Character name can't be hidden.

[Atomic_Skull]

The only thing this will achieve is to annoy a lot of users. Any imagined "positive" effect will be defeated by those same users selecting a level 1 mule. Some may just stop posting at all.

So all it will achieve is to annoy a bunch of people and drive some people away. So why waste time on this at all?

[Karbuncle]

The only thing this will achieve is to annoy a lot of users. Any imagined "positive" effect will be defeated by those same users selecting a level 1 mule. Some may just stop posting at all.

So all it will achieve is to annoy a bunch of people and drive some people away. So why waste time on this at all?

I should note i'm not "for" this idea. i agree its entirely pointless. It accomplishes nothing other than us removing a little anonymity from the boards.

Just that its not going to black out the sun and destroy the forums >__>. I don't think its negatives are devastating, but i also don't see a lot of positives.

My guess would be they instated this just so people might be able to know eachother a little more, but its mandatory, so theres something else behind it if you ask me.

[Runespider]

And folks...We can use a mule. All this stuff we're talking about isn't a prob because you can use a mule. And since you can use a mule there really isn't a reason to not let us have a hide option, but its still no problem right now since we can use a mule. Jeez. 13 pages.

If you were to be a real cynic you could suggest the reason for forced accountlinking and the probablility of using a mule would bea good way to get a few extra $1 a month.

[Alhanelem]

BG is not devoted to tracking players they don't like. If you're talking about the "Cross-Server Warning" sub-Section. its not devoted to people BG hates, It tracks people who have performed terrible deeds in their past in an attempt to keep others from falling victim to these players bad deeds.

As they have been shown to repeat said deeds.

whether you intend for it to be or not, you're effectively maintaining a s**tlist of bad people. It's not to say they don't deserve it, only that it's not really necessary. Also, it's subjective how "terrible" the deed was, and people can lie about others to defame them. And the internet in general finds a lie easier to accept than the truth. Even if it's well-intentioned, it can go wrong.

Side note: It's only 7 pages here. You can increase the number of posts per page, I have it set to 20.

[Karbuncle]

whether you intend for it to be or not, you're effectively maintaining a s**tlist of bad people. It's not to say they don't deserve it, only that it's not really necessary. Also, it's subjective how "terrible" the deed was, and people can lie about others to defame them. And the internet in general finds a lie easier to accept than the truth. Even if it's well-intentioned, it can go wrong.

Those threads are moderated pretty heavily. Only the really bad stuff is even on there anymore. The only one i can think of right now "active" is futchy. (I had to read back through them...)

Dallas made it sound more like "The entire forum is dedicated to finding people and harassing them" and this is completely untrue. I know im wasting my time explaining this becuase people who hate BG usually hate it to such a unrealistic extreme i have no hope of convincing them otherwise, but i'll still try.

I agree its "unnecessary" but i also see absolutely NOTHING negative about keeping track of a guy who has f*cked multiple people over on multiple servers time and time over and has shown he is WILLING and ready to continue doing it as much as possible.

It isn't FFXIAH-level "Player Warnings" the thread in the BG Cross-Server Warnings are again, heavily moderated, You can't really go in there and say "XX guy did YY" and get away with it without proof. it will either be locked or nuked.

Edit: Plus most people really don't care about the Player Warning Section... So it does seem almost for naught. I'm sure if you asked a lot of players today none of them would know who Futchy Was.

[Greatguardian]

Warnings that don't come with photographic evidence or basically an admission of guilt from the party in question are generally laughed off the boards.

BG just informs its own when people do things worthy of a multi-server warning. It's not a craplist, or a hitlist. It's a compendium of really bad things people have done. It promotes accountability. See? There's that word again.

If you Quartermastered some linkshell's Ridill in 2005, and it got put up on BG, I'm going to know about it when you apply to a linkshell in 2011. And depending on the mood of the recruiter, you will have to explain yourself, or you will be told to get lost.

[katz]

Warnings that don't come with photographic evidence or basically an admission of guilt from the party in question are generally laughed off the boards.

BG just informs its own when people do things worthy of a multi-server warning. It's not a craplist, or a hitlist. It's a compendium of really bad things people have done. It promotes accountability. See? There's that word again.

If you Quartermastered some linkshell's Ridill in 2005, and it got put up on BG, I'm going to know about it when you apply to a linkshell in 2011. And depending on the mood of the recruiter, you will have to explain yourself, or you will be told to get lost.

Urm really......Forums shouldnt be used as a witch hunting mechanism. Most people just play the game to have fun. Those who take it to this level really need to examine why they waste time in the game looking for how bad other people are and a few bad eggs dont break good shells. Its the drama caused by witch hunts that do.

It doesnt matter what we say in this topic if its been decided then thats what we will be getting. Link your chars or get out of the forum simple choice.

[Karbuncle]

Urm really......Forums shouldnt be used as a witch hunting mechanism. Most people just play the game to have fun. Those who take it to this level really need to examine why they waste time in the game looking for how bad other people are and a few bad eggs dont break good shells. Its the drama caused by witch hunts that do.

It doesnt matter what we say in this topic if its been decided then thats what we will be getting. Link your chars or get out of the forum simple choice.

Nobody "Witch hunts" these people and nobody goes out of their way to harass people who have done nothing wrong. The BG "Warning" Section is really little more than a place where people who have done shameful, shady, or cruel things repeatedly are shown to warn others of their misdeeds. Its not meant to be a halt to their progress, It simply stands as a warning to be cautious with said people as in the past they've done bad things.

Again, Its not to ruin their gaming experience, Its to educate other people so that they can be cautious. I don't think I'm wording this correctly, what i'm trying to say its intention is not to "Witchhunt" these people, Its to educate others of their bad deeds to limit it from happening again.

I also don't think you understand the meaning of the term "Witch Hunt". It stands for an act where, due to paranoia or miseducations, people will hunt large masses of people under false assumptions and remove/kill them for it. Its based off the Salem Witch Trials where even being accused of being a witch was more than likely deadly.

a Player Warning is very far from a "Witch-hunt". They don't seek people out to burn them at the stake. The information rarely leaves that small sub-section. Its nothing more than a tool that can educate people to be cautious of certain players. I hate to repeat myself, but again, Its not meant to be a "DONT PLAY WITH THEM BRO" its more of a "If you're going to play with them, be cautious of this and this"

[Byrth]

I don't know what's wrong with knowing the history of the people who apply to your linkshell. Do you guys want to remain ignorant of the fact that your friends have quartermastered alliance drops, that your e-gf is a baritone named Barry, or that Joe the Aegis got his Aegis by stealing his LS bank and RMTing what he didn't need?

Maybe ignorance is bliss (especially in the second case), but I'd rather know what to expect before they repeat their offenses. In FFXI, your reputation is the most important form of currency. Threads and systems like BG's player warnings and background checks make sure that this stays true even with the server transfer system. Some people (not from BG, that I know) are so committed to this idea that they made a whole website devoted to tracking a bad player.

Also, if there's no proof of a misdeed or the community judges the offense to be minor, it reflects more poorly on the person who brought the claims than the person they're trying to smear.

Point is, freaking out about less specific information than I could get about you and your account through the Linkshell Community website is a waste of time. If I made a level 1 mule and ran around spamming check on people, I'd collect a heck of a lot more information. Etc.

[Daremo]

Dozens of people know my real name and address, so I should put both on a giant billboard above a main street, because anyone could find them out, right? No.

Having information accessible to those who might care to search for it and having it advertised for any passer-by to see are not the same thing.