Ok, everyone chill. Here's the facts of the situation and the timeline.
August of last year, there was a joke started here on stratics and it lead to the possibility of electing a mayor of New Haven. It was expected to be more of an honorary title, as there wasn't really anyone "claiming" towns back then. It was meant for more of a comedy relief thing. Something fun. Something light that people in the RP community came up with. Though not many of the RP community use Stratics, it was mentioned here on stratics. There were campaign posters and jokes, and others running besides James. So the joke bled over to the non-rp community. All in good fun.
This lead to a vote that was held at the Knight's Rest on Tavern night. Why there and not New Haven? Because most of the RP community make time on Tuesday nights to be online and because that's where we gather. Also because not a lot of RPers went to New Haven. It was mostly powergamers, spawners, and people dumping off items for new players. It was not, at that time, a RP "hot spot". If we sat up a table there with a book for voting, it would be snatched in 5 minutes. At the Knight's Rest, it could be locked down. I don't wanna hear any crap about "well, ya coulda done it in New Haven to make it fair" or "ya shoulda done it this way, or that way". Screw that. It was never meant to be anything more than a fun curriosity leading to a fun, honorary title. There was no push for different groups "controlling" different towns back then, nor was there an RBG in the current form.
The office was kinda like someone being elected king of the carnival, or grand marshal of a parade, or given the key to a city.
It was not considered, IC or OOC that the mayor would actually have any affect on game politics, guild relations, or the wellfare/rulership of New Haven.
It was purely for FUN. James was perfect for it. We all expected decrees like...anyone that comes into New Haven on Mondays shall have to present a live fish to the bankers. Friday is orange hat day, violators will be snowballed mercilessly. On the thirteenth of each month, visitors to New Haven must speak only in rhymes.
Only relatively recently has Pitr got this whole RBG thing up and running. Its a little different than the established RP community that has been in place since 1997. I think Pitr is trying to integrate the RBG into the existing community, and that is fine. We could always use more role players.
Now, here is the problem.... while its an admirable thing, wanting unity and all, the established community will NOT take kindly to re-writing shard history and expecting us to drop something we are already playing out just because the "new blood" has come up with an idea that contradicts something already in place and the RBG didn't check to see if that was the case. James was the mayor as elected by the RP community that existed at the time and it hasn't even been a year since that election. The RBG has come along and wants there to be a more serious, less "honorary" mayor. To complicate this more, there is an NPC with the title "Mayor of New Haven".
My personal opinion on the matter is towns should not be claimed in an "official" manner by any guild or person unless the following criteria is met:
1.) There is one unified Role Playing Community. We aren't quite there yet.
2.) There can't be an NPC in place with the name of the office that a player wants to hold. Mesanna could fix that by hiding the NPC in Haven or changing the name, I think. I'm not sure if she is part of a Quest chain, that would complicate things.
3.) If the RP Community wants to start claiming rulership of towns, like they are playing officially recognized representatives of Queen Dawn, the *unified* RP Community will have to have the cooperation and blessing of Kasaven and Nathaniel. If your guild is taking it upon itself to PROTECT a town, that's fine. Claiming to be part of that town's GOVERNMENT will lead to all kinds of problems and confusion and hurt feelings unless its sanctioned by the EMs. Kinda like,...oh, I dunno...NOW??
So, if we wanna fix this, here are the solutions as I see them.
1.) Unified RP Community, following the same ROE, full of players that are actually here to Role Play, not just be themselves behind a toon, participating in a Trammel version of Factions. Then we could speak to the EMs and maybe have SANCTIONED town governments, fair elections, and players doing the parts of the officials instead of a stagnant NPC....that is, of course, if QUEEN Dawn would allow any form of democracy. She may be a good but controlling dictator who appoints all officials. Who knows?
2.) No "official" town governments controlled by players of any type. Sure, one or more guilds could *protect* a town and that militia could hold elections for civilian liasons between, for example, the RBG of New Haven and the residents and visitors of the town. You'll just need to come up with a title that sounds a little less like you are part of Queen Dawn's monarchy or government.
All that being said, everyone is taking this WAY too far. Stop fighting, start fixing. If this is the direction RP is going to go, we have to be on the same page or no one is going to have any fun and its not gonna work. And if we are going to be one big community, it will NOT be at the expense of trampling on the existing community.
