This is just a heads up.

If players are being denied entrance into guilds, cities or communes because they aren't passing a "test", and if this becomes endemic and I begin hearing complaints, then the admin will probably be forced to step in. Just to be clear, I don't have any issues with denying entrance based on a player's history (i.e., if he or she raided the opposite organization or stole from them or was otherwise notorious). Nor do I have an issue for requiring tests to increase guild ranks (i.e., beyond GR1). However, I do have issues for stonewalling players from joining guilds or cities/communes because they can't spell well or can't recite the Elder Wars by memory.

I always try to put it in positive terms. So it's not like you failed but more like you haven't passed yet and here is what you need to do to finish.

I wouldn't have said i won't sponsor you but more like reflect some on the questions I asked and if you haven't found a sponsor by next month come check in with me.

My thoughts:

Even though this is an english-speaking, roleplaying game (involving some necessary curbs), it really is a shame when players and potential customers cannot take the course they would like to based a kind of 'discrimination' (not that it is a bad kind) which most people from other games, even other IRE games, aren't used to.

My first MUD was Nilgiri- roleplay was completely optional and widely disregarded. Later I went to Achaea (which was not much better : P) and brought that same style over. It took guidance through example for me to understand what was expected, before learning that I should immerse myself and initiate in dialogue the way we do here.

It would probably be/have been best best to bring the problem to the player's attention as inoffensively as possible. Kindly point him out to HELP LANGUAGE, give him some out-of-character encouragement and advice, then tell him to try again "very soon". This way you can still fail someone, but hopefully keep them on the good side of the system and dodge the kind of complaints Estarra is speaking of.

As much as it may break the immersion, for true novices I've found that a little OOC reassuring after a test through a tell can go a long way toward both ends.

As a note to Estarra, I do hope that you don't think I stonewalled him. I told him straightforward that he could try and obtain other sponsors if he so wished.

I failed one person in a test when I was in the ebonguard. I haven't failed anyone since then. It was just... awkward and I felt bad. I now make sure that everyone will pass the test by asking them questions beforehand and switching up requirements based on their skills and needs. I never feel bad about denying people to Glomdoring (As rare as it is) I ask them why they want to join and when I get the answer of "I hate serens" I ask them what they think of the Glomdoring, if they can't give a good enough responce I tell them learn more about the Glomdoring and get back to me if you want. They don't normally and go to someone else.

isn't "I hate serens" code for "I'm a combatant and I want to try out the glomdoing based skills for combat?"

When performing guild tests for promotions, I don't feel bad if I have to fail someone. Because why would Astraea feel bad for failing people? I mean, she kills babies and has to dodge thorn beasts on her way to the library. So, whatev.

Then again, I don't often feel bad, you can usually tell when someone's trying, and guild promotion isn't such a big deal that you can't gloss over certain issues that may rise up.

BTW, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone or saying we're anywhere near a point where the admin would need to take action. However, the subject of this thread raised a few red flags for me and I wanted to weigh in. As you may know, I tried pretty hard to design the Lusternia guild system so there wouldn't be a huge hurdle to join guilds and reach GR1. (Again, I have absolutely no issues with requiring tests or requirements to go up in guild rank--the problem is placing enormous barriers to initially joining guilds.)

I think it's more OOC feeling bad than IC feeling bad.

I understand. I was just making sure that you didn't think I was doing something wrong.

Beyond that, as opposed to all the other IRE games, I prefer Lusternia's guild system with the time limits on novicehood and the way things are set up. In Lusternia, you have options as to how you do things, and I like that.

She doesn't have a consciousness, don't try to explain stuff like "feeling guilty" to her.

Conscience.

This sentence has a very different meaning than you intended, I think.

Hee! I was just thinking that!

I think you missunderstood Ashteru.

What Ashteru is trying to tell us is that Astraea is really a bot.

Chloroform does wonders.

Bots are not as interested in teasing a poor Xenthos as Astraea is.

Woo, she even passes the turing test! Our experiments are succesfull! Shayle you hear that!?

Yeah... same issue here as in Ashteru's. I don't think that means what you want it to mean.

*cough*

On the devil's advocate here ... at least for parts of this. I know several Lusty players who are blind in life and use a special speech program to translate everything into text. One good friend has such horrible spelling and grammer in game. Capitals missing or in the wrong place, horrid spelling, never any commas and whatnot .... but it is just the program responding to a southern accent and putting into text. The poor grammer and spelling might have been a poor grasp of the language, or there might have been other issues that you can't see beyond your screen.

Will you guys kick me out now because my english sucks? D: