Announce post #3154: Anonymous Encounters

12/19/2020 at 18:42
Tedrunai
Everyone
Anonymous Encounters

Hi everyone,

With the integration of its people into the communities of Sapience, Djeir has opened up one of its unspoken pasttimes to the public! Hierarchical and governed by castes, social norms and etiquette dictate against certain associations in Djeir. In response, an underground hobby has formed over the years: completely anonymous conversations, held in utterly private rooms, free from scrutiny.

To ensure entrance and exit are untraceable, enchanted pendants were created to facilitate transport into these undisclosed private locations. You can purchase these pendants from Staverri at v12591.

Some notes:

These sessions are completely anonymous. Your partner will not be able to tell who you are unless you choose to tell them yourself.

NOTE that although anonymous, these sessions are still In Character and it is still your character present, just in a disguise. You should not be doing anything that your character could not do.

You are not allowed to claim to be another character. This includes any of your alts. You can remain anonymous or reveal your true identity, but you cannot directly or indirectly claim to be someone else.

If you have a costume in your inventory, you will take on the form of an anonymous partner wearing that costume. If you have multiple costumes in your inventory, it will recognize the first one. Recognized costumes include the Tailoring items as well as the Halloween ones. If you do not have a costume, you will simply don an obscuring cloak.

Only custom emotes will work in the session - premotes are disabled. Do not use targeted emotes as they will not show up properly; for example, just use emote pets you instead of trying to target your partner with a @ or $ token. Similarly, don't use @ tokens on things in your inventory.

You can give gold and items to your partner.

You will not be able to match with people you have ignored or who have you ignored.

After leaving a session, you will not match with the same person again for at least 30 minutes.

Happy anonymous RPing!

Penned by my hand on Quensday, the 12th of Chakros, in the year 492 MA.
LinSibattiGalileiRijettaAlelaSaidenn

Comments

  • SibattiSibatti Mamba dur Naya Amidst vibrant flora and trees
    This is very cool, innovative, and unexpected! Although I don't know how much use I'd get out of it over my own character (I'd have to think about why she might do something like this), I love the idea and can't wait to see how people use it.
  • LinLin Blackbird The Moonglade
    Most impressive to me is that I've tried every dirty trick I can think of to bypass the anonymity, and aside from one simple oversight (that was fixed immediately), it's tight as a drum. Very cool feature.
  • Welcome to any feedback/suggestions here as well. Couple things on the to do list:

    - When the pendant is worn, will give periodic messages if someone you are eligible to match with is active on the matchlist
    - Esteem-like system
    LinSaidenn
  • My feedback is that I love this! It's unexpected, very cool, and a fantastic treat for anyone who likes to roleplay.
    Nisavi
  • So I have concerns, this is anonymous right, what is to say afterwards someone does not say some random person sexually assaulted them in this place? Which would start spreading rumors and cause backlash in the community, there is already a lot of drama happening in game. Just because it is anonymous does not mean people that have a vendetta against someone will not use it for their own devious purposes. Or since it is anonymous what if someone takes advantage of another player in there and does commit sexual assault, rping to their own vices despite protests from the other party. I do not know, this does not sound like a very good mechanic and I think it should be rethought through. It just seems like a great way to slander someone's good name.
    LinRijettaIesidTsarraTetchta
  • RhyotRhyot Bloodloch
    I posted this in @Ayastia's thread, but I'll post it here because this is my concern/feedback:


    I'm going to go out and say point blank that I do NOT trust the playerbase -AT ALL- with this sort of anonymity type of RP. No one.


