Your View: Status Updates And Reputation Feedback

[Hanrahan 2983]

[Narthok 10416]

Keep statuses out. Everytime some random event happens (wars)that cause people to throw forum shitstorms they'll use statuses to make childish passive aggressive remarks and attack other players. What's going to happen if new players who haven't even joined the server yet see this? He's going to see the toxic behavior and walk the other way. Even if you did delete such posts, the damage is done and we lost new players.

Remove upvotes as well. Removing rep alone isn't going to to fix anything and you'll still see people making **** post for upvotes. Keep down votes out because we cannot trust the community to use it the way it's intended. We'll still see a repeat of the Derrick incident and back then, the community wasn't as nasty as it is now. If you're going to bring back downvotes make it so it shows who is down voting the person.

 

On this note, return statuses and implement downvotes so I can express to people my disapproval of their posts without shitposting on it, I believe this would result in a significant reduction of **** storms as well as a reduced need for warning points.

[Narthok 10416]

On an unrelated note the removal of statuses is literally the second stupidest thing the staff have ever done, it was the best medium of communication for the player base allowing for ease of communication, advertisement discussion etc without clogging forums and increasing the burden on volunteer forum moderators. If the staff need a news feed then give us back statuses and move the staff feed off the screen so it can be ignored, and I quote 

[Stag 3231]

One player didn't read Telanir's status! ohhh no.

 

I realize other arguments are completely valid.

I even agree with a majority of them.

 

That one is not. Stop using it.

[Narthok 10416]

One player didn't read Telanir's status! ohhh no.

 

I realize other arguments are completely valid.

I even agree with a majority of them.

 

That one is not. Stop using it.

 

Why is it not a valid argument?

[Eleatic 1033]

The way the staff has handled this situation, to me, has illustrated how out of touch, and generally horrendous the practices of these 'experiments' has become. I feel as though it was an awful mistake, and I feel as though keeping it like this just shows once again that the staff is not looking out for the real issues, but for the percieved ones. Just like the Tech team in 'trials' before them, the Staff offer a swift hammer down to their opposition, e.g: Rittsy's final post.  This entire thing is shameful, and I hope the staff realizes that. To sum it up briefly: I hope the staff is ashamed in themselves.

[Aedan The Bard 350]

Without the status updates, the forums feel dead, uninteresting, stale and overall seems like a waste of time. I can't explain why, it's just how it is.

[bickando 3967]

Bring back status updates

 

While you're at it you can make a group of secret staff that join groups and report on what general feeling is about updates and such

[Narthok 10416]

Bring back status updates

 

While you're at it you can make a group of secret staff that join groups and report on what general feeling is about updates and such

 

i believe they have that but it isn't secrent, Instead staff are installed as nation leaders in order maximize bias

[Stag 3231]

The way the staff has handled this situation, to me, has illustrated how out of touch, and generally horrendous the practices of these 'experiments' has become. I feel as though it was an awful mistake, and I feel as though keeping it like this just shows once again that the staff is not looking out for the real issues, but for the percieved ones. Just like the Tech team in 'trials' before them, the Staff offer a swift hammer down to their opposition, e.g: Rittsy's final post.  This entire thing is shameful, and I hope the staff realizes that. To sum it up briefly: I hope the staff is ashamed in themselves.

 

To be honest we aren't. I, personally am ashamed of the behavior the community showed us and I am taking a stance and telling you straight out that the community needs to chill out and stop acting like every decision is the end of the world. In the end, it's not, ya know? Maybe I have a bias, but when I look through a feedback thread and 90% of the comments aren't constructive in the slightest it makes none of us look good. If a player is going to 

 

We are looking out for real issues. However we don't do one thing at a time and it doesn't take much time to come up with a game plan for two non-key features to the OOC world of LOTC. We as a staff perceived that the community wanted us to help cut down the amount of trolling taking place. We saw two clear features that were abused for trolling. Status and reputation. We didn't remove it because we wanted to make random choices. We did it because the community abused those features and asked us to fix it for them. 

 

From my point of view I am in constant battle. The community wants me to crack down on trolling, abusive behavior and exaggerated negativity. However when I do I am faced with outcry.

 

"Why would you punish that? You are too strict! Staff abuse!"

From there I think to myself that maybe I was in fact being too harsh or strict but by the time that I decide to lighten up I am met with players screaming

 

"Aren't you going to punish that? Why isn't the staff doing anything about this?"

