Gambling

[Glacier Peak]

4 hours ago, GraspingVileTerror said:

I feel like this thread got pruned.  Did it get pruned?  Weren't we up to three pages before?

 

Anyway, got some news that might affect things specifically here:

https://www.thegamer.com/pegi-18-rating-games-with-gambling/

 

So, technically, City of Villains might now be considered PEGI 18 in Europe due to St. Martial.  Not likely, but there's a chance.

Of course, if we were to introduce any game mechanics which were "glorifying gambling" then we'd DEFINITELY see the game bumped up to a PEGI 18, and I don't think NC would appreciate that.

 

Shame.  But I understand where the PEGI board is coming from with this decision.  We can all blame actiblizz and steam, and thank ea for this one!

Maaaaan rating agencies can go off a short pier. Never liked them in video games, movies, or television. Sure it's fine by me to give an idea of what's in the content I'm about to consume, but the moment that rating empowers other people to say I can't consume it I ain't got no time for that!

[GM Kal]

I do think the idea is interesting.... but...

Sorry but official support of gambling won't be happening in any way.
Too much legal risk to the server, and technically against the CoC.

We have to prioritize keeping Homecoming around for the long, long term.

Edited September 5, 2021 by GM Kal

[SeraphimKensai]

9 hours ago, GM Kal said:

I do think the ideal is interesting.... but...

Sorry but official support of gambling won't be happening in any way.
Too much legal risk to the server, and technically against the CoC...

 

Curious how wagering influence or reward merits earned in game for a chance at an in-game reward of additional merits/influence adds any additional legal risk whatsoever to a group running a technically illegal private server open to the public. I would completely understand that there would be increased legal riak if players were wagering cryptocurrency or nfts that could be transferred into real world fiat.

 

Seeing as we already have things like superpacks and converters that players wager their influence or reward merits on in the hopes that they will either make more influence or get a desired item, I figure if there was any actual legal risk for gambling an in-game currency for and in-game reward that boat sailed back during live. Which one could argue is in breach of the language of the gambling section of the CoC of this server as it exists, and might be due for a review for potential amendment.

 

That all said I'm not trying to sound contradictory, but merely attempting to understand any perceived increase of risk, as that's something in my career/academic wheelhouse.

 

Thanks.

[srmalloy]

17 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

Maaaaan rating agencies can go off a short pier. Never liked them in video games, movies, or television. Sure it's fine by me to give an idea of what's in the content I'm about to consume, but the moment that rating empowers other people to say I can't consume it I ain't got no time for that!

What is more disturbing about the PEGI ratings is that they conceal more than they warn. One article (here) describes Overboard, which has PEGI-12 ratings for "Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes and Use of Alcohol" -- but because there is a scene where you can play blackjack with another character, the game gets a PEGI-18 rating for "Gambling", and the PEGI-12 ratings aren't displayed at all. A VSC Games Rating Board spokesman stated "The purpose of the descriptors is to explain the issues that led to the rating in question, rather than to highlight all content that’s present in a game, it’s inevitable that raising a rating will lead to the loss of any descriptors that relate to material that would have been acceptable at a lower rating." So potential buyers, or parents overseeing the games their children get, are denied information about the game because only the highest rating is displayed, even though one of the lesser ratings is one that they would be concerned about -- essentially deciding for everyone else that a single rating for one small aspect of a game is all anyone needs to concern themselves with.

[starro]

Before the thread dies/locks and regardless of position on gambling and the social/legal risks for COH/society as a whole I just wanted to share that I like Project: Gorgon's approach on the subject with games of chance (modified dominos)  card games (monsters and mantids) and an in-game bets on arena.  I played the games on release for three months and kind of burned out on them.  There was no risk to real world money.  If you ever look for another interesting MMO (but does not fill the void in COH's absence) I recommend Gorgon also for the community.

[Wavicle]

IMO ALL of the largest buildings in the game should be more functional. The Giza, the Zig, etc.

