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State of the Jedi Academy Address -doobie - Nov 09 06:52pm |
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::adjusts microphone and waits for rousing standing ovation to settle::
Ladies and gentleman of the Jedi Academy, it is I, your leader, massadoobie, here to present to you the state of the Academy. Well, the last couple days have been rather interesting, to say the least. Going back to when L-Rod left, there's been a lot of stuff going on, some of it good, some of it bad. On the good side we've had a few promotions in the trainers ranks (Zero to Mentor, Avalon to Council), cHoSeN-oNe becoming Supreme Chancellor (although the dark side clouds his future...  , we've launched our learner and journeyman trials (and finally gotten the site updated to match), we've added another Huxley server, and we've taught a lot of good people civility and skill.
On the bad side, there have been entirely too many arguments lately. Students fighting with students, students fighting with trainers, trainers fighting with trainers, all sorts of stupid petty crap. It's time to put a stop to all of this. From now on, if any JACs or JATs see you arguing without even trying to set your egos or whatever aside to settle the argument, you will receive a warning. Yes, that seems strict considering you only get two warnings, but to be honest, all this fighting is over stupid stuff. Also, the Council and the Trainers will be having a meeting tomorrow to discuss, amongst other things, trainer conduct. I know this is a big concern for a lot of you, and it is for us as well. Furthermore (don't you love those connecting words you learned in English class?), we're in the process of analyzing the ranking structure to see if we can improve things. Although sometimes it may not seem like it, we do read almost all of the comments made on newsposts and sent to us via email, and there have been a lot of good ideas tossed about. Our job now is to take those ideas, mold them so that they can apply best to the JA, and implement them (quickly). A few things for everyone to look out for. We're going to be having new JATs very soon. Six JATs just isn't enough. We're also going to be doing the aforementioned ranking structure changes... more details on that when we actually have them. Knight trials will be coming soon as well (although remember that you have to be recommended by a JAC or JAT to receive a knight trial). Someday, eventually, hopefully, Derelict Crusader will finish the Jedi Academy Map, version 2.0. To finish this off, I'd like to make a plea to all of you. One of the main objectives when we started the Academy was to have a place where maturity and respect would reign above all else. For the most part I feel as though we've acheived this objective. I have been truly impressed by the maturity level, civility, and respect a majority of our members show towards one another. However of late that has been missing a bit. What I would like is for every member of the Academy, from the Council on down through to the newest Initiate, to take a look at themselves and how they treat the other members. If you see yourself treating others without the respect that they deserve as people (even if you don't personally respect them), then you have two choices. One, you can (and I recommend this) try and fix your attitude towards others and see if you can turn the other cheek and treat everyone with respect. Or two... You can leave the Academy. It's that simple. To be honest, we don't want you here if you're going to be rude, disruptive, ego-driven, or disrespectful to ANYONE (and that includes everyone, including our favorite Scot JumpinJedi... I point out his name only because he seems to be a lightning rod for trouble... some of it deserved, some of it not. But he's a prime example of someone who has turned the other cheek (most of the time) and whom a lot of others must turn the other cheek about). Along the same lines, I must make an apology to anyone I offended with my post about the Knights Council earlier. Although I didn't mean it negatively when I said some people wanted power they didn't deserve, I can see how people could misconstrue that as being a slap in the face. So to those people, I'm sorry. Members of the Academy, we have a great thing going here. Lets try to keep it that way. Feel free, as always, to email the Council email account (fixtheja@hotmail.com) if you need anything. Also, feel free to leave us comments on this news post. See you on the servers! ::walks out quickly before anyone wakes up from trying to read this long post:: |
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| Comments |
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Kueller - Student 
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Well, if I look in this list of people who commented i suddenly see that the JA is going to stay good for a long time. I agree that there must come some action to set the temporary problem from now to a halt. If this problem is settled is see a bright future in the force. JO is getting old, there are fewer gamers avery day. Conclusion: all people who really give their heart at the academy stay and the 2% stupid **** just go because the other people play on a basis of respect. One more time for the one's on prozac, LOOK AT THE COMMENTS, and there will be a Han Solo grin on your face for at least a hour.
