Dev Team Banning players to hide discontent

[Rune_74]

I have been a long time supporter of the game until recently when they started their draconian moderation. I posted my opinions that they were rushing the game out the door in July and that the focus of the game had shifted dramatically since the kick starter.

I recently received an infraction from them(one of many I have got that are of the similar variety) stating I had gained a infaraction points of (x) whatever that means.

They have rules on the forums, that don't apply to every member and that seem to be made of Jello. If you do something they don't like or say something they don't like they will bend the rules to "enforce" them.

here is the current infraction I received before my permanent ban:


rune_74,

Your actions in this message (Rant on Travel) are not appropriate. We cannot allow users to be abusive, overly aggressive, or to "troll". Your message has been removed or altered.

Content Moderated: If you have never seen him complain then you haven't read his other threads about the same thing. This isn't the first time he has brought this up.

Reason: Personal Attack

Rule Violated: Act with Virtue: Treat others as you would want to be treated. We are all people united under the same banner, with similar hopes and many different opinions. Show respect for one another, disagree with grace, and offer opinions with humility. And sheath those swords… there are absolutely no personal attacks allowed.

Your account has been issued <#> warning points for this action. Accumulating additional warning points may result in restrictions placed on your accounts access. Please keep this in mind when posting or using our site

Any concerns you have about this action can be forwarded [email protected].


Now, I didn't bother to fight this because I tried in the past and sent an email of to support complaining about their community manager firelotus, and got a response back that Firelotus will take it into consideration. So basically moderating herself.

Now, I won't hide the fact that I have received many moderation infractions of a similar nature. This is the norm on those boards, if they don't like you they bundle these up.

Realizing I couldn't deal with the support email I posted a message on their steam forums asking for my money back since I could no longer participate in the game discussions. I included the infraction I got in the message, I then was banned permanently from steam because I apparently: distributed private data. One would assume my infraction is my own private data, why hide this?

It is important to note that members on their forums can attack you at will as long as they support the developers with financial kickbacks or in other ways and are not critical of game decisions.

I have received crazy infractions such as Slippery slope, which seems completely unprofessional.

The truth of the matter is once you get on the bad side of the moderating staff there for whatever reason you can basically assume you will get banned.

This is a shameful way for a company to treat it's backers and a shameful way to cover up their behavior. The high paying backers run this game and have changed it into a have and have not mentality with this false belief that the average backer has any say.

Stay away from this.

 

[Themo Lock]

I am not a huge fan of the official forum, but this post is about as accurate as a one armed, blind marksman.

 

[Rune_74]

I am not a huge fan of the official forum, but this post is about as accurate as a one armed, blind marksman.

Sure it isn't accurate, lets lie about what they did, you know like the infraction I quoted that they sent me...I have many more the same.

 

[Themo Lock]

Everybody gets moderated Rune, you will likely find the same is true here.

 

[Taylor]

I'm rune_74, probably the most hated person on the shroud forums

Being subversive, contrary, and pessimistic is your brand. It's how you represented yourself here in your first ten words. Has its drawbacks in terms of warning points, but come'on, you love it.

 

[Rune_74]

Being subversive, contrary, and pessimistic is your brand. It's how you represented yourself here in your first ten words. Has its drawbacks in terms of warning points, but come'on, you love it.

That was a bit of a joke message. With over 4500 posts and 8500 or so likes I'm not the most hated by the regular folks. I would say I wasn't much liked by the big investors and inner circle people. I genealogy did not agree to anything that was not good for the game or blatantly self serving for big spenders.

Regardless, that infraction I got wouldn't be an infraction on any board that I can think of. That was the norm for my infractions, themo was quick to call me a liar, but I'm not sure what proof he has on that....back last Aug I sold off most of my account because they infraction me for the most inane reasons...slippery slope was one of them..now you might ask why didn't I complain to support? Well I did that. .kept this all behind closed doors but... the person I was complaining too was the person doing the moderating. She moderated herself.

So I got a permanent ban for having 25 infractions like the one in the op. I never used offensive language, racist remarks....nothing...I just didn't agree with some of the choices. Even then I posted threads to get things fixed like my recent threads on cities and the map.

Now granted I didn't have direct deb access like our friend themo here.

 

[Rune_74]

BTW sort for any typoes I'm on a phone.

 

[Envy]

I have been a long time supporter of the game until recently when they started their draconian moderation. I posted my opinions that they were rushing the game out the door in July and that the focus of the game had shifted dramatically since the kick starter.

I recently received an infraction from them(one of many I have got that are of the similar variety) stating I had gained a infaraction points of (x) whatever that means.

Basically if you gain 'x' amount of points your behavior history is essentially fully reviewed and a decision is taken regarding ban/perma ban.

Now, I won't hide the fact that I have received many moderation infractions of a similar nature.

Which is why I expect you ended up being banned.

Realizing I couldn't deal with the support email I posted a message on their steam forums asking for my money back since I could no longer participate in the game discussions.

You know as well as anyone else regarding refunds over the game. Also just because you got banned from the forums doesn't mean that your banned from the game.

I then was banned permanently from steam because I apparently: distributed private data. One would assume my infraction is my own private data, why hide this?

I would also add that if you were banned from the official forum you would likely be banned from the official steam forum as well once your identity was clear. However I would suggest emailing them to establish exactly what this means.

This is a shameful way for a company to treat it's backers and a shameful way to cover up their behavior. The high paying backers run this game and have changed it into a have and have not mentality with this false belief that the average backer has any say.

Stay away from this.

