AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic - Motion of no confidence

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The Great Equalizer

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 3:29 AM

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

Now, I personally will admit that is perhaps an odd thing to ask for, however recently and to a growing degree I have seen issues spanning the DM team in general, now normally a complaint I would have about the conduct or suitability of a singular DM I would take to another DM however I must say that it has gotten to the point where frankly my confidence in the DM team as a whole has fallen into question, so here we are.

Now I will clarify that I obviously do not believe that every DM is unfit or even a majority of them necessarily, however there seems to be a general atmosphere and way of doing things on the DM team of late that I personally think falls into question. Now, I am not angry nor do I have a bone to pick, however I AM quite serious and I am rather concerned.

I have seen too many issues of DMs seemingly ignoring concerns and suggestions, as well as being rather uninviting of criticism and lacking a willingness to change their own views.

So simply put, I would like to put out both as a formal complaint and an informal question: Are you and have you been both a suitable DM and are you acting as is (to put in frankly) demanded of you due to having the position that you currently do?

Aiseth

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 3:42 AM

Player

Joined: 21 Dec 2011

I'd like to turn the bottle sideways, sorry to interject, this is not to interfere or interrupt your thread even, as you asked the DMs a question, but as a fellow player asking other players and the author of this thread, I want to ask the first thing that popped into my mind to save this thread some sudden inflammatory responses: what do you expect from a good DM?/What makes a good DM?/What do you (players) look for in a DM?

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MuseReader: Aiseth Nosdivan- Master Enchantress

Last edited by Aiseth on Thu, Mar 06 2014, 3:51 AM, edited 1 time in total.

Silent2001

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 3:48 AM

Player

Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Location: United Kingdomshire

I do this because I enjoy doing it, if I didn't I wouldn't do it. There's no demands, and if demands became a part of the job I wouldn't do it. If people have a problem with how I conduct myself, or how other members of the team conduct themselves they should take it up with the individual DM or, if they aren't on good terms with said DM, they should take it up with one of the many DMs that take the time to respond to player concerns regarding other members of the team.

My PM box is always open.

That's pretty much all I'm going to say in this thread because nothing good will come of this.

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<3 Maryn
We are going to die and that makes us the lucky ones.

The Great Equalizer

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 3:52 AM

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

No need to apologize Aiseth, I like discussion. Now apart from the more general things such as having a good lore knowledge, being able to tell a good story, thinking on the fly and all the more RP related things I personally what I look for in a good DM is openness, both in how they deal with things and as to their own thoughts and opinions but also a willingness to communicate well, to listen to the concerns of players and not simply write them off or ignore them but to properly consider them and try to address them with an open mind. Now beyond that I also want a DM to be trustworthy and to know that they at least try to the best of their abilities to be fair and balanced in their dealings with players.

Thats all I can think of for now, but I will update this hopefully if anything else comes to me.

The Great Equalizer

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 3:59 AM

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

Silent while I can certainly respect doing something because you enjoy it, as I am sure most players can for doing the same thing, however I do take issue with saying their is no demands of you as a DM (specifically on an online game and amia) now if you were DMing a game for a few friends then that is one thing and I would completely agree since I would assume that basically it would go something like you saying you wanted to run a game and how you wanted to run it and them joining because they were ok with that, your game, your call.

However if you are a DM on Amia it is far more than that, because it isn't just YOUR game and you are not just a DM (or the only DM) you are a moderator among other things and in becoming a DM you are (or should be) acknowledging that you are doing it for other people, sure you can enjoy it but their are requirements of you, there are certain expectations that you have to meet because this isn't a game that you run that people decided to join, this is a game that we all play that you decided to help run.

And normally I would do just like you say, however it is not a DM issue but rather an issue with the DM team as a whole.

Last edited by The Great Equalizer on Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:00 AM, edited 1 time in total.

Mercedes

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:00 AM

Player

Joined: 14 Dec 2011

I think if we want to be true to actual Dungeon Mastering, they should be intelligent, merciless, and always looking for a way to destroy your adventuring party in a clever way. I doubt that would fly so well, so it's just safe to assume that everyone on the server would have a differing opinion on what makes a DM "good" and that this is really a volatile topic to start in such a way. It's opening an argument and not a discussion.

I'm all for the 'What makes a good DM' question, but not when it's loaded in such a way that this one is.

The Great Equalizer

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:05 AM

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

Mercedes now while that is a way to DM I would argue that the best DMing is not a matter of players vs DM but rather players and the DM working together to tell a story even if they fighting each other in game.

