<METANAME="keywords"CONTENT="Horse Game Online MMORPG Multiplayer Horses RPG Girls Girly Isle World Island Virtual Horseisle Sim Virtual">
<METANAME="description"CONTENT="A multiplayer online horse world where players can capture, train, care for and compete their horses against other players. A very unique virtual sim horse game.">
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19.<ahref=#Threatening_With_the_Pawneer id=edzr title="Threatening With the Pawneer">Threatening With the Pawneer</a>
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5.<ahref=#New_Breeds_in_the_Game id=fxs1 title="When are New Breeds in the Game to be Captured?">When are New Breeds in the Game to be Captured?</a>
9.<ahref=#Buying_Gift_Subscriptions id=j3lz title="Buying Gift Subs or Pawneer Orders for Game Money">Buying Gift Subs or Pawneer Orders for Game Money</a>
10.<ahref=#Keeping_Messages_out_of_Global id=oy6b title="Tip on Keeping Messages Out of Global">Tip on Keeping Messages Out of Global</a>
1.<ahref=#What_Happens_in_Mod_Chat id=low3 title="What Happens in Mod Chat/Forum Stays There">What Happens in Mod Chat/Forum Stays There</a>
6.<ahref=#What_to_do_about_Controversial_Profiles id=bcjs title="What to do About Controversial Profiles">What to do About Controversial Profiles</a>
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30.<ahref=#Off_Game_Chat id=d880 title="Off Game Chat">Off Game Chat</a>
8.<ahref=#Inappropriate_Player_Usernames id=r-3t title="Inappropriate Player Usernames">Inappropriate Player Usernames</a>
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32.<ahref=#Harassment_of_Mods id=nyeq title="Harassment of Mods">Harassment of Mods</a>
Ifaplayerdoesnotseemtolearnfrombeingmutedandcontinuesthebehaviorafterthemuteisup,increasethemutetimeslightly.Iftheyweremutedfor15minutes,thenmutefor30.Iftheycontinueafterthat,mutefor60,etc. Dorememberthatanhourisalongtimeforakid,soiftheystillaren't getting it after a few mutes, don'tjustjumpto1440,do2or4hoursfirst.<br>
Thishappensifthequestpointsgivenoutonaquestarechangedafterthequestgoeslive.Tothebestofmyknowledge,thishasn't happened for a long time, but when it did, then the people that did the quest before the points were changed are going to have different totals than those that finished after it was changed. There is very little I can do about this short of giving myself a big ol'headache:)so,you'll just have to live with it. I may try to fix this soon.. We'llsee.</font><br>
Thereare4waystogetsenttoPrisonIsle.Amod,youpayGriffin,yougettoKingPhil's isle without permission or are mean to him, or one of your horse'shealthgetsdowntozero. That's it. It'simpossibleforthemtojustgettossedthere. ThereareactuallyanumberofplayersthattalktoGriffin,getsent,anddon't even realize that'swhattheydid. Theywereprobablyclickingthroughthechatquick. So,iftheysaytheywereinEartonbeforegoingtoPrison,that'salwaysapossibility.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod: </span>I was told today that there is a glitch that people are using to their advantage. They have 5 horses, put one up for auction at Appleton where no one ever auctions, then take a horse trade while auctioning, knowing that their horse will not sell. This way they end up with 6 horses.</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> Yep. We aren't worrying about it. They can only get 1 extra horse. Don't encourage them getting 6, but if they have 6 it doesn't really matter.<br>
Somehavesaidabout24hoursbecausethat's probably about how long it will be before one happens to get into the game. That doesn'tmeanonewon'tpopintotheworldearlierthanthat. Italldependsonhowfastthewildhorsesarebeingcaptured. Themorepeoplearecatchinghorses,thebetterchancethenewbreedwillcomeintotheworld.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod: </span>Miranda, when you or Joe contact them do you guys tell them why they can only have the one account? And I am assuming it is because of 1. it is just fair to the other players and 2. limited space on the servers? Has the response to it been pretty good or do people get upset about it? I am just being curious so if it is none of my business please feel free to ignore!</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer: </span>The main reason is a fairness issue. People can create another account for more playtime (which defeats the purpose of subscribing since they have basically unlimited playtime then). They also use mult accounts to hold more horses and can do the easy quests again then move the money to their 'main' account. These are the main reasons that we don't allow mult accounts.<br>
Wereallydon't explain to player specifically why multiple accounts aren'tallowedwhentheyarebannedforitandemailin. Wesimplysayitisagainsttherulesandcheating. Iftheyaskforspecificswedogiveittothemthough.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod: </span>I had one player going after me today for the 'don't talk about other sites' rule. I explained that it was rude and disrespectful of this site, but I wasn't sure what else to tell them when they kept pushing me to point out where it's an actual rule....I was trying to avoid the 'because I said so' scenario, but I was at a loss.</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer: </span>We don't allow the advertising of other sites because we cannot control the content on those sites. Not only could content be inappropriate, but someone could say "I'm such-and-such on HorseLand", and if they have personal info on that site, then all of our rules about not allowing personal info go out the door.<br>
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UnderRule#2 it says No Sharing Websites, so it is clearly stated in the rules. I realize that some people just want to share an article that has absolutely no personal info on it, but it's better and safer on our end to just make it a blanket statement. <br>
