-rolss back innn-
Now..For a while I thought my view on ban's and how the were handed out was pretty clear cut, black and white even! I totes had strong feelings on the bans and which type of players were deserving of them!
I have however, recently, realized that there are some flaws in the system. Flaws that I was previously unaware of. Not human errors, so much as the capabilities of this game -since it is still beta- and I've revised some of my own policy..towards those that get banned.
Firstly, I realize there are two TOS descriptions, and one Game Rules section. Both on the main site, and in the Wiki.
1:
TOS
2:
Wiki ToS
3:
Game Rules
The descriptions are fairly clear about many things. Where I feel Clarity lacks is in the 'Types of Bans Handed out'.
Where is the list of bans a person can receive? The repercussions? If there is protocol, and all the staff must follow same exact protocol (depending on their department, powers and position as staff), shouldn't we know what this protocol is?
For instance, it's been made very clear that without Screen Shots, Pokemon ids, or video, a person cannot make a claim of wrong doing against another person. The staff cannot look into it if there is no proof of any actions. Visual or otherwise. Hearsay and 'he said she said' is not allowed here.
I believe there should be an in forums/wiki/main site, list. of types of bans, and that the bans should be described. The punishment should also be described for the offenses. Except for those offenses which are judged on a case by case basis.
Account Bans:
Hacking Bans:
Botting Bans:
IP Bans:
Ban Evasion Bans:
Harassment Bans:
Permanent Bans:
Forced Evolution Bans:
Scammer Bans:
Multi-Clienting Bans:
So on and So on.
People sadly..can be derps. They should know what types of punishments they can receive, as a deterrent. Listing consequences is great! Some ppl don't care about consequences, some people think they can get around the all seeing eyes. Lets work to dispel that sort of illusion of safety, and the idea that those who would do wrong, could outsmart the system. By letting them know, that you already know, and will take these sorts of actions and counteractions against them.
The staff need not list the types of illegal programs used, or show their proof, as it is in our best interest to know that they have the proof and other staff to verify said proof. There is more than one person looking at anything at any given time, and if someone is upset with how things went down, they can request another set of eyes to look it over.
Now I understand it is at each staffs discretion to hand out whatever length or type of ban they feel best suits the crime. Unless..it's not.
Is there a set punishment, for a set crime, and does this punishment adhere to every crime of the same nature? Is there any exception to the rules, any leniency depending on the type and severity of the crime committed?
For example. If I Multi-Client (which is clearly against the rules) But only use this method to trade between myself and my other accounts. Not for the sake of doing anything illegal, but because I want to clear up storage issues, organize my pokemon, get certain avitars to a certain point in the game for my own reasons. What type of reprimand would I receive? If I'm doing nothing illegal with these accounts (which could easily be monitored) Doing nothing other than trading with myself, should I be reprimanded at all?
In the rules it mentions trading over items/using the accounts to obtain items/obtain multiple starters.
Right now, item trading really is out. Directly at least. Now if one of my accounts has a Dragon scale, and another a Seadra, why couldn't I use myself to evolve my own Pokemon? Or say I wanted to clear up storage space, and move my pokemon to an account I would use as storage, because I wanted said pokemon, but also wanted to hunt more. Maybe I want all my shiny pokemon pretty in one place, and my derp pokes pretty in another.
What, in fact, is the purpose of allowing multiple accounts to exist on this game under the same email? Is it so that players can get a fresh start if they screw up and get banned? Or was there another intention to it originally?
The client is of course the issue in this, and the playerdex, which will be here eventually! (Dont rush, we love you guys!) Until then however, there is no way to trade pokes over to accounts. Unless of course you use a third party, which is even worse in my opinion. It risks getting scammed, transferring pokemon you didn't know were illegally obtained, etc etc. Yet it is not illegal to use a third party to transfer pokemon across accounts, so long as both of your accounts are not on and playing at the same time. This sadly is a dangerous affair. Trusting in a third party, or offering help to someone who asks for a transfer, as you never know what your getting into.
I feel there needs to be standards set, and standards shown. Inflexible standards for some offenses, and more flexible standards for others. Some things need to be judged on a case by case basis, others, not so much.
IP Bans: If 10 ppl are sharing the same IP and one of them does something so terribly illegal that it requires an IP ban, are all accounts on said IP automatically banned? Even if each account is owned by a separate human, and none were in league with the original offender, or accomplices to the acts or crimes committed? Would a person, by default of having the same IP, if innocent, automatically suffer the same fate as the guilty?
Pokemon Exchanges:
Does having a banned accounts Pokemon, a friends, whom you did not know was committing crimes, automatically make you an accomplice to said crimes? It's like buying a stolen care, and then ending up in trouble for it, because you didn't know the guy who sold/traded it to you, had stolen it in the first place. What if the car was yours, said guy used it in a robbery, would you then be unable to retrieve it? (Of course..these aren't cars were talking about, their pixels, pokemon pixels..Either its a lesson in 'trust no one and nothing', or a lesson in, depend on the staff to return to you whats yours. Naturally there's the need to provide proof that said thing was yours, but how much proof should be needed? An id, A screen shot and an ID? A voice recording and video and multiple messages and all trade records?)
What about all those daycare's who end up with Pokemon from banned owners? Because said owner sent the Pokemon over to be taken care of, and got banned during the care process, and the daycare naturally, was not paid for services rendered. Which many of them get to keep said pokes because the owner was banned, and they didn't get paid, the poke is now the consolation, and now officially their property.
Harassment Bans: I noticed that..and this is the rule, and therefor everyone should be careful about what they say (Plus its a kids site and the rules are very clear on all things pertaining to this!) But! Screen Shots, are key, sometimes they seem the perfect tool, but other times...
I believe that if a screen shot is taken of someone harassing another player, the full screen shot of the harassment needs to be shown. Not just cut out sections of a conversation, or parts of a whole. For all one knows, the reason the reaction was garnered (though really when you get mad enough to do those sorts of things, you should just log off) was because the player was initially provoked, but did not feel the need to screen shot the provocation. Therefor the provoker, being more clever in that moment, has the proof, and the upper hand, and can get the player a slap on the wrist...ban..etc..Regardless of how things went down. (Though again, it shouldn't ever get to that point.)
Can we please move on from this one? It's starting to become insulting.
