I do not believe we have corrupt staff members as there are checks and balances in place that seem to work most of the time. We went thru a more lenient time period after the new owner took over and many of those long gone players that scammed and trolled were allowed to return (I assume to give them a fresh start). This course of action to be nice and forgiving brought out the worst in a lot of players thinking I can get by with anything it seems. Now the crack down has begun again. It is a slow process, however, the owner and staff are doing everything they can to repair this damage in my humble opinion.
Those "slip ups" happen way too often to be just a mistake. And I don't really see a crack-down. A crack-down is fast and strong it doesn't need time to be done.
Staff try their best. Although the punishments and stuff could be better and longer for people. It just takes time to discuss it.
That is all I see every time harsher punishments come up "we need time" or "we have to talk about it" but it never happens and it has been awhile since im playing on ECC and yet nothing is changed. There should be an official statement and it should say either "There will be harsher punishments for repeat offenders including perma-bans" and that should really happen or it should say "There wont be any change in the punishments" and in that case I will just have to find a different server. Staff should stop going around that issue like its a taboo and do something, provide results and prove that they are fit for being staff. Anyone with a decent amount of time and the will can do what they do now so excuse me for not being impressed with their current performance and excuse my lack of trust in 95% of staff team.
Since dewsy seems to be the man that deals with the rules on the server, I wonder what he has to say. @Dewsy92
Ok ok everyone, please stop getting worked up over this... We all have our opinions and no one's opinion is any more relevant or correct than any other. Staff does their very best to catch violators and hand out what they have agreed upon as punishments that fit the crimes committed. I too would love to see harsher punishments handed out for the more serious offenses and repeat offenders, but the truth of the matter is we don't run the server nor do we make the rules, staff does. If you wish to make a difference or understand the reasons why things are done the way they are, then you should do what it takes to become a staff member and help make a positive change from within the staff ranks. I've watched for over two years now and can see what each of you has said here in this thread to be true so what should be done? My suggestion is this, perhaps a points system should be used to determine which violations are more severe and should have a higher value assigned to it, and then keep a tally of what each player is at in terms of violation points, which could then be used to determine the punishment handed out. I can honestly see that as an unbiased way to hand out predetermined punishments fit for how much havoc the person has caused the community. For example: Spamming = 1 point Scamming = 3 points Hacked clients = 3 points Swearing = 1 point Punishment for point levels: 1 point = Kicked 3points = 3 day temp ban 5 points = 7 day ban 10 points = Perma-ban Before anyone gets on me for points and punishments please remember its just for example purposes here, but it could be modified to the staff's liking. In doing so, there would be a cut-off point where the total points would indicate if the player should be considered a threat to the stability of the community and thus a perma-banned handed out to rid the community of the most notorious of the bad apples. There is obviously a business to run here and player numbers and funds help sustain the viability of the server, but there should be some sort of indicator as to when a player does more harm than its worth to keep them as a member... Admittedly there is a bit of a grey area for the younger members who in some cases are still learning to play nice with others, but I think publishing the points system for them to see exactly what it takes to get perma-banned and knowing where they stand (points wise) would help their learning curve too. The totals could be kept in a public thread, which I believe would cause all members to be more likely to follow the rules so as not to tarnish their good names. It could also be used as another tool for the community to know who is more trustworthy. In truth this kind of transparency to the community does a lot to reassure them that punishments are handled fairly without biases towards friends who may goof up from time to time too. Just my thoughts, do what you like with them....
You have obviously put a lot of thought and effort in this and I applaud you for that. A couple of points though: There is, and never has been (and I really doubt ever will be) a perma-ban on ECC. Players that troll and scam are always coming back as can be easily seen by some of the players that have returned even after months away. The point system would be awesome, however, this type of system would not be perfect - what about when your brother, or cousin, or neighbor, or pet (usually a cat because they are really smart) logs on your account and gets you perma banned in just 5 minutes. Hardly seems fair does it? Also this point system would never be able to take into account donators or friends and family of staff or owners or a multitude of other reasons not to punish someone. Finally, players that scam or troll obviously are not concerned with tarnishing their names, in fact, many of them seem to cherish the attention they receive from these antics, and more to the point some are very proud and brag of how many times they have been banned, or how much they have "scammed" - some not even thinking of it as a bad thing. I do feel staff are doing a much better job of making banned players take much more time off for crimes, and are really improving the punishments fitted to the crimes, although I personally grow weary of the obvious lying. Hic, you may wish to make this as your own suggestion thread so it does not just get lost in the shuffle. Wishing you success!
Thanks for commenting and bring up some very good points. #1 Nothing is going to be perfect or I'm sure we would already be using it xd #2 The "it was someone else who used my account" excuse is pretty lame and I trust we all realize that an extremely large percentage of those are just pure lies from people who don't understand what taking responsibility is about. As for the couple that it actually happens to, you are correct in thinking that it would be unfortunate for those people, but a good lesson in not sharing passwords might be learned. Still I feel this type of system would help people think before they act... #3 Those who are dead set on creating chaos and don't give a rip if they get caught... They would get to the perma-ban level rather quickly and we could be rid of them just as quickly (much quicker than the current system in place). Also another point I failed to include earlier was that I really believe repeat offenders of the same violation should incur additional points due to their obvious lack of sincerity when they appealed in their original ban appeal and/or their inability to learn from their mistakes. #4 Excuses not to ban people??? Are you kidding thats one reason I love this system. There shouldn't be favorites when it comes to this issue(the ban-hammer knows no love). He or she who does the crime should do the time. #5 Great point that there needs to be some sincerity to the use of the term "Perma-ban". No sense in using the term if its not a legitimate consequence. I too have seen many people back from the "Perma-ban" graveyard (no one saw this coming) only to repeat the same offenses *passed out on floor from shock* Don't get me wrong, I feel there is a great responsibility for those in power to show mercy and to allow people to prove themselves by giving them second chances, but 3rd 4th 5th blah blah blah just teaches them and others that there is no limit to the amount of chaos they are permitted to create for the community. Where to draw that line? We'll have to leave that to a higher pay-grade... The point is there should be a line and this system allows for that. Again thanks for your comments and ideas, its refreshing to see others care as well... +1 to the Admiral