PleasereadtheDetailedRulesun"Selling Gift Subscriptions"andunderstandthispolicyveryclearly. Manyplayersarestillcheatedoutofmoneybydoingthisthewrongway. Encourageplayerstoremembertonevergiveanyformofpayment,notevenhalf,untilafterthesuborPOisontheiraccount. Themoretheotherplayerinsists,thelesslikelytheyaretoactuallypurchaseitforthem.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod: </span>Is there a way to stop messages from going into global when a player logs off? Many times we warn a player and they log off before we hit send and our messages go into global. I know it doesn't just happen to me.</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> If you type the /playername, it won't go in global, a message comes up that just says that it can't find the player. That is a big advantage to using that command and not using the drop down box if you are not having a long conversation with the player. Also realize that you do not need to type the player's entire username. Just enough to distinguish it from everyone else online. So, say there were 2 players, one named Firey and another named FireFly and you needed to speak to FireFly. You can just type /firef and it will go to that player.<br>
Inoneinstance,aplayercametoamodaboutasituationwhereshedidn't want to appear as a 'mini-mod'. Instead of simply being told 'thanks'anditbeingleftatthat,shewasbasicallytalkeddownto. Ibelievethiswasbecauseshewasknowntobeaplayermodshadsometroublewith.<br>
Constantlysayinginglobal"that's your last warning"or"the next person to say that gets muted"tendstogetpeopleupsetormakethem'test'you.Bykeepingitinpm,manyoftheplayerswon'tactout,andiftheydo,itwilljustbetoyouandnotinvolveallofglobal.<br>
Ifthereismorethanonemodonaserver,pleaseremembertotelleachotherwhenyouarepmingaplayeraboutaproblem.Say"I got playername"sothattheothermodsknowthatplayerhasbeentalkedtoalready.Whenplayersgetbombardedbypmsbymodsforspam,orwhatever,theytendtogetedgyasI'm sure you would also if you were told the same thing 3 or 4 times right in a row. Make sure you tell Mod chat that you'regoingtoPMtheplayerBeforeyoudoit.Notafter.<br>
Ihavebeengettingcomplaintsaboutmodsthreateningplayerswithmuting.Basically,"stop doing such and such or I'll mute you".Thisisnotdissimilartowhenplayersthreateneachotherwithfilinganabusereportwhichissomethingwediscourage.<br>
Giventhis,it's important to not be nit-picky. With spamming, it should be annoying. When I'minthegameandwatchingaserver,Inevercounthowlongit's been between posts. I go by, 'hmm..I've seen this post before recently'or'that post is still on the screen, but they only have it twice, so I'llignorethat' If they do it again, then I warn. When it'sannoyingiswhenyouneedtojumponit.<br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> I would like to point out that a lot of these players are young kids - and I have had some of them tell me that the mods take the fun out of the game. I would just like to say that maybe be a little easier with them - Say please a lot and just be overall friendly, I know it can be very hard at times when you have so many people breaking rules.<br>
Playerscanbeverydifficult,butIthinkwecouldalltryjustalittlemoretobealittlenicerattimes.Ihavehadmyshareofharddaysofmodding-butyoucan't really blame one kid for your whole day. (Sorry, if this doesn'tapplytoyou-IhavejustnoticedsomemodscancomedownprettyhardonplayersforaminorreasonIE:spam,caps,askingaboutriddlesetc)<br>
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Asmanyofyouhavenoticed,manyplayersdon't read everything in global, so even though you just said a minute ago, please don'tpostpasswordsinglobal,itdoesn't mean that they read it. :) </font><font size=2>Using a shortcut or asking for rules to be followed in Global is too easy for them to ignore or claim they didn'tknowitwasmeantforthem.IfwePM,thentheyhavethechancetodiscussitprivatelywithus,andsavefaceinfrontoftheirfriends.<br>
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</font><fontsize=2>Ifyoufindthatthereareplayersthatareconstantlygivingoutpasswordsorriddleanswers,thengoaheadandmutethentellthemwhy.Ifit's someone that'sjusttryingtobehelpfulandmaybetheydidn't see your post because they were busy typing, just pm them and nicely explain why we don'twantpasswords/riddleanswersinglobal(noneedtomute,it'salreadydone). Thisrulebreakisnotaseriousthing,soatmosta5-10minutemute.Mostlyjusttogettheirattention.<br>
Pleaseremembertotellaplayerwhytheyweremutedafteryoumutedthem.Irealizesometimesitmayseemlikeyouhavetoomuchgoingon,butjustaquick,"You have been muted for not using ads chat. Please remember to post all buying and selling in Ads."orsomethingsimilarisallthat's needed. For the most part you shouldn'tneedtodiscussitwiththemfurtheranditpreventsthemfromcomingbackatyousaying"Why was I muted?"Evenifyouwarnedthem5timesandyouthinktheyshould-know-whythey'remuted.Forthemostpart,makingaquickcommentrightaftershouldsaveyoumorehassle.Thenyouarecontactingthemquicklyinsteadofthemtryingtofindthemodthatmutedthem.<br>
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Whenaplayerismuted,allitsaystotheplayeris"Your chat has been disabled by a Moderator for x minutes."<br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> When a mod mutes, send to rules or prison and that player logs out then back in- do they appear back in prison, rules and/or still muted?<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> Also, When those reports are sent in is it just the chat that's in the box before that abuse report that's sent in? Or does it keep track of it after it's sent as well?</i><br>
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WhenaplayergetssenttoRuleorPrisonIsle,theyarethereuntiltheygetoffthemselves.Doesn't matter if they log out and back in. Muting is real time. So if you mute for 10 and they log off then they come back in 10 minutes, they won'tbemutedanymore.<br>
Iseeplayersandmodsoftentellinganotherplayerthattheyarebeingrude,orsomethingtheyaredoingisrude.Really,howoftendoestellingsomeonethey're being rude every help the situation? Rarely ever. For the most part they get offended or defensive. Best to just politely respond to the rude player and explain the rule they'rebreakingorjustignorethem.Bysaying'You really shouldn'tdothat.Doyourealizethatisveryrude?'Whatdoyouexpectthemtosay?Yes?<br>
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</font><fontsize=2>I'm noticing many mods replying to 'rude/disrespectful' players. The ones that say 'whatever',forexample,afteryouaskthemtofollowsomerule.<br>
