A few key points I would like to make on this topic:

1) Threatening to leave the game has absolutely no effect but to show your disloyalty to the Distant Lands community as a whole. It certainly doesn't hurt MY feelings or bank account if you leave. I've even previously seen us gain players because a specific player left. Players will ebb and flow. I believe we are destined to grow significantly over the next 5 years regardless of what you do, so even the impact to the community will be minimal. That means, all you are really doing is hurting yourself -- taking something away from yourself that you enjoy (presumably). Don't get me wrong, we DO care strongly about our player base in general or we wouldn't have spent the time we've collectively spent on this issue -- it's just that we feel this type of threat is fairly hollow.

2) All three Implementors were involved in this decision.

3) This feels highly emotional and personal but as staff members when we make our decisions we try VERY VERY hard to step back from that and be impartial.

4) Because of the publicity and charge of the issue, ample time was taken to ensure this was not an emotional decision but one that made logical sense and was what we felt was in the best interest of the game.

And, I believe most importantly:

5) If you have some way to make things better, more clear, more precise, easier to understand or if you believe something needs to be changed, explain what and how, don't just say it sucks. We are open to new ways of doing things, we are open to change. What we are not open to is consistent negativity with no positive outcome.

Best regards to all,

--Nezmar

I think my opinion matters little but will give it anyways

I have known Nezmar and company a long time, we have all too well seen what one bad cookie can do to a great site, this is mostly why DL2 Now exists. Can Mistakes Happen ? Sure i myself have had my account frozen because i did things such as left myself logged in and someone not knowing what they were doing came in and messed around but then myself as a staff member has to show more restraint than the average player.. Its not easy and if anything like this was to happen to my account i would plead my case to Nezmar but in the end it is his place and i trust his choses .. you spend any time working with Nezmar and you would know he isn't ill rational but can be emotional about this game.. anyone who has put the time in here that he has should be.. Bottom line as Players.. If you think your doing something you shouldn't then don't.. if you do by accident im sure you can be let by with a warning.. if you don't head to the warnings then don't whine when you get locked and if you want to get nasty well then expect your account might not be there any longer.. Trust me ive seen a few sites that are no were half as nice as here and have 0 tolerance's to any cheating.. on purpose or by accident..

Truthfully I think and hope that Nezmar has 0 tolerance for cheating as well; and if he didn't I don't think Distant Lands would be nearly as good as it is...

Truthfully it was never my intention to Threaten anyone... the truth is though, I intend to make a long stay here; so at this point I need to feel secure to do that. (This is very representative of how anyone could potentially feel as a newcomer bearing witness to the interpretations of our multiplaying rule...) I didn't intend to threaten to quit - as much as I felt it was important that I be honest about my new insecurity while everyone else was being very quiet.

Lets build some hard coded punishments maybe for multiplaying?

I think that multi-playing destroys the integrity of the game... I've played games like shadowbane and seen keycloned groups of 10 characters all controlled by one person...

You know, stasis punishments lasting for as little as 15-30 minutes and lasting as long as a month or more seemed to be really effective in games such as Dragonrealms... that is an option

I don't mean to suppose that this is how it must be but I would certainly like to see this topic given attention; of course all this is Subject to consensus.

1) Having access to more than one account at anytime. (1st offense: Account deletion of 1 or more accounts)

2) Using any character to spell up a friend and then grouping with that
friend with another character. (A good guideline is to wait 15 minutes
before grouping with another character that you've given spells to.) (1st offense: warning, stripping of buffs. 2nd offence: death of highest level character and losing a level 3rd offence: at this point you are pushing it.)

3) Using your characters to benefit one another. (Death, loss of exp or eq etc. and graduating punishments would work for the next ones.)

4) Using your character to retrieve another one of your character's corpse or their items.

5) Using two characters on the same account to accomplish the same ends. IE : Fighting a MOB or player with two characters, using keys from one character to unlock a door while another passes, using two characters to try and solve a puzzle (Remember this only counts if your characters are on the same account... if you have two accounts you fall under #1 and thats WAY worse!!!)

6) While actively using a Roleplaying approved character, you cannot act with your roleplaying character based on any knowledge you may have gleamed from playing a different character. (The roleplaying approved thing is VERY important... it means before this rule can affect your character... you must apply for it... + you can never pass 99 without it. It will ensure that big players set a good example for little ones and it provides them time to understand.)

I think that for #6 it's very important to understand that its not very enforceable to expect people not to do this... and that's why I mentioned a timer that would prevent people from entering a zone they were in on a seperate char... but I think that making sure the rule is RP specific and making people make the choice to follow this rule by applying for RP might make it work.

Can anyone else maybe help shake some ambiguity out of it for me... or help fill in any things I may have left out?

