TMC Player Reviews: Project Bob

Review Submitted By: Shaeryn
Author Status: Player
Started on Project Bob: A few weeks ago
Submission Date: Nov 28, 2007
TMC Listing: Project Bob

The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Shaeryn] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.

This is a mud with amazing gameplay and a depth that I've never seen
before. The problem is it's practically unplayable because of one of
the staff members, Ariana. If you decide to start playing this game, I
strongly recommend you stay on her good side by accepting anything and
everything she says without question or you are out of there.

I have been mudding for about 8 years and have never been in trouble
for language or behavior before. However, I start playing this game
and I'm instantly reprimanded by this particular staff member. During
my first week on the mud, I say a word on the OOC channel I didn't
even know was considered a swear word and got told to watch my
language, which was fine. (Other people say worse things on there and
never get reprimanded, the slot machine even says the word all the
time.) I just didn't know it was considered an offensive swear word,
after this I never repeated the word. At another point I used another
word on clan channel that I didn't know was a swear word, and in the
process of being told not to say that anymore she insinuated that I
was a liar because I didn't immediately understand what I was being
warned for. After this she joined the clan on her immortal to keep an
eye on it. (Didn't call anyone names or anything like that, also
thought clan channels were private.) After speaking to the mud owner
about how I disliked being called a liar I was told to respect being
called a liar by the staff and to accept warnings unconditionally.
(All I did was ask what I was warned for because I honestly didn't
know at the time), and to apologize to the imm in question for getting
angry at her. In the process of being upset with her, I said nothing
derogatory, nor did I use any profane words, I merely said I would
like to know what I was being warned for. 

Are the players monsters to
these people? Little children to keep in line in case they might do
something bad? To me this is just way off anything I've ever ever
seen before. I didn't apologize because I hadn't done anything wrong
except question a warning I didn't understand, and react to being
called a liar by the staff. To me, this warrants being called unfair
treatment by select players, and I will never respect being called a
liar by anyone when I have in fact been telling the truth. To me it
seems as if thir view of players are that they are potential monsters,
rule breakers and do not deserve to be treated decently in any way.

I was also gagged on all channels after being attacked verbally by
someone and defending myself against it, this is verified by other
people who were present at the time. When i'm told to stop fighting,
I say I feel I have the right to defend myself and suddenly I can't
speak anymore. The player who was attacking me (for helping someone
else, I have to say that) got nothing. When I asked why I was
nochanned, Ariana told me that I am to listen to what she says
instantly, what the other person did was not her concern, because he
shut up when she said it. Basically, if you enjoy abusing other
players, this is the place to go. Those who attempt to defend
themselves get the boot because defending yourself is stirring up the
entire mud and ruining the game for everyone. In this place, when the
imms say "jump", you will get in trouble for asking "how high?"
because you didn't jump quickly enough. Asking "why?" is unheard of.

What this tells me of the staff on this game is that they do not
appreciate people who are able to think for themselves. The admins
goal are to create a game with a wonderful atmosphere with no
fighting, but what is really going on is players snitching on
eachother, people being unfairly treated by overzealous Ariana, and a
great amount of distrust among the players, as everyone are afraid to
say the wrong thing even by accident, only to be snitched at by
someone completely random. And you really do get into deep trouble no
matter what your intentions were. This is such a shame because the
game itself is wonderful, and it would be the best place i've ever
been to if not for that one staff member. Her unfair treatment of
players is also accepted by the mud owner. What makes it especially
difficult, is that noone dares speak up against it in fear of being
promptly removed from the game, and so my impression is it will never
change. According to older players, this has been getting worse and
worse.

Why am I writing this? Because I don't want to see other people
waste their time on this mud if they know they have a mind of their
own, and won't respect being called liars or treated unfairly.
Because you won't last long on here if you question unfair judgment.
I decided to quit the game after being banned on all channels for
defending myself against someone who got no punishment. It wouldn't
even have been a big deal because we would have worked it out, but the
imms won't let us, they are deeply involved in everything.

On a last note: When I decided to quit, I started picking out my good
equipment to give away to a clan member. This was taking a while.
While I do this, I get a telepath from this imm saying 'Why don't
you just remove everything and drop it on the ground so he can pick it
up. That would be much quicker. :)'

Mud gameplay: 10/10, can't even grade how imms treat the players low
enough.

What I write here is in no way the opinion of all other players on
the game, and represents only my own experience with the mud. All the
above observations are observations made by me and no one else. Shae