Important: You can't always sniff out potential offenders before anything happens, and I try to treat everyone very well, even when I have a bone to pick with that person, so this is not a guide to keep sexual harassment 100% off your life, but what works with me to keep it 100% from growing past the point of 'Okay, now I am uncomfortable.' This worked out well with me so far, and I hope it helps someone out there.

1. When it gets to The Point where you are uncomfortable and things have taken a weird turn, do not dwell on 'did I do anything to lead us here'. The important thing is that you are clear, and polite, about stopping it. Start logging and reply the following: "Hey, dude, is it okay if we didn't talk or take things in this direction? I am not really comfortable with that and I would like it to stop. We good?" Most harassers will not take the hint, but the good people who are, maybe, overly excited, will. No, not everyone who wants to bone your character is a (total) weirdo.

2. If the person insists, then you have an issue, and while still logging (cannot reiterate enough, log this shit) you reply: "Look, I asked one, and pretty nicely. Nothing like this, at all, is happening, ever. If this is not the last time we ever talk about this, I am going to staff. Please stop."

3. If you have a harasser that goes on beyond that, LOG THE CONVERSATION and contact staff and send the logs. Be nice to staff, they are probably going to read some weird shit, but demand action.

4. If staff fails to do anything, and you have followed these steps, then leave the game, Hog Pit it, bring the logs, and go at it. There is no shame in doing everything right and being harassed.

Add-ons:

i. Do not give your instant messaging information, or ANY personal information, to people you know for less than two months in a MU. That helps when the person reveals to be some psycho.

ii. If a game has a weird atmosphere you feel contributes to this sort of behavior, leave. The emotional stress is not worth playing a werewolf, your favorite hero or in some fictional universe you dig.

iii. Shed light on the subject. You are hardly going to get lambasted for trying to reason with a creep and failing. Moreover, letting the community know what is going on, with PROOF, is a good way to protect others, men or women.

iv. Do not go through steps 1 and 2, only to TS the person or have a sex-filled page talk with them. That will undermine the seriousness of your request and your case. If you made this mistake, you SHOULD still go to steps 3 and 4, but learn and do not repeat the mistake next time.

Did I say log everything?

1. Opening the game is only 10% of the work, tops, and that is if you put a LOT of work in your game to begin with.

2. No matter what you do, people will say you are this or that, that you are doing it wrong, and that you are worst than Hitler (tm). If you can't take that, do not open a game.

3. That people you thought were friends are going to go haywire on you for decisions you make you hope will benefit the whole game. If you can't take that, don't open a game.

4. Advice: Experimenting is more than fine. Don't be afraid to test stuff out just because other MUs don't.

5. You must stay on the ball at ALL times. One week drama coincides with you being under the weather can be the perfect shitstorm.

6. Making a good game doesn't equal having lots of logins. Having a lot of logins doesn't equal to having made a good game.

7. "Good Game" is the white whale of MUdom. Make a game you are proud of. That is all you can really do.

8. People get SUPER invested in games they play. Be ready to meet people halfway, and knowing when to push forward based purely on gut feeling. Be ready for 2) either way.

9. Advice: Don't do a game for anyone other than yourself, and hope others will like it.

10. DOING JOBS SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS.

@auspice said in Stranger Than Fiction MUX:

Mod Voice
I have gotten report of a supposed "MSB plot" to take down this game. I don't know if there is any truth, whatsoever, to this. I don't know if it was a joke, if it was a few people trolling and when they got found out they decided to point fingers this way to try to cover their own ass, or what.

What I do know is that no one on the moderation staff here condones any sort of behavior in regards to 'taking down' games, trolling games, or otherwise misbehaving on them. And we certainly don't appreciate anyone doing so in MSB's name.

... does it REALLY need to be said, in a Mod Voice, that MSB doesn't condone with... ... plots to take down low activity games with weird policies?

People are complaining about how long it takes to get approved, but I have never been in a game where someone has not only READ my background, but sat with me and worked the kinks of it all to make me fit their setting, WHILE adding to the things I had in mind at first.

Please do keep up doing what you guys are doing. I rather wait for a week than the alternative.

@kanye-qwest I think she referred to limiting these concepts as opposed to outright prohibiting them. Fact is that in ASOIAF there are not many female warriors, and they are almost exclusively from exotic or bizarre cultures. If I make a Mormont woman, I would be kinda pissed if I was told I can't be a fighter, but a Lannister woman that fights is very bizarre. Limiting these concepts isn't bad, in theory, but... "in theory" is a one hell of an asterisk.

To say nothing of the fact that many of the female fighters are... not on par with their male counterparts. That is just not how the world works, but if you try to explain that to most players (who are not obsessed with the source material) I bet it would go poorly. "Why can't I have Strength 5!?" // "You are a woman, and unless you are some massive ho like Brienne, that ain't happening" usually doesn't end up well.

