My 2 cents

 I have watched the player base to this game dwindle fast because people are feeling abused or placed into no win situations where they will be punished/ostracized for continuing to play. I do not participate in the ooc chat rooms because they are, in general, unhealthy unless used to contact players for events upcoming and for reminders to players of plots and stories in game.  I don't have an ooc network with players.  I have personal reasons for avoiding it most times.  This is just my thoughts on the recent events leading to players leaving the game.  I have heard from players as to why but it is not my place to say.  I will say this, however, to everyone that has quit or feels like they are being treated in a toxic way by anyone else in the game either ICly or OOCly.   

If you feel that you have been placed in a situation that makes you uncomfortable, or is affecting you oocly, then that is toxic.  It does not matter the situation.  The first step is to make it known that you are not comfortable with said situation, no matter what it is.  You have the power to walk away from it, but it can not be properly handled if you do not use your mouthpiece.  

If any player ever feels bullied, or threatened, or harassed in any way, please, send screenshots and logs to staff.  If you do not, then the situation can not be remedied, and the toxic behavior will continue on until it poisons an entire community of players and destroys a game.   Staff is there to try to correct these problems, but can not if nothing is brought to them.   

Next point, players feeling like they are being targeted by staff.   I have never been on staff and know nothing of the workings therein, but I have been subjected to staff abuse and it is very unhealthy, I never reported it because I did not want to be targeted or retaliated against as a player, and that was my own mistake.  That matter eventually worked itself out because toxic behavior will always come to light.  I could have saved others the troubles by simply speaking up.  Do so. PLEASE.   

Some helpful notions that I can offer as a 35 year player of rpgs.

First and foremost, remember that this is and always will be CONSENSUAL ROLEPLAYING.

I can not stress that enough.  It has to be planned and plotted on events involving other people.  If you want to do something you need to be sure that the players involved will be on board and establish where the boundaries need to be.  This will go miles and miles to making the gaming experience so much better. 

DO NOT BULLY any players in any way.  Keep your mind in the game and do not try to coerce players into things with insinuating comments about repercussions.  

NEVER AMBUSH OTHER PLAYERS - Do not assume that a player is going to be happy to jump into whatever story you are cooking up. Do not assume that a player will happily go along with it.  Ask oocly if that player is game for some drama/conflict/trouble  or even if it is for good fun.  Be sure the players are in the right place for it.  

OOC INFO SHARING is always going to be a problem, and unless you are using it to catch someone up on a situation because they ghosted briefly, it is probably best to avoid.  sharing too much backstory or info can lead to crossover and to eventually toxic issues that can lead to loss of players.

REMEMBER that this is a game, and as such, is to be played, not lived.  Don't waste your energy trying to figure out alts and who plays who and whether you like a player or not or if that player likes you or not.  Just play.  Be your character for the time you are playing.  Let your character breathe and live and become.  I have known many players that I would not associate with outside the game, but that is RL not the game.  We are different people with different natures.  Our characters are not us.  I play many characters because I enjoy the game and it needs people in it.  

We need stronger lines of communication between player and staff.  Stop assuming, stop guessing, just @assist, send proof of your situations.  If nothing is done then, you might have grounds to complain about the handling of things.  If you do not try to start with, you can not complain that nothing was done.  

Everyone settle down a bit. put the personal vendettas aside, and lets get back to happy gaming.  I know some people thrive on the toxicity, but it has to be dropped out.  The game needs players and we are losing all of them.   If there are no players to enjoy the game with, we may as well just move on someplace else.  This is not anyone's personal playground to control and manage.  This is a multi user platform where every player has the same rights as the next.  We are paying customers, most of us, and even the free accounters have the same right to enjoy a safe and enjoyable gaming world.