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Nekhy
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 20:59 PM 

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I'm not in the state of mind to make a long and nice note about this, so let's keep it simple and short:

We've had the freebie rebuilds available for a bit over 3 months now. I am sure people are very happy with the system, but the staff isn't happy with the mentality some players have about the freebie rebuilds.

The freebies are an extra nicety that DMs do when they have time from more important DMy things. They're of secondary importance. RP as NPCs, running quests and bringing the world alive are the primary tasks of a DM that come first always. This isn't a matter of human resources available for the job, but a matter of principle.

It's not very nice to get nasty comments about being "too busy questing" from a player who wants a freebie rebuild. There's been quite a lot of those lately. Yes, sometimes getting your rebuild might take a bit of time, but please keep in mind it's really not a priority job of the DMs.

If the commentary doesn't stop, we'll have little choice but to reconsider if the free rebuild service is taking the server in a desired direction or not. It's up to you guys. We're happy to continue giving freebie rebuilds, but not if the current trend of "DMs being too busy bringing the world alive" comments continues.

Thanks.


 
      
jafman30
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:13 PM 

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I wanna stomp some people for saying that! Nobody has a DM assigned to them who is there for everything they do and will give them whatever they want on a whim.

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Jyro X
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:13 PM 

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I think the idea is spreading that players think it's something "owed" to them. That's not the case. And I wasn't aware such attitudes were being displayed about it. That makes me sad to hear Nekhy.

I've always felt things like rebuilds came secondary to anything RP-related and other DM duties.

To the players: Please don't cause them to revoke this nice privilege they've bestowed upon us. It's not something you're owed. It's not a paycheck for hours worked. Don't treat it as such and don't always expect your rebuild request to be approved either. And especially don't get mad if a DM doesn't jump up to do it for you the moment it's approved, if it is.

Sorry to rant. Just makes me angry to hear that people are acting like that. Sorry if I was one of them. I didn't think I was.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:14 PM 

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Speaking as the guy who was up there, it would help if the non busy DMs would actually do the rebuilds instead of sacking it on the same three (now 2) all of the time. I know how it worked up there: It didn't. I've seen the DMS up there and most of the time you aren't busy. You're fobbing them off because you don't want to waste an hour or so doing a rebuild. I dunno what you're doing instead but I kept an eye on you and you weren't giving DCs or possessing anyone so you sure as hell could have been donig the rebuild.

Edit: And it don't take an hour, either, like we have someties said. Not if you tell them to do the prep while you're busy. Then you're not busy, and theyre all set. 10 minutes. Tops.

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jafman30
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:18 PM 

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That still doesn't give people the right to insult our DM team. I know you weren't saying it as an excuse; just saying.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:19 PM 

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No, it doesn't, but there's no point in offering something if the DMS are going to purposefully blow you off about it. Which some will, because they don't want to 'waste their time'. I'm sorry, but that's what you're there for, Mr. DM. If you ain't possessing an NPC, helping RP, bugtesting, delivering a DC item, or doing a quest, you're meandering and you got time to help with that rebuild.

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Lally
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:26 PM 

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I think this was misconstrued back stage. It's got the ring of truth, but it needs more discussion in a lot of different areas. I'll just say that yes, sometimes it's disheartening, other times I can understand the frustration.

So if we can leave it there for the time being that'd be good.

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Lord-Hadeis
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 21:55 PM 

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Might as well post this thought here.
Often enough when requesting a DM for whatever reason a player gets greeted with only silence, dispite DM's being online. This probably means they are busy with something else. However it is so polite as to merely respond with "No, no time, try again later" Or something like that. It's not the politest reply, but a whole lot nicer then getting ignored. I often come across people in life that for some reason rather say yes or nothing at all. No is a perfectly acceptable answer.


 
      
Grymia
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 22:17 PM 

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Having been a DM myself I can easily see how the kind of treatment described above or implied at least, on both sides of the fence might occur but it is unfair.

