Rule Change-

[Nikolas_Wolfe]

So, I feel the need to express this huge gap in the rules, and explain why they aren't fair in my personal opinion.

DISCLAIMER------

This is meant as a general discussion, no hate to anyone.
Please keep all comments as a peaceful discussion.

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So as I am sure most of us are aware, there is a rule against using profanity.

But here is the kicker, there is an option in game to remove the chat filter, allowing you to see and use profanity....

Is it just me or does that feel like a generally obvious error.

I am sure hundreds upon thousands of players have received suspensions and restrictions because of this rule, and in my opinion, it isn't fair in the slightest.

Why would you make an option to remove the chat filter, if only to punish players who use profanity?

And I don't mean harassing, attacking, slur profanity. I mean general MMO banter.

If someone reports you for this, you receive an instant suspension.

Now that isn't fair at all on 2 levels-

1. You have the option to remove the filter, which means you are allowing players to use such language

2. If someone reports you for this, they have the ability to see the profanity used and have obviously removed their filter, so they agreed to the risks of removing said filter.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that this game is meant for players 13 years and up, but I can accurately say that when we all were teenagers, we swore up a storm around our friends. Even more so than adults. We weren't offended by profanity.

I feel this is THE most abused report in the entire game. There is no way to prove if a person took offense to something. You can have a bad run and just report someone out of spite and claim you were offended.
Doesn't that feel malicious? It's wrong, and it's unfair.


I am in NO WAY encouraging the use of racial slurs, religious slurs or slurs about orientation. But basic banter is harmless.

I just want to see everyone else's thoughts on the subject.

[SerLuke]

In regards to number 2, that isn’t entirely true I have the filter on I’ve also seen people do lots of things to bypass it.

[Nikolas_Wolfe]

Well that in its own regard is something different. I understand that people bypass the filter, they do so in most other games with a chat filter.

It seems that those who bypass the chat filter do so because they perhaps are unaware of the ability to remove the filter?

But I mean the general use of profanity, without bypassing the filter.

[Arrhin]

I've personally never heard of anyone gettin a suspension fer cussin in chat, shout, yell or otherwise. I bin spendin some time on Balmung lately fer...research purposes.... and sweet Twelve they should all be banned accordin to the rules. I do hope that most GMs would check logs and context before a suspension. It's not that I don believe you, in fact I share yer opinion on the matter of casual cussin, I jus never encountered it and I am indeed known fer me potty mouth at times. Mebbe I jus bin lucky? And for the record, I did once report someone fer hate speech, their name was rather offensive in a sorta 1940's german dictator fashion. I did have to speak with a GM and recount my experience and give permission to access chat logs, they did get back to me apologizin for the incident and notifyin me that said individual was logged out from the game forcefully with the understandin that they must change their name (and that of their birb) to summat more tasteful. I think it was handled well, not how I woulda done it....that woulda got me banned <.< but it was fair fer what was prolly a first offense. If we're down to instabans...well then..I do not agree

[Penthea]

Personally I feel context matters most. Just looking at the slur on its own is rarely enough. The f-word is often used in an emphatic way. For example is saying "I'm so f-ing happy" such a bad thing? Of course not. You don't need to use profanity to be offensive, and not every use of profanity is intended to be offensive.

Of course some words are just bad in any context, such as the n-word. But most of the time words that fall under the profanity category need context to see if the intention was to be rude or not.

I don't know if SE don't care about the context of a word and if it's enough for them if said word was used. I really hope this is not the case, but this is SE and some of their rules regarding behaviour are quite...odd.

[Arrhin]

Also, run on sentences is the best sentences, don ya think?

[Arrhin]

Personally I feel context matters most. Just looking at the slur on its own is rarely enough. The f-word is often used in an emphatic way. For example is saying "I'm so f-ing happy" such a bad thing? Of course not. You don't need to use profanity to be offensive, and not every use of profanity is intended to be offensive.

Of course some words are just bad in any context, such as the n-word. But most of the time words that fall under the profanity category need context to see if the intention was to be rude or not.

I don't know if SE don't care about the context of a word and if it's enough for them if said word was used. I really hope this is not the case, but this is SE and some of their rules regarding behaviour are quite...odd.

Gods, our FC alliance Linkshell is jus a ToS nightmare...BANNED!!!

[DumdogsWorld]

Also, run on sentences is the best sentences, don ya think?

I don't know what a run on sentence is so you should explain it to me and give me some examples and then send me back to grammar class.

Sorry...I'll leave.

[Nikolas_Wolfe]

Context is very important when determining whether or not a report should be acted upon, I only say so in my experience and a few friends. We have been suspended for casual profanity. We never aim harassment at another player, just for emphasis as stated above.

I even tried to explain this to the GM who disregarded pretty much everything I had said.

I feel it's incredibly biased to not view the context.

I also feel we should be told what we were reported for so we can have the chance to explain the context ourselves, as opposed to just being in the dark and unaware of what we have been reported for.

[Arrhin]

I dunno, mebbe since our lil corner has such a broad player base, we got ppl of erry colour n backgrounds..I think we have erry gender and orientation covered. Mebbe since we don venture outside the LS and FC chat as much I've just not paid attention? I guess since our members is vetted pretty hard before they get access to these channels, to make sure they are open minded, good ppl? We sorta pride ourselves on bein a safe place for the slightly off centre folk, so naturally the chat is rather..interestin. But I guess despite all our differences we all share that love of ppl and their differences, open discourse and shared experiences. I've always said if I say summat you don like, or don agree with, I wanna hear about it I wanna know why an lets talk about it. Is the game culture at large less tolerant?