Player Associations Archive
Thread: Option to hide the PA Tag(poll/debate)
YES
With restriction, most especially for "role-playability". Should be like the option to display titles, and is the same reason why I don't show a title. I don't want any person to know what I do just because I walked into the cantina with my title in lights above my head. However I would rather people get to know what profession I have when we're out in group huntsand I can keep the group alive and reduce down-time by patching up wounds. Not to mentionI dress for the part, where I have a mostly white attire, with black/grey flecks (could be dirt, could be dried up blood). Of course, if anyone ever cared to "examine" me, then they'll see my master medic, doctor, and combat medic badges. *smile*
Role-playing immersibility would be cool when people can't just find out what a person is by glancing at them. A lot of assumptions about people are made when people see titles/guild tags, etc., i.e. "oh he'sa doctor, let me bug him for buffs" or "I need a harvester"... so on...
The same can be construed for guild tags, "oh he/she belongs to an imperial guild, I'm going to ignore them", "oh no, there are a lot of members from that rebel guild in here, I think they're planning a raid"... so on...
YES
My primary reasoning is espionage. It's kinda tough to be a spy when everyone knows by looking at you who you are. And then there are role playing concerns as well. If I had my way, even displaying your character's name should be optional. Unless you go about wearing a name tag on your chest all day out in the real world, like the military does, then no one is going to know your name without asking. Same goes for your guild. It is public information, so examining a person should tell you all that information, but it shouldn't be displayed unless the guild chooses to do so. The option should be something the PA leader can change or even a permission that the guild leader sets on each individual player. I think that would be the best option to cover all concerns over this. Add it to the permissions list.
I vote no, but more or less apathetically.
I don't like the idea of people hiding their tags even if you can tell what faction they are by reading the name. If it goes in it won't bug me too much, however I just don't like the idea no matter the restrictions.
No.
The only real benefit I see from this is roleplay. Although this is valuable, I also know that the real roleplayers around me have never once let a guild tag "interfere" with their interactions. Are other true roleplayers distracted by this? I doubt it. As a roleplayer, you are already looking past so many game mechanics, interfaces, and flaws to immerse yourself into the role of your character. A person who cannot also look past a PA tag is not a roleplayer, in my opinion.
I will re-post what I said in another thread: "I vote for keeping PA Tags as mandatory. The guild is yourfamily and is as much of an identifier as your player's name. The tag defines how you will be accepted or rejected by others around you, depending upon your PA's reputation. Ifa player does not like being associated with a PA Tag,then they should disassociate with the PA itself."
I love the concept of the "visible family tag" because it creates more responsible players. The flip side, Anonymity, fosters irresponsible actions because the character can be traced to no organization. Theyappear as a solo character with no one to answer to, and accountability goes out the window. Many issues and misunderstandings have been resolved bya mature discussion betweenone PA leader and the leader of an offending individual's PA.
Another problem isrecruitment. As a PA leader, I have always adhered to the policy of not recruiting from alliance guilds. It can really chafe relationships between guilds when players start hopping from one to another. If I see people walking around without an open affiliation, I will initiate the recruitment process... start a conversation, roleplay some, ask questions, invite the potential recruit to my city, ask them to join, etc.This is all fine until I find out I have been leeching members from an Associated PA. This is not a good scenario.
Many of my concerns can be avoided if some of Jascentia's restrictions are in place... particularly the one about /guildstatus.I would also like to keep PA tags enabled in the /who command. All in all, I would probably be fine with this changeif these restrictions were included.
No
I use the same reasons as LordValadon and ChoNaguriai. Your guild is your family and thus should be presented to the community that you are affiliated with that guild. The SOS also has a policy that we don't recruit new members from other PA's unless they really and truely wish to join the us. Like ChoNaguriai as the head recruiter of the SOS I run into the same problems only not factionaly specific. The PA tag is an identifier and must stay that way.
YES
I have read and revied both sides of the arguement and noted all concerns. However, after doing so and examining my own feelings toward the matter, I think the option should be allowed via a guild permission to be set by the leader.
