Harrassment during RP

I'd like to know if there's any stance held by the game GMs on harrassment during RP in game.

I'd finished playing as my corruptor (missions etc) and alted to my controller whom I RP with. I went to the ski chalet in Pocket D because, at least on Union, it's a popular place to hang out and chat in character.

One user decided it would be fun to constantly do the throwing snow emote and occasionally spam some powers which was, at the time, a minor distraction but a distraction nonetheless.

I politely asked them to stop as it was distracting me.

I got a response that said, in cruder terms than I'll put here, no.

So I sent a petition (marked under Harrassment) detailing the conversation we'd had (Cut and Paste in the chat window was very useful).

Then I global ignored the user.

Then they alted to a Stone Armour Tank and proceeded to teleport into my vicinity, effectively pushing me out of the ski chalet. The user also did this to a number of other groups of users who were chatting in character.

The user continued to do this so I unignored them (to check the global, hence why I know it's the same user). I asked them politely again to stop but this time got the response 'No, I am RPing'. This led to a silly conversation and repeated teleports to disrupt me and other people.

In that time I sent three separate petitions, detailing the continued aggravation this user was causing me. I reealised after the silly conversation we'd had that the user had effectively 'won' by rankling me. So I logged and decided to channel some of my frustration into this post, which I hope doesn't sound whiny.

I do generally want to know if there is a position on this kind of behaviour in game and if these situations ever lead to a GM intervening and talking to the 'offender'.

I know that it's not policy to inform the petitioner of the outcome and I'm not asking for that.

Also, could this go in a better place on the forum? I just wasn't sure if there was a harrassment/GM questions section.

EDIT: Oh and for those that were there, please remember there is no naming and shaming, however tempting. Nor implications of name and such. I'm not intending to persecute the person who I felt disrupted my enjoyment of the game.

lolRP

Your best ignoring these people as much as possible, as I know it's annoying. People seem to find something alien about roleplayers which they think is exploitable in the form of harassment because of "lulz rp".

Does it help or hinder if multiple people petition? On the one hand, it would be nice for everyone to vent constructively (ya know, otherwise you're helpless to stop the fun-ruiner) and the GMs would get a better sense of the scale of the perp's annoyingness, but... One petition is all that is required I suppose, and much easier for the GMs to work with.

What's the stance here?

You want to lol at RP? Fine. Do it quietly, and go about your business. Unless the RPers are blocking access to NPCs, they have as much a right to be there as you do, and far more reason to stay there than you do.

To the OP: yes, I'd consider that harassment, unfortunately I'm not a GM. If I were, I'd be routinely deleting the accounts of people who enjoy being jerks just because they can.

I doubt the GM's would care. If someone is being a pest then either ignore them or leave. Don't get butthurt and stand your ground to "defend your honour." That will just end in tears.

I used to roleplay in COH a lot back in the day. Whenever i got griefed I'd play along until they got bored. Or I'd leave the area they were in and go do something else. It's not really that big a deal. I didn't feel like someone was "dictating the way I played the game." They were simply being a pest. And I didn't want to be around pests.

If you don't want conflict; Avoid it.

I'll be brutally honest here.

The GMs, if they're anything like the WoW RP server GMs, wont give a monkey's uncle about it and will infact just plain ignore the petition. Despite the WoW RP servers having additional rules (don't name your character something stupid, don't hastle people RPing etc.) the GMs enforce them about as often as goats produce flying meat pies from their horns...

lolrp