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The player known as Zal (ZalTheTarnished, Chainsaw Man, and many other aliases) has been permanently muted.
This action was not taken lightly. It is the final step after having exhausted all other possible options, including multiple private conversations, several temporary mutes, and repeated formal warnings (including mention of a permanent mute being considered). I want to be transparent about the reasoning behind this severe and unprecedented step.
Zal has been a passionate, long-term member of the community, and I recognize his contributions from the past. Some of his feedback has brought about positive change, and his passion for the game has been obvious. So to be clear, this decision is not a result of Zal's opinions or criticisms of the game. This action is a direct result of a persistent and documented pattern of behavior that violates the core principles of the Code of Conduct. This pattern includes, but is not limited to:
- Directing personal insults and vulgarity at other players and staff.
- Making public, bad-faith accusations against me and other moderators.
- Consistently defying direct moderation requests and warnings.
- Using the forums to escalate personal feuds rather than discuss the game.
I want to address a point that may be raised: That other players also break the rules without receiving the same penalty. The CoC is applied equally to all players, but context and severity matter. A single post that is borderline uncivil during a heated debate is not the same as a sustained pattern over months/years of personal attacks, bad-faith accusations, and direct defiance of moderation. This permanent action is a response to an extremely long-standing pattern of severe violations, which has continued despite multiple formal warnings and temporary mutes.
To be perfectly clear on a point that has been a source of conflict: This is not about silencing criticism. I've tried to make it clear that I welcome/crave your unfiltered feedback. The CoC was explicitly written to protect this kind of passionate, even blunt, debate about game mechanics while drawing a firm line at personal harassment and unproductive hostility. We need a space where players can discuss the game without being subjected to personal attacks. This is a standard that must apply to everyone.
My primary responsibility as game admin is to act as a steward for the health of the entire community. I cannot allow one player's inability to engage respectfully to continuously create a negative and hostile environment that drains admin resources and, most importantly, drives other players away.
This decision is final. To prevent the kind of unproductive arguments that led to this action, I'm locking this thread. As per the CoC, public debate of this or any other specific moderation action is not permitted.
Now, let's get back to the game. I look forward to moving ahead with all of you and focusing on making the game better together.
*click*