The reasons I agree: If the leader has some control over who has the ability to hide the tag, the accountability still exists. With Jas' restrictions, if someone causes you a problem you type /guildstatus, find out what the guild is, talk to the leader and then he/she could remove that persons permissions if it's a valid concern. If the leader isn't willing to do that, then you'd have griefing either way if they don't own up to being responsible for their members behavior.
Next up: Roleplaying. When i've played past games(Where you could have multiple characters), you could simply create a new character to play the role of your spy. In many other games, I've been a part of, or ran, many "Spy" or "Infiltration" groups in a roleplay fashion. I, personally, never griefed but I realize some people do, but that problem is with the person, you can't punish the whole. In Star Wars Galaxies, you can't simply create a new character, so whether the PA Tag is there or not, your character name always will be. You ARE responsible for your actions and your own personal name will always bind you to it, unless you delete your single character which most people will not do.
Whether the PA tag is visable or not, personal accoutability is still there. With the restrictions that Jas would pull for you can still see what guild they are in and the only griefing this ability would remotely allow is the kind that is already in the game, and that's in the ability to talk. This feature wouldn't allow people to attack other people, like citywarn did, or allow you to steal someones items, or anything else. It simply allows the roleplayers out there to immerse themselves even further into a game that they love. Yes, it's true, a PA Tag won't hold back true roleplayers, but for those out there who dabble, or form impressions of a certain group, it will influence them on who they talk to. And while it is still true you could simply remove yourself from the guild, let's be honest. Some people have many friends in the game and do not want to leave their guild, just because of a handful of people who have given them a bad reputation.
Overall, this feature, with the restrictions, I give a full 100% YES to.
YES
I think it should however be limited as a skill that only covert smugglers can use. I think it should only last as long as that player is logged on for that session. I think a player should only be able to lose the tag temporarily using the guild terminal in his PA hall, and it should re-appear as soon as a TEF is earned (or they go overt)
No
I think that if you choose to partake in a guild, it is our way of identifying you with that guild, their reputation, and their status as PvP, PvE, Crafters, Allied guild, neutral guild, and so forth.
My guild has 45+ people in it, my allies' guild has 60-70 people in it. Needless to say, I cannot learn all their names, and their leaders cannot learn all the names of the people in my guild, but if one of use needs help, that tag displays all we need to know.
Also, you should be proud to be in your PA, if you are a roleplayer, you sholdn't really be in a PA anyway, since there were no "PA" in the Star Wars universe, just factions.
As the system is right now it is open to griefing. I have had alot of PA members leave cause they could not stop being harrased. They really did not want to leave, cause they had been with us for so long. But when you are facing being banned and harrased for being in a guild, I think you should be able to hide your tag. It is not like we as a PA did anything to offended anyone. It is just that sometimes you will get a bad rep for what one member does, or just cause you beat someone in a duel or some other form of PvP. I like the idea of it being a covert only thing also, but not the log back in and poof back to normal.
Jascentia wrote:
I vote yes.
As the system is right now it is open to griefing. I have had alot of PA members leave cause they could not stop being harrased. They really did not want to leave, cause they had been with us for so long. But when you are facing being banned and harrased for being in a guild, I think you should be able to hide your tag. It is not like we as a PA did anything to offended anyone. It is just that sometimes you will get a bad rep for what one member does, or just cause you beat someone in a duel or some other form of PvP. I like the idea of it being a covert only thing also, but not the log back in and poof back to normal.
It seems to me you just want a way to avoid your PA's problems and bad reputation. This is a good example of why tags should not be hidden. Your guilds reputation should follow you no matter where you go. Its also a reason PA's should strive to have a good one and accept good quality members.
I find it strange the board attributed Droid-S128's quote to me. I was about to panic. Hehe.
I don't think people should be able to escape the reputation of a questionable PA, and that's why I feel the /guildstatus check needs to remain.
Agreed, there must always be a way to still check someones status if a PA tag is hidden. Having to go /guildstatus only takes a second and if they are a part of a questionable PA, you simple ban them, ignore them and move on just as if their tag was still displayed. The only difference is, it took a little longer because you had to type one more command.
I still think the benefits of hiding the tag out weigh the consequences as long as restrictions are in place.
And Jas.. we all know you're just posting under different board names to confuse us all and the board accidently blew your cover.. guess you already secured your "Hide Player Correspondant Tag" ability from the Devs. 