Extortion - (demand goods for not massing) - right or wrong?

[Forum]

a number of people have brought an issue forward - demanding goods for not attacking an account in the game (same or different game server).

i am talking 100% ingame - not threatening real life.

and yes it is a wargame, although extortion is demanding goods for NOT attacking...

it should be noted that sending messages is not illegal (if they do not threaten the real life person) nor is attacking.

my main concern is if it gets frequent, and goes 'lower and lower' down the ranks, ultimately newer players will find the game threatening, not a war game, and that there is no point in trying to grow and compete.
(there is no rank limits currently, was once but they got 'voted down' --so there is nothign to stop top 10 from hitting bottom 10 .. as an extreme example).

other suggestions include:
doing nothing - its part of the game.
rank limit on how far down can hit.
'minefield' defence where at a great cost to the defender, something big explodes on attack.
person shield like in quantum.
runaway ability.

i am open to hearing what everyone has to say on this.

[doc holliday]

i agree that extortion is wrong. Especially if it is done by "roll-model" figures in the game who say one thing publicly but use tactics of extortion to grow in private.

[vinny d]

Extortion is a part of the game. I say do nothing about it. This is a place where every id can play out their fantasies and indulge themselves with some sort of power. If they wish to extort they wish to extort. There is nothing you can really do to stop it. Even with a rank mod it would not stop completely.

[disturbed_one]

i have never sent out random messages for goods,but there are times when i have sent messages for my officers being attacked (u stole 1bil from my officer now send me 100kuu or be massed) is that extortion?cause somehow i feel like that is what is happening

[Hensenshi]

I don't agree with it personally, nor do I condone it, but I believe it's part of the game, much like betrayal is part of the game. I can say I wouldn't miss it if it was gone, but there's a few issues. Tell me what's the difference between extortion and demanding reprimands for an unprovoked attack. What about bribing? Or even war ending funds. I know that when I end a personal war, I demand a small resource amount from the capitulater. It's a sign of respect to the victor, as well as good funds for rebuilding. I don't think a move against it can be made.

[Don Lewis]

Its a feature of the game, i dont personally extort anyone, but this is role playing game, and some might enjoy role play extortion, so leave it as it is i think.

[Gatedialer]

Keep it in. How would you ban it? Rank modifiers would just ruin the game, like they have before.

[LBWMTE- D4rk S1de]

I don't think it is common enoguh to be a problem yet... but in the future....

[SSG EnterTheLion]

Getting stuff from newbies is wrong.. but I think ppl need to look beyond their alliance loyalties and know the **Filtered** when they see it.


And it has always existed. I know when I joined _Apophis__demanded stuff off me. I know that Jay6669 used to demand stuff of his noobs..then those guys with loads of officers used to demand stuff off them..

[bamse]

I agree with ETL

[RobinInDaHood]

It's not nice but not something easily policed. Often times, the victim posts their grievance in the forums and finds support from players who are willing to help defend them.

I think any player who finds themselves on the wrong end of the stick should come to the forums and make a plea for assistance. I know I've been willing to extend aid in the past and will probably continue to do so.

[killtacular]

part of the game I dont see a problem with it. I haven't done it but I dont see it being a big deal its a game.

[Don Lewis]

similar to this though and another type of extortion i guess, is people paying someone else a weekly fee for protection is ok, a cheap way for smaller players to counter attack any massers. Though again ive never done this

[311 [TA]]

there are different degrees of extortion just like anything else

when a player is asked to send over half his entire army size to another player or else........

that is the degree of extortion i am seeing that is wrong, things that are not minor but very major to the player involved

it may not be alot to the player asking for iti but to the player being asked its ALOT

its really really major extortion not stuff like u stole naq from my officer if u give some back i wont respond

but actually targeting people sending messages and its give me _____ OR ELSE ....that is wrong and not very moral at all and has become a giant problem in the game in the last couple of months since one group of alliances decided it was acceptable en-masse to do

[RepliJake]

I don't think it's that bad, sometimes it even saves people resources, someone is gonna get massed for whatever reason, they ask if there is anything they can do and are told thay can pay x amount of naq/uu a small portion of what they'd lose (personally, I'd prefer to mass them, but to each his own)

I'd leave it down to the conscience of each person.

BUT if someone is extorting CASH ie, "pay me this through paypal or I will mass you" and there is solid proof of this, I'd say ban them.

All in all, the normal stuff is just a feature, one I find amusing and have made jokes about in the past.