I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 480 The Veteran Player's Disgust
"I hate new players..."

Alibaba sighed as he stood on the street in Waterladnoy and spoke to his friend Ikkyu.

The latter was busy at the moment. He was kneeling on the ground, performing emergency hemostasis on an ordinary-looking man. A scalpel lay beside him, its blade still stained with glaring red.

The rapier, also known as the swift sword or rapier, originated in Europe during the Renaissance. Its defining characteristics are its slender and narrow blade, with a sharp tip that gleams coldly under streetlights.

The hilt is decorated with intricate carvings, showcasing excellent craftsmanship and clearly indicating its high price.

"Damn it, stop your babbling and come help me out..."

Ikkyu, who was urgently rescuing people, was covered in sweat.

"Please get me a new bandage and some hemostatic medicine. It's just across the street, near my clinic!"

"I can't break up with them either!"

Alibaba also felt that he was being scolded unjustly, because he was currently kneeling on the neck of a person who was lying on the ground groaning.

"Let...let me go...I can't breathe...I'm going to die..."

"Breathe? When you stabbed that guy, didn't you think about whether he could breathe?!"

Alibaba roared, adding more force to his knee, causing the player beneath him to howl in pain.

"Damn it...it's just an NPC...just data...if the equipment drops, it should be mine..."

The player was still muttering to himself, his tone full of self-righteousness and grievance, as if Alibaba were the unreasonable one.

"Data!? Holy crap..."

Alibaba was so angry he almost laughed. He turned to look at Ikkyu, his tone full of helplessness.

"These newbie players are all idiots!"

As one of the first players, Alibaba had a high reputation and prestige. When Bagnia was developing rapidly, he suddenly had the idea to become a civil servant and try out what it felt like to be a tyrant in the game.

Then, he was handpicked by King Chris to become the first police chief of Wattradnoy.

When Alibaba became the police chief, it coincided with the time when the Bagnian Holy Army was on its way to Suvano.

At that time, Wotradnoy was very peaceful, and nothing major happened.

Veteran players often have their own businesses or are busy with the main storyline on the front lines, leaving them no time to wander around Voltradnoy.

Those who have free time to wander around are mostly sightseeing enthusiasts. They are very law-abiding. Players who cause trouble are basically newbies with limited combat power and can only cause limited damage. Ordinary NPC police or street leaders can handle them.

Therefore, Alibaba's police chief lived a very comfortable life.

But recently, a wave of new players has completely changed the situation.

These newcomers seem to treat this place as a pure, consequence-free "super VR sandbox game".

They lack basic respect for the world and don't treat NPCs as human beings.

Theft, robbery, intentional injury, and even murder and robbery in the street, all for the sake of "testing the waters" or "looking at how cool the equipment is," have led to a constant stream of heinous incidents.

Veteran players like Alibaba and Ikkyu are struggling to keep up, because Ikkyu is the best surgeon in town, and his clinic is practically turning into an emergency room.

"I brought the bandage!"

Ikkyu's friend, another life skills player, finally pushed through the crowd and delivered emergency supplies.

Ikkyu quickly took it, and his subordinates worked even faster, trying to stabilize the injured person's vital signs.

"Police! Where are the police?!"

Alibaba shouted towards the street corner, and soon a team of NPC city police officers in brand-new black uniforms ran over. They were trained by Alibaba himself.

"Director!"

"Cuff this bastard and take him back to the station to be kept under strict guard!"

Alibaba pointed at the perpetrators on the ground.

"Yes!"

The police officers skillfully twisted the hands behind the back of the player who was still yelling "veteran players are bullying newbies" and "garbage game experience," and put him in special shackles... These things can greatly restrict a player's mobility; even if he dislocated his wrists, he still couldn't open them.

Alibaba stood up, dusted off his uniform, and looked at the wounded being carried away and the murderer being taken away. His heart was heavy. He walked to Ikkyu's side and asked in a low voice.

"How about it?"

Ikkyu wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head.

"The situation is bad. I've lost too much blood, and my lungs may have been punctured... It's hard to say whether I can survive. Damn, the realism of this game is sometimes really frustrating."

Alibaba sighed and spoke loudly to the onlookers.

"Citizens, please rest assured, His Majesty the King has decreed that anyone who commits crimes in the capital, regardless of their origin, will be severely punished! The police force will not tolerate such behavior!"

His words had some calming effect, but the whispers among the crowd did not stop, because there had been too many incidents of outsiders causing trouble in the streets recently, resulting in too many deaths and injuries.

After dealing with the scene, Alibaba and Ikkyu returned to the police station office, both looking exhausted.

"I can't live like this anymore..."

Alibaba slumped in a chair.

