5 replies to this topic

[Michelle]

For the team who runs the game, I just wanted to share some advice to keep things running smoothy, possibly..

I can already tell I'm going to regret posting this, lol. Ah well.

I recently saw the post on the official "Trickster Private Server" facebook page in regards to banning accounts with inappropriate names, and I guess it sort of provoked some thoughts I have on the topic of the server as of late.. so here we go...

In my personal opinion, the stricter you are with the game rules and what players are able to do "legally" (according to these rules you are falsely creating for the community), the faster the downfall of the fan base. There are less and less people staying, and even less new players... not to mention these never ending drill events making people lazy and making it seem like you have to spend money to play... it makes people stop trying.

Inb4 people take parts of what I am saying as a whole in order to judge character... I'm not trying to focus purely on the negatives here, I am just trying to shed some light on the situation at hand... maybe it can help.

You are treating this server more and more like an official one the more profit you receive from players who ENJOY it, this money is to not only keeping it running but also to self-fund your lives (like it is your job to be a GM of Trickster... lol), it is just a game, and it's the players' choice to spend money on it more or not. People play games to have fun... take that away and you're left with people who would rather step away from it all then to be apart of it.

I don't want to start an argument or a debate here, I'm just saying that the more rules you create the less the players will respect the "rulers" of this game and the community will become much like it did to make Gamerage shut down the game in the first place! :/ Not to mention how many times people are contradicting themselves about these rules.. Mostly why I haven't been playing lately. That and my guild all quit for similar reasons. Sorry.

I mean, I can understand why you wouldn't want inappropriate names (in regards to the recent post on banning accounts for names deemed "wrong"), but all that aside the more people and accounts you ban the less people will come back to play because 1) they don't want to have to start all over again for a third+ time, 2) they're scared of starting all over again, and 3) if you govern this server like you own it and have control over it and the people, they will not only loose respect for the GM's but also the system in which you have made for players to "follow"... they start  feeling restricted in everything they do just to have a little fun. Sure, ban the people who choose words with inappropriate meanings... but what about the accounts of people who got banned and claim it was unfair or that they just want to effing PLAY A GAME and not have to worry about getting banned in the first place? It comes as a shock to some, they lose everything yet again... and yet... You don't look into these cases because it is easier to just brush them aside. Some people never thought it would be a possibility they could be banned so they never bothered taking screenshots to prove they own the account. You don't care. Sorry if that sounds a little mean or like I'm over-generalizing it but there is some truth in it.

The only reason I started playing Trickster Online again was because it was there for me again, in short, it existed again (lol), example being it didn't matter if it wasn't the official version anymore because the official version wasn't around to play (I took what I could get), and it didn't matter in the beginning what the rules were, we were all just happy to have a game we enjoy available to us again. But, the players are what make the game possible.. take that away and you not only don't have a job anymore but all these people who love trickster (not just for the memories and friends we have made playing it... but for it's unique play style, etc.. whatever the reasons each person has), will quit.

Say all you want that you don't care if people quit because honestly it is an individual choice...  I'm just warning you that you're not going to do anything good, really you'll just make people lose respect for everything you provide if your continue to govern the game like you are the reason people play it again. Not just talking about you Aran... If there was another private server before this one (I am just saying IF as an example, if it helps to imagine that possibility so be it) you probably wouldn't even be in the position to make any posts about it because you would be a player like everyone else dealing with GM's who make these sorts of rules. Focus too much on what you have and not what you don't have, and you're unable to see it from a players' point of view... very important to maintaining a balance.

Just saying. Have a good day/night/life, and peace~  maybe try to respect people and let them do what they enjoy instead of shutting them down (quite literally)? The post that was made on the topic of banning accounts with names like "(I had to remove this out of the FEAR of getting banned)" or really anything that will make someone say "THAT IS WRONG", understandable offense, but seriously... you shouldn't start to hold yourself up high and feel the need to make these choices for others. You should have to give some freedom to the community, not muffle it until everyone hates it - don't hate the players... hate the game, lol (now that's just corny...). Or maybe it just SOUNDS that way
.
:/ fuck dick bitch, am I banned yet?

The more rules you make the more people will try and break them, as well. Just. SAYIN'.

Now I'm just asking people not to hate me for this, but no doubt there's probably going to be some regardless. Bring it on, not like it will change a thing...

TL;dr:
GM's, I respect you, but you should learn to respect the players like your life depends on it. LOL JK BUT SERIOUSLY. I mean your job.. or meaningless worth. I dunno what I'm typing anymore. Peace out~

[iRegret]

Gonna say this, I read everything and I feel the same way, but some people want it their way or no way. As long as the game have players giving them money, that is all that it needs, soon this game will end up just like the old trix. people are getting bored and getting banned for pointless reasons, lol their banning reasons are getting worse then the normal server was.

