Nicana is correct, there did seem to be a different rulebook used for a GM event compared to the one used for everyone else.
(I never saw any GMs getting frozen, suspended in the air and killed, so yes... a rule for them and a rule for us... and in our case, we had many in numbers, they had what... one??!... ya gotta smile at that.)
Also, the claims of harrassment to avoid repurcussions for your IC and RP'd actions has been an annoyance lately. You have auto-decline, you have /ignore, yet some people choose to NOT use those functions and instead, almost conspiratorally try to use the GMs as tools to get people banned, which effectively becomes OOC harassment as a revenge for the IC harassment. Using the GMs in such a manner has happened at least twice now.
That's not to say it's the fault of the GMs, it's just some people know how to manipulate them.
Draklar: Valorius is posting because Valorius is aware of the reasons behind my original post and is effectively adding some background and context to it. I avoided giving that info away because I knew what to expect in regards to the responses, by pulling it out of it's context... I stood a better chance of getting opinions that I could use at a later date to justify my actions rather than knee-jerk reactions... and to some degree it was successful.

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"Hydlaa has to withstand serious attacks from roaming beasts"
And these roaming beasts are as intelligent and tactical as 20-30 trained warriors many of whom can use magic, have armor, etc..? AND have an intelligence network behind them?? - I don't think so.
"If someone has crossbow aimed at you, it isn't very likely you'll think about how many bolts it has to shoot."
When a guard aims a crossbow at us, we can debate that point!
"Just because something isn't implemented, doesn't mean it doesn't exist RP-wise."
In that case there should be some sort of IC force with the capability of protecting Hydlaa properly. Anybody wish to step forward? --- If there are a number of guards in a certain location on a regular basis and we can't see them... CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL US?!?!
"Actually noone is missing your point, but it is you who mis ours"
50/50 I'd say!!!
"Valorius. If you walk into the middle of London"
Try London when it was the size of Hydlaa!!! - It was a lot different to modern London, so that comparison is already invalid.
"I think there should be a mob called 'Guard' that GMs can spawn anywhere in the hydlaa. These would attack anyone taking a combat stance. The GM could then take the role of lead guard which would lend to the RP immersion."
I couldn't agree more, the GMs should be empowered to repel people fighting on the plaza... it'd be fun for them and fun for the players and add to the RP all-round. Even if they made themselves damn near invincible, I'd still rather be driven out of town by the guards than frozen in the air by a GM and subsequently killed when released... that was even more ridiculous than any fighting on the plaza I've ever seen.
I SHOULD be killed by a guard... not fall from the damn sky. Pfffft!!!
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As for knowing the guards movements, if you knew the conversation I have with people in-character, you'd know that I (and Valorius and several other people) would make it our job to recognize the forces in Hydlaa (if we had some sort of indication from somewhere, would be helpful) and with that, assess what would need to be done to neutralize a threat from the guards there.
We don't have that liberty, we simply see what our characters can see and so, base everything off that... we don't "god-mod" imaginary guards into the game... we just use what our characters can see... because playing the characters role, immersing yourself... is what is encouraged. I'll immerse myself in PS.. but I'm not going to go on a fantastical journey imagining everything else because that heads towards god-modding and is unsubstanciated by any ACTUAL FACT that we as both players AND characters are made aware of.
It's almost like we're blamed for not imaging the guards that aren't actually there... how terrible of us!!!
This is why I asked the question in my original post, Truthfully, I just wanted to know what would be a realistic size force to neutralize the guards so that if there were any further conflicts on that passed through the Plaza... we'd be able to keep it realistic.Kaityra... you're effectively saying the two can't coincide... we're not pushing for segregation, we're looking for integration of both elements... the battle that passed through the Plaza involved only people willing to take part, we weren't running around challenging people or giving people grief directly... but were still treated as if we had.
"There could be a million guards for all you know."
There could be just the ones we see and the watch tower could be empty. There's no indication one way or another, so to make claims of "It's OOC 'cuz the guards would get you"... is actually YOUR INTERPRETATION... and it's not based on the physical evidence we have in-game... so it's also
supposition because there aren't any facts that ACTUALLY support it.
Earl, remember "Nobody cares what you say", that's actually attacking Valorius personally OOCly... as you even mentioned "Please don't come back anytime soon".. so yes, Valorius does get attacked personally.
This is why Valorius, myself and many others stay mute a lot of the time on various issues, because this is what we've come to expect.
A simple answer is... if the PvP doesn't involve you... ignore it... but WHOA... that's waaaay too much to ask. (the majority of the fighting on the plaza in our war was actually away from Harnquists... but let's use Harnquist's location as a strawman argument here too.. because that'll further make people look bad.)
"Who says the guards don't have mages, too?"
Who says they do, what books or evidence in-game is there to this effect?? - Based on the available evidence they don't... and yet this is more supposition/assumption-making.
"The point about not fighting in the plaza is just one of courtesy." - Enforceable by a ban... so it IS actually an unwritten OOC RULE enforced by GMs.
"or they have to find another game that supports PvP to their liking." - PS supports PvP to our liking, it's the GMs who assume there are rules where there aren't that cause us the headaches and use their interpretation of what is and isn't OOC as a rulebook... and with each GM comes a different perception and way of handling things... AGAIN... NOT a direct criticism of the GMs... JUST of the situation. (please understand that GMs... I'm not trying to take swipes at you really... you're in the most awkard position of anyone, I suspect.)
And... there's my head on the chopping block.
Chop away...