PleasedoNOTrespondtotheseplayers. Irealizemanyofyouseeitasdisrespectandtheyshouldknowthatbeingrudewon't get them anywhere. The problem here is that responding to them fuels them and gives the response they were most likely fishing for, it doesn'tteachthemanything. Insomecases,modshavebeenabitrudebackwhichdefinitelydoesn'thelp.<br>
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Thereislittlethatcanbedoneaboutthisonline.Itistheparents' job to teach the kid to be polite. </font><font size=2>It is the mods'jobtomakesureHorseIsleisasafeplace. </font><fontsize=2>Muteifitisserious,butifit'sjustadumbremark,pleaseignoreitandmoveon.</font><fontsize=2> <br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Another Admin:</span> I think the rude factor is one of the things that bothers Miranda the most. If a player is rude to you, your best bet is to not give them any ammo but to ignore it. I know in the heat of the moment it's difficult. Remind yourself they are just little kids and their misbehavior is being amplified by the anonymity of the internet. You're not losing face, you're just being the more grown-up one. Or change the subject to something really popular and the problem player will soon be ignored by everyone.<br>
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ShealsotoldmetoremembertoneveruseThreats.YoucanPMthem"Please don't do this"butdon't give them an "Or else..." Give them a request to stop (or two) and then just mute them the next time and explain afterwards why they were muted in a PM. Threats don'thelpandactuallygetthemisbehavingplayersmoreriledup.SometimesModslosetrackanddon'tremembertobackuptheirthreat</i></font><fontsize=2><i>soitactuallymakesthesituationworsenotbetter.</i><br>
Example:Youtellaplayertokeepsomethingoutofglobal. TheyPMyouandsay"shut up"or"whatever". Completelyignorethecomment. Iftheydoorsaywhateveritwasinglobalagain,mutefor5or10(dependingonwhatwassaiditcouldevenbelonger). ThenPMtheplayerandsay"you were muted for x minutes for ____". Leaveitatthat. Iftheysay,"How is that against the rules?!" Politelyexplaintheruletothem,orsay"it was causing problems in global so I asked you to stop, since you didn't, you were muted." Iftheystartbashingyou,ignoreit. Dependingonwhatissaid,fileasecondabusereport. Iftheyresorttoswearingorcrudelanguage/namecalling,goaheadandextendthemute.<br>
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Ingeneralthough,Ireallydon't like the mods muting players when it has to do with PMs directly to you. It feels too personal then. If the player was doing that exact same thing to another player, they wouldn'tgetcompletelymuted,sincetheplayerdoesn'thavethatpower.Insteadfileareportasanyotherplayerwoulddo.Again,ifitisseriousenough,goaheadandextendtheirmute,thenexplaintothemthatyoudidso,however,Iwouldpreferthatextendingthemutewasmoreofalastresortratherthanacommonone. RememberthatyourpersonalmuteonlymutesPMfromplayers. Youwillstillseetheirchatinotherchannels.<br>
<b><aid=sy60name=_I_am_a_Mod_></a>"I am a Mod"</b><br>
Ihaveseensomemodsusethegeneralphrase,"I am a mod so follow the rules"orsomethingsimilar.Playersshouldbetoldwhytheyshouldfollowtherulesiftheydon't already know/if they are questioning why. Saying "Because I'mamod" is basically the same as a parent saying "because" when a kid asks why they can't do something (something I always hated as a kid).<br>
Besureplayersunderstandwhytheyweremuted,orwhytheyshouldfollowacertainrule(iftheyarequestioningit)orwhytheyshouldevenlistentoyou.The"Because I'm a mod"doesn'tworkandtendstojustangerplayers.<br>
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<aid=kn2wname=Nitpicking></a>Nitpicking</b><br>
Someofthemodsaregettingtoobentoutofshapeoversomeprettyminorstuff.Thisisagame.Letthekidsplay.Iftheywanttohavealittlecamp.Fine.Iftheywanttoactliketheirhorsesaredating.Fine.Iftheywanttomarrytheirhorses.Fine.Thenodatingpolicyisforplayers.Wedon't want players to come on specifically looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend as that would encourage other behavior. Innocent play acting isn'tthatbigofadeal.<br>
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Themoremodsharponplayersforveryminorthings,likemissingadschatonceinawhile,orhaving'camp',theharderitmakestheadmins' jobs and the harder it makes your job as a mod. When you start to get on a player about something that doesn'treallymatterthatmuch,theyemailuscomplainingandtheyharassyou.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Joe:</span> Hi Mods! I know, I don't communicate much.. But I just want stress that lately, it seems we are having more mod vs players issues, And the single best way to avoid this is to not "Over-mod" or "Nit Pick". This is critical. Think about how you like the Police in your city. They are great when they are there for emergencies, and when needed. But, when they start telling you how to live every part of your life no one is happy... . Most of the tension can be relieved by simply doing "less" not by doing anything "more". .<br>
SoI've just started trying something new. In between the please use ads chat type posts. I'vestartedtoput"Thank you to all those who are using ads chat for buying and selling"nowandthenonglobal. Itremindspeopletheadschatisthere,andit's positive reinforcement for those who are using it. I think everyone - including mods! - could use some positive feedback, instead of only hearing things put negatively, as in don'tdox. Justathought.</i><br>
</b>Ihavenoproblemwithacceptingorgivinggifts.Justdon't let them use that as leverage. As a general rule, admins should not accept gifts, but I don'tmindifmodsdo.<br>
Iknowplayersaskhowoldyouaresupposedtobetobeamod.Pleasedonottellthemyouhavetobe18.Forone,that's not completely accurate. Also, I don'twantthemcreatinganewaccount,lyingandsayingtheyareolder,justtohavethepossibilityofbeingamod.<br>
Igreatlyappreciatetherecommendationsformodsyouguysaresendingin.Onething,ifyoucouldnottelltheplayer(s)whenyourecommendthemthatwouldbegreat.We'll ask them if they want to be a mod if they fit what we'relookingfor.Bytellingthem,somemaytendtochangetheirbehaviorknowingthatI'llbelookingattheirchat.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> One thing that I find useful is to hang back on the Questions in Global. If I wait 10 to 15 Seconds I find that another "regular" player will often answer it (usually 90% of the time).<br>
