English

I want to stress a couple of points which seem to have been widely neglected, especially by those complaining or requesting loudly.

1. This is the second year after the fusion. Not all pre merge features have been restored yet, problems seem to have arisen unforeseen by the devs. This may even have repercussions on projects of the CSR and event managers.

2. Roleplay has been restored only during an even shorter period. The relevant RP sessions, supported by the event team, started mid of march, 2013. The event team has faced a number of problems, technical as well as internal, the latter mainly in constituting a working international body of event managers. I recall a feedback session of german roleplayers with Limai where she confessed that the internal work had absorbed german EM to an extent that they had been unable to write new events (that has fairly improved, since, but, as I suspect, on cost of overwork by the event managers).

I want therefore dare an analysis, from my point of view, what has been gone wrong, done wrong, or could at least have gone ore done better. I want to stress, as a disclaimer, that I have no more insight in CSR and ET internals than everybody else in the playerhood (in fact, for example, I never heard about the "hidden ways" of the Rangers allegedly serving as future faction teleporters). Assumptions are all my own, based on observations, meetings minutes and transcripts, and beyond that more or less speculative.

Problems

The main mistake that was made, in my opinion, was to allow interference into the pre-planned event to build the Rangers' faction. That was the initial sin the evils of which are still spreading forth.

It was planned and announced, already begin of 2013, as I recall, that the Rangers should shut down the Kitin Mounds after the defeat of the Kitin occupants. Rangers' roleplay started well two months later, and only later (in May, during a session with Ardan Kaele and Daeronn Cegrips), the plan was unveiled to use termites for that purpose.

At that time, there was no contradiction against that project. Even in the theocracy, the assemblies, especially in Min Cho and Hoi Cho, voiced their approval and offered assistance.

Later, some enlightened from one of the circles ruled that usage of termites would be blasphemic towards Kamist creed and could therefore not be tolerated. While a really logical and conclusive reason for was never delivered, religions do not require logic, after all. The problem was that hence an interference into a running event and mission series was created and later adopted by the event managers responsible for the Zorai roleplay - and later accepted by the not equally active Min Cho and the Hoi Cho circles.

In that course, a "botanical solution" was set up with help of the insurgent tribe in the Matis Kingdom, the Ancient Dryads, which suggested the usage of Rotoa trees. The - roleplaywise not overly logical - cooperation of the Matis was won by promising to search for the needed research secrets of the famous and ingenious ( though at least in Leanon Lore controversial ) Matis Botanist Gilado Almati.

At that time, an opposing event thread had been requested and started directly controversial to Rangers' gameplay and roleplay. It confronted Rangers as enemies, in the beginning that radically that they were blamed "Ruin of Mother Atys" and "the greatest danger". Though this inacceptable and inexcusable confrontation was somewhat softened after some interventions (and the opposing event stopped for rewriting), the hostile attitude against the Rangers prevailed. In particular, Zorai and Matis concentrated on blocking any activity of the Rangers in their nations concerning the Kitin Mounds, and based quite much of their roleplay upon keeping out the Rangers. Ranger Applicants, at the same time, widely ignored the hostile attitudes and helped to find out the mission steps of the "alternative solution".

Normally, juxtaposing factions, nations, tribes, guilds, individuals etc. in confrontations is not a big deal and may be a means to make roleplay more interesting and spicy. Only (something Salazar will probably never understand) it is not the same thing to push nations, creeds (or non-creeds) into controversy as doing the same thing to Rangers.

In fact, interaction between different entities may be seen on a scale from very friendly towards very hostile, symbolized as below.
++......+......0......-.....--
This relation has two sides, the graph has to be thought doubled: Every individual, guild, nation, faction etc. may choose, in parts or as a whole, within the constraints of faction and nation reputations etc., an attitude towards any other inside this continuum, being either very friendly and cooperative, bit cooler and reluctant, indifferent or even ignoring, negative, or openly hostile. Every individual or group confronted with any of these attitudes or comportments may choose to react at her own choice, responding to hostility by staying calm and friendly, cooling down, ignoring, answering or even outreaching unkindness.

