I have, for the most part of this experience, enjoyed the familial atmosphere of meeroos. Sure we have our dysfunctional moments but we're all on the same team an want for the same things usually.

But the time has unfortunately come for some solid change and the need for firmer guidelines is evident.

Given the theft we've endured as a company and a community, followed by the cheaters, the nonsensical attacks attempting to disrupt service, the fake vendors made to intercept player transactions leaving honest players without food and one ongoing rumors and lies being propagated by a couple of ex players trying to contort their story to anyone who will listen to save face and damn the company and community the stole from and were caught red-handed.... well, this is where we are, and we're tightening up ship.

Banning is something we had never done before. The first time we utilized it was just last week when we caught a player illegally extracting our scripts from a HUD and into their own object which they then resold and redistributed. Even to that extent we did not ban them. We asked them to stop selling it. They replied by being combative, putting up their illegal item on the marketplace for free an promising they would relist it if it was removed just so players can harm us. Then, we finally banned them. It was our first time prohibiting anyone playing meeroos. It was a sad day.

On the heels of this of course the more recent exploits, which we could not react too publicly until we possessed two things. The first being the information we needed to know how the achieved their results so we could fix it. The second thing we required was irrefutable evidence, which many in our community helped us with by pointing us to these meeroos who had had 8 nests in as many days.

Yet somehow, a criminal always has supporters. The following attempted attack on the website revealed hammerings from a single IP address. His fellowship members were caught in person coming back on their main account to collect the mock vendor they left behind when we ejected them mid-effort. An examination of her profile revealed the tie to the banned members fellow. We were informed he was telling people he "did nothing wrong" and was banned for merely "speaking out against the lottery." He failed to tell them it was one of his own fellowship members who got him to confess... he wanted her to pay him 30k for "the secret" and when she refused citing that all information was to be shared within their fellowship she decided to tell on him. Which opened our investigation.

And yet we still endure verbal malignings fueled by resentment and the fact that their cash cow has died. Some who opt to believe his innocence have launched brutal attacks which have no merit whatsoever, just to breed mistrust, misinformation, to harass and ridicule and cause as much trouble for all of us as they can muster. They might have had a big fellowship, but I'm bigger.

When someone participates in this game, as a customer they are entitled to many things; a quality experience, thoughtful support, access to our forums to share their thoughts, concerns, suggestions and constructive criticisms. Criticism is vital to improvement when delivered responsibly.

They ARE NOT entitled to abuse us, to call us names, to challenge our integrity needlessly, to incite community panic for their own personal enjoyment, to claim claim we are fraudulent, liars, thieves and whatever else they can muster to cause drama. Malevay has been too tolerant, to a degree where it has impacted the morale og the team and the community and it ends here. A player wrote to me and called me every name in his vocabulary intended to degrade. When i asked why he felt i was obligated to listen to such reckless, horrible attacks, his answer shocked me. "Because I'm a paying customer."

I want to make this clear. Nothing - not you money, not the size of your fellowship, not your patronage entitles you to insult anyone on my staff or my company. Your frustration or dissatisfaction can be an should be expressed, but with the same integrity you expect from me. Stomping around screaming on these forums, launching into vicious tirades and lying about circumstances to influence other to support you is unacceptable. We're adults. I refuse to accept that because i run my business virtually that i must expect myself and my staff to submit to these relentless tactics one would see less of on a schoolyard playground. The ones who behave this way do so because the believe their internet anonymity exempts them from accountability. Therefore they can treat people any way they wish - and i guarantee you, the wouldn't dare treat a real life commercial vendor this way or they would be escorted from the premises altogether, if not arrested.

That i have to even acknowledge that this is an issue embarrasses me. That i have to remind you that i am a game developer and not your stockbroker, not your accountant and am in no way responsible for any fiscal benefit you do or do not derive from our product is outrageous. Play for fun, or not at all. There is not a single soul on earth whose money i would place my character, integrity, and honesty at the mercy of. Money comes and goes, we all have to live forever with the choices we make. I will not ever ask a member of my staff to do it either. I would rather have a product that few people play and enjoy, than one thousands play and make miserable for all of us...

That said, I'm loosening the grip on bans. That's not to suggest we're going on some power-crazed banning spree, but i will not allow anyone, under any circumstances attempt to poison this experience for the community. I understand passion. I understand frustration. I understand discontent and desire for change an i will always encourage free expression, but if anyone thinks they're going to come into this house again, because they are a paying customer and sling mud in our faces, assassinate our characters, libel our company with foul false statements unprovoked.. i will show you the door, unapologetically, and for the sake of the community i intend to honor until the end.