For the DM: If they are indeed, truly busy, they are truly busy. Little can be done. If they're simply not doing anything right at present, yes they could field a build but they could also be waiting to see if something is happening that will allow them to set up a plothook, for an ingame event.

If possible, maybe try to send word to people who send requests up requesting aid for a rebuild or alternatively, if you have nothing you wanna do and notice someone who on th forums requested a rebuild, had it approved but didn't have it done yet, flag em' down either in a tell or in a PM and ask if they've got the time. :) A DM did this for me on Vael's rebuild and it happened to work out as GREAT timing.

For the player: I can empathize with getting naught but silence when a query's sent up. I'd say it's worth waiting between two and five minutes and politely asking again. If still nothing, then the DM might be busy and in amidst something which is going to take them time to respond. They may also not wanna respond because they're amidst possessing something which is harder for you to directly respond to via the DM channel.

Patience on all side of this will see things through and work more clock-work like.


 
      
P Three
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 22:25 PM 

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I'm going to second Hadeis; I know DMs are busy...but if you post publically that you're there to help, and I send a couple of tells and an hour later still have no response..(This happens to me an awful lot, BTW)...it kinda is disheartening. You've basically just told me you AREN'T busy, yet you still don't answer.

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Dwagin
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 22:30 PM 

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I would say anyone who complained in this manner deserves to have their ability to have a free rebuild removed for a time. Perhaps that shall learn them some manners.

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Nathera
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 22:38 PM 

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I rather agree with punishing individuals, not everyone. Just tack on a few weeks onto the rebuild date or something.

Would there be a way to make it so people could take tickets in effect? I assume the DC wand produces a list for the DMs in a certain way.

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Yossarin
 
PostPosted: Sun, Mar 14 2010, 22:52 PM 



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I do not log into the Client to do nothing. I am always doing something story-related, even if it is just tweaking with NPCs to prepare for a future event, getting bios and skins prepared. Therefore, I will almost always tell you to shove off if you ask me to help you with a rebuild. I was against them being made free for everyone (and was clearly in the minority) because the only reason the issue came up was because somebody talked about the DM perk of "free rebuilds".

When we turn right around and start giving everyone free rebuilds, it seems very much like we were doing so in order to protect our own perk. Which is not true. It was a perk I never used (maybe once, two and a half years ago), so giving it up wasn't a huge issue to me, if that's what the playerbase felt would be fair.

Should there ever be a time when something planned falls through, and I'm spending time in the Client, then sure, I can do rebuilds.

This rarely happens though. I have hungry players who always want to make an effort to progress the world and their own individual stories, and this is far more rewarding, and far more the point of, a roleplaying server than ensuring that you will be victorious in your next PvP encounter.


 
      
tundrawalker1
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 0:15 AM 

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I understand a dm can be busy. really. I do. But I really don't think it is too difficult to send a one word response of "busy" to a player who is asking for a rebuild, free or not. In my request thread I said I didn't want to sound like a jerk but it was getting frustration to make over a dozen requests for a rebuild and get absolutely no response. I mean, I see a DM is online and I do get they are busy but a one word response to say you are busy takes 3 seconds.

I have to say that DMs getting upset about people asking for free rebuilds is rather disheartening. To be offered this nice little perk and then have some DMs ignore the perk because they don't agree with them is kinda against the grain of the entire DM team. I don't know, I am not a DM but according to Tormak, who was a dm and could see what was going on, it appears there were requests that were intentionally ignored despite a DM not being busy.

I for one am very very happy with the efforts DMs put in. I have only been playing on the server since last year in June so I am a noob. I have been a part of a number of DM events and I can honestly say that there are some very talented DMs on this server. The events I was a part of were very much enjoyable, and in all honestly, I prefer DM events over regular roleplay.

So suggest someone lose their rebuild because they complain about something is simply rediculous. That is akin to saying you have no right to express your opinion here at all. I don't know about the rest of the majority of the players who are here, but I expect people to say something if they see something that is not what it could be or give constructive criticism.