Itmakesitinterestingtoknowwhatcountrysomeoneelseisfromand,atleastintheUS,it's fun to know what state because then you can compare weather. :) (yes, I'madork)<br>
Rememberbeggingandaskingfordonationsindescriptionsisfine.Itisnotbeingforcedonanyoneandiftheywanttobeknownasabeggar,thanthat's their deal. They just can'tbugpeopleinchataboutit. <BR>
Religionshouldnotbementioned.Theresimplyisn't a reason for others to know what religion a player is. Quotes from the bible in a profile are only okay if there is no book and verse listed and if it isn't"relgious sounding".Thatcanbeuptointerpretation,butuseyourbestjudgment.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod: </span>I don't think this violates the rules unless they are spamming to do it [asking for money/donations]. And as bad as it sounds, what they are doing is very predictive of real life. Learning to say no to players now may save them later on when it is real money in real life. Regardless of that, I just don't see that it is our responsibility to monitor the values, ethics and morals of the players. Do I agree with what they are doing? Absolutely not - but I am a moderator for the SITE, not a babysitter for these kids. The way they play in the sandbox is none of my concern unless, and until, it violates the rules. I may be completely wrong on this but that is the way I interpret the term moderator.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> I had a player approach me this evening. A player copied most of their profile, verbatim.<br>
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Someplayershavedisclaimersabout"This profile is Copyrighted and you will be reported and arrested in real life if you take it."Crazy,maybe,butIdounderstandhowtheyallputalotofthoughtintotheirprofiletomakethemunique.<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> I wouldn't make a fuss about people having copyright notices in their profile. They shouldn't make threats about it though since we can't do anything about it.<br>
Basically,thereisnosuchthingas"copyright"onthegamesincethereisnowayforustoknowwhohadit'first'andwhatshouldbeconsideredcopyrighted,etc.So,theyshouldn't to be nice, but if they do, tell them it'sacompliment.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> Players write controversial things in their profiles, like the horses that died on the filming of 'Flicka', and that eating meat is bad, and then post:<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> Stuff like that needs to stay out of global. If they are saying 'read my profile' and it has those things in it and players are getting upset over it, then ask the player to get rid of it. If you just see it in a profile (depending on how graphic of course. You'll have to use your best judgment) leave it be.<br>
Basically,thebestthingtodoistakecuesfromtheotherplayers.Ifalotofplayersaregettingupsetaboutsomethinginsomeone's profile and it'scausingproblemsinglobal,thenmaybetheplayershouldremoveit.<br>
</b>Clubsareallowed. IncludingRPclubs. TheymaysayWarriorClub,orWarriorCamp/Troop,itcannotsayitisaclan,herdorgang. Thesereferenceatypeofbehaviorwhichisn'tallowed. Theymaylistclubmembersandtheirclubnamessuchas"playername is Medicine Cat"orwhatever. TheymaynotsayThunderClanmembers. ItneedstobeThunderClub/Camp/Troop.<br>
Askthemtopleaseremovethe"problem"partsbeforedeletingifpossible. Besuretoexplainwhy,sincetheywillbemorelikelytocomply. Somethinglike:"Please remove ____ as it does not conform to the no violence, or no dating, or no territories, or clans... You may read the detailed rules under G for gangs. If you do not wish to RP according to the rules of this game, then please do not RP on this site. This is a Family Game with young children and their parents playing. Thanks." Iftheplayerwillnotremovethisfromtheirprofile,pleasedeleteit.RulesregardingroleplayingcanbefoundinthedetailedrulesunderR.<brclear=all>
Fornamesthatshouldbechanged,butaren't that bad, mention it to them but also contact me and I'lldealwithit. Forausernamethatisreallybadandyoufeelitshouldjustbeoffthesite,thenfeelfreetofindanothermodandbanthem.<br>
So,pleaseonlymakepeoplechangeahorse's name if it directly breaks the rules. This would mean innuendo, swearing/avoiding the filter, violence, obvious drug references. Remember that we have tons of teenagers playing the game, and they are rarely happy all the time. So long as it is within the rules, let them express themselves. If someone wants to name their horses "war", "tequila" or "famine" let them. As for the alcohol names, they aren'ttalkingaboutgettingdrunk,soIdon'treallyseeaproblemwithit.<br>
Ifyougetanycomplaintsaboutthedrawingrooms,youneedtogettotheroomandseewhatitsaysasthelastpersontohavedrawn.Whetherthatpersonactuallydidthebadthingonthedrawing,itdoesn't matter. They shouldn'thaveaddedtoitiftheydidn'tspecificallydrawit.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> I usually just say: "Eating of other players (aka cannibalism) is frowned upon in most modern societies and in this game; therefore, please discontinue." </i><br>
</font><fontsize=2><i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> How do you all enforce the use of ads chat? Are people handing out mutes for players that are warned a few times and still use global?</i><br>
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<i>Ihadonesmart...*ahem*Smartkidtonightwho,duringhismute,toldmethatIneedtoreadtherulesMYSELF...becauseadschatisnotmentionedintherulesatall.Iexplainedwhyit's there, yada yada, same old story though. I'mbeingmean,andit'snotintherules.<br>