"These newbies are walking trouble-making machines, a bunch of idiots. They're nothing like us; they don't care at all about the consequences of indiscriminate killing."

Ikkyu poured himself a glass of water.

"We need to think of a solution. If this continues, the city will be in a state of panic and disorder will be disrupted. We can't keep relying on us veteran players and NPC police to go around arresting people and cleaning up the messes of those idiots every day..."

If that's the case, are we still going to do the mission?

Listening to Ikkyu's complaints, Alibaba, with a headache, rubbed his temples.

"Don't worry, I've already written several reports to the Department of Justice, requesting stricter disciplinary measures. Dirac said Chris is aware of this and is studying it."

Just then, a policeman knocked on the door and came in.

"Reporting to the Director, the Political Vice Minister, Marquis Dirac, has sent a document... a top-level red document!"

Alibaba and Ikkyu exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

"Bring it here quickly!"

When Alibaba received the red document and opened it in front of Ikkyu, he only glanced at it a few times before his face immediately turned serious.

Ikkyu's curiosity aroused.

"show me!"

Alibaba then handed the document, bearing the bright red seal of the Ministry of Justice and the king's personal coat of arms, to Ikkyu.

"See for yourself... the game designers are serious this time!"

Ikkyu took the document and quickly began to browse through it.

The more he looked, the wider his eyes widened.

The document's title boldly proclaims, "Provisional Regulations on the Establishment of an 'Arbitration Tribunal' and the Granting of Special Enforcement Powers to 'Arbitrators'."

The document outlines the establishment of a special "arbitration tribunal," spearheaded by the Ministry of Justice and jointly with the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior. This tribunal is headquartered in the capital and has branches in major cities.

The arbitrators of the court will be selected from loyal, reliable, and impartial elites from various levels of police, military, judicial departments, and the King's Guard, who are known for their excellent performance and high reputation. Among them, Ikkyu saw Alibaba's name prominently listed among the first batch of appointed arbitrators in the capital.

This document stipulates that arbitrators have the right to conduct immediate trials and judgments. For serious cases with conclusive evidence and clear facts, such as murder, serious injury, robbery, and arson, arbitrators have the right to simplify procedures and conduct trials and convictions on the spot.

Arbitrators and their arbitration teams, composed of qualified personnel recruited by the arbitrators themselves, have the authority to take direct coercive measures, including immediate arrest and on-the-spot execution, against ongoing or impending crimes within their jurisdiction, without the need for further authorization!

All that's needed is to supplement the evidence and submit a report afterward.

The regulations in the document specifically emphasize that the jurisdiction of the arbitration tribunal covers all individuals within the territory of the Kingdom of Bagnia, including the King's Guard.

Any member of the Royal Guard, or any foreigner, who violates the law, shall be subject to trial and punishment by the arbitrator in accordance with this Ordinance, and their status shall no longer be a ground for exemption.

In addition to traditional fines and reputation deductions, arbitrators can now use disciplinary measures such as forced labor, property confiscation, and preventative detention, with the detention period being unlimited... in other words, account suspension.

At the end of the document was King Chris's strong and powerful signature, along with a comment: "Order is paramount, and all people are equal before the law."

I hereby bestow upon you sharp swords, hoping you will use them wisely to slay the wicked and protect peace.

After reading it, Ikkyu gasped in shock.

"Holy crap, the arbitrator can actually ban other players' accounts!"

Alibaba scratched his head, but there wasn't much excitement on his face.

"I don't feel well."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about abuse. New players messing around might cause problems, and even if veteran players become arbitrators, they might not be any good... No, I have to write to Chris and, before the documents are released, have him limit the arbitrators' authority."

……

Chris had anticipated the chaos caused by the influx of new players into the game, as similar disruptions occurred with each wave of public beta access releases.

However, this wave of new players is somewhat different; they are more unscrupulous and cause more and bigger trouble.

There were countless cases of people killing each other in the street because of a sword, which gave Chris a headache. This angered him so much that he introduced the "Arbitration Court" system, intending to let veteran players kill new players and curb this evil trend.

Fortunately, Alibaba's letter made Chris realize the situation in time, put on the brakes, and prepare to limit the arbitrator's authority. He will hold a few small meetings with some veteran players before deciding whether to launch the arbitrator profession.

What went wrong?
Chris couldn't help but ponder this question.

Before he could figure out the answer, Chris found a post on an offline forum that could resolve his doubts.

[In-depth analysis] Why are these newcomers so problematic?
A brief discussion on the pain of Rise of Empires going mainstream and the impact of community culture.

The poster is a well-known veteran player with the ID "Historical Strategy Old Salty Fish". He analyzed the current situation with a calm and objective tone.

