Note  53  Salmar       (04/23/10 10:51)  Advice for new players

The indiscriminate killing of new players is an action that is not
encouraged by the administration, yet it is still possible with 
the current policies and code. These actions have driven away
many new players. Luckily, they are also only performed by a very
small group of predatory players here. Most players that participate
in playerkilling restriction their targets to people they know
or players that have a contract placed upon. This type of gameplay
was the intent of allowing playerkilling.
 
Unfortunately, it is impossible, within the current system, to control
the undesirable, predatory hunting. We as admin, only know of these
actions after they have occurred, and at this point, it is too late
to "fix" anything. A new player, most often doesn't know what to do,
and decides this game is stupid and not worth playing since it allows 
these random acts of violence upon the innocent.
 
Thus, to control these actions before they can start, instead of
intermitently
punishing those that commit these actions, the PvP flags are being 
created. Our hope is that these flags will not be widely used by the 
general population, but rather saved for our younger players to give
them some added protection while they learn more about this world we
call Two Towers. We are designing enough control in the flags to 
manage their abuse, but, until we see the different ways they can be
abused we can't fix them. That is one reason why so many people are being
permitted to playtest them, including players that might otherwise not be
desirable as playtesters.
 
Finally to my point, until these flags are put in place as an effective
means of protection, I recommend that new players be on their guard. 
One of the most common methods used to kill unsuspecting, new players
is the offer from someone to party with the to help either you or them
gain gold, exp, or equipment. Do not, in most cases believe their offer.
If you do not know the person, don't go with them. They will do as they 
say, take you to a quest and help kill the tough npc, but then, will 
turn on you and kill you. You may not even notice in the heat of the 
battle, that your new "friend" has started to kill you do to being in
combat with the other npc. If/when you die, they will then claim that it
was an accident and ask you not to report them, or threaten you with many
more deaths if you do report them. Please, avoid such situations. If you 
don't know a person, don't party or quest with them. That does not mean
that you shouldn't make friends, just beware of the dangers that may
occur. All newbie helpers have been investigated and approved by the
administration to be trustworthy and desireable to helping our new
players.
Look to them for help and guidance, even after you are no longer able to
use the newbie comm. Most will be more than happy to provide guidance and
advice.
 
Thank you for your attention
 
Salmar - Power of Law