Not so Rangers. They are held to be friendly and cooperative towards anybody, even those blaming them, accusing them, bickering on them. They are nailed to the utter left side of the above graph by the duties of their faction. Confronting them as enemies is an unfair and dirty game, always probing their patience and tolerance and punishing them for the slightest transgression. That game, btw. has been played over months, and me, being not a saint, rather quite catty and foulmouthed by my nature as a desert-homed and desert-loving trykette soldier and not a damn courtier, am totally fed up and frustrated by it. We have done a shitload of work in patrolling, scouting, building the camps, killing white kitins, and much more, risking and losing our lives left to the grace of the powers infinite times only to receive renewed suspicions like that by Ozwomen above. I have even been reproached for using my freedom of speech in our own assemblies.

I can say that I repeatedly considered to leave roleplay altogether.

Again: It was a shitty idea to play an "anti-Ranger" roleplay. And beneath that, the Matis (and probably the jungle) roleplayers have taken an "all or nothing" stance, digging in in a position only allowing total victory or total defeat. When it became clear that the Karan - by the event team - had allowed Rangers to experiment in the forest, an outcry of Matis Nobles occurred, mainly against the Rangers, of course. And then, the resistance stiffened until two internal meetings with the Karan where the Nobles were allegedly mollified, the experiments not stopped, anyway. Only because Matis and Jungle roleplayers never considered a "Plan B" they are now facing a humiliating situation nobody has wished them (indeed I still hope for at least some face saving).

At the time the permission of the court for the Rangers' experiments became public, the Event Team was not sufficiently cross-informed. This seems to have been the case, again, during local Matis Assemblies, lately, when Duke Rodi only informed the Nobles of Avalae, not those of the other cities. I think that interlingual and intercommunity communication is matter of improvement, here, sure. But might those picking on the ET consider the effort or possibly try to help? Ok, I have my problems there, too. Isn't there an admin channel where ET members may inform one another when attending a meeting etc. and telling or learning something possibly important to their colleagues? Was it wise by one ET member, e.g., to send an angry roleplayer to the meeting of a colleague, without informing himself before or briefing the colleague?

I still think this all has to come to an end and players should look more constructively on it. As to Salazar I can say that I possibly invested more time and effort into services for the Kingdom than he invested in Matis roleplay during the same period. I admit that at least Ser Djaimse and the Royal advisor at Avalae thanked me for, sometimes, so did Ser Erminantius. We are damn no enemies of the kingdom, and will never be.

Well, you did now. Not that we are not aware that you can easily outtype everybody, including Shakespeare. You definitely outtyped all other Ranger aspirants taking part in this discussion counted together, and opposed them as well.

I have no idea where you found the antagonism to the Rangers that early on. As far as I can see it started the moment Potskin made his announcement. The approval of the Karan was obviously made up on the spot without a single thought of the impact on Matis roleplay and the Chamber of Nobles. The decision - also obviously - was not discussed or even corresponded to the EMs playing the Karan's counsellours. It only became known to the Karan's Herold the evening after your and your character's display of famed Daomei diplomacy skills and the humilation of the Matis Nobles. There you did indeed everything to make the Matis embrace the Rangers, "supposed to be cunning and sensitive to the needs of the Nations". Chapeau!

After that, I stepped back from the Chambers and dropped out of the roleplay. I guessed that the local assemblies would be informed after that of the harmful "secret approval". From what I know, they weren't - not even those in Avalae - until the meeting with the Karan. However, it is likely that from the moment of my demission on you "invested more time and effort into services for the Kingdom than (I) invested in Matis roleplay during the same period", for I did do no roleplay at all, but only logged in from time to time to do OOC chatting with one or two friends. Glad that Djamse and Erminantius thanked you for that. I can only thank you for your truly skilled efforts towards escalation.


If this is the case, it indeed does nothing to make the situation better - especially in the light that the Rangers once helped the Trytonists travelling into the deep roots, which are forbidden.

