Avoid Umbra RP
I really wanted to enjoy this server, but after my experience, I can't recommend it. This was my first disciplinary action on the server. I wasn't arguing that the rule didn't exist. Once it was explained, I accepted it. My point was simply that a warning or being asked to edit the post would've solved the issue in seconds. Instead, I received a suspension and what felt like hostility from multiple staff members for trying to discuss it respectfully.
I spent three real-life days dealing with a legal RP situation, and every interaction I had with the lawyer involved was frustrating. I was talked over, argued with, and instead of helping, I was treated with sarcasm and disrespect. The final interaction ended with him telling me, "Maybe next time don't lie when you're in a cell," before hanging up on me. I reached out to staff first and was told it was an IC issue that needed to be handled in character, so I did exactly that by making a LifeInvader post. The only mistake I made was including the term "OOC," which I didn't know wasn't allowed on LifeInvader. Instead of simply telling me to edit or remove three letters, I was given a 24-hour suspension. Had anyone asked, I would've deleted or edited the post immediately but sure. The suspension itself wasn't even the most disappointing part. It was how the staff handled the appeal. After asking if another moderator could review the situation because it felt like I was talking to that lawyer, I was greeted with, "I'll be the unbiased one, even though there's nothing to be biased about in the first place." From there, another staff member, aarononair, responded by calling me "a special kind of stupid." Everyone will have their own experience, but after spending three real-life days dealing with this from start to finish, I left feeling like players are talked down to instead of helped. I had six friends leave the server after seeing how this was handled, and I'm telling people to stay far away because I don't want anyone else to go through what I did. One last thing: Staff became fixated on the fact that my messages were "AI." I wrote every response myself. I only used Grammarly (and similar writing tools) to fix grammar, punctuation, and make my thoughts flow better because I was so upset and wanted to communicate respectfully instead of typing out of anger. Despite explaining that, they continued to dismiss my responses as AI-generated and even ended the conversation by mocking the idea that I was using AI. That felt unnecessary and took the focus away from the actual issue I was trying to discuss.