Wow, i had to change name...:(

[Legolas]

I would not know, Luvian.
To me, NWN shows that it is perfectly possible to compose a GM staff which does its job for free, in all timezones, as a labour of love. If that works for relatively small modules, then on a larger scale it'll only get easier to guarantee GMs are on all the time, and that they behave, keeping one another in check.
I cannot, however, point at any excisting MMORPG that I have played, where this method was employed.

And no, I do think it matters if the community roleplays. As I said before, I believe there is a strong link between the type of community and the amount and extent of griefing. I think it would be the "mature content" you referred to earlier, though really, it's simply that in a place where no-one tries to RP, RP isn't being encouraged, and vice versa.

[spydar]

how did a question about names boil down to GM-etiquette,PtP vs free gaming, and WoW vs every other MMOG out there?

[Luvian]

Originally posted by Legolas: I would not know, Luvian. To me, NWN shows that it is perfectly possible to compose a GM staff which does its job for free, in all timezones, as a labour of love. If that works for relatively small modules, then on a larger scale it'll only get easier to guarantee GMs are on all the time, and that they behave, keeping one another in check. I cannot, however, point at any excisting MMORPG that I have played, where this method was employed. And no, I do think it matters if the community roleplays. As I said before, I believe there is a strong link between the type of community and the amount and extent of griefing. I think it would be the "mature content" you referred to earlier, though really, it's simply that in a place where no-one tries to RP, RP isn't being encouraged, and vice versa.

So some guys can set up a GM system, a little like Undermountain here, but then it's not the whole commmunity that is monitored, just a module. Nothing prevent a griefer from just joining the next game and annoying people.

Years ago most game had a system like you described, but then those "user Gm" sued for money, so now companies fired all of them and hired real ones.

What MMORPG did you play? In all of those I have played I have been able to report people and I did. I've got a couple griefers banned already.

City of heroes had one of the best GM system too. If you were stuck in a quest you could even call them and they'd help you out with it. Sometimes they'd even indulge you and teleport the item you could not find and make it float in front of you, or things like that.

Here's an example of how "mature" a roleplaying community is. In WoW, there is a bunch of people that decided since they are on a roleplaying server, they can go into INN's bedroom and use the emote function to cyber. Because that's "in character" right? Never mind the fact that anyone about 30 yard around the inn can see it.

There is also the players that act like total idiots, insult, steal treasure chests or lure monsters on you, and when you complain they claim they are roleplaying a jerk.

People often use roleplaying as an excuse for the wrong actions. In other mmorpgs I have played, thieves often claimed they were roleplaying one. I've also seen people claiming they were roleplaying a racist, so they could grief you and get you killed all day because you didn't pick the same race as them.

[ 03-08-2005, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Luvian ]