Smorgasboarding: Pros and Cons

What is an is not bullying in Illyriad has been a subject of debate for some time.  While I defer to GM Rikoo on his judgment about whether something does or does not break the rules of the game, I think it would be unwise to extend his authority to the lexicology of the English language.

Edited by Rill - 29 May 2015 at 03:14

Anything permitted by the game mechanics and not prohibited by the ToS is perfectly acceptable. If people get offended or upset, they can always play Farmville instead. The word "bullying" is used so much here, for things that are ridiculously insignificant, that it has become meaningless.

Edited by Llannedd - 29 May 2015 at 02:22

I did not say you COULD NOT call it bullying. If I seemed to say that at some point, I apologize. 

Edited by GM Rikoo - 29 May 2015 at 03:11

"smorgasboarder" is a nice term.  However, one has to wonder why people are so reluctant to use a perfectly clear and applicable word like "bullying"

In another forum post I quote dictionary.com re what the word means.  If you look it up you find it accurately describes certain actions done in Illy.

Now GM Rikoo has defined those actions as "aggressive gameplay" rather than bullying.  I do think he's just afraid to use an over used and politically charged word to describe what is occurring and will probably occur often in Illy.  It is this sensitivity to the social and political echos surrounding the word that most players, I think are experiencing.  And they have a right to be uncomfortable with the word because bullying is uncomfortable to those who are being bullied, in Illy or anywhere else for that matter.

But really what we are experiencing here is not about the game, but about whether one has the right to use force to make another person shut up.  Are the larger players also going to control what is said in the forums?  And since the forums may cover wider topics than GC, is it okay for me to take offense at your political position and then to "take it out on you" in the game? 

The more we allow players to attack smaller players for what those smaller players say (within reason of course), the more we make the same dominance in the actual game prevalent in the forums.  Somehow I think the forums should be a place of free discussion rather than a place where I must not express views contrary to those of larger alliances.

I agree with Rill that whatever is allowed in the game is allowable....but if so let us be clear about what we are allowing.  If we see a "new" rule (for TBL anyway) that appears to us to be unhealthy or just bad for the game, we have to have a long discussion about it.  That's what we are doing.  And if that rule is proven to be a bad thing for the game or a bad thing altogether, we need to keep it from becoming a rule at all.

It's nice of GM Rikoo to say that 'bullying' is in the game.  But should it be?  And if so, should it be allowed via land claims, smorgasboarding, and any other things?  Is bullying healthy game play in a game that claims all players can play as they wish?

AJ

Problem is that you tend to spread word bullying to everything you don't like to describe it negatively.  Violence, Intimidation, coercion and threats are part many things in real world societies, legal systems, goverments and even in parenthood. Perhaps its not always good or right but it is simply so and still not bullying. But of course you can use or choose the dictionary definition you like.

In my opinion this is more accurate description of bullying from the wikipedia:
Bullying may be defined as the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another individual, physically, mentally or emotionally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.

That does not include competition over land or resources. I could suggest that Over claiming resources with out care of others could be calling Smorgasboarding if you like.