As the OP of the original topic this is related to, I think this is personally the most constructive feedback from a player I have read honestly. I thank you for making this post and honestly making some of the suggestions you have, I am gonna answer a few of these directly.
1. Are you the Antagonist - Honestly, no. Markus was never actually meant as an antagonist. He actually started as a LG Paladin and having been away for 3 RL years, I forgot a lot of what happened to him and the fact he had a mass OCR issue. Causing him to kill Radu as there was no way to escape him at the time. Literally this happened within 20 minutes of my return to the server. I know many judge me as an antagonist, but really, Markus just has piss poor luck.
2. I wouldn't honestly call Markus a protagonist either, more someone caught in the middle with really really bad luck. Though honestly these points do give a very good ideal of the expectations of both areas.
3. Constructive Criticism: This post, I find you hit the nail on the head, sorry, I find most crap like that to be a form of bullying when it comes to "If you don't like it, don't be evil" Its very discouraging to play a character when they have OOCly defined you as a person that shouldn't be playing a concept because you don't like something. Its also very discouraging to be in a community where having a difference of opinion, merits them to have the right to attack you and knock you down. If things were perfect, suggestions wouldn't be asked for by the DMs and Admins, and the complaints that people say keep coming up, wouldn't keep coming up. Just cause something worked for ten years, doesn't mean it continues working forever, change is a good thing.
4. Enforcing Punishments: I found the players of the Garda to be really great people that I did speak to consistently in PMs, I found they were very understanding of my frustrations and even though they were more limited then they liked (which perhaps is something that needs looking at) they tried hard to make things work for all of us.
5. Jail Time: This is something I stand behind in regards to the OOC insanity, DMs during my play time have rarely seemed online, so could not and have not caught them so far for anything ( nothing against DMs as I know they have their own life to deal with ), Discord buddies I don't really have since I am newly back after 3 years, Journal entries, well you dont have your journal so thats sort of meta ICly in my opinion ( perhaps the Garda could permit the Journal tossed in the cell?) Escape really isn't an option at this point in time from everything I have seen without direct DM presence. The shackles IMO are extremely OP'd for prisoners, reducing everything that could be considered useful to such to a point where its practically meaningless. You are stuck in these shackles from the time your arrested, till your release, meaning there is never a time when you have any chance to develop an escape plot. (Again, perhaps something to consider for change?)
5b. - I would love these to be implemented, as well as shackles are automatically removed when your locked in a cell. Wanna try to bareknuckle fight your way out of the jail when the Garda comes to get you? Oh wait, you can't because the shackles make you weaker then a six week old kitten. Loss of RP potential there IMO.
6. New Character Smell: Again, a nice set of suggestions here, thankfully Markus is not yet gone, but its things to consider.
7. Yes, again please, community is supposed to support and encourage one another to become a better player, not knock them down the moment you feel challenged or butt hurt over a comment or a post. (This includes me). We don't know whats going on behind a computer screen, why a player struggles, why they are having a hard time. Rather then post something snarky ( well maybe no one wants to raise your character, ever think of that) Yeah...that line was used on me...not really creative and honestly, just makes me OOCly not want to know the player as clearly they consider themselves better then everyone else here (Yes, this is really the opinion I got of the player that made that post, its not a nice one to get for a player, but well, being newly back, thats exactly what you the player made me think and feel). Instead, reach out to the player, ask if they are on Discord and want someone to talk to or vent to, find out why they are struggling and learn about the player, this doesn't have to be done just by CC either, the average player or even DMs can do this to try and help. Hurting other players does not make a community.
Thank you again for the constructive criticism. You hit a lot of points on the head here and I think it will help a lot of people/players understand things. Even me at this point.