Down Time

[DM_Olórin]

The server is likely to be down for a few days while we look at ways and means of enforcing a method of making player characters more appropriate to the Middle Earth setting.

As things stand at the moment we have always relied on the good graces and responsible natures of our mature and Tolkien-friendly player-base. However, no matter how many times we tell new players to read the rules or we would rather you didnt do that its not appropriate to the setting etc, it still goes on and on.

WE DO NOT WANT TO BE HARSH WITH PLAYERS and last time we were we had no end of trouble... but the alternative is to put up with those who will do exactly as they wish without regard for others or the world... Its hard to DM in softly softly mode when you are being argued with over every decision or piece of Middle Earth direction or Guidance offered.

Things we MAY address: Alignments and class issues, races and class issues, race and alignment restrictions, non participation in the community and deliberate, self imposed ignorance of the zeitgeist of the server. Parties running about with nothing to say to each other, making no apparent effort to RP with each other.

Basically I was told that, too many are making a mockery of that whole idea we had (of creating a server true to the spirit of Middle Earth and the inspiring works of JRRT) and it will be offline till we change some things.

To all our excellent players - I appologise to you on behalf of the Dev team for taking the toys away for a while and I hope that any changes we make will be understood as being in the interest of the community at large, and improvements to the server.

Hopefully Kev will post here and clear this up better than this old greybeard...

*Gandalf disappears and launches the NWN toolset*

[dsan1]

nooooooooo! i just got some days free!!! pleeeeezzze!!!

there's so much rp going on on the server! i really can imagine how much it must p**s the dev team off seeing some immature players running around for hack'n slash, looting and stupid ooc dialogues but i strongly want to recommend to ignore this!

you will surely never get the "pure rp server" you are looking for! there will always be newbies and immature players who simply don't care. still one must search for a long while before finding a server with that much rp in it!

i also must say that those immature players also demand patience! when i started to play utt1 last may or june i was oocing, soloing (nearly all of the time when morez wasn't with me!) and making all kinds of mistakes when i attempted to rp with someone (i didn't get even one dm-tell for all that, i don't know why, because i played really bad) . this is the first pw i play in!
after a few months i adapted the style of play here and now i wouldn't want it otherwise! i am sure most of the people will learn or leave, for the others you have measures to take such as banning or whatever.

utt2 is just great! don't get frustrated because of a minority of stupid players! pleeeeeeeeeeezzze!

see you!

dsan1

[Danae]

I agree with Dsan.... it would be a pity if the server went down for a few days. I think the roleplay on this server is amazing for a NWN server. I've seen quite a few which were considered to be good rp servers, but here it is even better. So indeed, please don't let some few rotten apples spoil it for the other players...

[Rodorick]

Not sure what we hope to accomplish by taking the server down just so we can look at ways to better enforce our rules. I have no idea who is 'making a mockery' of this server, but if they are players, ban them. If they aren't, ignore them. Everyone I can see here involved with maintaining this server is doing their best in their SPARE TIME. If some people think it can be done better, then let them show us an example -- certainly they will not, therefore we can tell them off.

Granted I do not have all the facts, but in the meantime, I can't imagine the abuses being so bad that the server must be taken down. All this will do is get the hard core players interested in trying other servers or other games. Since I play during the middle of the weeknight hours, already there are rarely more than 1-2 people on when I'd like to play. I would hate to see that dwindled to just me, and oh, that's discouraged too.

:(

[Argon Balros]

i think the problem is not how severe the abuse is more the quantaty of it.

i think there are a lot of players that come onto the sever with no regard for the wider comunity after a couple of days of down time many of these will most probably have left.

[Valek-Dark]

Please do what you think is best to solve any problems you've seen in the server. A couple of days won't kill us and if it's to improve things... I guess it's a good thing. :)

In any case I must give my opinion, UTT2 IS indeed the best role-playing pw I've ever played on. I've found some great people and I must say your work is almost perfect to recreate the spirit of Middle Earth. I've certainly learned a lot, when I first got here and started playing Valek Dark I made a LOT of mistakes... I honestly had no idea how to role-play it properly but some of the people here really helped me and now I think I know a lot more about how to role-play a character properly, which reflects on Richard Wensbane.

I really haven't noticed anything terrible with the server, but since I'm not a DM I don't see a lot of what goes on. My praise goes to all the players as well, good and evil, we all make some mistakes sometimes, even break some rules... but I bet it's not on purpose and a single warning can make a person think about it and change the way they act on the server forever!

In the end, all I can say is that I've had more fun playing here in the past month than I've had in many years of playing all kinds of role-playing games. NWN is by far the best game I've ever played and UTT2 certainly the best world available.

