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« on: January 10, 2015, 04:23:11 am »
Some people really, really do let power get to their heads. Unfortunately, it's prevalent in many communities that allow guilds and groups. Even over at Warcraft, it happens at quite an astronomical scale! One of the groups I'm in completely forbids those with a 'low' rank from speaking/emoting during roleplaying sessions and events. You're basically left to sit there and meander about while the higher ups chat amongst themselves for a solid hour or two. I'm honestly still surprised by the group's staggering size and activity; it's still going!
I admit my own group (a hyena clan) is fairly strict, but there's a definite line between a polite request and utter nonsense. We generally forbid exploration of the map during our co-group's roleplaying hours because it's so distracting to have a hyena sprinting left right, up and down when you're in the midst of an especially dramatic session. Out-of-hours-- run about to your heart's content! It's a rule I've seen a few times-- but it's usually handled in a friendlier manner.
It's completely a-ok, and encouraged, to have rules and guidelines-- but when they, or the overly-authoritative 'staff', begin to impose upon your members' enjoyment it's going a little too far for comfort. No one's going to respect a group's leader if they, in turn, do not respect their peers; a group needs members to thrive and grow, after all! Leaving really is the best option when faced with such behaviour.