A Thorough Explanation (Very Long Post)

[monkeypoacher 8055]

I think this is the consequence of communicating in Skype chats. Have honest, open discussions where everyone is allowed to speak, and then there won't be a need to shitpost and harass over IM.

[Eranikus 348]

You're supposed to be the most relaxed section of the server and you're reacting very violently to what's going on. Instead of flipping out, kicking and screaming about things not going your way, roll with the punches. When in doubt, know a way out, y'know? Always have a backup plan for your backup plan. Never put all your eggs into one basket. That sort of stuff. Yes, it wouldn't take any effort to just leave you there. But another thing that would take little to no effort? Picking an even better spot than the one you have, one where you can attract even more peaceful, whimsical roleplay.

[Sorsby 123]

You know. I get fatigued reading through this all. So basically I'll boil it down to what I see. A group of players isn't getting special treatment and is being held to the same standard as everyone else. In spite of that, they are offered speshul treatment, and they refuse it. They refuse something that, had players just actually take a moment and realize that they don't get to make the rules, and that if they had just played along, taken the WE, it would have literally have resulted in just an incy bincy bump in their RP that hardly was even happening to begin with. Ignoring the fact that they could get a fast travel like everyone else. But no, let's choose to be stubborn so that the whole ordeal creates a major problem for our RP and then blame it on staff as if they owe us something.

 

Let's not ignore the fact that by being so stubborn, certain players are actually blocking the ease of new halfling players from joining. Because muh princpiles, muh anger.

 

I honestly hope the staff doesn't budge an inch. Why? Not any reason about the actual problem. Oh no. I don't want policy to be based off how violently a small group of players shouts and calls people names. I was fine with the criticism to begin with from the halflings. I sympathized with you. However, there comes a point where, when you're using someone elses services, you just say. "hey, you're offering me help. I'll take it so I can get this behind us so much."

 

 

What an excellent question. What is so important about it? Why does it deserve special treatment for? What is the reaction so obtuse and stubborn?

 

Absolutely no doubt halfling RP is going to suffer because of a Jim Crow style 'Leaving'.

 

If you're not a true Halfling and never have been, you will never understand the trials and tribulations when it comes to our lives on LOTC, we ask for very little really, nothing we ask for has any direct impact on anyone else on the server, yet we are bombarded with accusations of demanding special treatment, all we do is farm, drink and laugh. It's for the rest of the playerbase to be held to the RP quotas or whatever silly shite it is, we've never been mainstream and never will be, all we ask is to be left be, yet for most of the whiny playerbase that seems like to much.

 

All these broken records chiming in on this thread just to get in the GM good books are the same type we've faced in the past to get what we need, unfortunately for us this type of person is the type that eventually gets into power and then we have to face it all again, it's a vicious cycle.

 

At the end of the day none of this action is necessary at all, it's just a lack of judgement and ability of behalf of almost all staff who had a say, it's all behavior I've come to expect over my years on this server. It's so sad because all you need to do is change your mindset and it will all be fine and you would see that, but the stubbornness has survived now for too long and I have't seen a reprisal on the horizon for a long time, do whatever you want I won't waste any more time arguing my points about the server.

 

I might however continue to chirp at some players because it's a guilty pleasure of mine to put people in their places.

[zaezae 1098]

If you're not a true Halfling and never have been, you will never understand the trials and tribulations when it comes to our lives on LOTC, we ask for very little really, nothing we ask for has any direct impact on anyone else on the server, yet we are bombarded with accusations of demanding special treatment, all we do is farm, drink and laugh. It's for the rest of the playerbase to be held to the RP quotas or whatever silly shite it is, we've never been mainstream and never will be, all we ask is to be left be, yet for most of the whiny playerbase that seems like to much.

 

All these broken records chiming in on this thread just to get in the GM good books are the same type we've faced in the past to get what we need, unfortunately for us this type of person is the type that eventually gets into power and then we have to face it all again, it's a vicious cycle.

