Ok, so, I'm happily investigating the local flora and fauna. My current role play has an alliance of sorts with the slavers. I'm practicing some spells and along comes a junior slaver with absolutely no role play skills whatsoever. He immediately launches into the bonk on em on the head style of play including violating something I have listed in my limits. In my picks and bio, I very clearly state, "DO NOT COME UP TO ME AND SAY I WILL RAPE YOUR ASS because I will mute you" as a way of begining roleplay. Actually what he says specifically is, "What r u practicing for, a scimitar up your ass?" Well, I can see this is not going to be a pleasant exchange but I have to be honest, I don't always read people's preferences either but my Spidey Sense tingles that this is going to be bad, so, off comes my combat meter. I don't want to fight, I don't want to be captured, I don't want to play with with kid who uses texting shorthand IC, I don't want to have to even acknowledge this idiot exists but, as always I try to be polite and continue the converstion and role play out of it. Fire is sparking from my hands and I rather obviously play that I am a magi of great power and not interested in combat. My hands remain empty. Then, OOC but so that everyone can "hear", my new friend says, "UR A Waste of time." So, attempting to be polite as always, I ask in IM, "My goodness, what is the matter?" Him: "U took ur combat meter off. You are ruining the game for everyone. Go play in a roleplay sim and stay away from the combat zones or at least off MY beach." Me: "Well, no, I will go where I please in this sim, I will take my meter on and off as I please and I think I am only ruining YOUR fun." Now, meanwhile I'm thinking. OK, so, a few friends have wanted me to play here and help with the role play. I chose a magi because I personally find the prey thing limiting but I don't really want to run around bonking people or being bonked and the role of magi suits me better than a merchant. Nevertheless, a few people have subdued me and agreeably released me in rp when they realize I am really only interested in investigating the flora and fauna and possibly the undead. Now, realizing I can't dictate how anyone might approach a magi who prefers a stick to a sword. Personally, I would think twice about attacking someone who could cause windstorms, raise the dead, cause earthquakes, summon lightning and poison bathwater, but hey it's your choice BUT if you do attack me and I don't agree and you can't role play, I maintain I have the right to say to someone, "Nope, not gonna fight you, my combat hud's coming off, not gonna role play with you, not gonna to be your slave, not gonna be sold. Move along please." Congruently, I will lose almost always to someone I think can be a fun rp partner, I will never be able to hold my sword right, I never try to capture or enslave someone without checking in IM and I personally do EVERYTHING by consent, that includes engaging in combat, conversation, capture, purchase of slaves, interactions, intimacy, whatever. Part of the problem, I think, in Kingdom of Sand, is that it's a half-combat, half role-play sim. I am almost exclusively rp including in my combat. In any event, no matter what sim I am in, I chose who I play with.

Isabo, IMHO, you reacted reasonably and with a lot of grace. I believe you were perfectly within the guidelines of KoS roleplay as to how you choose to play the game. It is unfortunate that you met with this kind of reaction. Let's hope it is a rare occurance.

I completely agree with you, Isabo. Unfortunately, there are always going to be those that taint the experience when there is public access, no matter if it's pure rp or "action rp". It's a double-edged sword. Pure rp means that people have to think in order to do combat, and they tend to either get lazy and just not fight or they start to god mod because they can't really rp and that's the only chance they have. Action rp helps with this, but at the same time, gives more power to those who really don't know the first thing about rp and don't really care. I will say that I feel your pain on this one. I haven't been in KOS long, and am not able to play there as much as I'd probably like. But my experience has been similar. I do not fight either, and am generally just there to interact verbally. My senile character is more interested in trying to make people smile than make people bleed. However, it is difficult when the vast majority of the people seem to focus solely on running around and fighting or capturing just for the sake of doing it, instead of actually including one of those "story" things with the fighting and capturing. In fact, early on, I took to having my tag "OOC" as the standard and only switching it to "IC" when I knew I was going to actually get a chance to RP so that I could wander around the city and not have to deal with being attacked by everyone that walked by for no apparent reason. I understand that this sim is built largely on the combat and capture theme. But I think that people focus on that aspect far too much and quality RP far too little. Attack me...fine. But at least have some kind of motivation instead of "I just want to have the highest stats." *clears his throat and steps away from the podium* I just had to put my two cents in on that one.