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What'sup?</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod Answer1:</span> First offense, I put a reminder in global and PM the offending player the same reminder, so that I am sure they see it. The reminder in global is so the mini-mods don't take it upon themselves to tell the person to use ads chat. If I see the same player do it again, I PM them a second warning. On the third offense, they get a 5 minute mute, and I tell them to please not put ads in the global chat because it is bothersome to the other players.<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod Answer 2:</span> If I notice a player post an ad in global, and I have seen them use ads chat all the time, I just ignore it. It is usually followed quickly by a "sorry wrong chat".<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod Answer 3:</span> Just went and read the rules. Ads Chat is in the rules. Under rule #3 it says:<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod Answer 4:</span> I do the three warnings also - they get a pm that I have created first - then a *second warning* with the pm - then *last warning* then a 5 minute mute. Once I mute I send a pm explaining they were muted because and that they must use the ads chat. It usually doesn't go past this. However just a couple of times they have gotten unmuted and done it again. Then it's a warning one time and if it happens again an immediate 10 min mute followed by the same explanation. If they argue I just repost the explanation to them - I think they must wonder if it's automated *laughing out loud!*. I won't provide addt'l explanation though or justify it to them. That's where it usually ends I've noticed.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> Please please please be sure when you mute someone that they deserve it. There was a player that started out not using ads chat and was told to. From that point on she consistently used ads chat except for once when it went into global, and she was then muted. Let that stuff go. If you see them mostly using ads chat, then if they do slip up once or twice, who cares. Chances are it was an accident, and if it wasn't, they'll do it more frequently to the point that you should mute them.<br>
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Justremembertoannouncetoyourfellowmodsthatyouarewarningaplayer.Inoneinstance,amodwarnedtheplayer,butanotheronemutedthem.So,oneassumedtheplayerwasgettingawarningbuttheotherjuststraightoutmuted. Remembertocommunicatesoyouknowwhat's going on and so players don'tgetbombarded.<br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> Players are using ads chat to get around the limitations of global chat. One player challenged me about it, saying that's not in the rules.<br>
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CanIgetaclarification,please?<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> If people are constantly using ads chat for regular chat because they are running out of global minutes, then they should be spoken too. For the most part, don't worry about it though. I assume a lot more people mute Ads Chat than global, so less people are hearing what they're saying anyway. It's just another thing you guys really don't need to worry about as it just makes things more of a pain for you.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> I have a question as to how riddle and password requests are handled. Now in the rules, it says don’t give out passwords and riddle answers in global, but it doesn’t say not to say the riddle. Soo… I have automatically muted people for giving answers because if they have read the rules (which they are supposed to have done) then they should know it is against the rules. But the actual asking is a little bit of grey area… I have recently found that in the Appleton riddle room it says Do Not discuss riddles in global. So those asking these ones in global I have begun to mute also, but the other riddles and password areas do not say anything about not asking. How do we deal with those people.. should we mute them too? Can we have something added to all the quiz and riddle areas to warn people not to discuss them in global?</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> We may be able to add something, but if you can catch when someone asks and quick, ask nicely to not ask the riddles in global because it spoils the surprise for others, hopefully people won't answer. In that case, if you explain it (not just say "no riddles in global") hopefully people will understand and not ask again, or not answer the riddle. I know that's asking a lot.. but... hopefully it helps some.<br>
Now,forrealtimequizzes,wejustdon't want them discussed in global or island chat. They can PM or even buddy chat the answers and discuss things between themselves. I don'tliketheanswersforthatinglobalbecausethereareanumberofpeoplethatwanttofigureitoutontheirownandsayingtheanswersinglobaldoesruinitforthem. Iftheyreallywanthelpwithquestions,</font><fontsize=2>askthemtonotdirectlyaskthequizquestionsinglobal. Theycanaskforthequestionnumberorthegeneralideaofthequestion. <i>"What's the one about South Africa? PM me."</i></font><fontsize=2><br>
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Trytokeepitlightheartedtoo."<i>Guys, don't spoil the quiz for others please :( </i>"etc.Directlyyellingatplayers,whetherglobalorPMgetsthemupsetandlesslikelytocomply.Ifyouseethesameplayeraskingquestionsdirectly/givinganswersafteryou'veaskedthemnotto,thenmute.</font><br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> If with the real time quiz players are encouraged to web search, is there any problem with them discussing the answers afterwards. I see it as a learning process - particularly if the players wants to know why the answer was the answer...</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> The problem is, the answers come up again. There are about 400 questions and they do circulate around pretty regularly. The more the answers are discussed in global, the more others find out the answer for next time it comes around, then they don't have to do the looking up.<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> <i>I had a player last night, actually two, doing their own quizzes and handing out prizes. One of them said that the players had to meet them at a certain place, while the other posted the question in global and told players to PM her with the answer. I figured both of these ways, since they had found ways to mostly keep it out of global, was fine.<br>