By the way, I say that the oldbie group is a very firm basis for al the regulars with respect and fun  . _______________ Personal sleepness-nights-supporter of Virtue. Owner of the 1000th comment of Daidalus and 1943th comment of Gradius! Owner of the 300th comment of Carda! -Taught Gradius all his laming skills 
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Bubu - Hubbub 
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first of all, javaguy, it doesn't matter if you got cable.. take a screenshot and it will lag for a moment, a long enough moment to confuse the game and forget that you fell into the spikes...
just bind the command, i forget what it is, to a key and press it just before you hit the spikes. second of all, we're all beating length records here by presenting our opinions and it's all very nice. However, i would like to know, and i'm sure i'm not the only one, what you people up there are really going to do about this, which ideas you are going to consider.. coz if you just ingore us then all we are doing here is just getting our fingers sore, which is kind of a waste in my opinion... _______________ make install -not war |
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DJ Sith - Jedi Council 
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Hux: actually we started as a kind of video game school and it grew to this. Why? Because the JACs are a bunch of nerds and think it's fun.
Still.. our first priority is to teach people how to play the video game "Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast". The Jedi atmosphere and all the movie tie ins and such come second (a very close second. ) _______________ My car is made of Nerf. |
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Huxley - Retired 
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Ok, I just started here at the Academy 2 months ago. I have seen quite a strange change going on. I'm sure there's a lot of reasons that things change, life is life and that is what happens. However, I do think that people need to decide what their dedication is to this game and the whole experience that Lucasarts has created.
The ability this academy gives is to move the game to a new level. It creates a very RPG type of setup. With new goals and levels to reach (like the different rankings). This is great! It really adds the realistic flavor of being a jedi and training at the Jedi Academy. Now as cheesy as this sounds, this is what is supposed to draw people to the Academy, but suddenly its tearing it apart. In order to create the true essance of the Jedi Academy, orders and rules and regulations must be in place. There must be a council and ranks and rules and manners. For the most part, everyone has been extremely nice to me (whethere donating 2 servers is the reason, or I'm a nice guy I dont know). So I haven't been directly involved in any incidents that I'm aware of (except that rendevous with that droid and the Bacta canister but that only happens if I'm in "that" mood...) but I see alot of incidents in the temple, and I just think that people need to figure out how they want to play this game. Do you want to be in character and be a member of a Jedi Academy? or do you just want to play the game? I think it shouldn't be more complex than that. The Academy lets anyone join, but you have to WANT to be a part of it to enjoy it. If you dont want to, then dont half-participate with the classes and the trials, if you dont want to follow the rules. And not SOME of the rules, all of them. Its the limits defined by the game enviroment, in this case the JA that makes the game. The Academy is a new way to play the game, if you don't like the way its played, then don't play 
I've been a huge server hag since I started here, and I barely see the council members or even most the regulars on much. I come on only at night, and I understand people play at different times, but I watch the live php pages from work (cause I'm lame like that) and there isn't many regulars on anymore. Especially in the last few weeks. I'm worried that everyone is forgetting why they joined in the first place: Cause it sounded like fun to train as a Jedi at a "Jedi Academy" (Atleast I hope that's why everyone joined, and not to find Star Wars girls to hookup with, like me.) So I leave you with a thought: If you want to be a member of the Jedi Academy, then obey your thirst, and drink Sprite and do what a JEDI would do. (rather than doing what a kid playing a video game on a server who is bored, would do) And I do mean that in all seriousness. So just remember, we are all Star Wars geeks here, and this is just how to do it to the extreme so enjoy it! -Padawan Huxley |
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Icco - Student 
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have you ever sat around and read every single oppinion in the akademy ... well i was bored because i was waiting for some stuff to dl and well i read everyone to date !!!!
man i have too much free time. ;-) _______________ "this is Icco. Icco is old. Icco is lost. Icco is cool, but Icco doesn't know what the meaning of 'macrophageal sex'." - Vaughn /Icco |
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Aayla Secura - Ex-Student 
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LOL @ Java Guy.....
I thought DJ was the one downloading porn, thus the lag spikes.... Seriously! Three things: 1. Respect your fellow students. 2. Respect the Trainers, Council, and Staff 3. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. |
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JAcen LW Solo - Retired 
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Ok heres my two cents on this subject.
