Hello, Before reading this thread, please make sure you're up to date with your forum rules and game terms and conditions. Forum rules link: https://royals.ms/forum/threads/faq-forum-rules-under-construction.6334/ Game Terms and Conditions link: https://royals.ms/forum/threads/game-terms-conditions.353/ I'm not sure if there is already a topic like this on the forums or what section to post this under, but I wanted to know what the server considers an inappropriate in game name. I've considered donating in order to get an in game name change, but I want to be sure that my potential in game names are seen as appropriate to the server based on their policies (I'd prefer to not post any of my potential names until this thread gets some feedback). I know that there is a part in the game terms and conditions that talks about this, but I'd like to see feedback from both the GMs of the server and players of the server. I've looked through the character donation section on the forums to see what kind of names people used, and some of them (I won't specify who) can be seen as inappropriate in my opinion, whether they be sexual, vulgar, etc. I've also seen many in game players with inappropriate names (I won't specify who) that can be viewed as sexual, vulgar, etc. Of course I understand the GMs can't get to everyone with those inappropriate names, so some people are lucky with those names (and at the same time, breaking the rules). Overall, the goal of this thread is to see what kind of words or phrases in names are considered appropriate or inappropriate by both GMs and MapleRoyals players. I obviously know that I can't use AnaiMassacre (looks like AnalMassacre), although I'd love to since it was a part of my personal life to a certain extent, but I need to abide by the rules. I want people to post actual in game names if they think it seems inappropriate, or post potential names that they want to use. I'm going to give a few examples of content that I want to know if it's considered appropriate or inappropriate: Having porn in your name (Random examples: PornGuy, PornDude, PornGirl, etc.) Having anything sexually related in your name (Random examples: AnaiDude (displays as AnalDude), PENlSMAN (I is an l instead, makes it look like PENISMAN) Having words that are violent in your name (Random example: TheMassacre (Note: for those of you that don't know what a massacre is, a massacre is a brutal slaughter of people, animals, etc) Having something that seems sexist (Random example: MenAreTheBest, Meninism (Note: for those who don't understand, there is a meninism that supports equal rights for all genders, and one that is a "joke" (not exactly funny to most people) that claims things like men need to be treated better and basically makes fun of feminism) This may seem like a stupid thread to some people, but to others, it may actually help them if they want to make a funny name but don't want to offend someone at the same time. Of course, after posting this thread, everyone who reads it will probably see me as a sick human being that only thinks about inappropriate things and supposedly wants to name change to "MenAreTheBest." I really don't want people to joke about this thread and start posting things to try to actually offend someone, so please try to not post something that is clearly inappropriate or obviously offends someone that you know plays this game or may consider playing it. This topic will be very controversial, since people have different opinions on what's considered inappropriate, but I'm sure it'll help provide some people with feedback that helps them decide on a future name. I'm sure I'm risking my forum account just by making a topic like this, but I really think this issue needs to be addressed, even if it doesn't need to be addressed in this way (although I think this would be the best way to address it by having people actually have a place to have other players judge your names). Final notes before this is posted: I don't know if anything will be censored in this topic, if it is, just ignore it. Anything censored is clearly considered inappropriate by the server, so that portion of the thread won't need to be addressed. I'm taking full responsibility for any potential posts that actually offend someone, so if you want to blame someone regarding this thread, blame me. I'm the one who decided to make this thread in the first place, so I obviously deserve to be punished or ridiculed if someone gets offended by someones post in this thread. People who post to this thread also have to be careful of what they post. I'm saying that I'll take full responsibility, but a GM might think differently. They might punish the person who posts the inappropriate content rather than the person who came up with the thread in the first place. My final warning regarding this post (anyone who has read the forum rules will understand this warning), do not post the C-word (rhymes with "punt") anywhere in this thread or anywhere on the forums. Thank you to anyone that reads or posts on this thread. Your feedback will help clear up the occasional issues that occur relating to this topic.
I'm not sure if players posting inappropriate names or having a debate about what is considered appropriate/inappropriate will actually accomplish anything. If you want to change your IGN to something that you may think is questionable, you can certainly PM a member of staff who will either point blank tell you whether it's okay or not. Or, if they are in doubt, will consult the rest of the staff to determine whether or not the IGN is considered appropriate. This is a case where each GM has different tolerances and use their discretion to help determine the appropriateness of a certain IGN.