Idon't know how the player you'rereferringtowasdoingtheirquizzesthough...</i> <br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> If there aren't many players on and most appear to be participating (no one's objecting) then I wouldn't worry about it. It is a good idea to ask them to keep it to Ads Chat, so that it does limit them to posting the question once a minute at the most. But do let them have their fun. If it's the prime time when there are 100 players on, then best to ask them to go to a specific area and use Near or Island Chat (if it's a small, not frequently traveled isle).<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> I also PM players asking for donations with a way to earn money. ie, Minigames, selling items they collect. I also give them a short list of NPC's who pay nicely for common items like dandelions, logs, worms, coconuts, etc. Once they find out what they can sell, and how much can be earned, it decreases the amount of donation requests.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> Okay..this is going to sound like a silly question but recently some players on grey server have started holding "weddings" for their horses. Now this kind of thing between players would not be permitted because no dating is allowed...but what about the horses? Would this be considered against the rules?</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> That used to be quite common on Pinto. At the time we decided it was fine when it was all in fun. If they do start imposing it on players, then step in. Otherwise, let them have their fun.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod1:</span> I have had this happen a lot lately- a player releases a horse for whatever reason- someone else catches it and keeps it. Now- if I understand right- once the horse is released it's fair game to anyone. If someone else catches the horse- they do not have to give it back to whoever released it and we as mods don't get involved in the dispute. If they feel they were wronged they file an abuse report. Am I correct or have I been thinking all wrong? any advice would be much Appreciated. </i><br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod2:</span> I believe that logic is correct. Also, if a players says "I'm standing on a wild horse" in global, then wants whoever catches it to pay them money, no money is owed, correct?</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> Many players claim to release a horse accidentally. You have to push an "are you sure" button before a horse is released, so if they are really that click-happy to not notice they were releasing a horse, than they need to pay more attention. If they are releasing horses in order to trade with each other, tell them that even if they have full horses and want to trade with another player, so long as both players add a horse to the trade, it can go through. They don't need to release a horse to get down below max horses.<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> This has been a popular thing lately and all it seems to do is get people upset. Of the few I have checked, the person that claimed they were going to drop a foal never did. So, these "companion parties" are not allowed to be advertised and are highly discouraged. They are not strictly against the rules, because there is no way to actually enforce that. The way we have it set up, you, the mod, shouldn't even know that it is happening.<br>
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Iftheydofeeltheneedtohavethese"companion parties"andyoudoknowaboutit,justbesuretowarnpeopleingeneralthatit's highly unlikely anyone would actually drop a foal at these things and if they participate it'stheirfaultiftheyloseacompanion.<br>
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Joesaidit's kind of like a person on a playground telling a kid, hey, if you give me your twinkie I'llgiveyoumyiPod.:)<br>
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Allofthesestatementsapplyto"releasing parties"also. Wedon't want them announcing 'releasingparties' in global, but they can do that with their buddies if they want, though charging for these at all is not allowed. The big thing here is, so many people whine that someone stole their horse, or companion, or whatever their releasing when they have these 'parties'. Again, it'salwaysgoodtoremindthemthatonceanitemorhorseleavesyourpossession,itisnolongerconsideredyoursandsomeoneelsecatchingitorpickingitupisnotstealingit.<br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> I've had times I've stumbled upon a releasing party, grabbed the horse, and took it to the pawneer. Might not be the nicest way to do things, but the reality that they need to face is that it will happen.<br>
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</i><spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> I realize you want to teach the kiddos a lesson, but most will learn it from other players. I would prefer the mods were helpful and nice.. not taking horses that you know were released by a player out of good faith that it would be returned. So, if asked, please return a horse in these types of situations and be sure to let the player know that most players wouldn't return the horse so they would have lost it and to remember that once a horse is released it is no longer considered theirs.<br>
Ignoreitifit's worded all right and not causing a raucous, but do say something if they are wording it threateningly or if other players are reacting negatively. It'sbetterifnotmentionedatall,butitalsoisn't a huge deal and it'salsoagoodideatonotmakeabugfussaboutit. Makingabigdealoutofityourself,ifnooneelseis,willjustmakethingsharderforyou.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod: </span>With regard to an unfair trade (or), scams, are players allowed to report at least a name to a mod, should moderators compose a list of those attempting to spoil HI with scams and keep an eye on them (with perhaps a rule where if a player is reported 5 times they get a days mute?)<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod Answer:</span> Names are fine for them to give to you. As for a list of players to keep an eye on. There's probably certain players that certain mods have had run-ins with time and again. But as I recall Joe and Miranda saying they wanted the mods to treat every player equally. Not playing favorites if one player has been good, or not disliking a player for doing a bad thing. And if a player does enough bad things then Miranda and Joe will probably have noticed them because of the abuse reports.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> If someone comes to you and says they've been scammed, get them to file an abuse report against them. If the scamming is clear, the 'bad' player does get severe violations and could be banned. So we watch for this behavior.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> What should we say to warn the kids of potential scams. I know some of the Mods had little sayings they use but I can't remember the gist of it other than Beware of Scams</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod Answers:</span><br>
