Please no EverTournament

Different people have different play styles. Some people like to buddy up and some like to go it alone. Personally, I prefer the latter most of the time. I have nothing against the former and actually prefer it myself in some games. My only gripe against people who like to group is that they sometimes assume their "group rules" or etiquette apply to everyone.

While it's purely my own preference/opinion, I hope this server doesn't adopt "everquest" rules, either stated or implied. BEAR IN MIND I'm not an admin/moderator or anything. This is purely my opinion.

First, some quick background if you've never played EverQuest and don't know what I'm talking about. In EQ, there is such a huge emphasis on grouping and the experience requirements are so steep to level up that a whole culture/etiquette has arisen out of the game. These rules cover everything about where you can hunt and what monsters you can kill and when.

While some of these "rules" are reasonable, many are simply ridiculous and totally abused. I actually quit playing EQ because at the higher levels it was the biggest whine-fest you have ever seen. Not to mention, people were so fixated on these "rules" that you were often blamed for something you didn't even do or had no knowledge of. People would talk smack about you on forums and suddenly you had a reputation for being a "griefer".

Here's a basic example: I was running through one area to get to another. A pretty low level guy I passed got killed. He started shouting to everyone that I was total jerk because I didn't stop and help him, didn't heal him, watched him die, etc. At the time, I was using autorun just to get where I was going and probably eating a ham sandwich in real life (i.e. not paying much attention to the game) and didn't even notice him. But now I'm a big jerk.

This is the classic case where etiquette: "the right and noble thing to do is help the low level guy", turns into: "higher level players are obligated to help lower level players".

I see this same sort of thing happening in UT.

Etiquette: "Hey, you died and dropped a nice weapon. You want it back?"

Turns into: "I died and I saw you picked up my weapon. I'd like it back now."

Here's some more examples.

EQ Rule One: "This is CAMPED!"

In UT, this translates to, "Hey, I was waiting for that shield/double-damage/redeemer etc. and you snuck in and stole it!"

In UT I have always played that if you snooze, you lose. This is the only way to be fair. Played any other way it turns into "That was mine!" "No, it was mine!" "Well I'm not helping you anymore and I'm telling all my friends not to like you!"

If you got it, it's yours. If you missed it, tough tacos. Just because you stood next to it for five minutes doesn't mean you have any sort of claim to it when it spawns. This is particularly a problem with two people running for something and the whole "I saw it first" mentality.

EQ Rule Two: "I'm a new player, give me xyz to help me!" Variation: "I'm a new player/I'm almost dead, why didn't you leave the shield/health for me?" Variation three: "HEAL ME HEAL ME HEAL ME!"

This is already in the rules, I believe, but please, no begging or entitlement. Even when it's not begging. Even when it's a friendly "mind if I get one of those?" To the person being asked it's a huge distraction. I'm here to kill monsters. If someone offers up a weapon, haul your butt to that spawn point but if you see something shiny in someone's hands and the person is not offering it, then it's not on offer! If you're pals with someone that's one thing. But asking random people for weapons is begging in my opinion.

EQ Rule Three: "The Loot Theif"

If you kill a monster and an artifact pops out, it's fair game. If you had any "ownership rights" then when you killed a monster with an artifact it would simply show up in your inventory rather than fall on the ground five feet away. The game was designed with the idea that people would go for the artifacts like ducks to bread.

If the person offers to give it to you, great. If they don't, it's gone. Don't ask for it. Don't demand it. You don't "own" it because you killed the creature that dropped it.

Same thing with lucky weapons. Just because your lucky weapon spawned a shield doesn't mean you own it.

Same thing if you die. If someone picks up your weapon and offers to give it back, great. If they don't, get over it and move on. If you really want that weapon so bad, get Denial.

Before anyone accuses me of being a jerk for playing this way, you need to understand that I've played the other way (the EQ way) and I know that by and large it doesn't work. From a practical standpoint, it's hardly enforceable. Things break down, and rather than keeping things civil, it actually creates dis-harmony. The inevitable arguments start because someone didn't follow "the rules".

That's why I don't go along with such modes of etiquette. In the end, they don't work and someone percieves they got cheated while someone else gets falsly accused.

I bring this topic up for two reasons. First because as I said, these sorts of rules generally break down when forced on "everyone". You have rules with your buddies? Fine. But those rules don't apply to "everyone". Second, lately I've run up against other player's "rules" and I see that as an alarming trend.

Have your rules, but understand that the only rules a player should be expected to follow are the ones set forth by the server owner.

Well on this server, there arent many etiquette problems and arguements at all (i actually have never seen an argument on this server) simply because pretty much all the players are cool people that treat the server as a place to chill, have some fun and socialise with the other players and not a living like EQ players treat EQ.

Not everything should be so "black and white", "take - don't take". Here is my view:
In UT I have always played that if you snooze, you lose.

You just can't play that way and expect others to respect your wishes. In the case of the person waiting for the double damage, if it the middle of a match and he's just standing there, then go ahead and take it, he could be afk. If it's between matches and he's standing next to it, it's because it's a timed object and there's no need to waste it during a countdown.

In the times before grocery stores people had to hunt for their food. If I shot something and it took me a few minutes to get there and when I did, I saw you dragging off my kill, I would ask for it back not expecting a "if you snooze, you lose" attitude. Same goes for UT. I expect to harvest anything and everything I kill, if I have it already or don't want it I usually say "go for it". Any time I pick up someone elses artifact, I make it a point to stand there for a few seconds and wait for the person to come over and I give it to them.

Concering the weapons. It's true, if you pick it up it's yours to give back or to keep for yourself. It's funny though to see the players lunging toward a players corpse to gather his stuff.

On a final note this is something that's been bugging me (maybe I'm just petty). On many occasions I will hear specific players (VERY high level) being offered nice weapons (sometimes even worpols, sp.). This is fine, they've earned their position and they're being respected. What bothers me is when later in the same match an open invitation is given to anyone to take a nice weapon and the same player usually is the first to say "I'll take it". There have even been times when someone else will say "I'll take it" but this player still says "I'll take it, where are you?" and runs as fast as he can to get it.

My point in this is give others a chance, If I get a vampiric or energy weapon I'll search out known adrenaline junkies just because I know they unselfishly upgrade weapons for others.

Anyway, I'm tired and going to bed, rip me apart if you have to because I'm soiled of of your great ones.

There have already been a number of posts on etiquette. Please post what comments you feel are necessary in the main post :

http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1273.page

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