 

At the end of the day none of this action is necessary at all, it's just a lack of judgement and ability of behalf of almost all staff who had a say, it's all behavior I've come to expect over my years on this server. It's so sad because all you need to do is change your mindset and it will all be fine and you would see that, but the stubbornness has survived now for too long and I have't seen a reprisal on the horizon for a long time, do whatever you want I won't waste any more time arguing my points about the server.

 

I might however continue to chirp at some players because it's a guilty pleasure of mine to put people in their places.

Trials and tribulations? LoL.

 

Though, you know why you are accused of wanting special treatment? Because you do. Look, it's right there in the first paragraph. "Pssh. Rules are for the rest of the server." But you know what? You aren't the only community like yourselves. Necros, frosties, warhawks, hell any of the non-nations aren't mainstream. They would be held to these standards, and the nature of your RP has like absolutely nothing to do with this at all. Peaceful RP isn't a more holy and good RP.  And no, the playerbase isn't whiny, you are. What else would you call it when someone says "Alright, here are the rules you agree to in order to play." and someone throws a literal tantrum because the rules they agree to are upheld?

 

I don't know who you are calling brown nosers, but it certainly has absolutely nothing at all to do with the issue.

 

And honestly, there is an absolute refusal to take the easy path. I cannot even understand anything anymore. There is literally, LITERALLY, not even a single god damn problem. There is, let me repeat, zero issue at all. Sure, it might be unnecessary, but that is the decision that was made. Why? I guess so there won't be useless ghost towns, which I might remind you, the community demanded be done away with several months ago.

 

There is zero reason for any of this stress other than people purposefully causing a scene. I've seen players get screwed over twenty times worse than this. Though, I will note that if certain players changed their mindset. They would already be happily RP'ing right this second.

 

I mean, you want my advice? Take up the reigns to be a leader for the halflings. Find a plot, use skygod magic to teleport the village, and make this all go away and make everyone happy.

[Sorsby 123]

ayyyy snip

 

It’s incredible to see the players of LOTC view getting treated as a normal human being and a valued member of the community ‘special treatment’. How have you let the server become like that? A place where not being treated like dirt is considered ‘special treatment’. Special treatment? It should be normal treatment, everyone on this server should feel as though the GMs are sticking up for them, because that is precisely what they volunteered to do. The minimum expectation a player has is that the GMs will fight their corner for them just as equally as any other player on the server.

Unfortunately, the server has devolved from that, to a place where quotas are put in place to monitor and regulations put in place to punish indiscriminately. There is something rotten to the core about all this, never before has such a level of scumbaggery been seen over something so trivial as a hobbit village on a minecraft roleplay server owned by a small group of friends.

[Blundermore 2741]

The administration of the server seems very interested in ruining the rp of the server through ooc means instead of just letting players be...

Killing off the halflings... making my character unplayable, messing with server history and continuity to the point it doesn't make sense and practically rewriting it...

You really know how to suck any sort of fun out of the server for players...

One day there ain't going to be any players left to Lord over yknow. It'll just be an empty server populated by only your niche friendship group.

Good job guys.

[zaezae 1098]

 

OMG there is no need to be so dramatic. You aren't having your human rights violated and you aren't being treated like dirt. Holy ****.

 

 

so trivial as a hobbit village on a minecraft roleplay server owned by a small group of friends.

Which is why people need to pull up their pants and move on. Stop acting like this would even effect you if you would just play along just a little. Just move the stupid village and let it go. It requires zero effort on your part. None. There is no reason to cry.

 

EDIT: I mean look at what has happened. Just look. Why? Why did just a slight tinge of discomfort cause sooooo much strife? Is this on purpose or something. Is this to punish everyone?

[ForeverGinger 148]

     First of all, I would like to thank Moot for this post, which is at least the beginning of reconciliation between the offended players and Staff. To follow up, the main issue I see with the takeover of Goodborough is the fact that we were offered two choices (well, technically three). We were told to either to vassal under Oren or the High Elves at the risk of loosing our land if we refused. We decided to go under Oren, and made a post about it detailing our move. Regardless of this, our land was still taken from us, and was done all through OOC methods for that matter. That is my view of what happened, and while I do not agree that we (being the Halflings) did not handle this situation as well as we could have, neither did those who were tasked with handling this issue.