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<fontsize=2> Iusuallysaythat"If it sounds too good to be true it's probably not a good deal"andencouragefolksthatifthey'vebeentakenadvantageofinatradeordealtoreportitimmediately</font>
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<fontsize=2> "Never give someone something you can't afford to lose"isanotherone.</font>
It's better for a player to gift Pawneer Orders instead of having it in their inventory. They just need to follow the policy in the Detailed Rules under "Selling Gift Subscriptions". That is actually safer than doing it via one in their inventory. In that case, they have to make the horse, then hope that the person still wants the horse and will pay for it. Which, if the person decides they don'twantthehorseanymore,orit's not the right height, then the person with the Pawneer Order is stuck with a horse they don'twant.<br>
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<b><aid=i2b:name=Chatspeak></a>Chatspeak</b><br>
Themainthinghereistojustnotover-mod.Mostpeoplecan't stand it, but it'sanotherthingthatisn't that big of a deal and I don'twantyouguysoverfrettingaboutit.Now,ifthereisaplayerthatiscontinuallychattinginawaythatisbasicallyimpossibletounderstand,then,byallmeans,dealwiththem.Ifyouhavesomeonesaying"Did u want it 2?"Orsomethinglikethat,whereit's really simple and easily understood, don'tworrytoomuch.Andthemoreotherplayersgetupsetaboutit,thelessthatplayerwillbeabletoactuallychatusingchatspeak.<br>
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AsmuchasIalsocan't stand chat speak, I just don'twantyouguystomakethingsmoredifficultforyourselvesortheplayers.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod:</span> So I'm noticing something of a trend: players claiming they're going to harm themselves, or worse, to mods. This has happened to a fellow Pally mod, and I remember someone awhile back mentioning a similar problem on their server, here in the mod forum.<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod1 Answer:</span> I have to say that with the vast majority who say something like that, my line is this (in PM of course)<br>
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"I am assuming that what you have said is a very, very bad joke. If for any reason I thought you were serious, my next action would have to be to give you a prolonged mute on this game and refer you to some suitable help and counseling sites. Am I right in thinking this is a joke?"<br>
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Todate,everysinglepersonhasbacktrackedandsaidtheyweren't serious. Most have then claimed it'stheirlittlebrother/dog/friend/aliensatthekeyboardandtheydidn'tsayit.<br>
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I've also noticed that the word seems to be getting round that this is my response as I rarely seem to see this sort of thing when I'monline.<br>
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Ihavenoideaifthisisthebestwaytohandleit,it's well outside my experience. It seems to work. That'sallIcansay.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod2 Answer:</span> I think that muting the player right away and chatting with them privately could help the situation. Then they can't keep talking about it in global and continue making the new trend popular.<br>
Iftheyreallywantsomeonetotalkto,theycantalkwithyouinsteadofscaringyoungerplayersinglobal.Ithinkafterafewminutes,ifeventhatlong,you'll be able to tell if the player is depressed or just attention seeking. If they are depressed, you can encourage them to seek help or talk to a parent or trusted teacher/counselor- if they are attention seeking you can explain the severity of these "threats" and keep them muted as a punishment for not taking it seriously and worrying other players needlessly. But I really liked [Mod1's]responsealot.I'llusethatphrasemyselfifIrunacrossit.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod2:</span> Some computers glitch I think... This also happens occasionally on Dun. And with some good players who don't spam or break the rules.</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> I've actually had this happen to me once, and some of you will remember when [Mod] was having this problem severely. So, for the most part, the players are probably not lying. Especially if they are saying some sentence and stop partway through a word. This probably means they just looked up and were like "oh shoot!". Apparently a shortcut program can cause this problem for some.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod1:</span> I know this has been briefly mentioned before, but I know I can speak for most of the frequent Roan mods, we've been having problems with a few 'mini mods' in global. It's gone beyond just trying to be helpful. One player in particular even goes as far as saying 'I think I speak for the mods...', and jumps in when we're trying to do our job, clearly, in global already. I think its beyond these players being helpful, and them truly being a pest, because it continues even after we ask them to let us do our job.<br>
<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> What players don't realize is that being an over assertive 'mini mod' can actually hurt their chances of being a mod. Even if another mod recommends them and I see them actually tending to cause problems because of trying to act 'modly' I won't make them a mod.<br>
<i>Iwouldgivetheplayer(s)atalkingtofirst,then,ifthatdidn't help the situation, I'ddoashortmute,maybe5-10min.I'd explain that it'sgoodtobehelpful,buttonotstepinandtrytotakechargeofamod'sduties,especiallywhentherearemodspresent.Also,makesuretheyknowmodspmplayersifissuesarise,notmentiontheminglobal..<br>