I'll try to make it short for a change. There is no problem with the actual rank system. I think the only thing that needs some work is the trials: 1st - Do the trials as if they were classes, schedulle them and have students enroll on them. That should end all the nagging we've been having latelly. 2nd - Keep the Learner trial a technicall one, based on skill.The Journeyman trial looks good but it laks an etic component. It is here that character should strat to count. The Knight trial should be 90 % abaut character and 10 % abaut skill. 3rd - No need for undercover JAT's. We're not running the Gestapo in here. The only problem with the actual JAT's is that there are too few of them. JAK's should be able to keep classes too, a bit like replacement teachers. That should end all the "damn my JAT canceled todays class" naggin. 4th - Considering my fellow students beavure the last few weeks I must say that I'm very disapointed. But I also would like to point out that the average age of students has droped a lot. So I have said it once and I will say it again, people can be tought and guided, 90 % of these troublemakers just need to be educaded and the other 10 %, well, can be banned. But this education and guidence must be transmited not only by JAC's and JAT's but also by other students. 5th Guys, this is a game, and the purpuse of any game is to have fun. So as The MLA say's "The only thing better than JA is a Chocolate Jelly Donnut", so keep it clean and keep it fun. -Jace _______________ "Though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil .For I am the baddest mofo in the valley" |
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JavaGuy - Student 
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But I have cable modem!
Maybe if I download enough porn archives simultaneously... _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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JAcen LW Solo - Retired
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JavaGuy, the keyword is lag. If you generate the right amaunt of lag before hitting the ground you wont die.
Thats why you get all sort of explanations for it. Personaly I just take a screenshot just before hiting the spikes. That usually does the trick. -Jace _______________ "Though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil .For I am the baddest mofo in the valley" |
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JavaGuy - Student
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I seriously doubt that anyone with enough brains to be a JAT would get upset about somebody getting blasted by stray fire from a free-for-all in the courtyard. I also like to think that a "lurking" JAT would not waste his and the Council's time reporting trivial technical violations, especially if the violator stops when asked to stop.
I liked the comment about the Academy being a high-tech chat room. I was saying something similar to my wife a couple weeks ago. It's like IRC, only there's this huge, realistic-looking three-dimensional environment. Rather the typing "join" and a room name, you actually _walk_ down the hall to the room you want. Way cool. I think the Academy needs a lounge, and maybe a topless bar (and I don't mean a bar without a roof). I'll never go back to text-only chat again. Maybe JK3 will even have integrated voice-over-IP. That would rule. Okay, I have to ask this: How do you jump into the spikes without dying? I've been told by using an /am-command after jumping. I've been told by holding down the screenshot key while falling. I've been told all kinds of things but never been able to get any of them to work. _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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 - Student |
Here's my two cents.
Javaguys undercover JAT idea...Although I hate to say it, I don't agree with it. I think it would make people pretty paranoid, like if they want to have a Free for all outside, they'd be too scared to incase someone wanders out, not realize theres an FFA on, get killed, get pissed off and people are gonna get in trouble. It's stuff like that. As for an enforcer rank, I also have to disagree. The JATs are required to teach, and to KEEP THE PEACE. There's no need for a new rank, In my opinion, just more CAREFULLY SELECTED JATs. Why have a washing machine and a tumble dryer when you can have a washer dryer combo ?
Here's some advice to you guys : Don't treat this like a compition to see who is the best with the lightsaber, just treat it as an overglorified chatroom, which lets you walk around and have little lightsaber fights for FUN. The keyword is FUN. Have FUN ! Thanks for reading d00ds. JJ |
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Bubu - Hubbub
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wow... i leave you guys here for a while all by yourselves and look what happens... you each break records in post length and come up with some very good and interesting points!
i mostly agree with javaguy, and i love the idea of "undercover JATs"...
people, i'm sure most of you have filled out the form for the jman trials, so you should all know the number one rule in the academy, it's not hard. it's been said before, and it will be said again, RESPECT each other! even you 10-year-olds (*hint* *hint*) out there, i'm sure you can do it! also, i think there should be a new rule: don't drink and duel! _______________ make install -not war |
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JavaGuy - Student 
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(Off-topic, but I had to respond to this.)