[dsan1]

if it is some days of time-out you need then go ahead and put the server offline! after all this should be FUN for you, not WORK.

i'm not seeing a major problem with other players. i have not been bothered by anyone for at least six weeks now. but as i more or less always play with the same bunch around midnight twice or three times a week i cannot say if the majority of the server is playing that "seriously".

still i am not sure if increasing the amount of rules or concretising them will do any better. there will always be newbies and "black sheep" around. you would have to put a password on the server to prevent that and i am not even sure if this would help. ain't a good idea anyway, passwords would scare away most of the interested players...

[DM_Aule]

As we clarified on IRC, we have no problem with most of our players -- they are a great bunch, in the words of Kev "best players I've ever seen". Thanks for that, please keep up the good style -- you lot are why we bother with all this in the first place.

There was a lot that went pearshaped over the last few days, and it served to wear our patience rather thin. We felt the best way to stop the immediate stuff that was going on was to take the server off for a while. It will be back up soon (hopefully sooner than most seem to think), with quite a few new improvements thrown in that should make life easier for everybody. (Or harder in some cases... hehe... *hides the slight tweaks to the magic system he's been working on behind his back*)

All we ask is a little patience. We felt things could not go on as they were going. We stopped them. We are fixing matters, and your favourite RP world will be back up as soon as possible, that much is certain.

*returns to the forges*

[wyrmwrath]

I think the DMs arent trying to improve rule enforcements so much as gathering thier wits to figure a way to help the players that "dont get it" to "get it". I know that is vague, but what it comes down to is that Kev made the server with a specific RPing philosophy/paradigm/mindset ...in mind so to speak. He created the server world with this mindset as a blueprint, with the hope of attracting other players that shared said mindset, and attracting players that didnt havethe same mindset and teaching them " a better way". The issue, as I interpret the posts and recent issues, is that there are players on the server that dont share that mindeset, wont share that mindset, refuse to even examine that mindset, or scoff at that mindset all by the way they play here.

I have been gaming for 28 years, and I have seen one comoon thread in the gamer (those that {table top}role play for a hobby} personality. Gamers, being above average intellegence, typicaly are egocentric and thionk they have a better way to do...whatever. Its a hand in hand situation since thier hobby is about creative problem solving and alternate personality speculation (in simpler terms, they play games where they always have to MacGuyver thier fat out of the fire and pretent to be somone that thinks differently at the same time).

Problem is, the server wasnt created so players come play there way, it was made so players could share/experience/ learn about Kevs vision.

See if this helps...You own Microsoft, you built it from the ground up, you hired people to work for you and enjoy the benefits of your work. But whenever you come to work, the employees are griping about how things would be better if it was run thier way...and no two people share the same ideas about the topic. I think after a while you as the owner would go bananas.

Or....I could be totaly off base and the DMs are plotting our painful re-education of the server s divine mandates...

[Lorien]

We're not trying to force a view as such on anyone, but we would like people who play here to:
1) Obey the server rules
2) Take a pro-active role in the community (nad by this I mean at least read the forums, if not add ideas/comments themselves).

Howeevr over the last few days we have witnessed time and time again people discussing the mathmatics of beating certain creatures (and I don't mean 'its a creature of fire, it may be weaker against ice' Imean 'If 'x' has 1500hp, we should be able to defeat it with 'y' number of Acid Bombs' and this has been in the talk/party channels - both of which are RP/IC channels). We've had people return to an area, straight after having been there with DM supervision, for the loot - pure and simple. We've had people adding their own spin to the PvP rules or ignoring them totally and causing other players grief.

I would point out 3 rules/facts about this server.

1) Metagaming (using player knowledge to aid yourself against the creatures in the server) is against the rules.

2) Returning to an area in hte same server session (even if its empty) is against the rules.

3) PvP is supposed to be the exception not the norm, through th majority of UTT1 (until a rather messy stage at the end) the majority of PvP took place during DM events - and this caused pratically no grief/complaints. Now it isn't a rule that PvP is limited to DM events, and I don't think its likely to be but it IS a server rule that people should be able to RP their way around PvP and that insults isn't justification for PvP. If people are going to continue toignore this maybe we will have to change the approach to PvP on the server - but I will reiterate IT IS NOT SOMTHING YOU FORCE UPON OTHER PLAYERS - EVER!

The first 2 of the above are RULES that are being ignored by players - part of this downtime is to sort out what can be done about this to stop it happening.

The 3rd is a part of rules/spirit/guideline of the server and is just as frequently being ignored - this is somthing else we will be looking at over the next day or so to se what we can do to prevent this.

It would be a pity if we had to change the PvP setting on the server, personally I would be against doing this - but if people are going to keep abusing the spirit of PvP/the PvP rules, they may force us to look at the setting.

