Originally Posted by
Rathothis
No, that's precisely not what I was saying. If you read my post, I said that they didn't devote any resources to enforcing the RP ruleset, so your assumption that they could have banned cheaters or exploiters if only they had refrained from enforcing the RP ruleset is simply incorrect.
Banning people for violations of the naming convention does not require resource, since all it takes is for the GM to have a look at the name. That's exactly what FC did, and they didn't even do it methodically (but only upon complaint). I hope you agree that proving cheats / exploits is somewhat more difficult and resource-intensive.
And for the record, of course I agree that cheating and exploiting is worse than mere violations of a naming policy and that MMO firms should make every effort to prevent such conduct. But I also think that a company that chooses to offer a RP server should enforce that server's ruleset, in particular since it doesn't really require any significant resources to do so.
EDIT: This is also why your bubblegum / car comparison is wrong. Here's a better comparison: in most countries, the detection rate for petty drug crime is high, while the detection rate for burglary is low. Why? Not because carrying a few grams of THC is morally worse than breaking into house, but because it is so much easier to prove.