Aeth S'kray, I'm a die-hard non-smoker too. What I meant by the "anti-tobacco nazis" are those non-smokers who want to impose their lifestyle choices on everyone else, even (in some communities) in our own homes! Actually, I usually refer to them as "health nazis" because there's usually a lot more to it than just tobacco. Taking good care of oneself is great, and _encouraging_ others to do the same is also great. But what I consider a health nazi (not just a health enthusiast) wants to _force_ others to adopt his lifestyle. I am adamant that it is my right to eat a whole bag of potato chips before breakfast if that's what I want, just as I am adamant that it's my responsibility to suffer the consequences and pay the medical bills if doing so leads to a heart attack. A health enthusiast doesn't allow smoking in his home. A health nazi wants laws to stop ME from smoking in my house (which I would never do anyway)--such people are not so much concerned with anybody's health or welfare as they are with their desire to control, control, control. I'll shut up now.
_______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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skyler_ - Student 
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wow!! you guys are writing some pretty long speaches with some great ideas lately!!!good job!!
i personally agree with you all (in a way) and see your points of view. but i believe javaguy makes the best argument. we should appreciate what the staff and the council are providing us, and since we dont run this place, we have to follow their rules. AND THE RULES ARENT EVEN THAT HARD TO FOLLOW!!!! Their simple rules based on RESPECT, and COMMON SENSE. like dj says, its a RESPECT thing. we should be able to follow them no trouble at all. and if we do follow them, i belive this will become a much better place than it is for us to have fun, relax and have a good time. on the other hand, i know that some people have a difficult time getting this rules through their thick skulls (no offense), so i give my total support to that new rank you guys are propposing (since its almost impossible to have at least a jat on everytime, everybody has real life things to take care of), but only to a selected few by the council and the trainers as they see fit, without telling any student who they are. we dont want people going out of control with their new powers so keep it a small number. also i would like to say that this is not a competition to see whos the greatest player. we all came here to learn new things and to have fun. so leave all the stupid arguments aside and start appreciating each other and helping each other. anyway....thats what i think.... wow!!!my longest comment yet!!! thx for your time and i hope we can all work this problems out. |
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JavaGuy - Student
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Excellent points, all.
Does it really have to be a new rank? One of the things I like about the Academy is that the organizational structure is very simple--much like the Jedi Order in the films. As the Academy grows, it will face all kinds of unanticipated problems that the trainers will have to deal with, and this discussion gives me nightmarish visions of a separate bureaucracy being created to deal with each new problem that comes along. Enforcement is one of the responsibilities of the JATs, and if they're having trouble, maybe they should try a new approach _before_ creating a new power position in the hierarchy. I propose a simpler solution: Once in a while have two JATs log in using pseudonyms. They could even use the names of real students (with the permission of those students, of course). You need two JATs to witness an offense for it to be "official," and this would do it. This wouldn't have to happen very often (though at first maybe it should be done a lot until order is restored). It might even be best if only the JATs know how often it happens. What's important is that the less well-mannered understand that the Initiate they're bullying might really be a trainer, and that there might be another trainer watching in spectator mode. Might sound like a hassle, but it wouldn't have to happen very often, and the JATs might even get a kick out of doing it. If just one person gets his first "Official Warning" from an "undercover JAT," word will get around. It's deterence, and I think it would make a big difference. The problems we're seeing might go away and the perceived need for a separate enforcer rank might become a memory. Maybe not, but worth a try in my opinion. _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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Aeth S'kray - Retired 
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"anti-tobacco nazi"
and i don't want to hear that again, java! i'm convinced non-smoker and NOT a nazi. _______________ Aeth S'kray *June 2002 +September 2003 |
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Aeth S'kray - Retired 
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very good point java and ulic. every member of the JA should be able to behave correct. and most time, i think it worked allright.