Sorry if this is a rant as it is not meant to be one. I appreciate the work the DMs do. Keep up the good work.

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The Incognitos
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 0:37 AM 

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I always try to think of receiveing attention from a DM in game as a favor from someone who is bombarded with constant 'hello, are you busy?' tells.

That way if you don't get any response you can easily assume they are alredy engaged in something else. Sure I'll occasionally send a followup 'oh, shunned' message but it's always a tounge-in-cheek thing.

Don't act like little kids and they won't have to treat us as such(likely sounds a bit contrary coming from me... bite me then!)

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BlackDahlya
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 1:46 AM 

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In my opinion, a Shout telling you are busy, but when you are free you will say so, will surely work wonders and will not even stress the DMs.

Instead of replying/ignoring tells from many players, they make one, simply Shout, saying the above. Something like.. dunno..

"Yes, I am on. No, not available for individual requests ~yet~. I will tell you when I am."

Or something akin to that.

I am sure the number of complaints in Party Chat about being ignored will diminish, if not disappear entirely.

And you will not get Tells from every player needing something.

A DM will never be DMside under a cloak of invisibility. The website shows when a DM is on.

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Dead
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 1:57 AM 

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AxlLeigh wrote:
I'm going to second Hadeis; I know DMs are busy...but if you post publically that you're there to help, and I send a couple of tells and an hour later still have no response..(This happens to me an awful lot, BTW)...it kinda is disheartening. You've basically just told me you AREN'T busy, yet you still don't answer.


I can only imagine walls and walls of texts that start incoming into dm channel/tells once DM had noticed he/she is free to help, rebuild stuff etc. Perhaps there is so much tells that one gets overlooked, and becouse of that, you get ignored by accident. I do understand that situation.

But in other cases, if there goes more than 5-10 minutes and you get not even a yes/no/busy/15 mins etc. and you know that DM(s) is online than its really disheartening. Which is no excuse for whinning about it in insulting manner. Those who are doing such need to understand that Amia as a whole is more important than individual, which doesn't implicite that individual is unimportant, just that some things are, as Nekhy said, priority and some are not.

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Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:13 AM 

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One thing that would probably help, is to have more DMs online than one every 20'th hour.

There's seriously no denying that Amia has ridiculously low DM activity.

And of course, it doesn't exactly require Einstein-IQ to realize that once a DM finally logs on, they'll be swarmed by requests, of all types, that have built up during the time when no DM has been online.

Perhaps that's something to look into as well, Nekhy.

Where are your DMs, and if Tormak is right (I personally have little reason to doubt him in this), why are there only two or three DMs doing rebuilds if there are additional ones who aren't busy and available?

People are right in that if you, as a team, decided to make the free rebuilds available to everyone... then you can't really complain about people asking for them.

Even if they're "free".

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BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:15 AM 

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Dead wrote:
AxlLeigh wrote:
I'm going to second Hadeis; I know DMs are busy...but if you post publically that you're there to help, and I send a couple of tells and an hour later still have no response..(This happens to me an awful lot, BTW)...it kinda is disheartening. You've basically just told me you AREN'T busy, yet you still don't answer.


I can only imagine walls and walls of texts that start incoming into dm channel/tells once DM had noticed he/she is free to help, rebuild stuff etc. Perhaps there is so much tells that one gets overlooked, and becouse of that, you get ignored by accident. I do understand that situation.


The average when I toss out a "Do you need anything" Shout (Which, admittedly, is rare these days - since I've taken Yossarin's methodology of DMing, which is "Log in; have a plan; follow it" - is about 20+ tells. Without including the people whom repeat it when they don't get an instant response.

It's very, very, very easy to miss something. Once about 15 minutes has passed; renudge it. That said, when someone tosses a shout like that, be completely prepared to be told "Busy now", since ultimately a DM is only one person and can't possibly help every single person who sends them a tell. Usually it's only one or two at a time.