I will start off by agreeing with you that it's debatable whether or not this thread will accomplish anything, especially if it gets no feedback from both the players and the MapleRoyals staff. My goal with this thread is to make a place where people can reference what names aren't allowed. With how you talked about how a GM might have to reference the rest of the staff to determine whether or not an IGN is considered appropriate, this thread's goal is to make that process simpler for both players and staff members. It would be a record that lets players and staff members see what previous names aren't approved by the staff. This record can then let people determine what names similar to those aren't allowed. I obviously don't know how the MapleRoyals staff communicate with one another, or how they vote on names, but this thread could be used as a place where players can see what names aren't approved by the server. The staff could potentially reference it in certain situations. I'm assuming that the staff keep a list of previous names that aren't allowed anymore on the server in a document of some sort, like with my AnaiMassacre name. Making a public list for everyone on the forums would help players decide on future names that aren't appropriate. The game terms and conditions is too vague, this thread's goal is to go deeper into the rule regarding inappropriate IGNs. Of course name changing to something inappropriate or creating an account with an inappropriate name isn't a common thing for most players to do, but there are times where it occurs. Another thing, newcomers who are making accounts aren't necessarily going to ask a GM to approve their name. With my situation for example, I didn't ask a staff member if AnaiMassacre was a name that I could use (of course I probably should've or even known it myself). There are many players who may have come from a different server where their previous name that was viewed as appropriate there will be viewed as inappropriate on MapleRoyals. MapleRoyals has grown a lot over the past three years that I have been playing. Compared to 50 players back then, there's usually over 1,000 players online most of the time. With the increase in players, there will surely be more inappropriate IGNs, and more situations related to this topic. Thirdly, regarding how each GM has different tolerances, a record of some sort will help new staff members know what names are considered inappropriate. As I previously said, I don't know if the staff have a list of inappropriate IGNs, but making one public to the server will help simplify issues regarding certain names. I can only talk about my own experiences, but I had kept my AnaiMassacre name on the server for a fairly long time before it was requested by the staff to change it. I had even remade an account with the name AnaiMassacre, and once again, I kept the name for around a year before it was changed once again. It was foolish of me to use that name twice, but it shows that a list should be made so new staff can know that a name like AnaiMassacre is never allowed on the server again and must be changed. I'm not making this thread for my own benefit. I'm making this thread to benefit the server's players, and if at all possible, help the staff in potential situations related to this subject, since there are new staff members joining yearly and inappropriate names being created daily. This list would be constantly updated, and this thread could be used for players to get feedback from staff members. This thread is not meant to be a debate. Instead, it's meant to be a place where players can get feedback from the staff.
I don't see why a staff member would punish the original poster of a thread for something they didn't do. I think this topic has merit, and I wouldn't expect you to assume responsibility for other people's actions just by bringing this discussion to the table. I've always advocated for clearer rules. There are clauses in the game terms and conditions that are vague. So open to interpretation to the point that there have been several outcries in which the community have strongly disagreed and criticized staff action. So I also advise for staff to explain, in detail, what names are considered inappropriate. Yes, if you were unsure about an IGN you were deciding on, you could ask a staff member. But that isn't the best solution. First, you might not get a reply because you ask the wrong staff member and they're inactive. Second, if you ask an active staff member, you're increasing their already heavy workload, so you're imposing a needless burden. It's productive, for both users and staff members, to explain name guidelines in a publicly accessible manner. I think the current name guidelines are quite good and rather thorough. Your IGN of AnalMassacre was obscene. I think your name change was justified, especially since you changed the "l" to an "I" to resolve the issue on a technicality and not the actual issue. However, I said the above because of the following case: See this thread: https://royals.ms/forum/threads/inappropriate-name.83013/. This report was left open and unanswered for two weeks or so. In that time, reports posted after this were answered in the typical chronological order, from oldest to newest. But peculiarly, this one was left out despite having an open tag all that time. Tim answered the report by asking if the poster was truly offended, closing the thread after the poster didn't answer for a few days as per procedure. But the problem remains that it's unclear that staff will give a player the benefit of the doubt in the meaning, or lack of one, in an IGN. Yes, BeefCurtains COULD be body shaming women with large labia minora. But it's possible, unlikely, but possible, that the IGN has absolutely nothing to do with female genitalia. So here's my question. If the poster had convinced staff that they were actually offended by the IGN they saw, what would've happened? I would hope that staff wouldn't be so quick to assume that the IGN had anything to do with human sexuality. But in the case they did, would BeefCurtains be banned under rule 5? If BeefCurtains had quit the game before the thread was resolved and no longer logged on in game or on forums to see staff asking what they wanted their IGN to be changed to, would BeefCurtains be forcibly renamed? And if BeefCurtains came back at some point in time, would they be given a free name change of their choosing? On this note, I find it problematic that there's not a clear list of what words trigger illegal smega autobans. After someone has played on the server for a while, you pick up what words and themes aren't okay, in smegas, in names, in all chat and such. But that's the wrong way of going about having a healthy community. Players should know, from the start, by reading the rules exactly what is and isn't allowed. But that's a discussion for another time. My contribution to this thread is asking staff to explain how they deal with player reports of other players' names that aren't clearly prohibited by the terms and conditions since, in some cases, it may very well be a genuine misunderstanding.
