When to ask a wizard for help, or something else ================================================ Preamble -------- Before we get to the scenarios of what are and are not appropriate topics for contacting a wizard, we should perhaps clarify the context of what wizards are here for: While wizards are, in a sense, here for the players, they are NOT there to play the game with you. Wizards are not fellow players or your servants. Keep in mind that wizards are humans too, with their own lives and other such constraints. While they are developers of the game and also sometimes act as certain kind of "customer service", they are not paid staff and have no true obligation to do anything. Wizards are spending their free time here to support the game, and thus should be treated with certain degree of respect for their efforts. Note that even if a wizard may seem to be idling, they may be busy working on something .. or perhaps they are just relaxing by having a chat. Whatever may be the case, consider the above and also the following before making your next move. So .. when to contact a wizard? ------------------------------- With all the above in mind, there is basically only one scenario in which you should contact a wizard directly: if you are certain, or at least strongly suspect, that something is bugging. If the issue is acute and requires immediate attention, you should contact a wizard. If the issue does not require immediate action, you should report it via appropriate means. Read 'help bug' and 'help bug report' for more information. Also see 'help known bugs' about certain issues that are already well known. But what about <insert topic>? ------------------------------ Now, there are certain other situations when you might think about asking a wizard, but probably should not. Examples of such are listed below, with specific exceptions noted where appropriate: - You want to know how to complete a quest, kill a monster, solve a riddle in the game, find a monster's weakness, learn an item's power, get personal info about another player, or anything else that would require them to use their wizardly powers. Wizards are not here to play the game with you, or to help you with accomplishing such things. Their conduct is not to divulge any information about the game or its mechanics that they did not possess as mortals. Even asking them for such things is considered inappropriate. Ask your fellow players instead, leave the poor wizards in peace. - Harassment: If someone stole something from you, was particularly mean or offensive to you, pkilled you or something else of that nature. Wizards are generally not "social conduct police" and do not take sides in any feuds between players. If the harassment is serious or frequent, then the administration may take action, depending on the case. Exceptions may be taken if new players are being harassed for no reason. See also 'help spamming' and 'help abuse'. - If you have lost something like money or items and are not certain what happened. Most common reason for "I lost a thing" is a mistake made by the player themselves. There are also NPCs that can steal from you and events that may have such effects. Ask other players if an event was recently run. Check your log files (if you have any) so that you didn't just accidentally misplace the thing. If, and only if, you are absolutely certain that something has been lost due to a bug, only then contact a wizard. It may actually be useful to contact an archwizard directly, as normal wizards will not (generally) do any reimbursements. - As a general rule: If you are a newbie, ask newbie helpers ('who helper') or message on the 'newbie' channel first. Usually these will provide an answer or the help you require. If you are not a newbie, ask your fellow players on the general channels such as 'chat', 'bat', or 'client' for BatClient specific issues. - Do NOT ask wizards if any spells, skills, items, monsters or such have been changed. If a wizard wishes to announce such changes, they will do so on the appropriate media ('tunes' channel, news groups) SEE ALSO help who to ask, help player killing, help events, help reimburse, help bug, help bug report, help known bugs

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