Btw, the last time I tossed out "Guys, I'm busy, please STFU (not like that, of course)" shout ... I got just as many tells. Usually it's "Let me know when you're not busy!" (which is impossible to remember when you've got about 10 different user accounts asking to be remembered after you're doing whatever it is you're busily doing in the first place.)

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maglorine
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:22 AM 

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WonWon wrote:
The average when I toss out a "Do you need anything" Shout (Which, admittedly, is rare these days - since I've taken Yossarin's methodology of DMing, which is "Log in; have a plan; follow it" - is about 20+ tells. Without including the people whom repeat it when they don't get an instant response.



Alright, I'm floored by this. A full third of the server sends you a tell? That's assuming it's full, which is not common if you look at the full 24 hour day and you are on Aussie time. So it could be upwards of half the players on at the time. Just.....wow.

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fjook
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:27 AM 

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I want to say I am always nice and polite whenever I deal with a DM, manly cause even my Paper and Pencil DM scares me. Its just putting DM as a title of anyone, even my best friends scares me, and one generally doesnt piss of some one who scares them.

PS: Even if my best friend is DMing star wars D20 the title on my best friend scares me.

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BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:28 AM 

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Yep.

When there's no other DMs on, it is seriously a -wave- of green on the side of the screen for me.

Doesn't help that alot of players like to give the socail "Hello!" as well, which while polite - only drowns out everyone else at times.

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jafman30
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:34 AM 

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I have yet to send a message via PM or DM channel that isn't a request. Since I started playing on Amia, my brother told me pretty much everything to/not to do. Don't do that, it just fills their chat box. Unnecessary.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:35 AM 

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maglorine wrote:
WonWon wrote:
The average when I toss out a "Do you need anything" Shout (Which, admittedly, is rare these days - since I've taken Yossarin's methodology of DMing, which is "Log in; have a plan; follow it" - is about 20+ tells. Without including the people whom repeat it when they don't get an instant response.



Alright, I'm floored by this. A full third of the server sends you a tell? That's assuming it's full, which is not common if you look at the full 24 hour day and you are on Aussie time. So it could be upwards of half the players on at the time. Just.....wow.


Yups. It happens. It's not the average. not for me. But it happens.

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Last edited by TormakSaber on Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:42 AM, edited 1 time in total.

 
      
Metalien
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:35 AM 

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As one of my PCs says a lot in game "Manners don't cost a thing" just a little something to think about there. ;)

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BlackDahlya
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:36 AM 

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Mr Mago wrote:
One thing that would probably help, is to have more DMs online than one every 20'th hour.

There's seriously no denying that Amia has ridiculously low DM activity.

And of course, it doesn't exactly require Einstein-IQ to realize that once a DM finally logs on, they'll be swarmed by requests, of all types, that have built up during the time when no DM has been online.

Perhaps that's something to look into as well, Nekhy.

Where are your DMs, and if Tormak is right (I personally have little reason to doubt him in this), why are there only two or three DMs doing rebuilds if there are additional ones who aren't busy and available?

People are right in that if you, as a team, decided to make the free rebuilds available to everyone... then you can't really complain about people asking for them.

Even if they're "free".


That is true.

We have a lot of DMs listed on the Staff thread, but either my timezone is very off, or not even 1/3 of them have been DMing regularly recently.

Add to that the fact that recently DMs left, Tormak went on a break, others are on a break, and the newly nominated DM resigned the next day.

If DMs were on more regularly (and more than one, not the same DM on once every.. say.. 12 hours), the amount of In Game requests would diminish.

Of course, that is more of an Utopia, since DMs do have a life outside Amia.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:41 AM 

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I'm not on a break, and he DMS that left except for KJetta weren't really DMing to begin wth. So you're seeing no change in DM hours save for me.

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Gunz
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:45 AM 



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Hey Ron! Drink any Foster today?

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Last edited by Gunz on Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:47 AM, edited 1 time in total.

 
      
BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:46 AM 

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I would like to add that the DMs are sorta boned on this one.

