[Mewni]

Alright, after quite a bit of time waiting for a response, its time for the rebuttal.

Gatekeeping

Normally private game-related servers for IC groups are an issue due to the fact that GMs can’t moderate them effectively and sometimes echo chambers tend to bring out the worst in people, as one of our previous threads mentioned.

But in this case, one was used to completely exclude not just one player in a position of IC power that’s meant to be on equal footing, but a host of other players on that side of Meiaquar.

It would be one thing to have a private echo chamber with the usual problems that come from them, but it’s another thing entirely when said chamber is used to discuss and plan important nation-related things that should be done in a place where both sides of an IC faction can see, on an OOC level.

To throw a metaphorical ‘benefit of the doubt’ bone, if the concern was that someone might metagame with that information if it were made available to them on an OOC level, then that should be discussed with GMs instead so we can ensure everyone plays fair.

That is a interesting argument, and would make sense if that is the case, however, you ignored completely the existence of the Hearth discord group, which does all of that to a much higher degree, was a place used for TCBlade to do such, and is being used by the current Don to do the same.



Besides, It's strange how 4 people got banned when the group has... 19 people?

Metagaming

Also known as OOC in IC, this includes things like fabricating IC reasons to be upset using OOC information for something that doesn’t exist and didn’t happen ICly.

It also includes making up reasons ICly to try to justify an OOC agenda of kicking someone out of a position of power that’s inconvenient to your aims of attacking another faction for more OOC reasons.

Likely with enough time and enough people turning a blind eye to it (or worse, being complicit in it), these things could have amounted to something of actual IC substance and the lines would have blurred too much to act upon.

Especially with a coordinated effort between several different parties.

But thankfully, we caught it early.

Not a single thing that did generate discontent within the characters was OOC driven at all, and everything that was used to for a reason wasn't fabricated, and have screenshots of it being actually roleplayed out, the fact that the GM handling it didn't reach out to ask for logs or reasoning from the other party makes this incredibly one-sided and extremely easy to just put another side you don't like on ice simply because you made it a GM matter not a IC matter as it should (which is exactly what happened



Its also interesting to say something been going for a few months, while at the same time stating you caught it early.

Harassment

All of these things were targeted attacks for OOC reasons and a history of issues between the offending parties and the victims.

Harassment is a broad, blanket statement that we use to include things that fall under the umbrella of targeted attacks towards others. (Highlighted in case any of you were unaware.)



* This includes dragging your fellow players whether or not it’s done to their faces.

* This includes unsubstantiated claims of wrongdoing in an attempt to get a fellow player in trouble.

* This includes spreading misinformation/false narratives about your fellow players in multiple semi-public spaces to ostracize them from their peers and increase the divide you created in the first place.

* This also includes hiding under objects to monitor what your fellow players are doing.

* And of course, DMing people to incite them because you didn’t like something they did/said ICly or otherwise.

As you know, in the past we’ve had to ban several prior offenders for posting inflammatory statements in SL2-related discords. The consequences of which were often not felt until months after their initial attempts to ostracize others.

We were lucky this time to catch things as early as we did.

Its alarming how many things said here, is majority of what happens in their own discord

And once you are being target of it time and time again, especially of ridicule where its daily voice-chatting about it, and they are so nonchalant and reflect it completely IC at a point they don't even give time for people to POST their actions in-game with the text bubble up displaying they are doing so, you are going to vent now and then because its frustrating, telling people they can't say 'man this guy sucks for kicking my balls' or they are harassing is beyond silly.

And I know for a fact, that three people here didn't go to others DM's to harass them, because as said, venting is the most harm that came out of this.
And again, a few months is hardly what I call early.

"Saying mean things to the person that is being mean to me" is not harassment.

OOCly preventing others from being able to exercise their roles fairly

It’s more or less been stated above, but multiple players were excluded from important discussions and things they should have been made aware of on an OOC level.

This makes it all too easy to say things OOCly and ICly to fit the narrative you’re trying to peddle, like:

“So and so doesn’t do anything, they’re unfit for their role”.

If you make it nigh impossible for others to be included in what your side of things does, it does make it hard for them to do anything. Meetings, prisoner transfers, almost anything short of directly ignoring them ICly.

But then, you wouldn’t have to go as far as Blade did if you simply didn’t allow them to exist in the same IC spaces as you, by keeping them in the dark.

Needless to say, it’s not something we can ignore.

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Whilst the team in whole agrees we ought’ best create a more conducive system for enacting bans; both to give more deserving players the punishment they have avoided in the past, and to give those who are harassed or elsewise more confidence and support that they need to bring their issues forward; this ban and it’s enactment was something we all saw fit to push through. 

This whole situation’s development over the months of investigation have made it clear that we need to have a far stricter ‘format’ when deciding bans, punishments, and warnings. In that niche, we do understand and agree 100%. But that doesn’t detract from the crimes we did see. Enacted multiple times over and with clear intent to sow OOC dissent amongst players for some level of IC gain.

Nobody was excluded from anything that they should know; the Ashina doing a fighting tournament does not concern the Don; The Ashina girls going shopping does not concern the Don; The Ashina having training days or a day out together does not concern the Don.

Everything of importance that needed to be discussed the Don was included, and sometimes, even offered help and advice, including letting he be on the known of diplomatic happenings two ambassadors had, but was denied because they are 'not their men', at a point then even decided to bring someone (That isn't at fault here, the player had things happening in their life and couldn't be around) to a Summit that didn't know anything simply because they are in the Hearth Discord, and denied our willing help to be by his side.

Who is gatekeeping, again?

Also, its quite laughable that the argument was made that "You can't say they don't exist if you don't let them exist" when that is a unanimous feeling of the community as a whole, the only activities they do is among themselves, and only members from the Hearth are their people, meanwhile, the Ashina have multiple new players and faces, and do plenty of activities that involves ANYONE that wishes to be part of it.

This is quite literally, punishing a group for existing, because the other side doesn't do anything that doesn't portray themselves.

Its impressive how a harsh punishment was carpet bombed, including towards two people that didn't even partake in any activity of such group for way over a month, without having the other side heard at all.