Member Discussions

I recently started playing Medievia again after a long absense and one of the first new "features" I noticed was this new thing knows as IVOTE. Basically it is a friendly reminder from the IMMs on Medievia telling you to go to mud listing sites and vote for Med. Every time the reminder comes up you have to type in a command to make it go away. Anyone who tries to fool the system by using a trigger will get punished. The only way they will remove the "reminder" is if you vote for Medievia every day. The gods have also said that they will not be as helpful if you have a game related problem if you are flagged in their database as a non voter.

The only reason I'm posting this here is because there is no freedom of speech on Med and any attempt to speak up against this system is met with purging and punishment. This is pretty typical of how things are run on Med with rampant corruption in the gods like gods "accidentally" crashing the mud to avoid having their equipment looted in CPK. Alot of good skilled players have quit over this and other stuff. The gods on Med don't seem to understand that it is the players that have made the game great over the years not whiny code that forces you to do stuff against your will outside the game world.

I'm not sure this is a legal issue, but its definately not smart from a player perspective. From a Med's imm perspective I'm sure its great and wonderful. From a non-Med imm perspective (my own) I find it reprehensible. I can find no justification for what they've done, other than to gain false popularity.

From an admin's point of view, if one of my imms or my coder suggested we implement a system like that, after the stun wore off I'd flay their arse. Thats holding players hostage. "If you want to play on this game, you WILL vote or you WILL suffer. If you don't vote, you're not worth our time." WTF is that kinda attitude about??? I'd tell em my vote was GFY.

This isn't a legal issue, but it may make you feel better to know that Medievia was forced off Topmudsites for exactly this kind of thing.

--matt

What do you expect...Medievia is more evil than I am. I could imagine that MUD is even more hated than I am. *spits on Medievia* The problem with Medievia is the fact that they DON'T CARE at all what anyone thinks or says about them. They continue to do whatever they wish without caring if it ruins the game experience or if it pisses off thousands of people. Either way, Medievia will eventually close down like every other MUD at there and then everyone will be happy.

Medievia is a business.

They will do what they think will maximize profits.

There's nothing to do about it other than not logging on.

Personally I wouldn't bet on Medievia closing due to lack
of players. Spite, maybe.

-Crat
http://lpmuds.net

It's spelt Mercthievia.

*slams her head against her desk repeatedly*

Unless the IMMs are sending the "heavies" around to your houses, equiped with baseball/cricket bats to "persuade" you to keep on playing "that MUD" or any other MUD that you may dislike, type the command "Quit". That command works for a lot of MUDs. "Quit" is one of the greatest forms of expression on MUDs, second only to "Delete". Don't just say it - do it! (There's nothing quiet as tiresome as people threatening to delete characters because of "blah" and two weeks later they are still playing a MUD, whining about how they will delete because of "blah". "Delete" - You know that it makes sense =)

As for abuses of the MUD voting systems I could name one MUD that gives (or at least it used to) exp bonuses to players if they voted for it on one MUD chart thing (not that it ever did them any good). It would not surprise me that other MUDs do that but then I don't go by the charts to find MUDs to play - I go by trial and error. This "reminder" system however is a rather unique way of attracting and keeping players. Err.. what am I saying? Bad publicity>No publicity! If this trend continues other MUDs might start rewarding their players for bad reviews and flames about their MUDs (That's if it isn't being done already... heh). It's like moths to a flame - fire bad but oh so pretty...

P.S. I thought it was quiet on the Med/Merc/Whatever-ievia front this week. Next week we might hear about how players are forced to play Med/Merc/Whatever-ievia or else The-Kittens-Get-It! So please folks, think of the kittens...

*slams her head against her desk repeatedly again*

(Comment added by Templeton on Fri Nov 17 3:53:15 2006)

I would have suggested not logging on to "that MUD" if it causes so much grief but then I have to tell myself... It's like moths to a flame...

But a serious note - if you feel that they are abusing the vote system on one of those MUD charts it might be worth while talking to who runs that particular MUD chart to see if they are breaking the rules, etc...

Yeah. Play a mud that doesn't suck. Problem solved.

Wait, wait I don't get it. Why the hell would anyone not play Mercthievia? It has to be the greatest MUD EVER! Let's run down the features:

Totally original* codebase that is in no way based on commonly availible resources.

Free** play that requires no*** payments whatsoever, unlike most other MUDs.

Great**** IMM staff dedicated to player happiness.

Automated systems that in no way***** penalize not voting for Mercthievia.

HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG?????

(For legal reasons, the following disclaimers apply:
* "original" may include code in no way original in whole or part
** There is a recurring non-refundable fee
*** "no payments" may include constant payments deducted from your account with or without permission
**** Includes staff with slight/severe mental disability, dementia, psychosis, or homicidal/sociopathic behavior as well as general incompetence
***** Players will be penalized for not voting for the MUD)

But it's just so fun.....now only if we could get a phone number to harass.

I'm not going to say much about this except for yes we have a vote reminder timer, and I specifically wrote to Icculus about it before we pointed people here. He did not respond to my question whether it was illegal or not. It does not say anywhere in the rules at this site that vote scripts are allowed. And btw, many other MUDs use them. Most of the ones high up at Topmudsites in fact. We were booted off because of the manner in which we use it. The reminder automatically comes up when you reach level 26 or so. Then you have the choice to see it every day or turn it off. If you turn it off you are reminded again in 30 days. We do not in any way change our opinion of players if they vote or not. I never really even notice to tell you the truth. The administration at Topmudsites didn't agree with the way we do it. So be it. If Icculus has a problem with it he has not yet told me.

As for the other stuff, sounds like typical disgruntled player stuff.

I'll leave you with an email from a player I received just today:

"It is a wonderful thing some of the changes that have been made, it has also been extremely nice to catch up with old friends and find out what as gone on with them over the past few years! Medievia offers such a unique environment that is hard to match. I have played many other online games and nothing can compare. I enjoy the teamwork, the social interaction along with the exciting quests and tasks that are available.

As always thanks for such a wonderful place to come and hang out! The changes are awesome and I can wait to see what you all have planned!"