but... i dont think we can go without enforcers. it's sad but true that there are *some* people who just are too dumb or have a bad day or whatever and they do not follow the rules or say it is fun. so what to do with them? ask them to stop kindly. and what if he does it again? and again? fighting back makes the situation even worse! so your only choice is to leave the server. but, hey, that sucks! so i think we need some clever guys who sort out the few peeps who just not want to listen. just some days ago, i wanted to take my trials and somebody kept interupting. zero asked and asked to stop him and he just not did it. so he got kicked and after that it was ok and he was ok again. people sometimes need a lil push, i think. but on the other hand, too much "security" and "protection" is not good! no way! this happened during my cage fights, we were mining the matrix room, as you may have seen. wha happened? a JAT came in and said it was against the rules and we should clear the mines. everybody told him it was fun and weall agreed. but he said no and blew the mines. whole server hated him and he left pretty soon. he rejoined under another name (i'm sure about that, i asked him) and was aboslutely ok. think he was pretty angry about himself and he did something like that never again. so all "enforcers", please THINK before you say no. and to all "breakers", please behave like a civilised, intelligent human, and not like alittle child. come on guys, you know how to behave in RL too, don't ya? las thing: for all of you who want to fool around and just KILL instead of honourable duels... there are public servers for you everywhere!believe me, it rocks to be the king of a n00b server _______________ Aeth S'kray *June 2002 +September 2003 |
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Ulic Belouve - Student 
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Well, nice comments. Rogue, great idea with the Guardian thing. But in fact, shouldn't we all be volunteering to be guardians? It's obvious we all like this place, else we wouldn't show up. So we each do our guardian part, and life will be better. If we each babysit ourselves, without being hard on ourselves or anyone else, we'll have a good time.
And yes, I agree with the "lets have fun" idea. I remember when I walked out unarmed and into someone's gun barrel. We looked at each other, I told him to shoot me point blank (I would have gone flying, hilarious). Nothing, just sat there. I told him to do it again, nothing. That's honor. That's being a guardian to yourselves. That's what we need. I don't need a babysitter (I'm 21) and most likely, you don't either. Just babysit yourselves, or go play somewhere else. And my philosophy: there are so many more important things out there than these arguments in the game. So you walked into a firefight unarmed and got hit by a rocket. No reason to sit at the door and hack people with your saber when THEY are unarmed and trying to run outside to rejoin the gun thing. This happened to me a few days ago, and I will not join the server if this person is present. So, as to NOT steal the Longest Post Award, I will stop here, and institute a -100 word penalty to my score. So keep your trophy. _______________ Jedi do not fight for peace. That's only a slogan, and is as misleading as slogans always are. Jedi fight for civilization, because only civilization creates peace. |
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Dicemaster - Student 
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I think this one thing....sure its a server and were all invited to join, but theres still the rule breakers and no matter what you do, unless you have enforcers there is no way everyone will always follow these rules. I know i myself have numours times screw'd round, but we all did it as a group the whole server. and everyone agreed upon it. I sitll think we need enforcers _______________ Dicemaster |
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Rogue - Student 
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I totally agree Java but to pin point the violaters who show no respect we need people with authority. This is another reason why ive requested to massadoobie a new rank, The JAG, Jedi Academy Guardian. People could still play but take more notice when things go bad. This would also mean JAT's would have an easier time and get on with their jobs....Training and giving trials. I have told massadoobie that if he sees fit I would be a guardian. i am not in a clan The JA was the first place I came. I am completly devoted to The Acadeny and don't want to see it lose its high standards of play, friendlyness and training (We give out bad vibes noone will want to train with us). Thank you for reading Rogue
Rogue _______________ I was a child when I joined the JA...scary. |
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DJ Sith - Jedi Council
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Javaguy you raise some excellent points. While this is a game we're all playing, you all are attending a school.. a free school with *very* leniant membership qualifications. Out in the public servers you can act however you like. On our servers, on our site, and in our channel we'd like you to behave. It's a respect thing.
I understand that most of you out there are in the ~13-17 age crowd, so this may be a stretch for some of you, but I think you can do it. The boss folks and JATs are going to be working on this (tonight actually) to help ya'll out. _______________ My car is made of Nerf. |
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JavaGuy - Student
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I don't dispute that the rules need to be enforced. I just don't think we need full-time babysitters.