If these words are really a big problem just filter them and be done with it. Why ban people over a few words, but unban those for what they really did wrong, I wont point fingers or say any names... but this is just becoming really really stupid. 

[Nariann]

I am just saying Aran is player too, I'm not defending anyone. I think it's stupid to ban for words (permaban... Really?) on a private server if it's not a threat. Seriously, if your name means boob why is that considered offensive? If your name means that you will rape every christian you see then that's offensive, feel the difference.

[Food]

I agree with your post.

 

This private server is fantastic compared to eTO, in terms of the abundance of events and features. Web tempering, compounding, the superb auction house and secure way to buy points... these are all amazing! Not to mention the free events. I am grateful for the fun things the server implements, but sometimes the content of the game is not the only appeal for players.. please listen:

 

I first joined when season two was released, and there were a lot of players since then. I vividly remember that the server was lively and megalopolis was filled with lots of shops and cute characters! However, when I came back about two weeks ago, I don't see that many people.. perhaps 10% of what it was from back then? (Also, where is Sky, I liked his events very much)

 

I think the strict rules play a large part in the sudden downfall of active players. I haven't experienced the harshness of these rules myself, however, some of my friends (who have told me their experiences on this server) and sifting through some of this forum's old topics and posts have led me to this conclusion. 

 

Here is one example.

One of my friends has been permanently banned from the forums by persistently asking how a moderator's stats are so 'hax', demanding screenshots of his gear to prove his validity (perhaps some of you guys have seen this?). On a side note, this friend has never obtained any warning points since his first day in the forums.

It is logical and understandable to delete pointless posts and suspend drama-starters, but permanently banning such players for demanding evidence? In exchange for having a potentially suspicious reputation, the moderator could have stated a simple "no, we will not show you", and that would have worked (as well as a warning to stop asking). When I heard of this, it made me quite afraid to even interact with the authorities.. There was no really need for a perma-ban, since there was no real disrespect given to the moderators AND no specific rule stating there should be no questioning of the moderators, but this is just my opinion.

 

Here's two other examples I found today:

• [1] - It seems rather prude to think of "boobs" as indecent. The word is used amongst teens and adults millions of times a day, worldwide, in all languages! Or not, I may be generalizing.. but please, do prove me wrong by presenting me one culture where such word can heavily offend, depress or threaten someone. 
• [2] - I think this person was being genuinely friendly for hosting such an event that Aran and a few others couldn't participate in. It feels kind of harsh that the thread was closed due to a wrong assumption. ):

 

I also disagree with some things that the GMs handle. Some regulations are strict and unnecessary, and can even be seen as an attempt at creating some type of.. puritanical utopia. People will get offended, people will fight with one another.. Drama, at times, is inevitable, and I've heard people have been banned for that as well. Nothing can be fully perfect, so please, do not try and make it so.. 

Do not look at this as a bash, I like this private server a lot, I'm very glad trickster is back!!! I wish to give advice for it by pointing out some things that may need to be improved on or fixed. I want my friends to come back, too..

[Kheops]

Noted. Now you guys go have fun and get along .

Thread locked.

[Aran]

I read this thread after it was locked. I have posted my response to comments in facebook group about obscene/offensive name. Here there are, copy/pasted here.

 

Aran Pandora It is a misconception that banning people is the downfall of Trickster. It is NOT banning people that may cause Trickster to fail, because we ban the bad players; if we don't ban them, they are the cause for the good players to leave the game.

 

Aran Pandora These people who seem to hate ban so much; let me ask you, if someone scam you or hack your account and make off with items that you have worked so hard to get, would you be happy if we don't ban them? And if we did ban them, would you be happy if we unbanned them after a short while?

 

These players who talk about us banning a lot of players, you don't know what you are talking about. We ban much less players than you seem to think, and we have unbanned those players who come to us and appeal to be unbanned, except we have not unbanned the hackers, and the scammers, and the botters.

 

Aran Pandora Unlike eTO, we have not banned account sharers or players who use VPNs; we have not even banned account traders who do not make any problem with regard to their traded accounts.

 

Aran Pandora When we act like official server; we are thrashed; when we act like a private server; we are thrashed. How do you want us to act? This is a private server; we try to create good environment by saying players should be decent, be good, be kind, not be mean, don't hack, don't scam, don't be obscene, just be nice. Is it so difficult to be nice?

 

Aran Pandora And, why is it that the ones who make comments about how bad this server is or how bad the GM is or admin or mod or whatever, why is it always those who are actually not playing the game or those who claim they have quit or are quitting? If you don't play, then this game and this server is no longer your concern. Let it go. Stop being more obsessed with the game than those who are actually playing the game.