I'm sorry Daomei, I'm not quite sure why you addressed me like that.

This went in no way against Vradden directly or the establishment of the Ranger faction. That on it's own seems to have been handled rather well. The Problem, as has been pointed out by mostly rangers and even yourself, was the handling of the opposition.

And while I am complaining I don't think I was bickering. I gave alternatives and I stand by my opinion, if one can't handle it, don't take it (yet) and rather do it right, than do it fast.

Also thanks for the added information, it shines a different light on parts of this. I haven't witnessed it all, especially the beginning and I probably also went off of Salazar's comments too much.

So far I had the impression that the Rotoa situation was a considerate alternative rather a hostile opposition. More distrust in the rangers abbilities rather than questioning their intentions.

I agree that it is completely unfounded to attack the Ranger's, but there have always been these kinda people in every government ever. If they don't have a reason, they make one. And this one apparently found an ear or two.

I know the Ranger event line was planned well in advance, but you can't just do your own thing and expect your plan to go perfectly when it interferes with other's. So I think it was right that this was dealt with, just not how. As been pointed out there could have been so many ways to resolve this nicely.

In the end they basically said, we don't care what the players want, this is the plan, damned stick to it, or shut up. In that situation some people shut up, and leave.

As for joining the event team? I might actually do that, if they'd even want me.

Keldun,

thanks for your response. The polemic was not meant personal, only I felt picking on the ET while ignoring the history and the faults of the roleplayers was going over the top. Granted you were not the best target for, but by falling to the accusations you became one anyway.

You may or may not share my views. It is all in the minutes. And left to everybody to judge about. My views are mine, and not necessarily the complete truth. I do not claim so.

As to joining the event team: if you are maso.. oops heroic enough to do so, please do. I think you can do a great job there and they will be delighted.

Salazar,

I did not start bickering, and I shall never do. Neither I shall suspect Matis to be patrolling only to destroy the Rangers, nor will I blame nation or faction roleplayers that they are sinking the ship of my faction only rescueing the survivors when they are already doomed for death. I am not that good in pathos.

Only I mentioned that certain kind of roleplay was killing my fun. It was. I am battle-hardened and resilient and hope to overcome what hurt me. Be assured it hurt me. Not that I expect that you care.

Should I ever leave, I shall do silently, finishing my duties and leaving a note to my friends, not wanting to spoil the joy of the living planet to anybody.

You have hurt me, though.

Warning: Zorai-player incoming, which means a lot of text!

First of all I hope that this planned "outcome" of the termite-events (every nation has to use termites because the ranger-transportation-event depends on it) has not really been 100% decided upon.

But it's true that some members of the Event-Team have been incredibly inflexible and other members from the Event-Team have been very uncaring of the player-community for much too long ever since the server-merge; and that gives us valid reason to worry…

Sure, it's not easy for the Event-Team to face and "solve" the problems of role-playing that have occurred. But then why didn't they arrange an OOC-meeting and talk to us players? It would have made their job much, much easier. We had discussions about this on the forums and also through OOC-comments during the Assemblies since VERY early on. We have repeatedly pointed out to the Event-team that they were part of the problem, which most of them adamantly ignored and some sadly still ignore even up until now.

Instead in order to "keep out" of the verbal IC- and also OOC-fights of the players, many Event-team-members have broken character, turning against their nation's/group's principles for much too long - a nation-snubbing Wilk Potskin, an absolutely spineless Lykos; an absent, uninterested Stevano... No player needed or ever wanted that.

By the way: waiting and doing nothing has caused the most severe damage of all anyway. Like merely having no political Assemblies after the server-merge for a long time - during this waiting-time many role-players I knew had already left because of feeling bored. Why didn't the Event-Team learn from that? The long winter-break has again caused damage. Look at how few roleplayers are left right now…

The "carebear-style", meaning homins working together, was not forced on anybody by the Event-Team. It was wanted by the majority of us players, and the Event-Team merely did not go against this. Despite - of all homins - the Rangers… Wilk Potskin has nearly caused the whole Matis-player-government to step down. Daomei, Geyos and others were spouting hatred against some nations, and were supported by Wilk Potskin.