We, the staff are constantly fighting to choose between two majorities. For some reason almost every topic is split 50-50 between the player-base and no matter what we choose we make 50% of you angry. Do I like seeing players angry? No, it actually makes me angry to see you guys angry. Do I want to fix things? Of course but I don't have the answers. I don't know if anyone has the answers but we are trying. We are making decisions and trying to fix things no matter how small, even if the decision isn't the correct route.

 

[Eleatic 1033]

To be honest we aren't. I, personally am ashamed of the behavior the community showed us and I am taking a stance and telling you straight out that the community needs to chill out and stop acting like every decision is the end of the world. In the end, it's not, ya know? Maybe I have a bias, but when I look through a feedback thread and 90% of the comments aren't constructive in the slightest it makes none of us look good. If a player is going to 

 

We are looking out for real issues. However we don't do one thing at a time and it doesn't take much time to come up with a game plan for two non-key features to the OOC world of LOTC. We as a staff perceived that the community wanted us to help cut down the amount of trolling taking place. We saw two clear features that were abused for trolling. Status and reputation. We didn't remove it because we wanted to make random choices. We did it because the community abused those features and asked us to fix it for them. 

 

From my point of view I am in constant battle. The community wants me to crack down on trolling, abusive behavior and exaggerated negativity. However when I do I am faced with outcry.

 

"Why would you punish that? You are too strict! Staff abuse!"

From there I think to myself that maybe I was in fact being too harsh or strict but by the time that I decide to lighten up I am met with players screaming

 

"Aren't you going to punish that? Why isn't the staff doing anything about this?"

We, the staff are constantly fighting to choose between two majorities. For some reason almost every topic is split 50-50 between the player-base and no matter what we choose we make 50% of you angry. Do I like seeing players angry? No, it actually makes me angry to see you guys angry. Do I want to fix things? Of course but I don't have the answers. I don't know if anyone has the answers but we are trying. We are making decisions and trying to fix things no matter how small, even if the decision isn't the correct route.

 

 

Actually, to your first point: the community DID NOT ask you to fix them! There was a 30 percent lead on the polls which said that they were fine as-is(Infact, it may've been 35?). There are no 'two majorities', not many people in the community wanted this. Beyond that, the players are not going out on a limb beating down the staff, the staff is provoking it themselves with these detrimental changes. A few people troll in statuses, therefore they are an abusive construct as a whole? Please don't tell me you can't comprehend how crazy that is.

 

'Trying to fix things no matter how small, even if the decision isn't the correct route' then why don't you guys go and QUERY the players, and I mean the actual players, not your own friends from pre-Staffhood, on what we as a playerbase want? If you guys went into OOC, and posted more feedback threads, maybe you wouldn't have so much hate. I can appreciate, earnestly, that staff puts work in and wants the best for LoTC, but like I said, why don't you guys actually look toward the players on HOW to do that, rather than go by old polls, personal oppinions, and assumptions?

[Stag 3231]

Actually, to your first point: the community DID NOT ask you to fix them! There was a 30 percent lead on the polls which said that they were fine as-is(Infact, it may've been 35?). There are no 'two majorities', not many people in the community wanted this. Beyond that, the players are not going out on a limb beating down the staff, the staff is provoking it themselves with these detrimental changes. A few people troll in statuses, therefore they are an abusive construct as a whole? Please don't tell me you can't comprehend how crazy that is.

 

'Trying to fix things no matter how small, even if the decision isn't the correct route' then why don't you guys go and QUERY the players, and I mean the actual players, not your own friends from pre-Staffhood, on what we as a playerbase want? If you guys went into OOC, and posted more feedback threads, maybe you wouldn't have so much hate. I can appreciate, earnestly, that staff puts work in and wants the best for LoTC, but like I said, why don't you guys actually look toward the players on HOW to do that, rather than go by old polls, personal oppinions, and assumptions?

 

Your whole point is under the assumption that it's the staff vs. the community.

 

We do feedback threads for most if not all new features or decisions. 

[Netphreak 510]

Kitten, I'm not sure exactly when the 'poll' was made for the removal of the statuses and rep, I can say for sure, I've never seen it, nor a feedback post pertaining to it.

 

I'm sure you've read my reply of the matter, as cruel and attacking as it may seem, I wrote it because I was tired of simply leaving my feedback inside and allowing stuff like this to go silenced... I mean, how many times have we all read from the staff, 'This is temporary.' Or, 'Just give it a chance.' To figure out, in the end, it wasn't temp, and it wasn't a chance... It was permanent. 