But I don't want an argument, that was never the point of the topic, although to be fair neither really was discussion (although I do encourage it) the point was to voice concerns about the DM team and the current state of it.

Edit: And Suhjet that certainly is something that is valid to want, although personally even in feeling dread it should be in a good way as a sort of "Oh god what is comming now?! This is awesome and terrifying" rather than "Oh god what is comming now?! Why do I put up with this shit."

Last edited by The Great Equalizer on Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:10 AM, edited 3 times in total.

Suhjet

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:06 AM

Player

Joined: 05 Sep 2012

When you notice DMs are online, you should feel either excitement or great dread.

This, however, may be my idealism speaking.

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Melsa

There are horrors beyond life's edge that we do not suspect,
and once in a while, man's evil prying calls them just within our range.

Silent2001

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:10 AM

Player

Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Location: United Kingdomshire

You're taking my words and drawing the wrong conclusions. I never said that this was my game, I said that I do this because I enjoy it not because there's people demanding that I do. I also think this thread is a veiled slap to myself and my colleagues, I've been DMing on this server for about 3 or so years and this is, by far, the best team I've worked with on this server and previous servers I've DM'd on. This motion of no confidence is ridiculous, if you have issues list them so they can be addressed instead of being deliberately ambiguous.

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<3 Maryn
We are going to die and that makes us the lucky ones.

Grymia

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:11 AM

Player

Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Location: Kohlingen, and a Basement in Canada

Mercedes wrote:

Mercedes, I'm going to have to humbly and WHOLEHARTEDLY disagree.

A DM , in this environ especially, but in any game is meant to while being inteillgent and firm , they are looking to bring fun to the players, whether be by challenging them, creating an interesting and compelling story, or simply by supporting the existing roleplay .

A merciless DM looking solely to destroy parties isn't the way to go. Yes they should look to CHALLENGE, not outright simply bloody well destroy.

Mercedes

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:18 AM

Player

Joined: 14 Dec 2011

You disagree, but I say bring on the ogres! I have an ogre slaying knife. Shame I'm not there.

See what I mean? Everyone has a different idea, and mine was said in jest to illustrate the point. You're arguing your subjective idea vs my fake one, because no one would ever decide what makes a DM good in any meaningful way, with how many players and DMs we have.

This really is a veiled insult in the guise of discussion. An argument starter, at best, and one I've seen before.

The Great Equalizer

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:19 AM

Player

Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada

Ahhh I took your reference to demands as a response to my own comment of their being certain things demanded of DMs and responded with that in mind, if it wasn't the case then I apologize. And honestly I do not mean it to be a slap in the face, however It also is not a vote of confidence. As for concerns while there are many it is not individual cases that bother me, rather a pervasive attitude and method of acting that have been going on for a while now that I am concerned about.

It isn't a indictment of you or an individual DM Silent, but rather a bigger issue that encompass all of you and more.

Silent2001

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:24 AM

Player

Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Location: United Kingdomshire

The Great Equalizer wrote:

however It also is not a vote of confidence.

You're still being ambiguous, you should also check the title of the topic, and your original post. Nothing will be resolved from this thread. At all. All you're going to do is burn out more DMs and put more stress on the ones that remain to deal with the ever growing fuck load of work we do in regards to player relations, plots and requests. Which, maybe why you've seen some of us be a bit more stressed lately.

So I'll ask you to PM me specific concerns, along with any other player so they can be addressed and resolved in a way that doesn't cause an epic headache for anyone that has to read through the shit throwing fest this thread will create.

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<3 Maryn
We are going to die and that makes us the lucky ones.

Naivatkal

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:25 AM

Player

Joined: 26 May 2010

Yet another thread that makes me go:

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Khasir :: From the East a storm is coming

Aiseth

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:26 AM

Player

Joined: 21 Dec 2011

For the sake of my own post, I speak only in a means to accumulate answer from which we can bear some wisdom possibly, not to turn screws or heat up an already hot fire, so to speak, please make no mistake that I did no say I agree with Equalizer's initial post, I am just interested to hear what other people think makes a good DM. Good by my definition, meaning, of ideal quality and characteristics, but my arena is strictly observant in this case.

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MuseReader: Aiseth Nosdivan- Master Enchantress

Ego680

Posted: Thu, Mar 06 2014, 4:26 AM

Player

Joined: 12 Jul 2008
Location: Flying Battery Zone

Sorry, just can't do this anymore today. Locked because there is no way in the world this will do anything but damage. If you have specific concerns with the team or members there of, please please please, submit them to us in a PM, we won't bite, and you'll stand a much better chance of getting some resolution.

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