claims.Warning! Incoming TLDRpedo! Estimated impact in 3... 2... 1......
There is a lot of misunderstanding in this thread. There is even more misunderstanding on Discord, in-game, and possibly Xanadu. Some of it is little more than a matter of perspective. Some are a result of incomplete information, and some of it is outright misdirection. It's not my intent to single out individual members and assign intent. What I do wish to do is single out a few perceptions that I feel have missed the mark for one reason or another.
Why do they say there are no new rules when they go on to list all the new rules?
The short answer to that is there ain't no new rules. Every "new rule" that is in the OP is drawn directly from the existing ToS.
The thread title is "New US2 Policies". The new policy is that the existing rules will be enforced more strongly for the simple reason that they are, with increasing frequency, being violated more strongly. See how that works? This is nothing new. It is a reaffirmation of established and acceptable conduct that is as old as the game itself.
Mad Otter has singled out US2 because they don't understand our totally rad brand of humor and are overreacting to it.
Ahhh... No. Mad Otter and its moderators have not singled you out because they don't get you. They have singled you out because the majority of your fellow players don't get you and made that opinion known in a massive number of CS tickets. The number of complaints about the over-moderation of US2 humor and expression is dwarfed by the number of complaints about that particular brand of humor and expression. So no, you did not draw their attention to you. Your fellow players drew their attention to you. The only thing that Mad Otter is doing is responding to its majority player base. Contrary to what many seem to believe, those that are deeply offended by these "new rules" are a small but vocal minority.
Moderators play favorites and target players they do not like. There have even been examples of Mods hopping to servers they do not moderate in order to stalk and harass disliked players.
Let's address the last part, first. I'm of the opinion that when players see threads such as "Our New US2 Moderator!" it gives the impression that all moderators have been assigned a single server to moderate. I can see where people would interpret it this way but that is not how it actually functions in reality. It is true that all moderators are assigned a primary server to monitor and are expected to spend the majority of their time there. That said, the moderators work together as a group. The vast majority of them have characters on multiple servers and are always available to assist wherever needed. Yes, they are server Mods, but they also function as Global Mods. I, for example, am a US3 moderator but my authority to moderate any other server is no more nor less than that which I possess on US3.
As for complaints about Mods playing favorites and targeting disliked players, all I can say is that it's not something I've ever had to witness. I've seen several complaints about it but I have yet to see any evidence of it. Hey, we're not perfect. we don't always get it right and we don't always catch everything but we try to be fair. And when we do get it wrong... the Otters have no problem with letting us know about it. Like you, we are held accountable for our actions. Mad Otter has zero-tolerance for player harassment and Mods have no exception for that rule. If anything, they are held to a higher standard. In my experience, those that tend to draw a lot of attention from the Mods are generally worthy of that attention. If you honestly believe that you have been unfairly treated by a game or forum moderator, report that conduct in a CS ticket and provide any mail, text, or screenshots to support your complaint.
Players were prevented from having a discussion of WW2 because Mods were afraid it might get out of hand. A player was reprimanded for saying Pirate Booty. And many, many more...
These are but a couple of examples of excessive moderation but they are the two most recent and that's all that's really needed to examine the issue. First, it's all true... more or less... which makes a powerful statement. Sadly, they are also examples of restricted and misleading context.
The WW2 discussion was not discouraged because it was relative to WW2. It was discouraged because it devolved into a discussion of Fascism, Nazism, Concentration camps, and how comparable these things were to the Mad Otter Gestapo and its jackbooted SS moderators that dared assault the sacred institution of free speech and US2 humor. It was an opportunity to bash at the game and its moderators, carefully packaged within a broader conversation. One of the things that annoy me most about current popular culture is how it devolves the language. Nazi has been redefined as anyone that disagrees with you on any issue. Damn Nazis! I've no doubt that this will offend some of you but if the strongest point you can put forth is to call your opponent a Nazi, you have already ceded the debate. It was highly disruptive and that's why it was discouraged.
The Pirate Booty comment would have been ridiculous if there was a warning or a mute for simply saying Pirate Booty. Arr-har-har.
Frankly, I regard Pirate Booty as a harmless bit of sexual innuendo... if it was limited to that... but it wasn't. It was simply a small snippet from a much longer conversation that became less restrained and more graphic the longer it continued. It's all about boundaries and context. It's been remarked that even Mad Otter uses humor like this in its character dialog. This is true but the lead writer of Mad otter understands restraint and context where others tend to ignore these things, altogether. If you are going to cite examples of excess moderation, please feel free to provide actual examples that can stand up to the chat logs. When a fact is revealed as little more than half a fact, it is little better than an honest lie.
On a side note. The most frequent reason for warning a player is usually based on something said. On an ironic note, the mute is not usually based on what the player said but is generally a result of the player choosing to ignore the warning and/or arguing the warning in world chat.. Contrary to what some believe, a good day for a Mod is a day without warnings, mutes, or kicks.
We need clearly defined rules. Moderators are inconsistent when applying rules. How can we be expected to obey the rules when even the Mods can't agree with what they mean?
Correct. I could not agree more. Unfortunately, that which sounds reasonable is not necessarily practical. So you want a list of unallowed terms, phrases, and acronyms, with a description detailing when said comments may be allowable? No problem. It will be about the size of an unabridged dictionary, but I'm sure all you guys are gonna read it, right? Of course, it will have to be constantly updated in order to stay current. Perhaps Mad Otter can hire a wordsmith whose sole function would be the official keeper of the sacred naughty words. No?
Fine. I get it. Different Mods have differing standards and are left to their own discretion. It's messy and sometimes it's a little frustrating. Believe me, it ain't so pretty from my side either. So here's the thing. A word is akin to a handgun. It's not always the gun that's dangerous. It's the intent of the holder of the gun that matters. Words are tools and timing, context, intent, and a million other things define the tool. Do you really want Mods to come hammer down because you slipped and used a forbidden phrase in a moment of frustration? Would you prefer that the Mods lay off and let the chat go where it will, regardless of how disruptive or offensive it may become? Neither of those two options is acceptable and this is where the discretion comes in. There will always be those that think I did not moderate as hard as I should have while others might feel I went overboard. I'll never make all of you happy and I'm not even going to try. I'm just going to do what I believe to be is in the best interests of the community at that particular point and time. It's messy. It's complicated. It's human, and it's all I got. But I promise to always use it fairly.
Now Get offa mah lawn and go play a game. I gots Trolls to whack!
BOOM!
I'm curious - how often do you, as a moderator on US3, use your purple text "power?" Do you casually chat with purple chat activated? Most of the complaints from US2 players that I've seen involved one mod (who will not be named), accused of using purple text far more often than needed; for casual chat, actually. This individual was also accused of "targeting" specific individuals in-game.
Long story short: Said individuals that felt "targeted," blocked the mod in question. This mod proceeded to talk in purple text even more so in the public chats. Coincidentally, users can't block speech from mods when purple text is used.
My point: There are GOOD, and respected mods on US2. However, using purple text as a power flex (for what appeared to have been) to stroke one's ego does not imply the character of good judgment. After all, is the purple text for "fun," or does it serve an in-game purpose? I can tell you I've only ever witnessed one mod in question using the purple text feature for casual chatting and on a consistent basis...
@everyone, please don't hit me with an "It'S nOt AgAiNsT tHe ToS fOr A mOd tO uSe PuRpLe TeXt."