If we forcefully rename someone because of an inappropriate name, they are free to ~gm and request a name change, and we grant them that one free name change. I, personally, dont understand the appeal behind being obscene. Why would you choose to be recognized and identified as a body part? "Oh hey go add that guy, what's his name? BigDick? Okay sure. Hi BigDick, how are you?" etc. What's with the fascination behind things like that? Why would you want to identify yourself as "fk your mom" , "I got a penis", the list can go on. This is just me asking as a player, for what it's worth. I don't understand it. And my general rule of thumb I tell people, if you would have no problem saying that in front of a kid, then it's probably okay. We're a server open to all ages above 13+. Would you talk like that in front of your grandmother, or your 13 year old little sister?
The world of sensitive players. I mean if your going to start enforcing inappropriate IGNS, "IGNS!" for crying out loud why haven't you started punishing users for internet bullying/shaming? That is all I see on the damn server 1 smega after another.
We do try and ensure that the community is one that makes all feel as comfortable as possible, but there's only a few of us compared to the thousands of you. So if you see an inappropriate SMEGA, feel free to screenshot it and report it in the report abuse section.
I, like Shiyui, think this topic has merit. A clear-cut list of what is allowed and what is not allowed in terms of ign would be useful, but the time and debate needed to make such a list could probably be better spent. Firstly, it has already been shown that even between different GM's there is differences in opinion in what is considered appropriate or not. This goal could be achieved, and if it is something you desire simply out of curiosity then I encourage more discussion. But, if this goal is to help solve problems with obscene IGNs, I think there is already a much simpler solution set in place. Let's say you choose a mildly obscene IGN. If a certain Royaler doesn't find it offensive, they will say nothing of it. If a certain Royaler does find it offensive, they will probably either tell you or report you. If you are reported, your IGN would be changed by a GM to something of your choice. In this way, you can name your character whatever you (and the system) allow, and then by process of trial and error from there discover if it is appropriate or not. I bet continuously naming your character borderline obscene things and then having to change it would get old, though. Both for you and for the GM's.
Sila answered all of my concerns about the BeefCurtains case except for one point. If the original poster of that thread convinced a staff member that he or she was truly offended by the name, would BeefCurtains be banned under rule 5 of the Terms and Conditions? I have no issue with force renames since players are allowed to ~gm for a free name change of their choosing. The problem remains though if a player can be banned because of the vagueness with current server policy.
First off I'd like to mention that I'll be discussing this topic based on my personal experience, and my personal experience alone. With that said, this means that my answers may slightly, where the emphasis lies on slightly, vary from what another member of Staff might tell you, since we don't have such control over each other. So to start this off, I'd like to address the question mentioned in this quote: When we deal with names that are potentially inappropriate, there are 2 categories of name types to look at. Names that are very obviously inappropriate. Names that are less obviously inappropriate. For the first category, if it is that obvious, there is no discussion required and a single GM can make the decision to change that player's name. If the player is not available for conversation when we are trying to deal with his name change, we will decide a temporary name for this player. When the player is available for conversation again, he or she may then approach us and propose a new appropriate name for the character. We will then check out this newly proposed name, via discussion in Staff chat but also via internet research, and if it appears to be in order, we will grant the player his rename. As for the second category, if the name is way less obviously inappropriate, it may take some more time for us to come to a conclusion. Whenever we aren't sure about what the intention behind a name is or what the true meaning of the word is, we research and discuss it actively. If the combination of this research and the discussion in our Staff chat lead towards the majority of Staff being in favor of changing the name, then we will go forth with this decision. If it doesn't lead towards the majority of Staff being in favor, chances are that the player is allowed to keep his name and thus no action will be taken. Now the next question I'd like to address in this thread, is the following: If our decision is to change a player's name and this player has not logged in for x amount of time, our admins can and will change the player's name during the next Server Check. This means that the next time they will log on, they will find their character to have a new temporary name, which they are allowed to request a name change for. Since we have all name changes in a log that every GM can access, we can confirm whether or not the player has had a name change to a temporary name or not. Now, I also see you mention the following: Unless I misunderstand your suggestion here, I don't think it would be possible for us to explain exactly what names are considered inappropriate. At most I can tell you that it's divided in categories such as that the name contains phrases that can be interpreted as 'Sexual', 'Racist', 'Profane', 'Offensive', etc. For us to make an actual list, means we have to write a list of names that includes all inappropriate names in every spoken language on MapleRoyals. Now we all know that MapleRoyals is a private server accessible worldwide, and thus we have people from all over the world playing here. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer not to spend my Christmas writing down a list of over 50,000 potential inappropriate names, that maybe 3 players on the server will actually fully read. So let's not go that path, and leave it at the categories we have defined before. The last part of this thread that I'd like to address is the following: I don't think I've personally ever banned or seen anyone get banned for having an inappropriate name, unless there was more to it than just having that name. (But I wouldn't be surprised if someone can or will prove me wrong here) As for rules being 'vague', we have publicly mentioned a few times before that we are in the process of rewriting the entire T&C. This will take some time, but when we have done so there should be a lot more clarity on each and every rule on this server. I hope this post brings some clarity to any questions you had regarding this subject, and if not then please feel free to either reply here or even send me a private message based on preference. Though I won't always reply as fast as people would like me to, I do try to reply to each and every question players ask me.