If we spend our DM Client time handling the more rule-based or mechanical requests all day - Rebuilds, name changes, bug fixes, DC Items, Item Transfers, Twinking searches, Muler searches, PvP Oversight, and all the rest...

...We're not contributing to the game world and thusly we're apparently a really bad DM team.

However when we do what's asked of us and run daily quests and events, and spend alot of our time enhancing the game world, running NPCs, running plots, and otherwise doing the whole traditional DM thing to liven up characters, places, locations and people...

..Well, this thread sort of underlines that side of it.


Rock > DM < Hard Place.


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BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:46 AM 

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I agree, more DM Coverage would help, but as one of the DMs who sort of has access to the direct interaction with said DMs (IE; We talk alot, and know a bit about what's going on IRL, if only vaguely) - I have to say "Real Life takes priority".

We do try and hire players whom show promise into the DM Team, however those that we would truly like to have (Those that are good RPers, and have good OOC conduct) - simply aren't interested. No shame in it. But let it never be said we 'ent trying. We hire as much as we can, but we simply aren't interested in rulebreakers, twinkers, mulers, or people with bad behaviour and conduct.

Thus. Our selection pool is quite limited.


DM Coverage is relatively low, yes. But honestly; How much do you really need a DM for, that you can't do yourself?.

Things like Rebuilds, Name Changes, all the rest. These are mostly OOC things. Won't affect your RP much unless your RP involves either abusing metagaming (Name changes), or flaunting your build regularly (Rebuilds).

Things like Getting into Cordor with a DM can often be organized with a simple PM, and thusly that DM logs in with the sole intent of handling that. Gets it done smoothly, the DM has more prep for it, and ultimtaely; you'll have a bit more fun with it.

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Gunz
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:51 AM 



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I have noticed a lack of responding myself, I have to admit. Maybe DM's have been getting swamped and they don't see the DM channel messages, I dunno. But I have noticed it too.

P.S. I'm with Yoss, I'm against the free rebuilds. But I guess that doesn't matter at this point, eh? :D

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Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:53 AM 

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WonWon wrote:
How much do you really need a DM for, that you can't do yourself?


Tons.

Had there been any other NWN PW, other than Amia, with such a low DM per Player coverage, that PW would have been dead. Stone dead.

Amia is extremely fortunate that it has such a large and capable playerbase, which manages to enrich this world and maintain RP, by itself.

Amia is unique in that aspect. And weren't it for the Amian player's capability of creating its own entertainment, for both themselves and others, Amia wouldn't have maintained its position as probably the #1 populated RP server in NWN.

There are tons of players who have been, and still are, filling the roles of DMs in creating RP and managing factions, events, quests and plotlines.


I don't put any blame on the active DMs of Amia. I praise their efforts and what they have done, and still do for the server.


But I find it to be an utter disgrace... both to those active and contributing DMs, and to the players, that there has yet to be any sign of improvement in regards to DM coverage for the 4½ years I've been playing here.


And I have no idea who's that fault is.

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BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 2:57 AM 

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Mr Mago wrote:
WonWon wrote:
How much do you really need a DM for, that you can't do yourself?


Amia is extremely fortunate that it has such a large and capable playerbase, which manages to enrich this world and maintain RP, by itself.

Amia is unique in that aspect. And weren't it for the Amian player's capability of creating its own entertainment, for both themselves and others, Amia wouldn't have maintained its position as probably the #1 populated RP server in NWN.

There are tons of players who have been, and still are, filling the roles of DMs in creating RP and managing factions, events, quests and plotlines.


I reiterate my query. It looks like the Playerbase is quite capable to handle quite a bit without us.

DMs DMside doesn't help you with Faction Areas, Faction Forums, etc. Completely handled on the forums. Which is really the only thing you 'can't do' yourself as a player.

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Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:06 AM 

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It's a silly attitude, approach and perspective to claim that the playerbase doesn't need the DMs, since it manages to uphold itself.

The playerbase has, by all likelihood, adapted itself to be able to do that, in the absence of DMs.

