Would EQ be better off without GMs?
 

Serious question. Let's assume that there was no need for "god powers" to correct for technical errors in the game itself (such as lost corpses, handing out rezes after server hiccups, etc.) or trivial things such as surname changes.

In the absence of GMs, could the community govern itself in matters such as camp or raid mob disputes better than GMs typically do? Does the presence of GMs to fall back on for rulings actually prohibit players from coming up with solutions among themselves? Let's also assume that players have the capability, within reason, to see relevant objective game information regarding encounters (agro lists, etc) so this specifically applies to the role of GMs in making binding rulings on disputes.

It would be a grief fest. So many anonymous, heartless e-thugs would bully and train people off the server that the P99 population would reflect the Red population.

IMO.

The problems would winnow themselves down, because people would quickly lose interest in playing a GAME and leave the server or consolidate themselves into one unit. (See Red99)

There is absolutely nothing preventing people from coming together right this instant and building and enforcing a player made rule set within the confines of what the server admins have already established.

Additionally the only non-gm mechanisms you have to try to force someone to behave on a blue server are 1) shame/ostracization, 2) training, or 3) kill stealing. A red server provides the additional recourse of 4) player killing.

All of the above can be used by either side of a dispute to achieve their version of justice. Without an independent arbitrator (GM/guide), one person would eventually out grief the other enough to leave the area or the game entirely. With the VZ/TZ rejects brigade and the amount of forum trolls in general, a GM-less server would quickly burn down in flames save for the few sadists/masochists/exploiters/hackers that enjoy griefing each other rather than playing the PvE game.

The honest people that just want to enjoy the PvE aspect in peace would find other refuge.

On fennin ro the community handled the problems gm presence was non existant and it was a great time. We had 2-3 top guilds competing for loots till PoP at least too.

Yeah, it's unfortunate that Broject99 has always been about who you know instead of how you treated your fellow players. All you need around here are some phone numbers of the people who make the calls and you're golden.

Looks like a classic outcry in reaction to TMO's recent wrist slapping.

Worst poll ive ever seen.

Cazic Thule GM's never handled the competing guilds cause it showed favoritism if they did. They were vary helpful in the technical errors in game.

I have no horse in this race, I haven't raided on Blue for over six months. I'm speaking from my experiences from the beginning of my time here, long before TMO ever existed.

Yet here you are