Just really tired of the stale-mate biting my tongue etc..
The game works on the basis of as long as some dedicated player triumphs over the others, and obtains the right to regulate the prospertive outlook and dare I say "divine" will of the gods..
I just halfong-dogon-dare any of you to type staff and realize yet again,
this controversy that has been the coil of turmoil for your years here.
Staff is a fractional total verses the players.
I doubt some time any of us mortals really truely appreciate what one person does for you.
Think that it is an easy resonsiblity to put up with everyone and truely respect their point of intake?
Think that it is simple to hold the reigns and dish out and do the designated obligations?
Do you really thinks anything that goes on upstairs is all fun and games and a status glyph of power?
Nahh, you've fooled yourself in some fit of self-righteous mannerisms....

One things goes against anyones motto and whamo,
hell of a nuke in the hole to deal with, and guess what the Staff side sits on the egg and waits for it
hatch, hopefully into something worthwhile...

As a player you can spend alot of time searching for the gaps and holes in the system here.
Maybe there are valid arguements, but unlike the rest of anyone else here. I've got absolutely
zero obligation in maintaining the game. And I'll fess up on that note to say, that basically in
some less than a decade time spent here, my contributions are seemingly void and null. The nihility of having attributed nothing to the mainstream game other than teach leaves me with this obsession to do alot more...
Often times though, I'd like to tell some of you to shut up and put a black apple in your pie-hole.
But basically, that's not how things get resolved...
Yet, I'm not looking for a resolution.
Moreover a statement.

I don't have the luxury like a good portion of everyone in owning a computer, or having one
at my expense daily. But I garuntee you my very godforsaken purpose of existance here, that within
this summer, in the course of working a second job and eventually raising enough funds for my own
dark tower of dominion. Guys, girls, possible its... I'm coming back and making my mark...

That's what my statement is, just exactly what mark have you made in this game?
I can account for a few good souls that have taken care of me and given some refuge within all the chaos..

Let's hit the nail on the head, the whole Gydin crappola.
Extremely great guy, helps out with what he can whenever he was around..
But trying to sell me empathy on the fact he helped "newbies".??
Is that what they are to everyone newbies, new lambs for the slaughter...
Till the day I quit, never will I ceise to exist or enhance anothers enlightenment to the realm of dl.
And while the avability of my knowledge to the game sources and place are limited, lets just garuntee
everyone something. I'm one hell of a teacher or helper to others, in fact it's more a pleasure to aseemble
little ones and empower their egos into thinking or fooling them that one day, they can be above all the rest
of us...

Fact remains, if I really do screw up somehow out of greed, stupidity, or the common lack of the thought process that is suppose to accompany human beings. Then so be it. May I go in dismay hopefully knowing that all of carry some semblance of my love and appreciation... Hey it'd be my screwup and I'm halfling enough to own up to whatver. Permit me to start anew and comeback then you best bet I'll be down for the repeat...


Basically, alot of you do have a concerned imput on whats going on,
and have this web of friends that enslave you to things you'd regularly not bother with...
But don't stick your necks out for the tally marks of those fallen, they'll be back in due time,
given they've possibly matured.

This place is free, it's a privledge. Not a right, and yeah it's more than possible that after years we're gonna make
some major errors in the pool of hard taught lessons...

What I personally don't appreciate is the mudslinging slanderism that goes into trying to obtain a
moral standing of being correct, possibly even innoscent to the effect of the causes..

Be nice if some of us spent more time developing rather than demanding a judicial and legislature in the game..
Guys they're only a handfull of seven people running the ropes for you. And if I may they've done darn good job of enhancing what we had just five years ago.

Yeah sometimes I look around and think you've all fallen to shambles...
It takes experience month to drive some of you out. Then when you've peaked your characters and rolled some side project you typically sit around waiting for you "deserved" quest.. Advancement is all anyone here seems to take pride or pleasure in... So if that's your only virtue, then I suggest your turn your vice around and advance the entire spectrum not just your own playground...
Sincerely doubt some of you will ever mature, but that's ok. They invented guilds for those of like qualities and natures..
Easy enough to go around ignoring those benefactions. I'd really appreciate it if everyone quit walking around nit-picking about the finite manuere rather than gaze in infinite glory of what is, was, will, and shall be.

Probably to hard for the audience this was directed yet to acertain, most you'll probably come up with is some defense.

Gooey... I think this might be a good time to say...

What the HECK did you just SAY?!

*wanders away, totally bewildered*

With no intent to offend, GooeyOatmeal, but your style of writing is somewhat hard to decipher meaning from.

I gotta agree with Jorlain.

Its situations like these that make me feel perfectly happy being just player and not a staff member. A while back I gave up being a staffer on a couple of online strategy games because the stresses weren't worth it. There are many times when you find yourself in lose-lose situations, and it sucks major fnord.
So... Many thanks to the ALL the staff for dealing with stuff like this so lazy arse's like myself can enjoy this game. I'm sure I am not alone in appreciating your sacrifice of wearing those nasty *** moccasins.

Maybe its time for staff appreciation month.

Fnord,
The Pope

You guys didn't understand Gooey? I did. I understood what he said and found a few points to be very interesting. I had not read anything since I've come back. Very interesting indeed.