I will say again PvP should not be the norm, nor should it be forced upon other players, anyone doing this is breaking the rules.

[SNarfel]

I dont like PvP in most cases... but would hate to see the server become no PvP.

I would also like to thank Kev and his team on the countless hours of fun I have had on the server.

It must be realy dishaertening for you when people abuse things and as you can see from the posts pretty much every one that takes part in the forums is behind you and supportive of your efforts to imrove things, (although upset that it has come to this due to the bad apples).

Hope you guys can sort things out soon.:)

[Argon Balros]

i'm looking forward excitedly to these changes :)

[DM_Kev]

Ok folks, sorry for not posting immediately, but I took the time to plan what will be done. Hopefully I can answer questions being asked here and on our IRC server.

The upshot of everything, ultimatelty, is; We are getting fed up with a few things. Not the game, not NWN, some specific things happening on the server.

When UTT2 was launched, it was doing great. Through solving teething problems and the gradual introduction of new and better ideas, we had, and still do, arguably the best quality Middle Earth module in the roleplay category, and probbaly the best in overall quality if you are looking for a middle earth environment.

But some of the problems are starting to rear their heads. We made a number of new rules using the prc which worked well, but over time, it seems some people are testing the rules to the limit, taking advantage of things which we thought people would be sensible to realise are wrong and wouldnt need restricting.

We also have a problem that the environment is starting to appear unrealistic in terms of Middle Earth because good characters are openly becoming friends with evil characters who are more than well known for their wicked deeds. Only the other night we had good characters seeking the support of evil characters to kill a specific monster, an adventure, which a DM later discovered was simply about getting its items. That is when things turn bad and become a habbit - conversations revolved around calculating how many hits it would take to drain a certain amount of hitpoints off it.

Another problem was seeing a small number of parties, though usually the same combination of characters not speaking to one another at all. Even for a rest, they just set camp silently, rested and completed the rest of the quest without a word.

Some of the responsibility we can bear. We need more readily available advice for those who know little or nothing about Middle Earth, and we should make all game information readily available.

This is whats going to happen before we go back online:

- A MERP UK manual will be made, containing everything about the game and its customisations. It will also have a Middle Earth compliant character creation guide. It will be downloadable on the ftp. The rules will require that the creation guide has been followed, so easy to spot offenders.

- The servervault will NOT be wiped!

- Previously identified trouble makers or those not roleplaying will be deleted.

- PRC rules will be tightened

- Our own custom banning system will be used, banning ip's and CD Keys. This will replace the deletion system.

Im sorry that the players this doesn't apply to have had to be inconvienienced like this. Normally we would just get rid of the trouble and carry on, but we are tightening things up for your interests. People will have an opportunity to take things on board - if they dont we will ban them and relive you and us of the headache.

[clone number 3]

Can't say that I'm not a little disappointed with the recent turn of events, but hopefully this action will turn out to be for the good of all decent people connected with this server. *fingers crossed that it's back up & running by Sunday*;)

[SNarfel]

Aye clone.... certainly hope so.. nudge nudge... wink wink....:)

[Azmar]

Well I go away on business for a few days, and look what happens?

Well after reading all the posts for the server down *laughs*, after I grab a beer and sit down behind my PC poised for another session!

Oh well suppose I will have to spend time with the wife and watch some TV......oh no has it come to this?;(

[ULF]

when is this server up again?

[Shiryu]

ULF, no requests, no demands, no worries !

It will be up when it's ready, again. Chill !

:)

[ULF]

haha yeah, but this server is so fun.
and I cant play for a week, this was my last weekend, I thought I could play as a little diepointed..

[clone number 3]

Is it just me, or are Sundays really boring?

[wyrmwrath]

Its just you.

[ULF]

I hate sundays..

[DM_Kev]

The revised module is now uploading. Expect things to be back to normal by 21:00 GMT at the latest.

Please make sure that you have read the player manual as it has a number of measures in it to improve our Middle Earth environment.

[SNarfel]

Originally posted by clone number 3
Is it just me, or are Sundays really boring?

Definetly boring... if you have nothing to do ;-)

[stormbringerii]

Um just where exactly does one find this player manual for download..i can't seem to find it.

[Aarak]

here

http://ftp.wireplay.co.uk/pub/neverwinternights/MERPUKmanual.txt

[wyrmwrath]

I think my PCs are inline with the new manual, should one of the players find we have a PC that isnt in line with it, will it be re-leveled if that will fix the issue and need to be re-built if it wont?

[DM_Kev]

It would almost certainly mean a rebuild, which takes a lot of time and im not prepared to do - VERY tedious.