Recently, there has been a variety of forum posts, conversations, emails to support, issues and various other forms of communication in regards to 'toxic' players and harassment within Lusternia. Several players have asked why we, the admin team, allow such players to participate within the game and drive others away. Others have stated that we give preferential treatment to certain players that go too far in dictating what players can and cannot do. This post is to clarify our stance on the topics of harassment and toxic players.

First and foremost, we do not tolerate harassment at all. We have several mechanics within the game to help limit interaction with those players you feel are harassing you, notably SNUB and Avenger mechanics on the Prime Plane. Any accusations of harassment are met with serious inquiry and investigation in order to determine whether there is harassment and the severity of such. If we feel that more action is needed above and beyond the included mechanics, we will take, and have taken, further action.

Second, Lusternia is a conflict-oriented game. We have numerous conflict mechanics that range in scope. While we have mechanics to limit and avoid harassment, by virtue of participating in conflict events, you may run into players you would rather not interact with. Participating in conflict events does not constitute harassment as long as the participation and interaction between those two players stay within the avenue of the conflict. We will not be telling player B that they cannot participate in conflict mechanics if player A is involved. We will tell them that their participation and interaction should be limited to only what is necessary to be involved and should not veer outside of that purview. In rare cases, if a player targets another player continuously and constantly even in conflict areas without any reason, that can be considered harassment and we may reserve the right to request a cooldown period. This does not include valid RP reasons, such as protecting or raising shrines, responding to recent raids or various other actions that you can justify with RP.

Third, in regards to 'toxic' players, it is important to remember that some players you may consider toxic may not be considered toxic by others. There are plenty of players that fit the theme of 'awesome when you're with them, toxic when you're against them.' Despite this, we do still want to ensure that any type of behavior that is breaking the rules be appropriately addressed. If you are experiencing serious aggression, toxicity or derogatory communication from a player, please do ISSUE either them or yourself with specific information about what has occurred. We do investigate each and every issue, so the more detailed information you provide, the more likely we are to be able to take action on such behavior. We are not all-knowing or all-seeing so unless it is brought to our attention, it may go unnoticed.

Lastly, this is a game and we are all here to have fun. Part of that means that you should strive to be excellent to each other. We all know and understand that it is easy to get swept up in the game and have passionate reactions, both positive and negative, but please make sure you are striving to treat everyone with respect and decency.

Thank you for your understanding.

Penned by My hand on the 9th of Vestian, in the year 520 CE.