Ban Appeal

Ban Appeal, William.

IGN: WH4T8/Willlabs4348

TIME BANNED FOR: Perm

DATE BANNED: July 2022 or October 2023

To start off, I am fully aware of the reason I was banned after my last appeal and greatly hope to rectify my dishonesty with events revolving around the ban appeal in itself. Using alt accounts to circumvent a ban is in no way a show of change and I hope to better explain myself of my actions. All of the following text describes my past actions with extensive detail and a clear look of my perspective and change in spirit. I know my actions are unforgivable in many cases and trust in me has dwindled down to near nothing. I hope this appeal can change some of that.

_______________________________________

Section #1 - The Coup

Section #2 - Deception

Section #3 - Why I Wish To Come Back

Section #4 - Closing

_______________________________________

NOTE: Some of the following text has been copied over from previous appeals for sake of showing consistency. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Section #1 - THE COUP

______________________________________________________________________________________________

I began playing on the server again after a long term ban in early 2022. During the time I played on the server was possibly the most fun I’ve had on this game to this day. I met many new players and made friends with several individuals many of you may know. These players include Evantial, ashjer, and midrellos(now medakh). Although, I wasn’t aware of where this friendship would lead me. After all, I had just come back and made allies on a PvP server. Running around, hunting other players, building, mining, you name it. This group was the best of the best and each of them equally skilled in PvP! So, I stuck with them… all the way until my own fall.

Come June of 2022, I was gone on vacation and came back to some interesting news given to me by midrellos. Evan and ash were banned for duping gear using a complicated, yet effective code using wandering traders. The same code used at spawn to allow custom gem trades. They were able to gain access to this code because, of all people, ash was the son of the original server owner allowing ashjer access to the console and /op. I played all of this off though. I felt sad knowing my group was just down to midrellos and I, but what could I do? I had no idea they were doing that and wanted no part in it. However, I was later approached by ashjer with a very tempting offer in late June/early July. He was gathering info that would allow him to convince his dad to change the staff of the server, and he wanted me to run it. None the wiser, I hastily accepted this offer.

After I accepted the manager/head admin role on rewritten, Foxtra had approached me regarding some builds lost due to the server files being out of date. This led into a conversation where I expressed, “I don't agree with everything that ashjer did while taking over to be completely honest. While I believe it was necessary, I wanted the current staff to remain the same. I also believe it would have been better for all if there was a warning given to all of you beforehand.” (Discord, 8/2/22) — At the time, I believed all of this to be true. However, when I look back now on our conversations, I can see how wrong I truly was, for I was clearly being used by ashjer.

Further discussion led to my reasoning for siding with ashjer, “ashjer came to me and asked if I wanted to co own the server with shadmir originally. I had the skills and knowledge necessary with running servers and interact with the community a lot. So he saw me fit for the position. When the server first shut down, I thought it was just something going on on Phoenix's half with the console, maybe a new plugin, or a reset. But then ashjer came to me again and said that shadmir backed out with him going to university sooner than expected, and asked if I would want to run the server by myself. I agreed and things began moving forward. I had known for a while that ashjer was trying to replace Phoenix as owner, but he didn't have many grounds to do so just yet. Until recently, AJ (the server's host) decided it was time for change.” (Discord, 8/2/22) — After this, Foxtra replies to me saying that it seemed as though I had been dragged into this just as much as everyone else. I held a good position within the community at the time, but my actions led TOR to view me as a “traitor”. I wanted so much to believe that I made the right choice, that I passed on many opportunities given to me by Mido and Foxtra. They could see what I clearly couldn’t, and as a result, I remained banned.

After having this conversation with Foxtra, I asked if Mido would be willing to talk with me. I did this as an attempt to clear my name and rewritten. Mido agreed and we began to talk. He expressed that he was willing to talk to me “Not as a representative of Rewritten.” But as a person. I then began to discuss rewritten anyway. Mido expressed this was not what he wished to talk about, but went with it non the less. I expressed my opinions on Phoenix with him, saying,  “I have always felt that Phoenix didn’t manage the server too well. Some of his past staff always abused their positions and would get away with just about anything.” I then proceeded to show my views on the takeover, telling him about how ashjer had approached me with the offer of running TOR. I expressed that I couldn’t resist this offer, and exclaimed that I thought anyone given the same offer would accept it. I now realize this to be untrue for there was someone who did decline. Shadmir. - (The previous three paragraphs were used from last appeal)

I know back then, I was just trying to clear my new found server’s reputation. But now, nearly two whole years later, I fully see I was just trying to cover my own skin. I instantly regretted what had happened with the takeover and dragged my friend into a hole with me. Deception from ashjer left be blind to what was truly happening so I stuck with my story.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Section #2 - DECEPTION

______________________________________________________________________________________________

While much of my story revolves around ashjer’s manipulation, I have had some dishonest actions myself. See, come august of 2023, I began to really miss this community and didn’t see any chance of coming back. So what do I do instead of making an appeal like everyone else? I get an alt, slap a VPN on there, and ship it right onto the server. Even though I wasn’t ever found out at this time with the account, I still felt a sick feeling inside. This wasn’t me, this was but a deception and way to avoid confrontation. Not confrontation from others, but rather confronting myself, of what I had done. I didn’t want to dig inside and explain my own actions. But later, I got over this, reached out to midrellos, and we began to make appeals.

However, I never told him that I had been joining the server with an alt. I still felt guilty about it. Sure I could have never appealed and kept playing on the server with the alt. But the thought of doing so just ripped me apart inside. So I didn't, but this caused me to never mention it in my appeals. Even while on a call with Mido, he asked if there was anything else I’d like to get off my chest, but I stayed quiet about it. I was afraid of it, to the point I started hinting that I had it. Maybe this was because of that little voice inside my head telling me to come clean about it. But before I could make that decision on my own terms, I was confronted by Mido on it. Causing me to be swiftly banned once again. I hadn’t shown I could change. Even after everything, I could be honest about one last thing, and chose to keep it a secret instead. Maybe I thought, "What the heck? I’m already unbanned. Why would I have any reason to log on the server with this account again besides grabbing some gear off it that I gathered while using it?” Ultimately, I wasn’t honest, and my dishosty costed me once again.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Section #3 - WHY I WANT TO COME BACK

______________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: This section is a copy from an old appeal.

I first started playing this mod back in 2016. At the time I was just playing in single player worlds learning the mod. Until I started watching Tuco Regel on YouTube. They began to play on the One Ring Server and I became instantly hooked. The community was thriving and PvP was extremely active. So I joined the server and had some of the greatest fun I have ever had playing any video game. Until I was banned the first time for X-Ray. This event caused me to open my first LotR server "Doom of Mandos" and I ran it for around 2 years consistently. Now this server had many aspects that were similar to that of TOR. I couldn't ever get over the experiences I had on TOR that I tried to replicate it somewhere else. This never worked out. For TOR was more than just a PvP server. It was made up of a community that all shared the same love for this mod. Which was something I never found within the servers I tried to create.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Section #4 - CLOSING

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Once again, I want to say that I know I’ve done so many unforgivable acts. Even instantly breaking trust once allowed back by keeping my alt a secret. But I hope I can prove to you I’ve changed. I truly, truly do. If I’m not allowed to come back, then I want to say, it’s been a true pleasure getting to know all of you. I hope our paths may meet again someday in the future somewhere else if not on the server. That being said, I wish all of you the very best.

Thank you all.

~William