MechScape Post #16 - 20 June 2009, Editorial: MechScape Moderation Options

[Ed5]

Issue #16 - 20 June 2009

MechScape Moderation
Written By Xela



Hello, my name's Xela, and in this week's MechScape post I'll be talking about moderation in MechScape. I plan to discuss player moderators and whether they should carry over from Jagex's other games to MechScape, what their role could be and how extensively moderated MechScape could be . It's an important question to Jagex as to how tightly they should control the game, as the game's community and player base are defined by the rules of the game. The mature target market of MechScape might evaporate if they can't talk freely, yet Jagex need to have some control over their game.

With the release of the new rules and offence system, (which you can see in comparison to the old rules here) RuneScape and FunOrb share the same rules, with no differences between which site you are playing on. The aim of this seems to be to make it easier to tell where you stand across all of Jagex's games. It is probable that MechScape will also use these rules, as if it is to use the same account as your current Jagex account then the abuse system will need to be compatible. (Source in Mod MMG answers questions) If you can talk between games, then they'll need to share the same rules for offensive language at least, else there will be some significant grey areas. It's also a tad suspicious that the rules were updated to a new cross-game system while we're waiting for MechScape - it seems like preparation for the launch. Of course, the problem with this is that if MechScape uses the same rules as RuneScape, then it is possible that the community will take the same course as in RuneScape.

The place where Jagex need to make a difference is in how extensively the rules are enforced and how well the player support and appeal system works. Jagex are improving their representation to the community by leaps and bounds, especially since the new CEO Mark Gerhard was appointed, but there is still a lot of work to be done before they can cast off the image of being uncaring about their players. Jagex staff events are all well and good, but until there is a solid trust that players can feel safe talking to their friends without being reported and punished for comments taken out of context then the community won't progress and the mature market will be out of Jagex's reach in my opinion. It's not so much that Jagex are purposefully punishing people wrongfully, but their "ban first, appeal later" system means that players are picked up and punished before they have the chance to appeal, creating the appearance of harsh moderation.

Unfortunately for Jagex, to improve their customer support they will need to hire new staff or otherwise procure more manpower to deal with reports from somewhere. The problems with contacting Jagex for support won't get any easier with the release of MechScape and growth of the player base.

Right, time for some solutions. Firstly, there is the obvious: hire more staff. If Jagex had more customer support staff then they'd have more time to read over reports and challenge them and so less erroneous mutes or bans. They could implement a system where two people check each report and it is only acted upon immediately if both people agree, else it is submitted for further investigation. In this case, even player mods could participate in the quality control process, possibly replacing the second Jagex staff member, although I would suggest that only more experienced player mods with a proven track record be allowed to deal with actual abuse reports. Secondly, Jagex could make it so that in the case of mutes or other offences that don't require immediate action the opportunity for appeal could come in before the punishment begins, swapping around the process so that a mod would only need to review the case once, with both appeal and original report at the same time unless the player fails to respond to a request for their perspective.

Thirdly, and I think most effectively, Jagex could implement an optional filter. If the filter is disabled, then reports from that player about offensive language would be disallowed and therefore a vast swathe of reports would never be sent, and in fact the game experience for a lot of players could be improved. Some things would have to remain censored and reportable such as racism and other discrimination as well as cybering. An optional chat filter would have its own problems, I'm sure - I'm not sure many mothers would be too fond of it for one, and do you really want any Tom, Dick or Harry to be able to swear to his heart's content? Consider the population of the general Jagex community before you answer that one. That's all I can think of from the top of my head, although you're more than welcome to post your own ideas.

On to player mods, and how they are likely to be implemented in MechScape. Player moderators are normal players who have been selected by Jagex to wield additional powers to report offensive players, including the ability to mute people for 48 hours. Upon the launch of FunOrb, player moderators in RuneScape were automatically given player moderator status on the FunOrb servers, and with so many things for MechScape, FunOrb sets the precedent and assumed course of action for MechScape's release. Therefore, it's very likely that current player mods will keep their status on MechScape and have the same powers, as the rules are probably going to be the same across all 3 websites and so there's nothing new for mods to encounter that they haven't dealt with already. However, Mod MMG (Jagex's CEO Mark Gerhard) did not confirm nor deny them keeping their status in MechScape when questioned as he was "not sure about the pmod status". (Source)

Of course, the mods won't be especially knowledgeable but the role of player moderator does not include helping other players, "Their role is merely to report offences as and when they see them." (Source). Later in the game, more mods would be appointed and these are going to be more knowledgeable, but the more important duty of actual moderation would be able to be tackled by normal RuneScape mods regardless. In this way, during the busy launch period the game should be moderated in line with the increased amount of players.