Regardless of how capable the playerbase has become at that, a DM... or even better, multiple DMs, have the capabilities which lie within the DM client to enrich the server ten fold more, than any player ever could.

And that's what Amia has been, and is, missing out on.


I also find it odd that the DMs themselves are coping with the situation as it is. Because, as this thread clearly indicates, and several similar threads in the past, the DMs are kind of hurting themselves by their low numbers.

Would you get swamped by 20+ tells each time you announce your DM services accessable, in game, WonWon, if there had been 5 DMs online for the past 3 hours before you logged on?

Probably not.

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BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:13 AM 

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I'm not saying it isn't a problem. I'm just saying that alot of the problem isn't necessaily valid. That being - alot of the reasons DMs are supposedly needed are imagined or thought up due to a lack of effort on a player's part.

Nor am I saying that a player can do a DM's job completely. However; when it comes to the main things that I like to think people are here for (Roleplay), the DMs are ultimately a very small component. Yes, we run the big quests and events, hells, it's what I do every time I log into the client these days - even if sometimes they seem minute in their scale.

DMs are a damn big help to the RP simply due to the tools at our disposal, yes. I agree with that, too.


My point is that the DMs are not by any means the "End all" when it comes to any individual's enjoyment on the server. As I mentioned; if we could just conjure a much larger DM Team out of nowhere to fill up the empty slots, I can guarantee we would have long ago, and wouldn't be scraping for DMs right now as it stands.

The relative lack of DMs is a problem. The lower coverage, is also a problem. DMs do need to be around.

However, alot of the reason people claim to need DMs ultimately is simply the tribulations of the unenthused, unable to do such things themselves.


You don't need DMs to enjoy RP, or the world. You don't need DMs to start a faction and get it moving. You don't need DMs to have fun with a nice (if properly handled) Conflict with your fellow players, even if it goes to all out hostile PVP.

That's what I'm referring to.

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Grymia
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:19 AM 

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I actually have to agree with this statement in that some (at times, m'self included) Feel as though they need DMs because of a lack of enthusiasm on their own part.

But, sometimes though that can be changed by the right mixture of timing, cirucmstance and will from my own part.


 
      
Bactérie
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:19 AM 

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Yet a stronger dm / player ratio means one more thing : The DMs as a whole have more time for daily short npc possessions, because being a learger DM team means splitting the urgent / essential tasks and getting them done more quickly / in an easier way. I have been DM myself for a few years, and I sure as hell can maintain this point : a world where npcs regularly, even if randomly, interact with the players makes it a helluva lot more stimulating for everybody, DMs and players alike.

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Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:21 AM 

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@ Ron.

And with that I agree.

Yet the DM client in combination with the ruling authority which a DM possess, offers something vastly bigger, more influential and capable than any player could produce by himself/herself.

As such, the role of DMs as RP contributors, starters and progressors, really shouldn't be undermined nor neglected.

It's a part of an RP PW that can mean the difference between having gems of RP equivalent to diamonds, rather then gold nuggets.

Uh.. as bad as that anecdote may be >.<

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BrainSplitter
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:24 AM 

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Your metaphors are made of fail and lose, Mago :(

Joking aside;

That's largely what I meant. Yes, we're needed. We do need more coverage. And we do need more DMs. Sadly we simply can't fill both of those needs as much as we would like to. We can't turn water to wine, sadly, else you'd never get me away from the local river.

I'm just saying that alot of the "Players need DMs" 'need' is vastly overblown compared to the actual issue.

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Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:31 AM 

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Might be time to look at alternative solutions to the DM coverage.

As I've always seen it, Amia is quite unique in that all DMs, individually, are expected to do everything.

You're all suppose to screen requests. All suppose to search for mulers/twinkers. All suppose to handle OOC disputes. All suppose to create plots, quests and events. All suppose to make decisions in area design and module development. All suppose to make decisions in regards to the recruitment of new DMs. All suppose to decide and implement balance changes and fixes. All suppose to handle rebuilds and character maintenance. All suppose to monitor RP for DC rewards etc.