Having OOC-meetings ingame would also have given everyone a feeling about the real ratio of the players who complain about "carebear-roleplay". In actual fact conflict-loving role-players and those who want a war between Kingdom and Empire to rekindle/start have always been a minority since the server-merge. So having the Event-Team go along with these handful and incite conflicts between nations would not have been "power to the players", but quite the opposite. It would have driven even more role-players out of the game, including the French-speaking TENANTs.

Well, it's not too late for the Event-Team to have an OOC-Assembly of all role-players who are left.

The so-called "Anti-Ranger-roleplay" is a very rude and offensive lie.

At the very first national Zorai-Assembly on February 12th 2013 Wilk Potskin introduced the Ranger's plan to work with termites. At that time only Valandrine and Karrael voiced doubts - not against the Rangers at all. Instead they voiced worries about the use of termites (they might consume the jungle) and against Daeronn Cegrips. You should know: a lot of homins did not trust Daeronn in the past, as he was a controversal character with some very weird theories about Kitins (like hybernation during winter)…

The Grand Sage Mabreka Cho already supported these doubts from the beginning:
2013/02/12 00:40:35 Wilk Potskin sagt: If you think you can help, contact me. I should not go on missions in the next days.
2013/02/12 00:41:10 Mabreka Cho sagt: Please keep us informed. You heard about the concerns of the Awakened of out people.
2013/02/12 00:41:30 Mabreka Cho sagt: Keep in mind the equilibrium of Ma-Duks Creation.

Then there was an unplanned "national" meeting of Zorai-representatives with Sage Sens in Min-Cho. Awakened Fey-Lin Liang explained that as a Kami-disciple and an Awakened (remember: we Zorai have to hold up a principle of "respect for nature"!) she does not want termites, a living species, to be treated as a simple "tool". While I tried to use the opportunity to arrange a meeting with the Gibads to ask for their opinion and renew our alliance with them, Awakened Astarth agreed to this while wanting to search for magnetic solutions too. Fey-Lin Liang proposed to also ask the Ancient Dryads for advice. Daomei and Seternulon voiced distrust against the Dryads.

But the wise Sage Sens understood the concerns of the Zorai representatives:
2013/03/19 22:59:28 Sens sagt: Indeed the experiments the Rangers propose do not seem to be good ones.
2013/03/19 23:03:01 Sens sagt: As I see there is a majority of Awakened and representatives against the Ranger's experiments?
2013/03/19 23:01:20 Sens sagt: Though I'm not convinced about the... reliability of the Ancient Dryads.
2013/03/19 23:06:42 Sens sagt: I agree, and that's why we can consider these experiments as rejected for the Witherings.

At the next national Assembly in Zora on April 6th 2013 Daomei made clear that she was not entitled to speak for the Rangers, but yet someone has to speak in favor of them, so she would do so as well.
And then she said:

2013/04/07 00:15:55 Daomei sagt: as I feel that the agenda is vilifying the Rangers
2013/04/07 00:23:48 Daomei sagt: further: There have been emotional defamations against the solution proposed. It is using living parts of the living planet. Do Zorai not use Mektoubs? The accusations are irrational and inconstructive
2013/04/07 00:25:43 Du sagst: well, there will be magic potions used on termites... termites might have been dragged all over Atys by homins for the last dozends of years. But potions can change termites in an unforseen way...

2013/04/07 00:28:25 Daomei sagt: If the Rangers succeed and you and the alleged marauder collaboratorss Ancient Dryads as well not, the Witherings may rest the last nation with intact Kitin tunnels
2013/04/07 00:29:02 Feylin sagt: Do not dare insults the Ancient Dryads
2013/04/07 00:29:05 * Altamira look at Daomei
2013/04/07 00:29:15 Daomei sagt: I dare
2013/04/07 00:29:56 Feylin sagt: So this is how you talk in favor of the ranger ....