Despite my speculation, there might not be player mods in MechScape at all, or they could have drastically different forms. For example, what if the traditional silver crown is dispatched of to be replaced by an invisible report weighting mechanic? For every successful report you submit, your reports are invisibly weighted so that Jagex staff would see them more often as they are more likely to be useful. An example of this sort of system in action is on the Newgrounds portal, where every successful "blam" or "save" - a vote for a piece of content to reach the site that matches its eventual outcome affects the user's future influence on the voting, although it is visible. (Source) With a system like this, there would be no bragging rights associated with making lots of reports and as such people would only report content that they find genuinely offensive, thus leading to a less strictly moderated game where the players would have a lot more influence over what is acceptable. If nobody finds something offensive then it would never get reported and thus would never be punished. There would be limits, but to my eyes the game would be a lot more friendly if there was less suspicion about people reporting each other just for "the crown". Alternatively, players could be notified when their reports result in action and therefore they would know when they're reporting well, and a little bit of praise can go a long way to encourage people.

To conclude, I believe that the moderation of MechScape will be broadly in line with moderation in Jagex's other games. I believe that the rules are going to be the same and that is why the current 3 pillar system was developed, as it makes the job of Jagex's player support team much simpler. On the subject of player moderation, I think that MechScape will keep the current mods, although in my mind there is room for improvement.

What do you think? Will MechScape use the same rules, and will those rules attract more mature players? Should player moderators carry over? Can you think of any solutions to Jagex's player support problems?

If you've enjoyed this article, then you might be interested in Pipin's article on the MechScape community, or Psioptics' article on how MechScape will appeal to an older demographic.



MechScape and Community News



Accesses to MechScape Beta:
Mod Korpz has stated that both RuneScape and Funorb subscribers will have access to the MechScape beta, although this has yet to be 100% determined. (Read more)


Jagex on Golden Joystick
Jagex as a developer could be the "UK Developer of The Year," so vote for them! (Read More)


Mod MMG in RuneScape video:
Mod MMG and TehNoobShow made a short RuneScape video in which Mod MMG actually speaks! (Read More)

MechScape World's community quilt project ends July 1st
Today is the first official day of summer, celebrate by adding your entry to the community quilt before it's too late! (Read More)


Previous Issues:
MechScape Post #15: The MechScape Environment II
MechScape Post #14: The Community of MechScape
MechScape Post #13: Codename MechScape
MechScape Post #12: The Importance of Music to MechScape as a Game
MechScape Post #11: How MechScape Will Appeal to an Older Demographic
MechScape Post #10: "Dynamic" Combat in MechScape
MechScape Post #9: Freeplay in MechScape
MechScape Post #8: The Future of MechScape World
MechScape Post #7: Situational Awareness: How the Concept Applies to MechScape
MechScape Post #6: Removing the Need To RWT
MechScape Post #5: The Hype Surrounding the Release Date of MechScape
MechScape Post #4: Gerhard's Influence on MechScape and Jagex
MechScape Post #3: A Great MechScape Flood?
MechScape Post #2: The MechScape Environment and Concepts
MechScape Post #1: MechScape Clan Leadership

Footnotes
Contributors: Brenden, Ed5, Psioptics, Ren (Content Research Team); Mike470, Pipinowns, Xela, zepherusbane (Writing & Editing Team).
Disclaimer: The views expressed by members of staff do not necessarily represent the view of MechScape World.

[Drake]

Cool, though i do hope they keep the pmod system instead of the machine thing as it seems similar to the WOW System which use machine mods...

[Lord John]

Interesting read. I hope that because this game is apparently aimed at an older audience they might realise that saying "I'll phone you tomorrow" isn't life threatening. As for moderatoration, the idea of a secret "weighted" version seems appealing. That way you'd have no idea who is really a mod which would force people to permanently behave for fear of being reported by an "undercover" mod.

[Rick Astley]

Yeah, i agree on all of that.
With an older target audience, they must bend the rules slightly.

[Alex]

I'm glad you guys like it :)

Anyone else have any ideas about how Jagex could improve moderation and abuse?

[Lukes]

I thought this was about the moderation of MSW and then I would have a 2k word post I could make.

It was a good read nevertheless. I don't think moderation status should convert like it did with Funorb and I'm hoping that they'll be a lot more lenient so that if I say someones hair is brown I won't get warned for racism.

Someone should probably update the homepage, unless we stopped doing that or something.

This post has been edited by Lukes: Jun 21 2009, 02:44 AM

[Ed5]

I thought this was about the moderation of MSW and then I would have a 2k word post I could make.
It was a good read nevertheless. I don't think moderation status should convert like it did with Funorb and I'm hoping that they'll be a lot more lenient so that if I say someones hair is brown I won't get warned for racism.

You can do that anytime just place it under Community Affairs, and we won't hurt ya.

[epiclight]

ahh I'm so glad when i read the "if the word isn't blocked then there's no way you can report them" and i respect that some of the words have to blocked of course, even thoguh it's aimed at higher ages, it's never appropriate to say some things.

[GameManXD]

It's for more mature people so I bet they have their own mods.

[zepherusbane]

Good job Zela, I don't necessarily agree with all your points, but still a good read that made me think through the situation a bit.