    Like Ayastia said, it is not feasible for admins to be online at all times of the day to monitor these RP environments. Furthermore, if someone wants to really slander, damage, or cause extreme drama for someone, they'd have studied the way that person interacts with others. Let's take Rhyot for example. Everyone knows that he uses 'Mmm' a lot in in his sentences, does not utilize vulgar language, and is more often than not either very short or very abrupt with what he has to say. If someone wanted to damage his reputation, they could go in and act like Rhyot, spout off nonsensical unicorns and then walk away. This leaves the other person to strongly believe that they were interacting with Rhyot even though the admission was never made and then disseminate what was spoken about in these RP rooms. These logs could then be drafted into a letter and mailed to individuals that would be able to take action against Rhyot and see the entire character destroyed. Due to the fact that it's anonymous, no one would believe that he didn't participate in this and I would have to file an issue about defamation of character and harassment, but it wouldn't do anything because the damage has already been done. What's Alecto going to do? Spout off to a couple people "This assumed interaction between Rhyot and X never occurred and you will forget it from your mind and never use it ICly." Yeah, ok. Because that's going to do anything except make me (as a player) look like anything more than a whiny unicorns and people are going to dismiss it anyway, effectively reaching the goal of the subversive, destructive person anyway.


    In no manner do I feel that the playerbase can respectfully utilize an anonymous RP directive without abusing it in some capacity or another by a good amount of players.


  • TetchtaTetchta The Innocent
    man y'all just issue yourself oh my god it's not rocket science

    SryaenCallidora
  • RhyotRhyot Bloodloch
    edited December 2020
    Tetchta said:

    man y'all just issue yourself oh my god it's not rocket science

    Due to the fact that it's anonymous, no one would believe that he (Rhyot) didn't participate in this and I would have to file an issue about defamation of character and harassment, but it wouldn't do anything because the damage has already been done. What's Alecto going to do? Spout off to a couple people "This assumed interaction between Rhyot and X never occurred and you will forget it from your mind and never use it ICly." Yeah, ok. Because that's going to do anything except make me (as a player) look like anything more than a whiny unicorns and people are going to dismiss it anyway, effectively reaching the goal of the subversive, destructive person anyway.


  • TetchtaTetchta The Innocent
    I already spread tons of rumors about Rhyot ICly I'm sure this'll just become background noise.

    SeurimasSryaenTsarra
  • edited December 2020
    Anonymity does not mean unaccountable. You are not anonymous to the admin and I assume the impersonation rule would be strictly enforced. What's even the real damage done here? One person thinks they had a bad interaction with you?

    And why would people think you're whiny for asking the impersonation rule be enforced?

    Edit: sorry, just read your post fully. New question: how is this the new feature's fault? If you have someone trying to slander you through impersonation (in an anonymous setting, no less), they could just as easily... lie out right and fabricate logs.
    Didi has expressed her esteem of you for the following reason: Smart organized leader.
    Experience Gained: 47720 (Special) [total: 2933660]
    Needed for LVL: 122.00775356245
    MjollTetchtaSaidenn
  • RhyotRhyot Bloodloch
    @Seurimas

    The rules:

    1) NOTE that although anonymous, these sessions are still In Character and it is still your character present, just in a disguise. You should not be doing anything that your character could not do.

    A: Anonymity protects your identity and if your character's goal is to cause shit for other players, then this would be in IC for them.

    2) You are not allowed to claim to be another character. This includes any of your alts. You can remain anonymous or reveal your true identity, but you cannot directly or indirectly claim to be someone else.

    A: You're not -claiming- to be another character. You're -acting- like them without making any vocal affirmation that you are them. Once again, it is easy to impersonate someone if you have studied their form of interactions. You don't -need- to say you're Rhyot, just talk like him and the -other person- will assume their talking with Rhyot.

    3) What's even the real damage done here? One person thinks they had a bad interaction with you?

    A: Think about that question for a second and how many people in the game like to stir shit and causes drama for other people. Think about how many people would abuse these mechanics to grief out someone from the game because they want to be an absolute jerk. It's not a matter of bad interactions, but a matter of abuse to such a degree.

    4) And why would people think you're whiny for asking the impersonation rule be enforced?

    A: The impersonation rule isn't being broken. They -aren't- claiming to be someone, but rather -acting- like them. They get to claim anonymity while Party #2 assumes they are interacting with the person they think are interacting with (in this example, Rhyot). As such, your issue is dismissed and the defamation/harassment continues to occur on such a level until such a time you have had enough and quit the game entirely.


