Oct 8, 2011

Posted by in Blue Milk & Cereal | 16 Comments

Blue Milk & Cereal: Should RP-PvP Server Rules Be Enforced?

No day would be complete without the breakfast of Jedi: Blue Milk & Cereal.  Every morning, the team at Ask A Jedi will get Force-induced thoughts coursing through your head with delicious issues from around the galaxy! Join in the discussion below to make your voice heard!

It came as no surprise, at least to me, when RP-PvP servers were confirmed for Star Wars: The Old Republic. However, I was a bit disappointed by what BioWare Senior Community Manager Stephen Reid said in the revelation:

Please note, the ‘RP’ part of the RP-PvP designation will be a suggested style of play, not a mandatory one. What that means is, if you feel someone isn’t roleplaying, reporting them to Customer Service will not ensure action on their account. We will also not be enforcing naming policies or similar.

BioWare has stated over-and-over that the story will drive this game. You’ll fall into the game and start to care about your character, and your companions, when you make tough decisions. With that mindset, it’s almost too easy to fall into role-playing mode. Why wouldn’t they go the extra step to assure this experience is whole for the players who want it?

Now, there’s no doubt the scale of such enforcement could present a logistical and budgetary issue for them. Having likely hundreds of servers and millions of players could create a very heavy volume of work. But, if you want to bring the RPG back to MMO, which BioWare does, wouldn’t this be a great way to do it?

So, do you think there should be rules enforced on these servers? Do you think BioWare will at least provide the guidelines? Maybe, you’re just happy to see these servers will be there. Let us know!

Should RP-PvP server rules be enforced?

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  1. I few things should be enforced (most notably names) however, this is a game first and a universe second.

  2. Maybe at some point in the future, but not at launch. They’re going to have enough things to worry about during that time than be concerned whether or not some random person is “acting” like a Smuggler, or if the Inquisitor near you is accepting their lore.

    • I agree with this.

      Also, everyone has their own definition of what RP means. It will be impossible to enforce because players will be reporting each other for inconsistencies in definition.

      Example: One person might think that spatial is RP only and general chat is not, then another disagrees with that and reports them for being OOC in general chat. How does Bioware act on this? There is no right answer, both are valid.

      If the players on RP servers want them to be RP only, it’s going to have to be up to them to make it happen. There’s not much Bioware can effectively do about it.

  3. I’m of the opinion that they made their bed, so now they have to sleep in it. There is zero point to RP servers of any kind of there isn’t enforcement. Zero point.

    • shapeless says:

      @Lethality

      Exactly. I have never rolled on an RP server and never will…it just doesn’t hold any interest for me, but how does Blizzard enforce RP rules?

  4. Rasmus Lauridsen says:

    There is no reason to have RP-PVP servers if RP rules are not enforced.
    Just go RP, PVE, PVP at launch then, because without rules PVPers will just go there to gank the whining weak ass RPers.

  5. There are a handful of things that I would want to be enforced on roleplaying servers. If I had to boil it down to three things, I would say enforcing of a naming policy, no ooc chatter in designated roleplaying channels (keep your private life in private channels where I don’t have to see it!), and temp-bans for griefing and harrassing roleplayers. A pipe-dream, I know.

  6. Grinstone says:

    What are the rules on RP-PVP server? We already know that naming policies won’t be enforced, so that’s clearly not a rule there. Or is this about rules that should exist on RP-PVP (and presumably any kind of RP) server?

    In that case:

    Are you not allowed on the server unless you RP? Will you get kicked off the server if you don’t RP? Do you get kicked off the server if you don’t RP enough? Is it griefing if I want to participate in RP but that group of people won’t let me? Is it griefing if someone keeps pestering us for RP but he’s not welcome? What if I’m there just to do my own thing, quietly, without griefing the RPers but without participating in any RP, either. Should I still get kicked off the server? Or is everyone welcome so long as they don’t cause trouble?

    As I’ve said and will say again, personally I feel that RP servers should get their own set of tools. Tools that will differentiate them from other servers and will be beneficial to RPers. That will both throw the RPers a bone and differentiate the RP servers, all without requiring hundreds of CS people to chase down complaints and play cop.

  7. JacobfromDenmark says:

    Ofc! Otherwise why have an RP-PVP server if the RP-PVP rules are not enforced…

  8. I was very disappointed to hear RP rules wouldn’t be enforced. As I said in the announcement thread:

    So you’ll tag certain servers to be (un)official RP servers, but won’t fully support them by enforcing RP and naming policy? Rather than helping the RP community, this seems a good way to flag servers to be targeted by people who don’t like RPers so they can harass the RP community.

    If the support RPers get from BW is no more than tagging a server for RP, they’d be better served choosing their own unofficial RP servers and advertising them as such through the forums and their guilds.

  9. Bioware shouldn’t spend the resources/manpower enforcing this. If you have a problem with someone not playing the way you like that much there is an easy solution.

    /ignore

    Problem solved.

  10. i think RP is silly, therefore i wont roll on an RP server. if people just acted with a bit of respect to other players then we wouldn’t need this thread…
    too bad everyone doesn’t live by the golden rule. such is life :(

  11. I am not RP player so I wont play in an RP-server. What is the point of making these servers if not for these players who like to play RP. In my opinion, RP-servers must be enforced and if someone doesnt want to play RP should join a normal PVP/PVE server.

  12. At the very, VERY least they need to have a naming policy. One of my biggest beefs if rolling on an RP server and being confronted with people with names like ‘Ipwnyou’ and ‘Skywallker’ bunnyhopping in circles and dancing on letterboxes.

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