What's Happening to Disco?

[Monk]

Honestly I think some people have been trying to bring change to disco by threatening it with the loss of an excellent member. I have been offended and saddened by this behavior. While some have honestly left with RL purposes, others have really left a bad taste in my mouth and I will not be so excited to see them if they return.

I still welcome new players with open arms, whether I have been successful or not (I can't tell since I don't bother to find out their forum names) I think it has helped give a few new players a good experience (who wander into the Omicrons) and given them the direction they need. But I digress, be patient, be understanding and, most of all be mature. Do those things and everything will level again.

[majkp]

What's happening to Disco?

I'd say it's living. There are worse days and then there are better days...

[Carlos_Benitez]

"And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance, and depression. And where once you had the freedom to object, think, and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent."
The problem I find with this server is that people are scared of speaking out without receiving punishments.

I love long metaphors that work.

It could be a long-shot, but do you think people might be choosing to leave because they feel oppressed?

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[Hyperwave22]

I apologize in advance for the following wall of text:

Kingvaillant, it seems that you have stolen the words from my brain and put them on paper, or whatever we have here.

I personally think that the general attitude and intolerance for other players is one of the biggest reasons leading to this problem. There is little respect left for anyone now. Also, the sanctions are being used not as a last resort, but rather a smack in the face to get them to straighten up. It works for some, but doesn't work for most.

In no way is this targeting the admins. They are doing what they should and are trusted to do. Instead, it is targeted at the rest of us. We don't need to make sure someone gets sanctioned in order for them to do the correct thing.

King hit it right on the head when by saying people get sanctioned now that wouldn't have been earlier. This could be taken in two ways, but leans on the negative side. We used to tell players that they were wrong and how to fix it so they WOULDN'T get sanctioned. We have proof that this worked much better. Quite a while ago, we had fewer people running around breaking the rules, but more or less in a percentage. You hardly saw anybody breaking the rules out of all those you see. Now, there is a much higher percentage of people you see breaking the rules out of all of those you see.

This percentage is most definitely not because of the growing community. If you are approached about rule violation in an affable manner you're going to be more likely to fix it. It comes down to this: If I'm in a position of power, I can yell at someone for doing something wrong and scare the hell out of them. Are they going to do what I ask while I'm standing there? Of course. Once I leave, though, they are going to be doing exactly what they were before, and their attitude towards their actions - and me - is going to be miserable.

What we need to realize here is that we have admins that are there for those that refuse to listen to anything that we tell them. This would most likely require a reiteration of what you told them, not a one time thing. That won't change anything, and we'll be heading down the same path we are now.

Hype

*steps off soapbox*

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Retired
A very big thanks to Dark Oddity who put my signature pic together

[Photuin]

I would have made a thread like this, but I was afraid you would say I haven't been here long enough to notice. However, I can safely say I've been here long enough to observe a disturbingly sharp decline in the community's stability as a whole.

I think it started sometime along the rise of sdssn!p3r's version of the LSF, or during the hunt for an infamous speed modder, when the community started to exhibit a highly elitist and paranoid comportment. A recent development, the unfortunate arrival of DIC, only worsened the condition.

No, I'm not saying we should let serial rule-breakers get away with everything, but the paranoia and hostility caused by these events only sped up the degeneration of the community. No, I am not blaming the LSF for this. They arrived at the wrong time. I am blaming all of us.

[Magoo!]

Ah well... Its life. Everything good comes to an end eventually. Lets just hope its not soon. Hopefully after I quit (Not likely to happen... Ever:P) I'll be able to come back some years later and pick it back up again.

Really, it is just all in the attitude of the people. I myself have a screenshot of an LSF saying a rather distasteful thing in PM... But I didn't report them. I didn't care enough. And what would happen if said person was banned? It would have taken out a potentially good RP person.

Sadly, not enough people think this way. They just go, "Omg lawlz I dun liek teh way u playz. Teh adminz ban u cuz u sed, 'OMFG u n00b scroo u! I *something about his mother* *insert time frame*. DYE U No0B!' " People just get others sanctioned for the sake of making their... Probably month here; more enjoyable. Its mostly selfish new people who come onto Discovery and think they can manipulate the server. Unfortunately they're right (Or were during the great OORP/OOC Depression).

[Equinox]

I really don't thing its that bad, ive played FL for around 4 years and ive been through allot of servers and you should see the flaming and stuff on some of them.