Now, how do they decide who can or cannot make an exotic concept like Oberyn, for example, or Brienne, that has me curious!

This thread is yet another cautionary tale about the toxic superficiality that permeates most interactions in this hobby. There seems to be a real lack of nuance in how this is all dealt with.

At this rate we will need an apology section in this forum.

The fun thing the Old World of Darkness is that it felt... like it was proud of what it was and that made me feel like it was worth investing my time into.

Not everyone enjoyed the Tzimisce or the Glass Walkers or Nagah, but there they were, and they were not going anywhere. It not only made Baba Yaga a thing in the setting, but also the zmei-controlling, former Mage/Disney princess who learned not-Thaumaturgy sorcery, erected a supernatural barrier that made Russia a no-go zone and ruled the Motherland, and had some ties with the Talons of the Wyrm, the Crescent Moon and the vampire politics there.

Don't like it? Don't go to Russia. Or just ignore the book on your own volition. But it was never like nWoD. "There are rumors of a powerful witch in Russia. Maybe. I don't know. Unless you don't like that? Because if you don't, she doesn't exist. Ohmigod, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay. We were kidding. ... Unless you like the idea?" That is how nWoD feels to me. A bunch of superficial ideas thrown into a book, in the most pretentious way possible, but it never sells you that it is awesome and that you should love it and sink your teeth into their books and setting.

It was designed as a tool kit, and oWoD was designed as a world on its last, dying breath. One of them may be fun to play and all, but the other made you involved, made you want to buy the next book to see what was up.

And if it was shit? Then you acted like a normal person and bitched about it to your friends and hated on Albrecht because fuck that guy.

And then you bought the next one. =|

I can safely say I am not passionate about -anything- on nWoD. And I am not someone who played oWoD for 15 years then transitioned. By the time I started playing, oWoD was almost done in the US. It is just not the nature of the beast. You may argue 'Oh, the Daeva are SO well-designed! So elegant!' but I find it hard to believe anyone would think they are more creative than the Kuei-jin or more interesting than the Baali or Tremere.

I just don't see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPRmFJ_U8Ug

Very interesting video. I don't know if we can attach youtube videos on the forum, but the link is up there. Really good, coming from someone who knows a thing or two about what they are saying.

Have some easy-to-find, constantly-updated list of games.

Keep the Hogpit in the Hogpit

Keep the Advertisement Threads free of nasty bashing (although I do feel like players should be free to post in them things like "Had bad experiences with this game. Will explain in the Hogpit").

@Demiurge Do your thing, or don't, dude. Defending yourself here will help zilch.

A Mage Game First and Foremost

Allow yourself to see the World of Darkness through the eyes of the Awakened. While many monsters dwell in darkness, a mage is forever haunted by the awareness that everyone is living the Lie and that she can either fight it, or use that power to her own benefit.

This is a game of wondrous journeys to other planes of existence hiding inside Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain, escaping a pack of werewolves through magical passages in New York's subways, finding hidden symbols and keys written in the clouds as one visits the Empire State building, magic dueling Seers of the Throne on Liberty Island and fighting unreality horrors from the Abyss feeding off New Age yoga cults in Harlem. There are areas of the city where magic cannot be, and some where one is met only with giant, impossible clockwork upon turning a wrong alley. It is dangerous and dark, exciting and epic, mysterious and secretive. It can be horrific, and it can be fantastic.

Setting: The Lost City of New York

Four years ago the Consilium of Manhattan was betrayed and destroyed by the Seers of the Throne after a lasting alliance to handle an event of apocalyptic proportions. Now the Pentacle is ready to take the island back, and new Wise are flocking into the island to help the survivors of the Great Betrayal.

Fallen World MUX is set in a custom modern Mahattan. Some stuff isn't as you remember it. Too Mysterious and treasure-ridden to be left alone, the borough of New York once-hailed as a haven of Truth is known by the Wise as an almost ungovernable warzone. Buildings shift from place to place at certain dates while Sleepers remain none the wiser.

The Tremere have the Soulstones and the immense Demesne of the dead Consilium and hope to summon the Seventh Watchtower to the Fallen World. Seers of the Throne keep a watchful eye while fighting amongst themselves. The Austere turn their gaze to an unknowable Machine God for guidance in the waiting for the Hieromagus and Hallows ping in an out of existence faster than mages can grab a hold of them. It is a city of abandoned Sanctums guarded by maddened constructs, of corners that take a mage to other cities, sometimes somewhere else in time, where every Mystery might be your last.

Factions, Reputations and Status

The Factions in Fallen World have two layers: Status and Positions. Status is the measure of a character's respect in a Faction and the resources the organization spends on her. Status is gained by increasing your Reputation points through scenes that follow the Reputation Guidelines of a certain Faction, and it is lost as Reputation decays overtime. Each level of Status confers special benefits unique to a certain Faction. Positions are official ranks within a Faction. Although separate, both things intermingle constantly.

