Illarion.org

It seems some people nowadays think that the signature at the bottom of a message is the real proof of who the character is. In the old days people rarely wrote their signatures, although we still had the board function of signatures. However, I sometimes can't understand why some people use one board account for multiple characters or a char with different name, when you can easily get another email address for another board name. With multi chars, it especially spoils that those characters are the same player.

Also, when people use their regular board account and just write "unsigned" or "no signature" at the bottom of their message, I find that it doesn't show enough effort to try and hide their identity. It kind of spoils the roleplay because you can see who they really are, and you dont get a real opportunity to use clues to guess who they are, or they will say "It's bad RP if you know me because I didnt sign it" even if their writing style or wording might leave a clue. On the other hand, I dont think I want to see a hundred accounts named Cloaked Shadow and Unknow Figure, that kind of thing.

I have conflicting feelings about these things, so I was wondering what other people thought about this.

Personally I'll vigorously slap the next person who tells me to sign my posts. Prefferably with a wet n rather slimy trout.

If you don't know it the signatures are turned off because some people used it for no rp reason.I think you should only writte you signature by auctions or when you have many chars .When you writte under an message "unsigned" some ignores it and that is not the reasons so everybody can decide if he or she want put an signature or not.And if you writte something that is unsigned do you think the char will writte it like other signed messages i don't think they will try to hide themselfs and so they write maybe with the left hand so the handwritting is bad and you cannot find the real writter.The next proplem is that the player will use the ooc knowledg for the chars ingame if you writte unsigned or not this is a great proplem.

Just to bring this back up, I am getting more and more nerved by people constanly ~unsigning~ their posts.

I do think that in certain extent this kind of behaviour should be allowed, perhaps even encouraged but post after post of usigned messages is just annoying. Yes, there is the realism factor of being able to in some sense to not sign your messages.. but then again there is the fact that RP-board is oftren referred as the 'shop wall', which basically means that single person would perhaps be able to put a note without being noticed, but in any scenario he would not be able to constantly reply as unsigned. Don't you think that in some point people would start paying attention to who is putting a note to where, especially if we are talking about such high-profile people as Grant or Paul who are known by looks by basically everyone? IMO, I would pay attention..

I think it is perfectly reasonable to make people sign their posts, yes personally I don't want a bunch of board accounts for each character, uses server space and hard to keep track of. As for the ~~unsigned~~, why don't you just write nothing at the bottom... I know Grant often wears a cloak, and it isn't hard to walk by in the middle of the night and stick up a note without being recognized.

I dont have too much of a problem as long as no one tries to drag me into that foolishness.

It makes no difference between writing nothing and writing unsingned. Is just that it makes it more clear that you purposely concealed your identity so people don't think you just forgot to sign.

I just think that fact that you can actually see who did it kind of ruins the RP a bit. I also agree with Caranthir that you would be seen going up to the wall and look really suspicious if you covered yourself in all dark cloaks or something. Night time is kind of a good point too, but who goes around reading messages on a shop wall at night?? Besides the messages would be inside the shop walls or else they would get blown away so the shop would probably be closed at night anyways.

Well, you can't post as a guest or else I would suggest that, purhaps hiding the avatar and name could be an option, click a little check and it happens.

Well you both bring up good points I would like it if they can hide there name on the side so people can guess instead of knowing OOC because it does spoil it kinda.

I am going to start distuinguishing people who constantly "unsign" their messages by their handwriting if this goes over the top. There are many ways to figure out the identity of people who do this continously, especially if they write signed messages too.
I have no problem with the occasional anonymous message, but sometimes it seems that the anonymous people have some kind of club meeting at the shop wall.

No worries about me, I will always sign my messages! Im real good at speaking my mind and getting in trouble, so you all can count on me to remain "not-anonymous"
Oh yeah, and I can't spell.
~~Ark~~

Well, I'd just like you to listen to this.

In my post "The List", I wrote anonymously and I also disguised my handwriting AND cut out the names from other posts. Yet, still, Arudhul "recognized my handwriting".

Also, at night, someone could just put the message under the door and someone will hang it up in the morning.

The problem with an "anonymous" account is that anyone could just come in, spam the RP board, and leave, and no one will know who did it. That is why I suspect there is no posting when you are a guest.

You CUT the names out from other posts?? ERrm... that's not nice...
Not sure if that's the best explanation..

Thats questionable?!?! I would be concentrating on persucuting the people who "teleport" or "#me finds secret hole around every corner" rather than who cut out peices of paper, loggers are a growing problem.

Its not a problem, but it's just that you cut something then it becomes missing from the record.

I completely agree with Gro'bul

I cut the signatures off of old posts! No one notices and no one knows I made the post.

Its okay Paul...people are just plain idiots....Seems alot of people could identify my ghost ball as me. Only one person RP'ed decent with my ghost, and Vivi...I love ya! Everyone else...your dumb...especially all those trying to drag and force my ghost to the cross or yelling "GO TO THE CROSS YOU DUMB GHOST"

HEY, not true, I was on Avrillon and ingored you, viola can vouch fer that, sheesh. I said #me feels a cold breeze on his neck, cause you passed right behind me.

Caranthir ignored you too, but that was nothing abnormal.

The question is, why would you want to run around all day as a ghost?

Okay, the reasons why:
Okay, when Ark was made she was suppose to be a darn good mage, but I was unaware that if you didnt completely max out your intelligence you couldnt cast all the spells (as it say says on the create character thing that intelligence determines mana lose during casting). So Ark is a character that cast cast powerful spells, and fight at all hand to hand, and has such if she gets smacked a couple times she falls over like an anorexic getting hit with a strong wind. On top of all that I was trying to play an evil character, and with Arks attributes it was nearly impossible. Now, I also spent 95% of my time interacting with characters, and now that I see numbers that are 49000's and 50000's casting the best spells and taking out demons, it really pisses me off. Simply because I never went out to the zombies or skeletons or dueled and powergammed for a long time my character gets a huge disadvantage. After I was stuck by a number 47000 and I was decked out in full plate and two shields and I was almost killed, and all I was able to do was throw green flames everywhere, I relized how pointless it was becoming, and play Ark was almost becoming more of a chore and more aggravating then it was fun anymore. So I have applied for a couple of new characters ((which I am still waiting to be activated)) and Im going to play them, and once that happens Ark is going to disapeer into the wind. Thats why I spent all day as I ghost. It was because I didn't care.
~~Ark~~