And on top of that, you are expected/required to have the proper knowledge and experience to make the -right- decisions, in each given field.

I mean... no wonder you guys get worn out. No wonder you don't find the time to do the stuff most people originally sign up as a DM to do: Which is creating RP in the DM client.

Most other servers tend to delegate work more extensively.

Developers do developing. Game mechanics junkies look at the balance aspects. A few maintain forum administrations. A couple handle the requests. Some DMs are assigned to do nothing but storylines, plots, events and quests.

I mean... you've been pushing your current methods for quite a while now. And I think you really need to ask yourself: "Has this worked out as we hoped it would?"

If the answer is no, it's probably time to find alternative solutions.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:49 AM 

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You signed up to be a DM. That means you should do everything a DM is expected. Not cherry pick the parts you like and ignore the rest for your teem to do, Mago.

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Grymia
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:51 AM 

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Seconded to Tormak's point.

Admin work, Storytelling.. these're diametrically opposed but equally important parts to DMing.


 
      
Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:52 AM 

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Sure. Since that's how you've decided to set it up.

The alternative is to actually assign people to do more specific tasks, for a more narrow "job description".

Which is what, to an extent, happened with you Tormak, and the request forum.

It just so happens that you got that specific task while... maintaining all other tasks, as well.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:53 AM 

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I did it because if I didn't, almost no one else would. Not because it was assigned to me. But because I DMed to get things done.

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Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:53 AM 

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Grymia wrote:
Seconded to Tormak's point.

Admin work, Storytelling.. these're diametrically opposed but equally important parts to DMing.


Or.. you could have Admins, who do the admin work.

And DMs, who do the storytelling.


Not saying that it's necessarily the save all - win the day - optimal solution... but:

Quote:
I mean... you've been pushing your current methods for quite a while now. And I think you really need to ask yourself: "Has this worked out as we hoped it would?"

If the answer is no, it's probably time to find alternative solutions.

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TormakSaber
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:55 AM 

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I'd sooner have DMs do things than tell them they are excluded from doing certain things. It implies that you don't trust them. And if you don't trust them why are they a DM?

Adminning and DMing are not "diametrically opposed", either.

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The Incognitos
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:55 AM 

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I'm guessing finding DMs is the tough part. I mean, I'd be a DM... except that I can't be trusted with that kind of power. I'd want that position for developing plots and I believe there are many players that share that sentiment.

Somethings just can't be done without a little NPC aid. So, yes the player base can get plenty done on their own, but not everything. These are the times when having a DM on really helps.

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Grymia
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:56 AM 

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Here's a problem with this Theory Mago:

You assign someone specific to handle X-task.

That person has an attack of RL.

Depending on how in depth they were running it and if they weren't keeping forum notes or anything, who can pick up on X-Task? Kinda hard unless you're ready to shift directions with said task.

I think a general everyone handles a bit of everything approach is better (with some focii where reasonable and the person can handle the focus, Yossi is handling the Cordor plot quite well and all satellite elements related to Cordor such as other happenings in the Commonwealth, while still giving room for other DMs to have happenings in Cordor)


 
      
Dark Immolation
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:57 AM 

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I know of a few servers that have what they call "sub"-DMs. All they do when they log on is create RP, possess things, and start quests while they're on. It works fine for them.

Maybe Amia needs to look into hiring a few people as those. Players who are trusted enough to do such things and have a good understanding of lore, but don't have to be bogged down with the whole rebuild/random questions/etc thing. Specialists, so to speak.

I understand that's what the DM's we have now "signed up" to do, but there's simply more demand than there is supply right now, so to speak. And it's not DM's not doing their jobs and it's not players being selfish or feeling that they -need- DM attention.


 
      
Mr Mago
 
PostPosted: Mon, Mar 15 2010, 3:58 AM 

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That's why you have back ups.

But then again... space aliens could come and blast earth with laser beams, killing the back up. Which kind of leaves you clueless of what to do.

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