I've been reading for a while here. The one thing I can honestly say is that what's been said about the "brigade of alts" being created is truth. There are at least two individuals I'm aware of who seem to continually create new characters in Gaudiguch for the sole purpose of somehow screwing with the current leadership. In fact, the fact that this keeps happening is beginning to drive off some of the actually fantastic characters Gaudiguch -does- have. That in itself is a terrible thing.

I don't know that anything can be done about this, other than what's seeming to be a rinse, repeat process of them messing up and said alt turning leafy. If a player has done something to an org and said org refuses to allow them back for a length of time, it would seem wiser to me to attempt to get on good relations with them rather than become demanding, insulting, and then spend your days creating new people who come out of the portal already having some sort of vendetta.

Just my two cents on that part.

I'm not completely sure what you're talking about but if someone keeps making characters that get shrubbed, we can go further and actually completely block them from even logging in. Feel free to issue with more details.

On a serious note, I've always perceived that while Gaudiguch is a City of Freedom, that doesn't mean 'freedom to do whatever you want'. You're granted certain liberties that other organizations across the Basin probably don't have. For example, the Illuminati have the freedom to pursue the study of what is a volatile cosmic element (Chaos). I disagree with the notion that Gaudiguch is supposed to represent 'anarchy'. If it was, Gaudiguch would not exist as its very nature as an organization contradicts the very principles that it would practice. And even if Gaudiguch was a city of Chaos, they would have extend a certain degree of control and regulation, otherwise they'd probably be more insane than Geomancers, the very fabric of their creation would probably be undone, and so forth.

I can easily see Gaudiguch's leaders making the populace 'think' they have freedom as a method of "control".

But anyway, that's my two cents.

Thank you!

What I recall (and understood as advice or wisdom you were imparting to me and the other player present) from the discussion is that I was told that the key to leading a city like Gaudiguch was to keep the people happy and go on about doing our projects for the city privately as leaders. Similarly, if that wasn't what you were saying, that's totally fine. It is, however, what I UNDERSTOOD. As a player who has had that level of discussion with you as an Administrator, I am not interested in breaching any rules because the repercussions could be painful. Thus, what I understood from the conversation (things not to do, things you guys are concerned about) I as a player took literally. This was mostly for my own SAFETY, because frankly, I'm not interested in another situation like that. Especially when it later becomes you thinking I'm attacking you or your integrity (which I am not, and I surely am not attempting hyperbole, exaggeration, or sarcasm). I don't think there's any reason or cause for you to tell me to 'get real' - especially when both of my replies to you were considerably civil. I was outlining what I understood and, like our discussion a few days past, attempting to get clarification from you. I am not taking any chances again with something happening, especially over something of a technically larger scale (a city compared to a guild).

If you want to take my posts as personal attacks, that's fine, but they are not. I'm not out to 'prove' anything besides that Gaudiguch is an incredibly difficult city to manage if 'Freedom' is going to be taken so absolutely broadly and the Administration as a whole won't define it for the entire city to see.


EDIT: Because I did sound snarky with that last statement.

The Illuminati don't seem to actually touch on anything chaos-related, but there -is- ostensibly a darker side to some of the Pathways that involve manipulating the city by giving them the perception they have Freedom. Which I have to write a book on, now that I remember it. So many damn books.

I'm guessing some Hallifaxian ran with the whole 'the Illuminati control everything from the shadows!' thing even though I don't see that realistically working out, given the letters people flamed all over the city.

(Which has absolutely nothing on the Gaudiguch Gossip letters!)

Interesting, that's a far cry from "we're supposed to ... sit quietly and do our own tiny projects while keeping the screaming masses of the city happy" or inferring I meant that you should allow people to walk all over you, etc., etc. In any event, it still seems to me that you were out to "prove" how unreasonable I was and now are backtracking, at least with the hyperbolic insinuations. In any event, it was good faith advice meant to be between us and meant only to help you. Certainly, not to incite the sort of accusations that are flying around.



We absolutely won't define it. That's for the city to do itself. I now regret even offering advice or insight as we can see how that is used as ammo against me.

Just to intervene here, I don't think he's trying to incite anything or throw any accusations.

I know I'm not. I'm trying to get past this and move on, really. I'm pretty sure that Gregori isn't trying to draw out a conspiracy, either, he's just moreover concerned about how far we can go. Considering he's been contested four times now (and it was a bit close last time) I figured it was a general concern.

I agree nonetheless - this whole Freedom thing is up to us to define. We have good enough guidance already, it just takes some thought.

I can see all you're trying to do is continue on with a very defensive nature of posting, despite the fact that I made no criticism and I made no attempt to 'prove' anything. It makes it very difficult to get through to you as an administrator when this is the case, but oh well. If it was good faith advice, that's fine, but I didn't start this thread and I most definitely did not assume it was wrong of me to be literal about what was said. There's no unreasonableness - frankly, there was no punishment, so what is there to be unreasonable about? If you have an opinion, that's fine, but to me, it felt like more. I'm sorry if I misunderstood you, but hey, what are you gonna do? People misunderstand each other a lot - apparently, especially over in character disputes.

If it sounded like I said you were telling me to let people walk all over me, well.. it was not my intent to do so. Honestly, I brought this up elsewhere and we had partially cleared it up in our discussion - so why would I come here to air that topic again?




Are you saying then that the city is free to.. well.. define Freedom? That we're perfectly allowed to do that? Because I believe that was the purpose of the thread, ultimately.

Throw chaos magic into Wikipedia and see what comes up.

The term "chaos", in that context, bears no resemblance to its more modern, D&D connotations.

Unrelated to the above point, Gaudiguch seems quite well designed to lampshade the failings of democracy. Look at the abundant party-goers, with no involvement in politics, who readily believe what the first newspaper they pick up tells them, and will loudly riot to overthrow the government at the drop of a hat. And these are just the NPCs.

It hurts me to see Rodngar throwing away very good advice from Estarra like this.

I can think of many people who have created characters to keep their position safe as it is! I'm not hinting at anyone no way!
If anyone should get shrubed it's half of Gaudguch.

Not to go around saying what happened. But one election it seemed like a bajillion people got shrubbed.

That's an opinion you can have, and you can have it because of your past occurances, but.. hey, the city is ran by a leader and a council, who are by all intents and purposes elected to do what is best for the citizens as a whole. I.. don't see why you're so worked up about Gaudiguch, but if it is the opinion of the leaders that you are harmful to the city or would be as a citizen, or you just shouldn't have citizenship because it previously caused problems.. well, hey. Try when a totally new Mayor and council get appointed!

You absolutely made criticism and/or set out to 'prove' something with comments like I said guild leaders are "supposed to ... sit quietly and do our own tiny projects while keeping the screaming masses of the city happy" (extreme hyperbole), or that I said "having laws or being authoritative in any way was against Gaudiguch's roleplay" (an outright lie, I said no such thing). Why shouldn't I be defensive while you continue with this slander and then try to act as if you are just being reasonable or wanted clarification?

Perhaps you only said those things to provoke a reaction. Well, consider me provoked.

You are correct. The half that are alts of people who's main are disgruntled for whatever reason and keep showing up to make a post full of slander/stuff they couldn't possibly know as an 18 year old newbie who has played the game a half hour, should be.

I doubt anyone will be elected again because you've ensured your own victory through alts! that sounds a whole lot like meta-gaming to me.

Wait what?

If you feel someone's making alts to 'game the system', feel free to issue with something more concrete than vague suspicion ("There's no way he'd win if he wasn't!!"), and the administration can (and will) look into it. As has been mentioned, there's been several people who've been shrubbed for it already.