I'm the first to say that I don't agree with the way in which the official forum moderates players...... which is why I left. In saying that if pretty much every post you make is negative, provocative and not constructive you will end up warnings.......ignore the warnings you will end up with a ban......come back after a ban and continue then you will get perma-banned. I wouldn't expect anything less from any company.

Personally, I hate the forums but I think the game is great

 

[Rune_74]

My point wasn't how you get banned, it is how they do it. When you get infractions like the one I quoted in the main post, who would expect that? Who get infractions for things like slippery slope? Of course you can get so many points when the decks are stacked against you.

My other point was that you can't even complain about it because it goes to the person you are complaining about.

It's too bad I can't list the last 20 threads I made, the majority were threads on how to improve the game. I was very vocal on their new launch plan, but as a backer that is within my rights just as any other poster can tell them how much they love them. If you break the rules I get that you should be infracted, however if the rules move to make you break those rules it is moderating to silence.

The good news for a lot though, is that if I'm gone out of there it means one less of us left to say anything about the story or single player and they can get back to developing their MMO.

 

[LiquidSolidity]

My point wasn't how you get banned, it is how they do it. When you get infractions like the one I quoted in the main post, who would expect that? Who get infractions for things like slippery slope? Of course you can get so many points when the decks are stacked against you.

My other point was that you can't even complain about it because it goes to the person you are complaining about.

It's too bad I can't list the last 20 threads I made, the majority were threads on how to improve the game. I was very vocal on their new launch plan, but as a backer that is within my rights just as any other poster can tell them how much they love them. If you break the rules I get that you should be infracted, however if the rules move to make you break those rules it is moderating to silence.

The good news for a lot though, is that if I'm gone out of there it means one less of us left to say anything about the story or single player and they can get back to developing their MMO.

Although you brought up a lot of great feedback over the last couple of years on the official forums, you mainly wrote rants about how you disliked the game. Every time I looked at the forums you were bringing up more and more negative aspects of the game. No body wants to read hundreds of negative posts over and over again, saying pretty much the same thing. You seem to be pretty much obsessed with the game on a negative level. Now you have brought your toxic attitude here. I can understand that you don't like the game - there is plenty wrong with it at the moment, but I have faith that the developers are steering it in the right direction. I don't think the developers had any other option but to ban you.

 

[Jack Knyfe]

Rune has the distinction of being the first person I ignored on the official forums.

Thanks to the responses seen here, I see no reason to do so on these forums.

 

[Sean]

Rune has the distinction of being the first person I ignored on the official forums.

Thanks to the responses seen here, I see no reason to do so on these forums.

Did the same thing, just too toxic. If your that disgusted with a game just leave. Never understood the mentality of continued rants ( especially when filled with lies and innuendo)...move on, life is too short.

 

[Winterhawk]

I do not post on the official forums I read them for the updates. Everyone is too sensitive over there and are not friendly to new persons that might look negative but just annoyed trying to learn a new game. They would see my annoyance with game stuff as dissing right off the bat instead trying to help so that isnt so frustrating learning new game. Which is why I came here someone told me a person named Themo was on this forum that could help with my combat. A Big thanks to him btw I'm doing much better as I level now. For runes post does not look all that bad to me, why not put on the ignore list and move on if someone disagrees?

 

[InsaneMembrane]

Lol, you guys crack me up! I my friends, was toxic. If you aren't exaggerating the issue and actually do think rune is toxic then you must have considered me the antichrist himself. Makes sense, y'all doxxed me and everything after all was said and done.

I don't think the developers had any other option but to ban you.

Instead of banning someone with a contrary opinion, which by the way Richard Garriott himself encourages everyone to express, perhaps the developers should have spoken to him like an adult.

 

[Themo Lock]

^ There ya go Rune, that guy has a forum you would enjoy.

 

[InsaneMembrane]

It is still there, I think, I have dropped it earlier this week. Also, this shall be my last post on Stratics too.

Goodbye, and you're welcome.

 

[Envy]

I think the bottom line is that everybody is entitled to an opinion. Even the negative opinions can turn out to be positive provided they are constructive as they can help make the game better. A lot of people don't even mind the forum 'PvP' provided it doesn't turn offensive and kept on topic.

In saying that, the game will never be for everyone.......If it's clear that you don't enjoy the game or the direction, it is far better to take a break and return at a future date on the off chance it meets expectations. If you dislike the game that much that you can't see past your own arguments regardless whether they are valid or not, which in turn leads to endless posts of negativity and misinformation......... why even post? at the end of it, SotA is a game and is there to be enjoyed......if you don't enjoy it, you would be much better off finding a game that you do.

 

[Rune_74]

It's funny you all say I was toxic but can't specifically state which post I made that was toxic.

It's unfortunate. It isn't a discussion with any of you it's a need for you to be right and anyone else who does not agree is an outsider.

I made a list of my last 10 threads I made, they were such toxic things like The overland map needs work(with ideas on how to do this), What sets the NPC cities apart(with ideas), a bunch of bug reports. The reason I got banned is because the staff believed I posted at that forum. Now, you can all be happy with the direction Baron Dracos and others steer this titanic.

Great good luck to you all, as seen by some of the comments here it doesn't seem like I will be missing much.

Heh, rants indeed.

 

[Alexander Cornfellow]

Mr. Rune,

It's just a game man. One that's getting better every release. I'm sure some of the improvements are based on suggestions you've instigated. But it's just a game. My suggestion would be to redirect the energy towards improving real life all around you. Find another hobby, something that really floats you boat. Buy some flowers for your partner--or fall in love. Drink an ice cold Sam Adams. Bowling can be fun. There's so much more to life than getting yourself all worked up about a game. But I'm sure you know all this. Just a reminder.

Cheers,
Cornfellow