I have been playing Marosia for more than a year. While it's had its ups and downs, I have not gotten entirely upset to the point I've quit. Sure, I have left the discord sometimes, but never really go out of my way to hate on the staff or players. I have culled characters because of my own feelings and I myself have been 'toxic' once and very prevalent on adding my own ooc feelings to my in-game ones, but since then, I have reflected with myself to be better, and to care less about the game and the people in it.
While I do believe the community can be toxic, take into account the people who are leaving '1' star reviews, I believe that these people are the reason the community is toxic. (Nevermind about this LOL, they're RIGHT)
Being in private servers, spreading rumors, and creating tension within the community rather than communicating their feelings in a respectful manner. They shun many players while keeping up fake facades in the public eye and go out of their way to take their out-of-character hatred into the game, outting people's characters to their friends so they can go on a pitchfork spree. It's mob mentality and that is present in so many games, fandoms, and communities. The only reason it's so prevalent in Marosia is due to the much smaller player base.
The staff team is very fair, and while red texts are surely scary. They do speak to people kindly as moderators, they don't slander you in-game ( Though when conversations get heated in the discord community, that is something else entirely but it isn't just ONE-sided ) and they're VERY lenient with certain rule breaks sometimes. And they always take both sides into account. They also opt to communicate through private chatting than formal reports if that is your niche to settle miscommunications, which is very helpful.
While I do agree there is some favoritism, I feel that once things get too 'good' in a certain someone's favor, other people have time to shine and get granted things they've wanted. I've seen the 'underdogs' get amazing stories from behind the scenes as well as in the game. But alas, these never get accounted for as most people's eyes are on the 'popular' characters. People just want to find a reason to hate and seethe.
Many of the community already are respectful to each other, sometimes things get tense, yes, but mainly the people who rise and go into staff such as Lonnie and Tali, I believe are one of the best showcasing of neutral players who are only looking out for the goodwill of people. Moderating things is never easy, and you can never appease everyone. Now onto the actual review!
Marosia is a wonderful roleplaying game with persistent time and seasons with diverse weather, an interactive map, and wonderful player-created settlements that most of the time, inhibit diverse cultures that might be based on real-life ones, or be entirely creative on their own. As well as items such as clothings, weapons, armor and etc. If you love to create then you should definitely check this game out. If you love creating stories, then you should also join!
Characters you come across are wonderfully created, backed up with experiences they go through in-game and while yes, the recent changes in races have limited some design creativities, I haven't seen any design that I haven't liked, if I'm honest. I'm quite happy that there is more racial roleplay flair now but I can understand other players being upset. I'm sure that staff can find some sort of middle ground with the player base if they all communicate together rather than the players constantly shitting down the staff's throats at times when they don't even get paid.
As for gods, I feel bad for the staff that prays to them because from how I hear how the system works. It sounds horrendously tiring. Roleplaying and reading through what is essentially in-game and in-character reports via log books and having to make a response to each and every one of those people if they should want to. I understand that waiting around is tiring, one of my characters has prayed since they were little and barely got anything from it and they're almost a senior now.
All in all, I think Marosia is definitely a good game for where it stands, and under Saph's developments with some new features and more leniency getting added usually after every four weeks (during which a week lockdown takes place for all the players/staff to take a break occur ), it is definitely fun despite it all!
UPDATE EDIT: Fuck this game, it's no longer belonging to Saph, it shows and sucks. Mostly, screw it's staff. They're all trolls and don't give an ounce about your feelings vas you'll hear a lot in the reviews. They will reject your ideas and steal them, they will harass you OOC for the littlest things and are the biggest BIGGEST hypocrites. Not to mention they exploit their OWN bugs. The only good staff members are Tali and Kurokaze. An admin and mod. While most if not all the lorelings are also amazing people. Why? Because they're barely in power. These are people that will actually sympathize with you and care about you, otherwise, no one else will.