Re: Changing Reputation via Server Command

[Jordi]

I totally I agree with a function /gethostile faction.

[Marsh]

Going to attempt a constructive summary of this discussion thus far (at least in this thread).

First, I and some of the subsequent posters to this thread have expressed a concern about having to spend varying amounts of OORP time to repfix to get characters set up (and possibly having to trade to support the process) before being able to actually RP with them. Related to this is the additional concern of the negative effects of people who have to be OORP while repfixing, on players trying to RP in the area.

The basic idea is this: reputation is an essential part of any character's very identity. To use a metaphor, it is like Alignment and/or Class in pen and paper Dungeons and Dragons. Some players feel like that repfixing is, as I mentioned in a previous post, "a little bit like asking someone making a new character in D & D to spend hours rolling their stats before they can make their actual character".

On the other hand, a lot of posters also expressed concerns about the possible effects of addressing this issue (or addressing it incorrectly). Some were not very clear but here is what I understand they boil down to the following [and please do correct me if I misunderstand or leave something out]:

1.) At least three posters saw a server command that changes reputation as something that could or would be abused. Only one person mentioned a possible motive for exploitation (changing to dock at bases to purchase certain things), but that doesn't mean that "creative" people might not find other reasons or ways to abuse it.

2.) At least two posters expressed something to the effect that the grinding necessary to repfix, OORP or not, was either fun and/or worthwhile in some way.

3.) One poster made the observation that maintaining the status quo was important, or at the very least, that changes of this magnitude should be embarked upon carefully.

Now here's an attempt to move this debate forward a bit:
On the 1st argument against, while I don't agree that it necessarily prevents some sort of compromise, I do agree that providing players a way to initially set up their characters should not be usable to change reps all the time. That would definitely be a recipe for abuse.

On the issue of the 2nd argument against, it really is a case of different philosophies and I'm not sure how they could be reconciled. I have gone to the work to repfix with all the different factions on my way to a Zoner IFF/Tag and I did not consider it to be fun, I considered it something I had to do before I could do what I wanted to do: play a character on a server that encourages RP. I do not think that others should have to go through this rite just because I did; quite the opposite.

Furthermore, between real life work and other obligations, the last thing that appeals to me is more "work" when I am here (in good faith) to role play. It might be possible that someone who has the time to spend hours in a day repfixing could be up and running over a weekend. Between my real life work and other obligations, that same amount of grinding means it sometimes takes weeks to get set up, all the while trying to keep out of the way of people trying to RP, potentially disrupting those you encounter because you are not really with the faction you appear to be with, and explaining to Admins why things don't match up. Surely there is some sort of compromise that can be reached on the importance of grinding on an RP server?

The third point wasn't really an argument against, so much a cautionary note. I agree with it completely. That's what many of the discussions on this forum are for, I think. Not to win arguments so much as to make sure that the Admins have an idea where the players are coming from so issues can be addressed and so that new ideas aren't rushed into to the detriment of game play on the server.


Lastly, an idea for a possible compromise. Perhaps this could be addressed the same way I understand renaming used to be. That is, people could buy some sort of repfix item and send a message to an admin or post on some forum. Then an admin could use a server command that only they have access to in order to perform the actual repfix. That would make it easy for admins to be prevent abuse and then people wouldn't be capable of changing rep on the fly all the time. There would be records with the admin and possibly public records on the forum that people could keep an eye on to make sure someone isn't changing all the time for some abusive reason.


[P.S.: I have seen a few people post to the forum saying that their reputation got messed up and they didn't know how and they didn't know how to fix it, etc.. Now, I've never had a spontaneous reputation problem before.... is that a common problem?]

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