why would you think they are "role players"?

I made a thread about this some time back, when I finally got around to doing the thieves guild on my then newly made NB.

I had no idea at the time that griefing people trying to get their pick-pocketing done was a thing, and could not really understand why someone would want to waster their game time chasing someone else around just to interfere with what they were doing, but I have consistently experienced this any time I try to pickpocket in prime time or around more populated zones.

Not really sure that anything can be done about it frankly.

My own solution is to simply port someplace else and set about there. The downside is of course that if I am doing a daily, I cannot get it done until the people in question move on themselves from the zone I was in to begin with. Sometimes, it means I can't get them done at all, so I have to ditch it and then pick up another to do instead. Not that big of a deal but it is a nuisance I've learned to adjust to.

Maybe it would make sense to not do your deeds in the middle of town but behind closed doors? NOT that I am condoning anyone's harassing another player; no one has the right to do that. It’s a very weird thing having players supposed to be heroes saving people from everything from world-ending events to a few skeevers, but then you can join the murder cult (which is what the Dark Brotherhood really is as proper assassins would only take out their targets and not random people or I think they would not exist long in any society). It can create an odd feeling that as the player you really ought to do something about this true threat to all the citizens of Tamriel. Or they could just be griefers who would interrupt any activity they can.

All speculation etc. aside, it is against TOS to repeatedly throw mudballs, “tea-bag” or other actions at a player when told to stop.

Who is to say that YOU aren't the one who is griefing THEM?

A lot players enjoy certain NPCs and it is jarring to see them brutally murdered in broad daylight by roleplaying "assassins" day after day after day after day. It certainly breaks immersion to see NPCs standing over their own bodies and to have entire cities depopulated due to the depredations of certain selfish players.

Uh, I think those are just griefers, roleplayers don't do that kinda stuff.

Fazuszek wrote: »

I dont do such things, but i always have a laugh when i see some thieve chased down by a bunch of guards, after failed pickpocket XD

I always /applaud after it's over.

YandereGirlfriend wrote: »

Who is to say that YOU aren't the one who is griefing THEM?

A lot players enjoy certain NPCs and it is jarring to see them brutally murdered in broad daylight by roleplaying "assassins" day after day after day after day. It certainly breaks immersion to see NPCs standing over their own bodies and to have entire cities depopulated due to the depredations of certain selfish players.

The OP is playing the game as intended - as a reminder, the DB has dailies (which you HAVE to do to advance the story) that require players to kill NPCs.

Playing the game is NOT griefing. For one, how can the OP know if the person(s) around them will have their delicate sensibilities offended by someone just playing the game as intended.
The OP isn't the one following other players around getting "entire cities depopulated", they are playing the game as intended.

Growing up there was a saying we used a lot: "the ones who are bothered can leave". If you, or anyone else is bothered by other player(s) playing the game as intended, you have the choice to leave the area to avoid witnessing the "depredations of selfish players".
If instead you (general) decide the best choice of action is to grief the player who is just playing the game as intended, you (general) are the griefer.

[Edit to remove inappropriate content]

PullaStormy wrote: »

Uh, I think those are just griefers, roleplayers don't do that kinda stuff.

Agreed. Ask them to stop, and if they don't, report them and move on.

You're misusing the word roleplayer.

Roleplayers don't break character.

Think about this...this is a MMO. The players in the environment around you...are watching you kill indiscriminately. Even other NPCs react when witnessing a murder. If a player reacts to you murdering an NPC, that's kinda...what's the word...natural? Yeah...that'd be the word. There are so. Many. Zones. I refuse to believe you are limited to one little pig trail that you have to go on that you have to kill those NPCs. And interact with the public. There are plenty of NPCs in places less traveled if you truly feel this is that hindering to your experience.

I say this as a player with maxed out legerdemain and Blade of Woe, who farms motifs in Vvardenfell, and still manages to go on sprees.

I actually have more problems with other thieves and assassins than I do "roleplayers" (The behavior you are describing is not that of a roleplayer). I've had the odd person or two whisper me who decided to admonish me for potentially killing an NPC (Which is funny to me because I actually don't kill NPC's- I only pickpocket them), and I've had a few strange people run around me spamming block or doing other weird things in an attempt to distract me. But I've had way more problems with assassins who can't wait their turn. Typically, I'll sneak up on an NPC, and before I've even gotten the first pick in, some assassin jumps the NPC and kills it right in front of me without even picking it themselves.

The assassin will then proceed to rapidly BoW everything in my path before I get a chance to pickpocket it even once, usually without picking it themselves- weird because I thought you got more doing pick-pick-stab than just outright killing (That, or they jump in front of me, pick themselves quickly to either aggro the NPC or prevent me from picking, then kill it so that I never get the chance) Presumably this is to prevent me from killing it before they get to, which is funny because I don't BoW NPC's at all, and they'd get their chance with that NPC when I move on. (I know that the fact that I don't kill them has no effect on whether or not someone else gets loot as the loot is separate.)

