'stealing' a boat?

Discussion in 'Community Discussion' started by Herbrin3, Jun 14, 2012.

  1. OK, so boats are a specific exception to the rule about not stealing things? Only near spawns though, or anywhere?

    But a mine-cart is different - it's *just* boats?
  2. #2 is close. I want to make sure I understand the rules properly.
  3. xD Ohh alright. Haha. Pretty much I think you're alright if it's not in use. As far as minecarts I'm not sure never happened across an empty on a track.
  4. I'm not going to outright state 'Stealing a boat is fine', I am merely saying that if a boat is left near a spawn, with no apparent owner in sight, feel free to use it, and be courteous to return it on return journey if able.

    The abandoned boats aren't property of empire, they are left there by players, for other players to use.
    I could place a sign at each watery outpost and spawn stating this if you like. :)

    Proposed sign placement
    All abandoned boats are considered free for public use.
  5. You know there are just to many variables in a "what if" situtaion. If EMC included all these "what ifs" in the rules, the pages would be endless. We really have to rely on are own instincts to determine what we are doing/acting is right or wrong. I know commen sense and morals are a bit limited online, but that's how most get in trouble on these games.

    I think that if there is an item (can be whatever) on the ground and there is no one in the area (after you call out), then it is abandoned and is clearly free to be picked up by you. However, if you come across a lot of items on the ground, then some one just died there. So, if your a nice person, you could pick the stuff up for the person and try to find them at spawn. Or put them in a chest, note the cords, and then try to find the person. If you come across an unlocked chest, whether above ground or under and has items in it (can be whatever), then no, you leave it. No matter what items are inside, even bread/wheat (as you had mentioned). I know you said that you would replace the wheat, but that chest was placed by a player and belongs to them. It's just better to leave it as it is, so that no consequences come back to you, because you were present at that area. Of course, the exception to this would be dungeons and mineshafts, since they are spawned chests, but again, if someone made that dungeon into a xp farm (which you can clearly tell), then those chest should be left alone.

    But it is all up to us as to what we do in these situations and hopefully the right choice is made.

    Kia
    Herbrin3 likes this.
  6. I totally agree with that; and that's what I do.

    I think some clarification in the rules - explaining that - might help.

    The reason being, that some people will not behave in the way you and I do; a lot of people think that, if it's OK to take a boat that is near the port, then it's OK to take a boat that is in a chest, and thus it's OK to take a diamond/sword/whatever-else is in a chest. And that, because you can take diamonds and swords from chests in dungeons, it's OK to do the same from other chests. I know that is totally wrong - but, I can understand why people would think that way.

    And of course, the rules should be short, clear and simple. Most of the type of users I am describing probably never look at them *anyway*.

    But I think we could add a little clarification, without it turning into a huge law-book.
  7. That sounds like a really good idea, to me.
  8. It shall be done, and it will prevent further potential confusion. :)
  9. Hebrin, I think it would be scary to be a passenger in a car you were driving. Judging what action to take in any situation requires context and maybe judgement of the intentions of whoever left whatever behind. First, if you are in doubt as to whether something you're considering doing is wrong, don't do it. Or ask someone for their opinion first.

    The boat analogy doesn't work for me because you can't pick up a boat. You have a choice of taking the materials or leaving it. The boats people wanted to keep are the ones you don't see. That's because the materials were either taken or they left them on the bottom of the sea to despawn. I've taken boats and I've left boats. I've also broken my boats and used them for wood out of desperation, but that's another story.

    If I'm in a cave and it looks like someone's been there already I decide whether I'm going to stay and mine based on the signs they left behind. If they have a bed, furnace, crafting table, and storage chests, I expect they intend to come back so I move on. On the other hand, I often see places where someone explored a cave looking for diamonds, leaving torches, cobble bridges through lava, and a lot of non-diamond ores. I quite often mine these depending on how thoroughly they seem to have explored.

    Another thing I've seen is where someone left a crafting table and furnace in a long tunnel. I don't take them, but sometimes use them. I doubt that anyone would come back for them or make a fuss because I used them. They are comparatively inexpensive and take up room in your inventory anyway.

    On the other hand, we have a limited inventory and sometimes have to make decisions about what to cast off when we run out of room. I've left materials like cobble, wood, coal, and sometimes even food in a chest in order to make more room in my inventory thinking I may pass through again and have room to take them with me. Lately I've been casting off weapons because of the mobs.

    I often find dungeons people have already been to where they've taken the valuable items from the chests and left things like webs, or cobble in them to make room. These items must seem too valuable/useful to just throw on the ground and I realize that I or someone else may pass through again and find them useful. But not always so useful or valuable that I need to lock a chest. So I'm willing to accept that someone may come along and take them.

    All of this gets blurrier in the no man's land around spawn. One person's bridge or house around spawn may look like a handy source of materials to another person. I've built cobble bridges that were torn apart or moved because they were in someone's way. I've also had people dig holes in the ground near my bridges. I carry cobble and dirt with me to patch these up. Do I feel bad about plugging someone's mining hole when they built it through my walkway? Not really. Nor do I complain when they turn my two wide elevated walkway into cobble.

    When you're a thousand blocks out it's different. The other day I had someone mine into my grinder room. That was bad enough, but the person went through all the chests before he even spoke to me, then started tearing holes in the walls looking for ore. When he left he made a pillar and drilled up through my ceiling. Of course, I had a problem with that. It's one thing to accidentally mine into someone's place. It's another to keep mining even after it's obvious someone else is using the area. He should have said "oops", apologized, then asked where the proper door was.

    I would think it would be even more so if I was say, 50k blocks out and discovered someone standing in front of me. We both went to a lot of trouble to get there and we should match each others effort in courtesy.

    Context and intention. This is way too long...
  10. I totally agree (except about my driving) - and that's exactly what I do myself.

    Unfortunately, a great many users are not so considerate, and don't read the rules (or choose to ignore them), lack common sense, and perhaps from experience on other servers assume that anything left anywhere is fair game, and can be taken by anyone.

    Sadly, those people are not going to be reading this, or entering into our reasoned discussions about it.

    I think all we can do is, try to make sure everyone knows the rules, and possibly provide clearer guidelines to help those who don't get it.

    For example, you mentioned furnaces - I agree, anyone can use one. But if I'd left 64 blaze rods and 64 iron smelting, I'd be mildly annoyed if someone took it. "My bad" for leaving it unlocked, but still stealing. I think people should be able to *use* the furnace, as long as they supply the fuel for it.

    And that's the kind of information that might be helpful in some kind of 'guide'.

    Thanks for your time responding.