I'm sorry you put a lot of work into this and haven't gotten much of a response. I just saw this now since I only check into the forums once in a while when I think of it. l also haven't been playing lately so maybe my opinion doesn't even matter.
I have to agree with Edoras here. The rules as written are terribly offensive and player-blaming. It makes it seem like this game has a big problem with players who need to been kept at heel.
Here are my suggestions:
1) delete rule 1 entirely
2)
Quote:
characters have the right to understand why they died.
Delete this. Death is often senseless, especially in SK where builders love random death traps.
3)
If you're going to ban IN-CHARACTER sexual harassment, I think you need to be a lot more specific about what you're banning. The rule as-written could be used by a future rules admin to site-ban a player for using the "goose" command on a stranger.
6)
Quote:
Should you encounter a mechanical tactic that you feel works around realistic roleplay, you should report it via email to an administrator.
This doesn't make any sense as a rule. If I encounter something I "feel" isn't "realistic" I "should?" report it?
A possible fix would be to say, "We reserve the exclusive right to determine whether an effect is intended or unintended and players shall be retroactively punished for abusing a mechanic regardless of when the mechanical abuse became known to the staff. As a courtesy, the staff will respond to questions about whether a specific tactic or mechanic is considered abuse, but no complete list of banned mechanics will be provided."
Ok, so I couldn't really make this sound fair. I think the problem is that you're not leaving yourself room for the punishment to fit the crime. If someone finds a new exploit that lets them modify the stats on their weapons, that's a huge deal and obviously not intended. Delete/ban them. But if someone uses the "get" command to take an item from an NPC and realizes that the game returns different messaging that reveals whether the NPC has the item or not, there has to be a different punishment, such as telling them to stop, fixing the messaging and allowing them to continue to enjoy the game.
An equivalent to what you've done with this law is something like: "Occasionally, the parking signs in this area are incorrect. Should you encounter a space that you feel should be marked "no parking," you should report it in an email to the town traffic supervisor. Any cars found to be parked in no-parking zones will be towed, crushed and have their materials recycled. This includes no-parking zones that should have been marked but weren't at the time, at the sole discretion of the town traffic supervisor"
Quote:
*****Ignorance of these rules does not constitute an excuse for breaking them.*****
Delete this, it's unnecessarily hostile and petty. Further, why shouldn't we consider the difference between someone knowingly breaking an important rule and someone who accidentally does because the game is already complex enough and we can't seriously expect every new person to figure out every possible thing that isn't allowed in the game.
Since I suggested deleting rule 1, I would like to further propose an addendum.
NOTE TO PLAYERS: This is a competitive, tactical roleplaying game. As such, there will be winners and losers in each encounter. If you feel that losing an encouter is reducing your enjoyment of the game, we encourage you to check out the following resources that will help you be more competitive in the future "link-to-list-of-resources." If you feel that you are unable to roleplay your character the way you want to because other characters are interfering, through combat or diplomacy, be aware that the staff will not intervene on your behalf, unless the player or group is abusing a mechanical advantage. OOC harrassment will not be tolerated, however roleplaying does not happen on an individual level. Your character must find a place in the world and be able to interact with other characters, even those diametrically opposed to your character's value and goals. There is no limit to the number of characters you can create for FREE in Shattered Kingdoms, so feel free to delete any characters that you are not enjoying and try again with a new concept.