[zaezae 1098]

I will agree with that. There was no reason for the staff to handle this in such a convoluted way. Be consistent and prompt, leave no space to have complaints levied against you.

[✿Honeybear✿ 84]

I fear that the Halflings’ reputation has just been thoroughly dragged through the dirt. We were supposed to be the happy fun sunshine race, the whole reason I played one in the first place is because hobbits never took this biz seriously, they were the last people to start melodrama when the rest of the server was saturated with the stuff.

 

And now look at this shiz. You’ve dun donked up!

 

Neither side’s in the right, and, really, it’s only a couple individuals in particular who fugged up in excess, but GMs and Hobbits are the last two groups I’d expect to fall victim to classical LotC depravity. Anyway, since I’ve come to hold the Halfling community to a higher standard, I personally apologize to those traumatized by any salty, disappointing actions of some of my sister weefolk, even if it doesn’t count for much I’d rather if folks didn’t see our entire community in the same negative light as any individual offenders.

 

So yuh, sorries, and I urge any deeply involved hobbits to cease with any salty shoe sporting, you’re not bigg’uns, so please go back to acting like the hobbits Mr. Rogers knows you can be. It's a game. Yada yada yada. Still love you guys.

[Eranikus 348]

I fear that the Halflings’ reputation has just been thoroughly dragged through the dirt. We were supposed to be the happy fun sunshine race, the whole reason I played one in the first place is because hobbits never took this biz seriously, they were the last people to start melodrama when the rest of the server was saturated with the stuff.

 

And now look at this shiz. You’ve dun donked up!

 

Neither side’s in the right, and, really, it’s only a couple individuals in particular who fugged up in excess, but GMs and Hobbits are the last two groups I’d expect to fall victim to classical LotC depravity. Anyway, since I’ve come to hold the Halfling community to a higher standard, I personally apologize to those traumatized by any salty, disappointing actions of some of my sister weefolk, even if it doesn’t count for much I’d rather if folks didn’t see our entire community in the same negative light as any individual offenders.

 

So yuh, sorries, and I urge any deeply involved hobbits to cease with any salty shoe sporting, you’re not bigg’uns, so please go back to acting like the hobbits Mr. Rogers knows you can be. It's a game. Yada yada yada. Still love you guys.

 

Wisdom from our friendly neighborhood Mira.

 

...Is it bad that I read that in the voice I imagine Mirabelle to have?

[Ryn Chirr 224]

Why can't there be some sort of compromise here? Honestly, just leave them alone. Let them have their land. And let the rest of us get land easier then "lol pay skygods 40k".

[Kanrath 190]

The rule on inactive towns was made due to demands from the PLAYERBASE...the same demands we have seen every map since 2.0. And now that they enforce it all hell breaks loose, typical.

 

Lets be honest- If this was the high elves I doubt we would be seeing half the number of people against this, just knowing how so many players seem to have some ooc thing against the high elves. Hell most of you would be for it and the high elves would have to try to rebuild their huge city and everything by hand. You think rebuilding a small hobbit village is bad...just think. I'm not a high elf either.

 

 

Halfling town was a ghost town, I went there often to check it out and rarely saw anyone else and I was doing this during prime time with 200+ people on. Having 40-50 people on TS means nothing when ig 1 or 2 are on in other cities. Chests were empty and those with stuff had rotten food and a few little things, stalls were unused and in general the town was and is dead. Just because you disagree with a rule that the entire server was told about does not somehow make it as some have claimed pointless, invalid or useless. 

 

The staff made mistakes, admitted it and have tried to find a compromise. That does not somehow excuse some of you from being total assholes about this nor does it change the fact even your veteran halflings admit the town was inactive. You have likely pissed off a number of people because of your self entitled attitude, myself included. Some of you may throw a tantrum and never play halfling again, likely for the better.

 

Those of you who play halflings and have tried to have a reasonable discussion without made up statistics or angry blame games, I wish you luck with the move. I hope you manage to perhaps build up your population a bit and stick with it and try to make something better from this instead of arguing or shouting over it. When things settle down I will be stopping by to bring some rp by.