2013/04/07 00:31:11 Feylin sagt: Zoraï treat mektoubs as companions, for your example, we don't use them as test subjects, unlike some tryker researcher ....
2013/04/07 00:35:52 Feylin sagt: I as a Zoraï, with Wisdom, Spiritual Accomplishment, and Protection of Nature as values, refuse to follow this path.
2013/04/07 00:36:54 Zhoi murmurs: and I am as a Zorai am thinking of Muang Hoi-Gi / Murang Horongi and his experimentations with animals and potions, and I can't help feeling worried....
2013/04/07 00:37:43 * Seternulon I think as Pei Ruz and his experiments
2013/04/07 00:38:10 Daomei murmurs: Zorai heal diseases on homins caused by small insects and smaller liviing beings without thinking of those poor beings
2013/04/07 00:38:28 Daomei murmurs: hypocrites
2013/04/07 00:39:11 Daomei sagt: if you like, I can say it loudly
2013/04/07 00:45:37 * Feylin has a hard glance toward Daomei
2013/04/07 00:46:04 * Daomei has her own feelings about fanatics

So isn't this Anti-Zorai-rolepay instead of Anti-Ranger-roleplay?

Daomei just decided by herself that being against the use of termites was the same as showing hostility towards the Rangers. Even though Rangers are not termites. But because of that she felt it was alright to start provoking Zorai-representatives and even insult the Zorai as a nation as she pleased, after the circles of the Zorai and also the Sages had already agreed to oppose the use of termites in the Witherings. Daomei did the exact same thing to the Matis! She has repeatedly verbally provoked both Matis-representatives and Zorai-representatives. And also other Rangers have insulted the Matis and spoken badly about the Zorai as well… "Carebear-roleplaying"??
http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/13081/20 #20

<OOC>
Please stop you blaming each other.

An animator has prepared for months a lot of work, as I guess, to create the Rangers faction announced by Tamarea.

Unfortunately, there has been confusion, IMHO easily circumvenable , about the notion of termites. There is no evidence that termites of Atys are the same as those of humans , and no one pointed out that the name " termite " was a first in the Ryzom universe filled with creatures unrelated to what we know . We could call them "kermites", why not :)

But things being what they are, with this "mismacth" , it was also very logical from the point of view of the nature lovers such as Matis and Zoraïs , to worry about the consequences of these termites at home.

The problem is that aspiring Rangers knew (or thought they knew ) that the mounds were essential to advance the project of creation of the faction. The Rangers have been unhappy to suffer the blocking logic of Matis and Zoraïs .

So, everyone has tried to defend his point of view combining RP and HRP desiderata , which has sometimes led to heated debates , and maybe adding heavy delays on the part of animators.

Beyond the desire to become a Ranger, friend of hominkind, there is something shareable among all players: the love of Ryzom .

It is perhaps on this basis that need to refocus the debate so that all are winners / winners, understandind the position of each one.
< /OOC >

Have to say getting out of bed at 4 am for meeting and events is not fun for this game, The Rangers have not been nice to the Matis and to tell you the truth I am sick of what they say about us, it is not called for them tobe
nasty to Matis and it is nasty. We voted on not having the termites in the forest, but now have been told we will get them. I was not told but had read it from the forums, that sucks for the English players. All I can say the event team is killing this game.

I had cancelled my account but they keep taking my money.

I disagree with you, Ozwomen, I consider me as "Rangers" and I always defended the mix of our points of view, searching any win/win solution for both communities.
I was a "ranger ambassador" in Matis meeting, sharing their anxiety, suggesting to work together, for instance with rotoas, and even with the study of the kitins, a very interesting project.
But, sure, I was not present in the English event because my English is not sufficiently fluent.
Trust me, I am very unhappy, more as player than as "ranger" about what happened.

Would you like to know the bottom of my mind? I think that the rangers faction is dying, same as it passed with trytonist...
A lot of of us are too tired, waiting for so many years without nothing at the horizon, and now are going out.
Therefore, you can come back... a win/win solution is only a ranger's dream.