I actually concur with the prev2ious synopsis of this game. I found Firan at the beginning to be a rather refreshing roleplaying experience, and its Greco-Roman atmosphere was something that I enjoyed.
However, over the years I began to notice the flavor of the game to degrade in the sake of pleasing favored characters and adjusting plots to suit the staffs’ fancies. I too also became concerned with the growing staff base which rose from the pool of players, which I believe simply stifles roleplay, not to mention is a sign of inefficiency and unfairness (In fact, there is a joke that I made amongst my friends that it took Jesus Christ a resurrection and an ascension to sit at the right hand of the Father; however, on Firan you just need to talk to the right person).
The game boasts with pride that most vigilant of roleplaying axioms, “In Character Actions Equate In Character Consequences,” but many actions are involved through out-of-character whims, most specifically the latest decision to toll members of the common and middle castes when entering the city center proper. Not only has this decision caused many commoners hardship in not being able to go to the market to trade their goods, but it blocks roleplay in the Forum, which specifically if I have read the newsfiles correctly that an excuse to go to the Forum was to promote roleplay.
Monitoring as well as conducting tallies on sexual activity, not to mention Chief Wizard and Wizardess’ ‘living room’ philosophy after a few years was a bit draconian in my tastes. Certainly one does not need to fall in love with the creators in order to fall in love with the theme. The view in this case is that this is their game, so therefore the plot and outline within the history of the Firan Peoples must go according to this plan. In other words, players are merely characters in the Admin's ballet, so when the Admin says pirouette...you'd better pirouette. Political figures or commoners not fitting this 'dream' can find themselves locked up in the Republic Jail, exiled, stocked, or even executed by simply a few keystrokes to set out a TP.
In closing, I find that the game has swallowed the last of the summer wine-a once fine sports car which has been abused and banged to blandness.
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