Hey everyone, I bet you've all been driven crazy by all the crazy antics of these newbies lately. My own farm in the Minissia region has been robbed several times by passing newbies, and several cows have died.

While I was angry, I was also thinking about why this new wave of players was so different from us back then, and even from the previous batches of test players.

Ultimately, the reason is that our game, Rise of Empires, has become a hit.

Do you all remember what it was like at the beginning of the server launch and during the first few limited-slot public beta tests?

Back then, those who could get a spot were either core players who were deeply involved in historical strategy and hardcore survival games, or role-playing enthusiasts who had a strong interest in D&D and tabletop RPGs.

We have something in common: we tend to follow the rules, are willing to immerse ourselves in the virtual world, and seek the logical consistency and challenge of experiencing another life in the virtual world.

We respect NPCs not because we fear punishment, but because this respect brings a deeper experience.

We will weigh the pros and cons because we know that chaotic behavior will ruin the world we want to experience.

But what has happened outside of the game recently?
The war scenes, construction achievements, and even some funny daily life short videos edited by us veteran players have high viewership on various platforms. Some of them have attracted the attention of a large number of users outside the community with tags such as 100% realistic experience, second world, volleyball killing and snake man war.

When the official announcement came that the number of open beta test slots would be significantly increased, it wasn't just hardcore enthusiasts like us who flocked to join.

The majority of the slots were filled by players from casual RPG online games, battle royale games, and those who were simply following the trend and watching for fun.

They lack interest and patience in hardcore game settings and backgrounds; their gaming philosophy is simply to have fun.

NPCs?

It's just data.

Will I lose all my equipment and connections upon death?

It doesn't matter, it's all fake anyway.

prestige?

Is that something edible?

law?

Can NPCs' laws govern me, the player?
This deep-seated conflict in gaming culture has led to the chaos we see today.

They weren't intentionally sabotaging 'our' game; they were just playing their game the way they were used to. However, the world's overly realistic physics engine and NPC intelligence amplified the consequences of their actions.

To put it bluntly, we veteran players are, in a way, accomplices.

We showcased the game's most glamorous, exciting, and free aspects, but failed to emphasize the underlying rules, costs, and immersion requirements, inadvertently attracting a large number of players who were not suited to the game.

Now, the pressure is on the authorities and Chris. Strict laws may deter people temporarily, but whether they can fundamentally change this trend, or whether they will only exacerbate the conflict between new and old players, or even give rise to a playstyle that focuses on fighting the police, remains to be seen.

This is a difficult problem concerning the future direction of this unique game world. What are your thoughts? Let's discuss it rationally.
The replies to the post have already piled up to a huge number.

Mermaid Sasha: The original poster's analysis is spot on! I was brought into this game by a friend who came from XX Legend. He just kept killing NPCs and complained about the low drop rate. I was dumbfounded!

Alibaba: As a frontline law enforcement officer in the game, I'm exhausted! I strongly support a strict review mechanism. Could you perhaps include a questionnaire or entrance exam next time you release slots?

Long live freedom: LOL, playing a game and getting a sense of superiority? I'll play however I want, if you don't like it, don't play! Do you really think you're some kind of noble lord?
The truth comes from reflection: each has its own way of playing, but a certain guidance and isolation mechanism is indeed needed. It is recommended that the official team open up a special newbie area or a free PK area to prevent players with different styles from interfering with each other.

If you're unhappy, don't play: I'm a new player, but I really like the realism of this world. Those who mess around are truly disgusting. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch. I support strict punishment to give everyone a better environment.

Chris silently browsed through the posts, and his doubts were finally resolved.

It turns out the problem wasn't with the system, but rather with the fundamental change in the player base. Groups from different "game culture" backgrounds were clashing violently in this overly realistic world.

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

The arbitrator system may be a swift and decisive tool to resolve immediate problems, but as the post suggests, it may also sow the seeds of deeper hidden dangers.

Simply punishing someone doesn't seem to solve the problem at its root.

"It seems we need a two-pronged approach, or even a multi-pronged approach..."

Chris was deep in thought.

"Stricter entry screening? More robust new player guidance and rule dissemination? Creating newbie villages? Or even... utilizing the quest system and world events to actively channel the excess energy and destructive tendencies of these new players?"

Chris's gaze deepened... He thought of the recent events; wasn't the Macon Alliance planning to hire mercenaries?

These new players might be a good choice.

Chris originally wanted to select some elite players to join, such as the Overlords, Ultra Warriors, or Han Tang Warriors, which are top-tier groups.

Now... hehe, even the elite players have to go, but the worst and most unruly among these new players must go.

If you don't want to go, you can cancel your trip.

(End of this chapter)