[Discuss] Stripping characters of their nobility

[James]

Greg McGlynn wrote:
> Thomas Dalton wrote:
>> Rulers have the option to question the nobility of a member of their
>> realm. From what I've seen, the vast majority of the times that option
>> is used, it's in controversial circumstances at best, or outright
>> abuse of power at worst (from an IC point of view). However, it seems
>> to virtually never get protested the amount it should.
>>
>> Is it just me that feels this way? If not, what can we do to encourage
>> more realistic responses? (I think it boils down to people not RPing
>> their characters as selfish enough - no-one is as selfless and cares
>> only for the good of the realm as most characters in BM.)
>>
> I agree with this. It seems to me that a ruler's use of the strip 
> titles option should pretty much *always* get protested. The ruler 
> isn't just saying the person is bad and shouldn't be doing what 
> they're doing, the ruler is saying they aren't even a noble, just a 
> peasant pretending to be one. It's one of the worst possible 
> accusations you could make of another noble. As I recall, the message 
> informing the realm that a noble has been stripped tells you that you 
> should protest this except under the most extreme circumstances. The 
> text describing the stripping of a noble to the ruler says:
>
> "This is a serious action. It will strip the one so accused of all 
> titles and rank. It will certainly make him your enemy. At the same 
> time, it will dramatically reduce his power and influence.
> Do not underestimate the shockwaves this might send through the ranks 
> of your nobles. This is like calling the Earl of Earling a pig farmer 
> who has faked his banner, family tree and the whole of it. In a 
> society of nobles, anyone who ever so much as dined with him will be 
> insulted."
>
> I suspect the strip function is considered by many to be just another 
> form of banning, but clearly it is really far worse. I suggest leading 
> by example when you see someone get stripped - protest loudly and have 
> your character make sure the other characters know that the stripped 
> person has just been accused of being a lowdown peasant pretending to 
> be a noble.
>
> Greg McGlynn
>
>
Well, there is two problems that I've seen.  A:  You're only given 250 
characters to describe why you are doing it.  That's not even CLOSE to 
being enough to do it.  B:  What defines being a noble over a peasant?  
Dictionaries define nobleman as being of the highest social class.  
Well, why can't you be kicked out of the highest social class?  As I 
explained to Thomas, in realm, why would someone question someones 
birthright as a noble when every noble in Europe was related to every 
other noble in Europe, they were all inbred.  There isn't a single line 
that wasn't related to another line, even from different countries.  If 
you questioned their birthright it would be the same as questioning your 
own birthright.  It is impossible in BM to prove that someone's not 
actually from a family in battlemaster because they are from that 
family, it's not like in Europe when they could prove it because some 
people weren't.  So to me you're questioning the person based on their 
actions, not their actual birthright.  Also when using the option you do 
get mini-protested by the game.  I lost 7 honour and 3 prestige with the 
event that Thomas is talking about.  4 honour and 4 prestige the second 
time.  It already isn't a light option even without the two (maybe three 
with a silent protest) protests.