The Academy is a private club, remember, like your house. In the RW, yes there are cops, but that's because the RW is not a private club--in public, everybody has to deal with everybody else, like it or not. In my house, on the other hand, there's nobody there whom I did not invite in, and everybody there came in voluntarily knowing the rules. If somebody smokes in my house, for example, I'll throw him out and never let him back in--not because I'm some kind of anti-tobacco nazi, but just because everybody knows there's no smoking in my house, and I don't brook that kind of disrespect in my own home. The Academy is the same way. DJ and others have worked hard to set it up, and they have invited us in. We are their guests. We shouldn't need the constant supervision of our hosts in order to be good guests. Like I said below, if we need full-time babysitters, then there's a more fundamental problem. _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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Dicemaster - Student
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I completley agree. But heres my comment no matter what you say or do rules are gonna be broken. So i truely belive we need someone to enforce them. I mean we have police in the RW whats teh difference?
_______________ Dicemaster |
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doobie - Jedi Council 
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wow...
::hands JavaGuy an honorary Doobie Award for longest comment post ever:: Well said man, well said. Makes me feel good that someone agrees with me _______________ -Academy Leader/Dictator/Defeater of DJ Sith and JACen Solo in the JAK+ Tournament -I do think it (the JA) will help convert dozens, maybe hundreds, to the dork nation... --me |
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JavaGuy - Student
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I'm more than a little disturbed by the suggestion that we need JATs or someone else in power around on a regular basis to enforce the rules. You know what that's called? It's called babysitting. Anybody who needs a babysitter is not old enough to play a first-person shooter. So let's stop.
I don't mind a little heated debate on the server or anywhere else, but there are a couple of things that go on that really bother me. Firstly, the no-guns-in-the-Temple rule has gone completely out the window. Secondly, the no-fighting-without-consent rule has gone completely out the window. Thirdly, and most disturbing, is when somebody asks a person to stop violating one of those rules, the person breaking the rule always acts like the one asking him to stop is the one in the wrong. I won't name names, but I've seen it multiple times. About a week ago, for example, while I was waiting my turn to duel in Matrix, somebody kept coming up behind me and killing me with a DFA. The first time I said okay, very cute, now please stop. Then he did it to someone else. Then he did it to me again. I said again, "Please stop the unprovoked attacks inside the Temple." Someone else asked him to stop as well. He got quite huffy about it and told us to "calm down" and continued attacking people inside the Temple. He was absolutely convinced that those asking him not to break the rules were in the wrong, not he. That's the sort of behavior that necessitates the presence of babysitters, and that's a problem. It just shouldn't start in the first place. It shouldn't even be an issue. Don't get me wrong: I'm not a prude. Goofing off is all well and good--JO is, after all, a game and as such exists for the purpose of fun. I don't get in a huff when somebody does it to me once (sometimes it's an honest mistake, for one thing), but when it's deliberate, constant and continues when the people being annoyed by it say "please stop," then I have a problem with it. Like the FAQ says, the overriding principle should be respect. If you're annoying someone, and if they ask you to stop, then...drumroll please...STOP! When we were all stacked up on the pilar outside and somebody detonated us, that was hilarious. But a little while earlier I had spent about ten minutes trying to get myself up there (I still haven't mastered this!), and as soon as I was up someone Pushed me right off. That was NOT funny. Why were those two situations different? When we were all stacked up, there was someone up there who was good at getting on the pilar who just Gripped us right up. It was easy for all of us to get up there and thus no biggie when we were all detonated. When I didn't have help and worked really hard to get up there by myself and somebody immediately Pushed me off, that was different. But you know what? I explained to the person who Pushed me that I had worked really hard to get up there, and he said sorry and never did it again. In other words, he showed RESPECT. He was obviously just being playful, and when he learned that it was annoying someone, he STOPPED. That's how it should work. Just use some common sense. This business of rule-breakers railing against those who ask them nicely to please stop is not exactly what I'd call respectful. My neighbor is fond of saying "Rules are for when brains run out!" Disciplinary action should be extremely rare--a simple "please stop that" should be enough, without the need for an "Official Warning." I'd like to see JATs on more often, but not to play policeman. If we need babysitters, then we have a more fundamental problem than simply the mechanism for enforcing rules. Okay, I'm done ranting. Thanks for your patience. _______________ My signature is only one line. You're welcome. |
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