Based on conversations with the orc leaders as well as Chancellor Rhyssand, Chancellor Ruglug, Council Chairman Luthien, and Councilmember Don Martin, I decree the above regarding the banning of people from buildings in PaxLair.

I seriously thought about the possible utility of house banning in a role-played sense. I even wrote several drafts of ideas. So far, though it seems banning is too much an "out-of-character" action. I thought of a "bouncer" equating to house banning. But we get into so many difficulties as the entire account is banned, not just the character. This could affect multiple characters in our city in multiple roles.

People who are friends or co-owners of PaxLair city-owned buildings will not ban known roleplayers in most situations. For role-played combat in a building, there may be a storyline in progress of fighting between two RPed groups. The building friends/co-owners need to be told about the situation ahead of time. If not, the friends/co-owners may issue a warning to stop fighting as the first step, then removal of the fighters, then a temporary ban of the fighters (30 minutes to one hour) Some of these steps may be omitted depending upon the situation. The simplest rule is to not fight in the buildings.

Characters who violate RPing PvP guidelines, such as loot others or kill newly-rezzed characters, may also be banned for a duration depending upon the severity of the offense.

We must always strive to have realism. Situations like an attack at the orc fort, then a subsequent counter-attack at the saloon needs to be dealt with realistically. Realism is how the characters react to the situation, not the player.

Also, there is confusion when role-playing group or individual attacks in town, then enters a public establishment for a drink. This can be inconsistent with role-playing as the establishment and patrons (PaxLair-law-abiding people) may be fully aware the character who just entered is a criminal of the town.

Attacking in the streets or buildings is a crime in PaxLair. Long ago we stated that fighting ONLY takes place in the arena. This has been loosely applied to mainly separate non-RP fights from RP fights. However, with clear distinction of and better knowledge of RPing groups by sight, the fighting in the streets is not a "bannable" offense. It is something we need to deal with realistically and consistently within our culture.

So, do not ban RPers from city-owned buildings in PaxLair except as an extreme last resort, even if they are criminal in nature. Seek other ways to resolve the issue and show your indignation in another manner (removal if necessary, call in some guards, refuse service, etc.). The Private establishments may make their own rules yet I would hope they follow this decree if possible. Many people do not know which houses are owned by the city and which are privately owned.

RPing PvP groups need to also ALWAYS think of the circumstances behind their character's actions, and where they are. Keep it realistic, and remember that the townsfolk all have memories of attacks longer than two minutes or two days.

Winfield, Mayor of PaxLair

© 2000-2001 by PaxLair, a Player City on Chesapeake, Ultima Online