THUMP will no longer be limited for use "only" in dealing with OOC or disruptive behaviour. If someone wants to THUMP someone and they have the ability to do so, for whatever reason (Attacking them, stealing from them, kicking them, looking at them funny, etc.), then they're perfectly within their right to do so. Period.

THUMP is now considered an RP tool and can be used as a "peaceful" alternative to simply lopping off someone's head because that was your only recourse.

There have been lots of checks and balances built in to THUMP that should prevent anyone from abusing the ability. For example, THUMPING someone in combat is possible since disruptive folks will often wander through hunting areas causing problems and advance to pole range on players or creatures to "protect themselves" from being THUMPed, but now THUMP will not knock the victim to their knees...it just gives them a small RT.

In addition, there are also checks are in place to protect the THUMPer since there are some disruptive elements that will attempt to use THUMP on innocent victims to gain an advantage, the THUMPer now gets a slightly longer RT than the THUMPee, to prevent any types of THUMP/STEAL or THUMP/ATTACK abuse.

Probably the BIGGEST change is that ANYONE with any type of warning automatically loses their ability to THUMP for 6 months. Also, if you get a NEW warning, your "No Thumping " counter resets to 6 months. In other words, if you've had a spotty past (or are having a spotty "present") and want to be able to use this ability again, you'll just need to show us that you are willing to earn it back.

Also, players under 5th level who are THUMPed by players of a sufficiently higher level will drop whatever is in their hands, adding another tool to the arsenal of the players to prevent some types of graverobbing problems by throwaway characters.

Finally, since sometimes little snerts grow up and become BIG snerts, players of sufficient level are allowed/able to THUMP ANY players 20 levels below them as well as ANY Zone account character under 5th level (Note....the 20 level difference is waived (i.e. the difference level is a LOT smaller) when dealing with Zone characters under 5th level, as time has shown us the willingness for disruptive players to abuse Zone policies and procedures in order to quickly create new disruptive characters.)

I think these changes will allow us to let the players police themselves a little more, in addition to the verb automatically doing a lot of the policing itself.


Please do not ASSIST or REPORT to discuss these changes or to ask why you can't THUMP.

Comments or complaints should be posted to the message boards and questions about loss of THUMP ability should be directed to drfeedback@simutronics.com.


Solomon