Dynasties and Player Agency

Some Dynasties still survive in Manhattan, despite troubling times. Broken and scattered, or hidden in plain sight, these families are still in touch with the Supernal, but they need leadership. Players of these families, and especially their leaders, are more than welcome to decide their fates, join with Orders, change how to earn Reputation in them or maybe even remain neutral, awaiting for better offers from players yet to reveal themselves.

In the same way, players are expected to slowly build a Consilium up, form their Charter, and as they do, more features will open for players in the game.

A Game For Storytellers

More than anything, Fallen World is a storytelling game. We offer many mechanics and benefits for storytellers. Almost any RP is fine by us, but players getting involved with Mysteries and intrigue can expect unique Story Rewards for joining. Furthermore, we desire to build an environment where players can work with each other, so hostility between players/characters is closely monitored by staff. This is not a PvP game.

State of the Game

The game is OPEN for people to come in app, but we are not 100% finished (a BETA, if you will).

We need builds, and we are finishing the Proximi and Sleepwalkers. Legacies will wait until the developers deliver the first batch of them in the forums. We are also looking for storytelling staff, and if we can manage, we would love to have one storyteller per Order to give the people in them a very focused, and constant, narrative.

Wiki: http://fallenworldmux.com/wiki/Main_Page
Address: fallenworldmux.com
Port: 1984

Feel free to ask questions, give input and help us build a better game!

Let me try to add something to this convo! Mind you, I wish you nothing but success Eevee, so if anything here sounds harsh, it is not my intention. Staff not loving what they have created is not this game's problem. You guys are all very passionate about it, and it shows.

1. Theme: What is the game about?

When I played there, I felt like the game could have used some sort of theme for players to use when creating their characters. I get the SETTING is Flashpoint Paradox (amazing choice) but what is the THEME? What sort of stories are going to be written there? What is the connecting thread between all characters? A THEME helps characters find common ground even when they come from different walks of life. The game needed that.

2. Custom Codethings.

You guys have a coder you can rely on. Awesome! But the fact you guys built a whole codebase that was unlike what we have in other games meant players have an entry cost in Flashpoint that does not translate into 'learning something new'. The +jobs system was funky, +events was not a thing, etc. I love custom code when it adds functionality that a particular game needs, but not when when it is the same thing from every other mu, but different.

3. Theme Returns: Lack of Focus

With the lack of a Theme it becomes hard to understand when you are designing your character "right" for the game. At launch you planned on allowing Lanterns, and despite the playerbase consisting mostly of ground level Gotham characters like Riddler, Kate Kane, etc, Amazons and Atlanteans were also allowed. I think the playerbase and staff didn't look at the game the same way, and having a focused theme would have helped.

4. Power To The Players

If you are running your game on an old, arcane system, you must have all powers well noted on the wiki or ingame (which was not the case) and probably some sort of simplified tutorial in the wiki, along with sheets for thugs, etc. Even if you have people willing to ST, sometimes the system is a barrier in itself. Give them tools to run your stuff.

5. RP HUBs

WoD games have Spheres, and Spheres have Covenants/Courts, etc. These bring players together. Your game was not WoD, but it had a very attractive WoD flair to it. Having RP HUBs like Watchtower (for vigilantes), GCPD (for cops/vigilantes with secret IDs), Falcone Hangout (for crime people) and Cadmus (for scientist types) could have helped people worldbuild too.

So far the staff on this game that I have interacted with (Hadraniel and Gabriel) have been nothing but role models. Tough when they need to be, but fair and welcoming. They behave like fellow RPers and not rock stars who seem to think they can do no wrong. I am legit mystified by their performance so far.

@shelbeast The sex thing is weird. For tabletop I would say it really drives home the point that vampires are DEAD. They are not kinda dead, or immortal, they are corpses. For MUing it is exactly as you describe it. It will be the first thing to be ignored. I personally don't like that sort of shit. The more questions you try to answer about the physiology of these supernatural beings, the more questions pop up, with less and less convincing answers.

One of my main gripes with Masquerade was always just how much some books tried to drive home the fact you are hollow and sad and dead and soulless, etc. It made RP way less interesting, with everyone suffering together in an emofest.

Thanks for the review, Shelby!

Things are picking up speed again! The last few bits of coding are being a pain in the ASS, but we are making progress.

If you are out there, Magic Coding Person, and you can help us, please get in contact!

Regardless, the game will be open for visiting and talking about characters very soon!

@Ganymede

Most groups only have two out of Coding Skills, Long Term Motivation and Good Teamwork, and all of them are required in sufficient amounts to see a proper game built from ground up with all that is needed in the time it takes, imo.