[Discuss] Vulgarity Option

[Robert Croson, Jr]

On 4 Sep 2007 at 1:59, Jonathon Taylor wrote:

> But as of right now, "Honor" and "Prestige" when coupled with the Vulgarity
> option, are not sufficient, detailed or broad enough to truly enforce
> context and diversity, they only seem to piss people off and cause distress.

Umm... Wherever did you get the (truly odd) idea that the Vulgarity option was 
intended to enforce diversity? And who said BattleMaster was all about 
diversity, anyway? I was under the impression that BattleMaster was a 
roleplaying game where we all played medieval European nobles.

The vulgarity option's entire purpose is to enforce noble speech. If you say 
ignoble things, you will most likely suffer the consequences of your actions. 
Which is a good thing.

> But in the past month, in most
> realms I am part of I have seen the Vulgarity option used when it shouldn't
> have been.

If the outcome was the loss of honor, then at least four people disagree with 
you. (One person had to report it, and three other people had to judge it.)

> And seen it not used, when it most certainly should have and it's
> not doing it's self or the game any favors by continuing to exist in
> BattleMaster.

How do you know it has not been used? Unless you have access to the game in 
a way in which the rest of us don't, the only possible way you could know that a 
Vulgarity penalty has been issued is if the person complains about it. (If you 
were one of the message's judges, you would know your own decision, but not 
the final outcome.) If the cannibal receives the penalty and makes no public 
comment regarding it (which is *exactly* what they *should* do) then you 
have no way of knowing that they got docked a point of honor.

FWIW - I was in a realm that suffered a brief bout of cannibalism on the part of 
a noble or two. I was on the verge of leaving the realm when the perpetrators 
either left or stopped. If they perform such actions again, you can damn well 
bet I'll be clicking that Vulgarity button.

> It's far too easy for some one to click "Vulgar", than it is for them to
> voice their opinion on the matter and ask the said person to stop acting
> like a tramp

Ideally, a person should do both: Click the link and voice an opinion. While 
voicing your opinion is a good thing, it can be easily ignored by the target. It 
also doesn't it doesn't get the point across to the perpetrator like an actual loss 
of honor.

> and for that reason and that reason only (let alone the reasons
> stated above), I just don't think I want to see the Vulgarity option in
> BattleMaster right now.

Well, opinions vary. I like it.

If you dig around in the DList archives, you'll find a message from Tom about 
the results of the Vulgarity option. I think you'll find that he spot checks (or at 
least did at one time) the outcomes of the Vulgarity complaints, and he was 
very happy with the majority of the results.


-- 
Rob

Things you don't want to hear while in surgery:
Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.