[UO.Com] Publish 81 Updated on TC1

[Kyronix]

Is this through the EM system (who will be playing the King per shard), and based on breaking let's call it the Fourth Wall of roleplay behaviour and thus the ToS of Ultima Online... or is it through a mechanic in game, like the elections themselves are?

Because if it's the former, how do you prevent the easy cop out of "I'm roleplaying a villain!" ... or "I won the election, so I can make what ever clique I want?". We recently had an attempt to honor the winner of competitions on Europa with statues in Castle Blackthorn, where the winner of the first round spent the next rounds abusing the winners of those, spamming over the EMs demanding his recognition before events can continue, and just being abusive in general. But by the rules... he won. The EMs were only able to reconsider when chat logs were submitted which proved he'd broken the wider rules of the games with his language. But if he hadn't? If he'd just been obnoxious...? No one else wanted to see him so honoured, but they couldn't stop him until he crossed that larger line. Do you think we wanted to see him centre stage every time we went into the castle if we hadn't been so able?

And if it's the latter... if people are just going to game the system to win the election, how are you going to stop them gaming the second steps to remove them in turn? Who says they won't be the concerned citizen reporting the actual roleplayers out of spite?

This isn't a theoretical question; this is Ultima Online here, a game which wrote the book on anti-social gameplay being excused as roleplaying. On Europa our Lord Protector arc was marred by huge amounts of dubious voting, about 30 actual participants at the EM events, but around 700 votes cast in total. The Mini House deed contest was completely broken by it. Can you not see how detrimental to community it will be to let just one poisonous apple bob to the top in the public eye in game? It would be far better to have voted for the bonus, not someone who gets to set the bonus and then give his friends special titles.

If I were a citizen of the City in question I would do two things...firstly I would organize a plot to assassinate the Governor in question and would rally an underground resistance and stage a coup. If I was going for the assassination I would devise some way to lure my target to a place where he can be easily killed. Surely the Governor isn't going to blindly follow me into Felucca so I will need to be more cunning than that. This job is going to require some assistance. I'd begin peppering the streets of the City with recruitment propaganda to entice those in agreement with me to join my cause. When our numbers have grown to a formidable size I would build a settlement in Felucca. I would petition the Crown for a dedication ceremony for our new frontier, inviting all the Governors to attend. Surely questions of security will arise, and so I will need to bribe some Guards, offering "protection" to visiting dignitaries. When the settlement's "administrator" takes center stage that will be the signal to attack and kill all Governors who do not stand united in our cause!

If a Governor is blatantly breaking the ToS then action will be taken, all Governors accept the responsibilities of their office when they are granted their powers from the City Stone.

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