 

The staff are not responsible for in any way destroying the halflings, no matter what people claim. Inactivity and bad attitude are doing that for them currently. Halflings are a sub race,not a town and not a group of specific players. Many of you may never rp another halfling again, so be it. But others will come and play them and I hope they never have to see members of their community acting like some of you have in the last week. 

 

You could easily move without any world edit to someplace such as the dwarves and rebuild witht he help of players from around there. Instead you getting your houses moved in one piece and literally having to only rebuild like the roads and such at most. And you dare to throw it back in their faces and continue to try to put it all on the staff. 

 

Cmack:

 

Your arguments are self invalidating. Rules are there to give the server a foundation to work from, just because you dislike it does not mean in any way you are right. Some people hate pvp being default, some people wish cybering was allowed. They are not, and yet even with people disliking them they are just as valid as the rules on pugsying. The fact is your attitude is that of a 12 year old who has been given the wrong barbie doll for chrismas and throws it in the face of the person who got it for them. Hell even Alras fell due to inactivity and ooc pressure during 4.0 ((and some ddosing)) and lost its land and they were actually an official nation built by a number of players I call friends back during the days of Ageis.  You became inactive, how the hell in your mind do you justify having land when even you admit your town was inactive. If you knew this you should of tried to counter act it, not demand that a few long term halfling players get their own pocket town away from everything else because if you don't you will throw a fit. 4 vet halfling players does not a town make.

 

For one, I'm glad your done with the halflings, your attitude is not needed.

[Backup Lago 320]

The GMs, FMs, and any other moderation team get it really rough, generally undeservingly. They try their best to make people happy, but what makes one person happy, often times makes others angry. There is often no right answer, and sometimes the right answer is difficult to make. They are expected to stay active(modreq’s, forum work, ect), to act professional, approachable, and be role models for the server.

Moderators will get **** for being professional, not being professional enough, making the “wrong” decision, or just enforcing the rules they’re supposed to enforce. More often than not, being Staff is largely thankless, aside from the few rare times. Regardless of what the they do, they will be given a hassle and will be largely disliked for whatever they do. Yet, they continue to do it anyways.

 

It's because of the way LotC's moderation is structured. GMs are the ultimate authority, not the server rules. You're not enforcers of the rules, you're in a sense vigilantes: you enforce what you think is right rather than what is written, and some of the rules are intentionally vague to assist this. And because there are so many of you, this results in inconsistent, opaque and terrifyingly personalised moderation and enforcement. Most of the GM enforcement rules are hidden from the players. As a result, the players as a whole don't trust you. These calls of bias and "pocket GM" are not unfounded: even if that's not the case it's how it appears.

This is easily fixed by changing the rules in a manner I've been suggesting for years, starting with axing the rule the that a player must immediately obey any GM command (whether it's breaking the rules or not) or face banning. End the "unwritten rule" nonsense and require any ban for a rule not on the server rules to be added to the server rules within 48 hours or to be overturned. Cap on the spot bans where the rest of the GM team has not been consulted at 1 hour. Create a second, public GM ban report forum where copies of every ban along with their reasons must be posted (I understand the need for the second one due to particularly graphic chatlog evidence not being suitable for public display). Drop this "cannot appeal for X hours" silliness: the whole point of a ban appeal is to protest the ban as wrong: all that serves is to claim infallibility and give you the power to ban freely without consquence.

 

Operate transparently and make the rules thread the ultimate authority rather than yourselves, and players will be angry at you far less.

And give the halflings their plot back. Seriously, this is just GM Team saving face and being angry at the loudmouth halfling leaders. You're talking about the right answer, and I can hardly see how obliterating the halfling's plot serves any right whatsoever.

[Googlesearch 141]

I am glad this post was made. Although the one issue is what is the point in world editing their town else where so you can have an event region when it will still have the same activity and it will be exactly the same size regardless of where it is. Just take the tract of land you were going to give them and use that for event. It saves a lot of work all around.

 

Matters like this should be handled by staff and players. Not just the staff.