The mod/server i came from Freeworlds has been through some really bad times, i think its been through about 10-15 different servers and hosts in the 2 years i played there just because of all the flaming and arguing between members making the mod devs and server hosts go screw it and take the mod/server down.

This is a sanctuary compared to some servers believe me!:D

(Just to add im not flaming that mod/server, i had allot of my best FL times there)

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[bluntpencil2001]

Well, I'm not enjoying it as much as I used to, either.

I don't know why.

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[Juan_Arquero]

Now, I know this is just a game and it shouldn't be taken seriously. However, this community is my escape from the stresses and problems of real life and I am sensing a great disturbance in the cohesiveness of it.

This is also where I reduce my stress from RL and I also sense a "great disturbance" in the farce.

How many posts and threads have we all seen lately of people saying "This is not fun anymore, Im leaving" or "I've had it"? Why I ask. I ask that you all bare with me on this, it may get a little long.

I'm sorry, but I won't get naked with a robot, especially a masculine robot (You did ask me to "bare" with you).

First, I hear and read the complaint that the rules are too much and that it seems as if everyone is more concerned with hitting the "report violation" button then actually helping people.

When I've seen a player violating a server rule, I've usually explained to them what they were doing wrong. If they had an incorrect ID, then I would tell them where to get the correct ID. A small minority have expressed appreciation for my helpful advice. Most have ignored me or even insulted me. I'm sick and tired of trying to help new players only to be flamed and insulted in return. I'm tempted to reach the point where I develop an itchy trigger finger over the "post sanction report" button.

In fact, the last incident happened recently when a Corsairs-tagged trader asked in New York system channel for company on a trading run. The only player who responded positively was Police-tagged (presumably LPI). I told them that it would be OORP for them to do that. The Corsair claimed that he was going to file a sanction report, because I was supposedly claiming that they couldn't do that in New York (something that I NEVER said). As far as I could tell, they left New York together and were together until they got to Bering. Can I prove that a police-tagged player escorted a Corsairs-tagged player? No, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened. I didn't report them, but such completely OORP behavior is wrong. When I tried to give helpful advice, I got threatened with a sanction report! Such nonsense is part of the reason why some players have left. That's also why I'm tempted to just gather evidence of cheating/OORP misbehavior and file a sanction report without saying a word to the offenders (something that I've only done once -- when I filed the first sanction report regarding a DIC member).:angry:

Now, I completely agree the whistle blowing has gotten a little out of hand. But, as far as the rules go? Well, I seem to remember that a lot of the same folks that are now complaining about the rules are the same ones that were complaining during the OORP fest we had a little while ago and were calling for stricter rules. Is the rule and violation system we have now perfect? Certainly not by any means, but what system of laws is. What would happen if the Admins got sick of it and said fine, fend yourselves, and we all just had a total chaotic free-for-all? You would all hate it, trust me. What I'm trying to say is, you can't have it both ways.

I've been on servers that had no rules; I've never stayed there long, as such servers account for some of my worst experiences playing Freelancer.

I've never personally been sanctioned *knocks on wood*, but if I were, I would take my penance and be done with it.

Neither have I. I've never been sanctioned on any server for anything. However, if I do get sanctioned, I think I should have a right to defend myself. I think we have too much of a guilty until proven innocent attitude here.

Maybe it's the whole DIC thing that has turned alot of folks off.

That could've been the last straw for some people. I don't see how the situation could have been handled better. DIC Rep dug his own grave (note really bad pun based on his photo) in their introductory thread: [DIC] RP notice, To Answer Initial Questions.

I personally was one of the strongest opponents of them coming here the way they were.

As was I.

But, as is my way, I calmly suggested to their rep that the way they wanted it would not work.

I wasn't that subtle or that calm.

He ignored that suggestion and basically said "this is the way we are, take it or leave it." The majority of us decided to leave it. If this is the reasoning for disliking our great community, then, well... For the most part we gladly welcome new ideas here, if they're sound and if they work. Again, do you all want a free-for-all with the new factions too?

That would destroy the RP on this server.

[P*Funk]

I agree, its the attitudes. Its like we're all piss and vinegar to clean up the crap and then after a few weeks its like war weariness.

I do notice a different feel since I joined, only a few months ago. Ithink there is a bit of intolorance. People are become very reactionary. It just doesn't feel as happy as before.

But I'm just describing the symptoms.

But look at Mal's words. The wisest thing I've seen written on these boards since I got here.

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Out of hibernation. Gauging the winds.