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Ihadasimilardiscussionwithafewplayersawhileback.Onejustcouldn't wrap her mind around why it was bad. I borrowed a page from my hubby, who'sacop.Itoldtheplayerstothinkaboutitthisway:Ifyou're standing next to a police officer, and the officer is telling a person who is misbehaving not to do something, and then you, a regular person, also fuss at the misbehaving person, then you'rejustmakingthesituationworse,becausethereissomeonetherewhoseactualjobistotakecareofthings,andhe(orshe)isdoingit.Icouldalmosthearthelightbulbsgoingonovertheplayers'heads.:)Workedgreat.Feelfreetostealifitworksforyouguys.</i><br>
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I'm seeing mods jump on some people for something that seems pretty petty... Let me try to clarify what I see as 'mini-modding'. If any of you want to add to it, feel free, say why, or what harm it causes and we'llsee.<br>
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Whenaplayerisconstantlycorrectingpeople:<br>
"<i>Use ads chat ________</i>"<br>
"<i>Stop spamming!!</i>"<br>
"<i>Stop talking about that ___</i>_"<-theplayershouldPMamodandaskthemtogetthepersontostop<br>
"<i>Use the library to find characters in the game.</i>"<br>
"<i>Using ads chat will probably increase the chance of you being able to sell your horse</i>!"<br>
"<i>Ads chat is used by either selecting it in the drop down box or typin /$</i>"<br>
"<i>You can find the password by talking to the residents.</i>"<br>
etc.<br>
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It's really important to distinguish between people that are just helping and answering questions, and those that are actually causing problems because they are telling people what to do. If you see someone as a mini-mod, but other players don'tseemtohaveaproblem,thenleaveitalone.Theonlytimeyoushouldtalktosomeonethatisactinglikeamini-modisiftheyareactuallycausingmorefightinginglobal.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod3 Answer:</span> A mini mod is someone who decides to reprimand players after every little infraction and not allowing the mods time to even respond or still post it after we say something.<br>
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Lastly,pleasedonottellotherplayerstheyarebeing'mini-mods'ortheyare'mini-modding'.ThebestthingtodoifsomeonekeepscorrectingothersinglobalistoPMthemandsaysomethinglike"I know you are trying to help, but please let the mods handle it. We do so in PM and we don't want a(the) player feeling bombarded".Orsomethinglikethat.<br>
<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod1:</span> This evening [actually, it's still going on as I post this] a few of the known "troublemakers" on Bay server were harassing and being extremely disrespectful towards 2 of the 3 mods [both of us being new]. It was asked repeatedly that players drop this and keep their comments to themselves, but they refused, and continued saying rude/hurtful things. I do not know what is to be done about this. If I do something to reprimand them, I don't think it will help the situation, but I do not feel it should go unpunished. I considered muting for 15 minutes in regards to teasing, but wasn't sure if this was the proper thing to do. Please help!<br>
Iknowmostoftheseplayersarechildren.Italmostsickensmetoseetheactionsofsomeplayers.It's amazing what the internet can do for a person. Leaves them safe to be rude and hurtful, even if they wouldn'tdoitineverydaylife.Providesthemwithsomethingtohidebehind-leavesthemanonymous.It's sad, and I actually feel bad for them. I try not to take it too personally, but it'shardnotto.There's someone openly saying to 80 other players that they HATE you. Not dislike, but HATE. I actually don'tthinkI'veeversaidthattoanyoneinmyLIFE.Ugh.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> For these types of things they need to be muted. Especially if they are doing it in global and not stopping after being asked to. By not muting them, they think they can get away with it. They probably would start harassing you after you mute them, but you can always personally mute them.<br>
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Justrememberthattheanonymityappliestoyoualso.Theydon't know who you are or what you'rereallylike,sowhattheysaydoesn't really have any bearing on you. It'sreallyimportanttoignorethesetypesofhurtfulthingsandnottakeitpersonally,thoughIknowthatcanbetough.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod2 Answer:</span> When I first started dispatching my trainer told me the best piece of advice I have ever heard. As it is highly applicable here I want to share it :)<br>
Shesaid" It's never personal! Unless someone says to you - Hey! You - so and so (insert name) I know you! I know where you live and how you live your life! I know how you treat your family and your kids and I just want you to know that I hate you and I think you suck at the way you live your life! - Unless a caller, or an officer (or a PLAYER), can say that to you - it's never personal.<br>
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<i><spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod1:</span> Okay so here's the deal. On Roan during more than one instance I've noticed different moderators trying to remind a player of certain rules and instead of the usual 'my bad' they get backtalk from the players. It seems to me that more and more players are viewing certain mods as being "power hungry" and that mods "discretely lord their power over us [players] by boosting their egos with mutes" when they're only trying to do their job.</i><br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#990000>Answer:</span> Telling the player to file an abuse report if they feel they've been treated unfairly is probably the best thing you can do. You should also let them know that starting disputes in global is against the rules.<br>
However,iftheydon't take that hint and continue to make a dispute in global then I'dsaymutingisdefinitelyinorder.<br>
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<spanstyle=COLOR:#38761d>Mod3 Answer:</span> This is going to sound dumb. But I definitely up the amount of smiley faces I use when asking players to follow rules through PM's. If they argue about it I will remind them that the rules are there for a reason, also with a smiley face.<br>