I find it really weird they specifically choose whatever one I'm doing when there's at least 40 others in the area they could BoW.

I don't really care if they kill things before I get there, but it is a bit annoying when you're already behind an NPC and someone leaps in front of you. And really, if it was just once, I wouldn't care- but I'll find myself being actively followed by an assassin who will purposely jump in front of me each time I choose an NPC and they'll outright kill it just so I cant pickpocket at all. They could choose another mark, and don't.

I don't bother to report it, and this is the first time I've ever said anything about it, because I've just come to accept that this is what people will do, there's no changing it, and its better if I simply move to another area until the person following me is gone. But my point is...its not just randoms who bug you when pickpocketing- sometimes it's thieves and assassins bothering other thieves and assassins due to competition being high.

I've also seen assassins BOW things in front of other assassins and arguments break out between them due to the assassins following each other around and stealing each others marks. They'll also mudball eachother, or used ranged attacks to pull mobs away from the other assassin to annoy them. More often than not I've seen griefing from other people who want the marks all to themselves rather than people playing "hero".

In spite of all this, I think instances of being targeted and followed for an extensive period if time should be handled on a case by case basis, but I personally do not want to see some kind of mandate put out forbidding any interaction at all with someone pickpocketing (this could be abused far too easily). It seems to me that such rules are not the least bit black and white since, in my experience, it is frequently assassins and thieves harassing other assassins and thieves. You'd really need to protect them from eachother.

ETA: I also find the idea that people shouldn't be allowed to play the hero a little....odd, since, as others have said above me, it is only natural to try to stop someone from killing something they perceive as innocent, even in a game. This isn't to say that they should be allowed to harass you or send you abusive whispers, they definitely should NOT be allowed to do that. But I'm pretty unbothered by the rare "roleplay" type whisper I've received and my thieves will respond in kind which can lead to some pretty interaction between myself and the other player, especially when they learn I'm not an assassin. I'm okay with someone- especially a newbie, trying to "save" an NPC. Sometimes I'll even humor them and run away, especially if they are low leveled. Or I'll stand and stare at them meaningfully until they leave XD

ETA (Again): And now that I think of it, since assassins are essentially criminals...is it not also sort of natural from an RP perspective for competition to occur? Hmm. Again, not that I condone outright harassment or grieving- but now that I think of it, it can be seen from a different perspective if it isn't severe. Might try looking at it from an rp point of view next time I'm out and about thieving to see if I get less annoyed.

Fazuszek wrote: »

I dont do such things, but i always have a laugh when i see some thieve chased down by a bunch of guards, after failed pickpocket XD

Yes this is pretty common in Rawl.
And thanks for the mudball tips.

Honorable mention to that Orc DK who dropped an standard on this one while stealing in Orcinium all that years ago. Zaria almost wet her underwear who can not be replaced.

Galaen_Frost wrote: »

Can't say I've had too much issue with this and I usually do the pickpocket dailies from the TG. Haven't messed with the DB stuff because I'm a thief. Also, the guards are easy to get away from once you figure out how to break their immobilize.

Same. I don't really like the DB so my NB is just a simple thief. I have seen what others here mention, people killing off NPCs that I might have wanted to pick-pocket but I just move on someplace else and problem is solved. I guess we non murdering thieves have more options...

Katlefiya wrote: »

Well, be thankful that ZOS didn't implement the enforcer aspect of the justice system as originally planned. It would have forced you into PvP everywhere.

Honestly I would love to still see this. Maybe not for every small infraction, but if your heat was high enough and your bounty over 1000, other players could target you with the player that downs you getting your bounty as a reward.


As a thief I don't mind other thieves/assassin's getting in my way. I've had safe boxes stolen from underneath my nose and ive done the same to others. I think the sense of competition that emerges when you're try to loot a city faster is half the fun of playing a thief. (A pvp in a "non-combat" sense). Besides, is another player really going to accuse you of stealing a safe box that you were going to steal to begin with when you are both playing a thief? Recently noticed another Khajit NB looting my normal spot the same time as me every day and we've made a fun competition out of it, trying to get ahead of the other's route around the city.


Intentional griefing though? Never had that.

Soulshine wrote: »

I had no idea at the time that griefing people trying to get their pick-pocketing done was a thing, and could not really understand why someone would want to waster their game time chasing someone else around just to interfere with what they were doing, but I have consistently experienced this any time I try to pickpocket in prime time or around more populated zones.

Alas, one should never underestimate the capacity of one's fellow humans to take pleasure in making others suffer.

Sheezabeast wrote: »

There are so. Many. Zones. I refuse to believe you are limited to one little pig trail that you have to go on that you have to kill those NPCs.

That's true if the player is not pickpocketing for a Thieves Guild dailies. But the Thieves Guild dailies require you to steal in specific zones, so the "so. Many. Zones" argument doesn't work for those. It's true that you can try a less-traveled section of the zone, but that might not work for dailies that require looting a lockbox, since there might not be any lockboxes to be found out in the boonies-- and any location that does have lockboxes around might be more likely to have other players around.