  • TetchtaTetchta The Innocent
    edited December 2020
    Rhyot said:



    A: The impersonation rule isn't being broken. They -aren't- claiming to be someone, but rather -acting- like them. They get to claim anonymity while Party #2 assumes they are interacting with the person they think are interacting with (in this example, Rhyot). As such, your issue is dismissed and the defamation/harassment continues to occur on such a level until such a time you have had enough and quit the game entirely.

    I fail to even see the problem with this. IC defamation is an entirely part of normal social play in a roleplay-heavy game like Aetolia. If a core element of the game stresses someone out that much, like, yeah I think qq'ing for a while actually is the right choice to make. I've taken two breaks from the game since I came back. 100% recommend.

    But honestly this seems like stressing over nothing. I highly doubt someone's going to be dedicated enough to even do this LOL.

  • The feature has not even been given a chance to be enjoyed. It is strictly said that you cannot impersonate another person, even your own alts, so if someone does, that's issuable. As it stands, this appears to be a way for people to create roleplay in a way that is outside their norm, inviting character growth, cross-tether roleplay, and other forms of roleplay that someone may have in mind for their character that said character may not do if their name is known.

    If the community is so toxic and so self-destructive as not to be able to support anonymity on an in-character (not OOC, like the Cursed channel tended to be half the time) form of communication that is entirely localized, not global, and not even targetable in emotes (and premotes are not allowed), then... I don't know. There will be self-destructive people and toxic people, but if every bar is set at the "What is the most vile thing our players can do", then I'd just tell the Admin team to turn in their hats and go home, the dream is dead.
    TetchtaSibattiQelresSaritaRijettaXavinSryaen
  • RijettaRijetta Nowhere Important
    I would like rankings so I can compete in this like Sect. Let me be top 5 roleplayers and give me the Crown of Emotes every season.
    A low, sultry voice resounds within the depths of your mind, "I look forward to seeing your descent."
    QelresTetchtaCallidoraValorieZeheiaSaidenn
  • Yes, I, too, want Anonymous Sects rating.
    Church
  • TedrunaiTedrunai Immortal
    edited December 2020
    A few updates:

    You can now esteem your most recent partner. This will not use up your esteem charges and will be anonymous both ways. Unfortunately this isn't retroactive, so only applicable going forward. Probe your pendant to see how to express esteem.

    If you are wearing your pendant, you will now receive recurring messages whenever someone is actively waiting to be matched.

    You are no longer isolated from the continent of Sapience while in a session. This means channels work and tells can go in and out.
    LinZeheiaSessizlikTetchta
  • SibattiSibatti Mamba dur Naya Amidst vibrant flora and trees
    edited December 2020
    Nvm, fixed!
  • So, not sure if this has been addressed yet, but there seems to be a 4 hr limit on the anonymous rooms? Which wouldn't be an issue, if they didn't dump you outside the cave. Next to the person you were just chatting with, both of them now unmasked. Oops? Otherwise, two thumbs up for a super fun thing.
    SeurimasCzciennTetchtaGavramelValorieSessizlikSibattiMjollSryaen
  • TedrunaiTedrunai Immortal
    edited December 2020
    That appears to be a hardcoded limit on instances. I'll see if we can get a solution in place, be it extending/removing the cap or a warning and return to your original rooms when nearing 4 hours.

    EDIT: Okay, it should now return you to your original room if you exceed the 4 hour hard limit on instances.

    DOUBLE EDIT: You can now stroke the stone to reset your timer back to 4 hours.
    ValorieRouxTetchtaSryaen
  • SaritaSarita Empress of Bahir'an The Pillars of the Earth
    Do you have to know the partner's actual identity to give them items in the room, or is there some generic term you can use to do that?
    Seurimas
  • SessizlikSessizlik Muffin Mage
    Sarita said:

    Do you have to know the partner's actual identity to give them items in the room, or is there some generic term you can use to do that?

    I believe you can check IH and see some info about your partner. You don't need the identity.
    image
    Sarita
  • Sarita said:
    Do you have to know the partner's actual identity to give them items in the room, or is there some generic term you can use to do that?
    Your partner is presented like an NPC, so like you can give npcs stuff you can give it to "partner" to give items or gold.
    Sarita
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