[wjrasmussen]

On 4/3/2020 at 8:38 AM, Llewellyn Blackwell said:

Uhm guys influence is not money in any way shape or form in the game world. It should not be able to be gambled with like money can be in RL. Just breaks the immersion imo. Now if they wanted to create a new form of actual in game world currency, perhaps attached to day jobs( how people actually earn money) or for villains as part of bank heists that could be used, Id be all for it.  What would this currency be useful for? Id say nothing game impacting, like for costume changes at Icons,

then use enhancements, or merits, or something new.

[srmalloy]

15 hours ago, wjrasmussen said:

then use enhancements, or merits, or something new.

I don't think PEGI cares what the game has you gambling with; if it 'teaches gambling' it gets the PEGI-18 rating.

[GraspingVileTerror]

I'm fairly sure that PEGI is concerned with glamourization of real world gambling.  So game mechanics which revolve around random chance aren't going to trigger their anti-gambling sensors.  But the fact that City of Villains has a Slot Machine Contact -might- be argued in that capacity.

Granted, the story context of the Slot Machine actually places the player at a narrative disadvantage.  It isn't glamourized, but rather presents the story in the context that your character got manipulated and exploited by the Slot Machine to further the Slot Machine's own ends  (spoilers, blah blah).

 

I just don't know how much hair-splitting the PEGI board would actually engage in related to that.  I mean, it's an undead game, so they'll probably not even give a flying crap . . . unless the Homecoming Team have to recertify City with PEGI and the ESRB as part of their theoretical deal with NC.

If that's the case, then . . . yeaaaaah.  I can see why they wouldn't even send a GM to monitor the Rikti Monkey Fight Club Events.  While none of the GMs have explicitly stated -why- they won't ever attend RMFC, they have at least sent me messages saying "Nope, can't" (paraphrased). 

 

Basically:  I believe it's likely that Homecoming LLC doesn't want to step anywhere near the line which might result in some real world authority (government, rating board, news outlet, et cetera) to assume that this game would be lumped in with the likes of the latest fifa games.

I just think it might be helpful to the community to have that explicitly stated with no uncertain terms, if it's the case.

[wjrasmussen]

9 hours ago, srmalloy said:

I don't think PEGI cares what the game has you gambling with; if it 'teaches gambling' it gets the PEGI-18 rating.

Then wrap it in religion.

[GraspingVileTerror]

I think that would have a bigger effect on the ESRB than the PEGI, @wjrasmussen.

[wjrasmussen]

5 hours ago, GraspingVileTerror said:

I think that would have a bigger effect on the ESRB than the PEGI, @wjrasmussen.

Then wrap it inside of politics.

[GraspingVileTerror]

Since someone dug up the other thread that dipped in to the thematic expansion of gambling motifs in City of Villains, I'mma cross-link the two threads for future reference:

https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/12781-gambling-suggestion/

[Ruin Mage]

On 9/4/2021 at 12:21 AM, GM Kal said:

Sorry but official support of gambling won't be happening in any way.
Too much legal risk to the server, and technically against the CoC.

We have to prioritize keeping Homecoming around for the long, long term.

Not going to happen, Darien.

[Greycat]

We really need to have some limit to necroing threads. 3 months and it's locked, say.

[Glacier Peak]

15 hours ago, Greycat said:

We really need to have some limit to necroing threads. 3 months and it's locked, say.

Tangentially, there was a 3 year old thread that was necro'd the other day. Talk about a zombie topic! 

[TheZag]

Well our good friend and thread necro expert is slavidormalecha.  A relatively new account that only has 2 posts.  1 post necroing this thread after a year to link to another site that wants your money and their other post necro'd after 2 years to another site that wants your money.  Id say it just uses AI to scan the thread and insert a halfway decent looking post to get you to click the link and lose your money.  Sketchy at best,  malicious at worst.  I recommend not using those links.