 

I'm having a difficult time trying to sympathies with the Staff Base, I was staff on many servers before I came here, we always consulted our players, even if it was the smallest idea of adding a tiny farm plugin, to get feedback about such, and if they would enjoy it, we didn't ask them six months prior, and still hold that to what may be applicable six months later..

 

Sure, it's not a Democracy, but how about.. We put your words 'Just give it a chance.' To use in the trail of 'Democracy'

 

My last post may have not been my most mature, it's just I cannot stand when the playerbase is in the dark and the Staff reference to themselves for the choices that are made.. I do apologize for what I've written if any have been offended, I'm a straight forward, and to the point kind of guy, I dislike sugar coating. 

 

Constructive criticism is healthy, and the staff need to realize that not every player is the same, one player may say something just out of his/her own constructive criticism, and another player may say somethinge else, his or her own personal opinion, it may seem harsh, it may not... Throwing bans around because something seems harsh, when really the player didn't mean it in that way is... Difficult.

 

I have come to a point where being served like this is troubling, and I really am deterred from this place.. I understand, you guys have a /HARD/ job, I know... I was there plenty of times. I think, what we all really want, is just what you guys (The Staff) are thinking... We don't want to be kept in the dark, knowledge is power.

 

Take away the statuses, take away the REP, so be it, just 'let us know' what's really going on.. When I first heard about it, I came back from a very long and hard day at work, I come here to relax and have fun with RP, I was confused when I heard my friends say "They took the statuses away."  My red flag raised and I went to the forums.. Sure enough, what was rumored was true, and everything went boom in a matter of minutes.

 

It was too drastic, now that the energy levels were high, and blood pressure was raising, it almost was a complete final straw for me, because I knew absolutely nothing about it, when I don't know something, it bothers me, I strive to get that information before something like this happens.. It would be super nice..

 

Sorry about the long post, this is a revised version of my previous post upon Alan's topic, a more .... 'Mature' post, if you will.

 

Please just don't leave us in the dark.

[Emp 209]

The more I browse the forums and consider the issue,

the more I understand and support the staff decisions.

 

I still appreciate the sentiments expressed by the community, but feel that there is still merit to be acknowledged in the decisions. As well as this, I can appreciate that it was expressly noted that this was a 'test'. Thus, we don't need to overreact about the issue; we can make the most of it, and, as was intended, observe the results.
 

Without elitist measures such as Accumulative Reputation, we're all brought to an equal level, wherein all posts are considered with the same respect.

It's been noted that it served no purpose, and, therefore, should be left as it was. That's strange logic.
Anyway, the only purpose it did ever serve was to feed egos and instill an unwarranted sense of authority. A player of a few months can have just as much to say, of equal value, to one who has been around long enough to cultivate a rep of x-hundred. I, personally, find myself considering more posts seriously, keeping Rep out of the equation. I feel that the absence of Rep allows for more voices to be heard, and for insightful, valuable discussion to be given a platform.
As noted by KarmaDelta, restricting those [+1]s to individual posts allows for community opinion to be conveyed clearer; [+1]s are no longer handed out for the sake of the poster's reputation, but as the mere "Aye" that they should be.
[-1]s would work with the current system, but are unnecessary and easily abused.
 

 

The decision regarding Status Updates was interesting, and worth testing; however, based upon results, I think we've learned that this decision needs to be revised. A casual chat platform is a near-essential thing for such a tight-knit community. However, perhaps we can hold onto both a dedicated Staff 'Quick News' box, and a casual conversational box. Such would nurture both staff-player connection, keep players informed and uplifted, and, simultaneously, provide a visible sense of life and dynamism.

Negative expression in Status Updates is a matter for firm, consistent moderation.

 

As/if we move into a new system of moderation and such, players and staff need to adapt. Mutual respect and empathy is key. Firm messages need to be made in regards to 'shitposting' and other such problems. With each issue, try as much as possible to explain.

The community's reaction has been ridiculous and destructive, though somewhat understandable. All of those so quick to complain - you have that right, but, for the sake of the community you so violently claim to represent so definitively, please be sensible. There are fair points to be found, though it's hard to find and/or appreciate something that's dressed up so offensively.

 

In the end, I can appreciate rationale on both sides, but feel that, particularly in the case of Reputation, the cons heavily outweigh any pros.

 

I dunno; just my thoughts.

Staff; thanks for your work towards a more efficient, constructive environment. Keep up the good work.

[Cyndikate 2303]

The benefit of making a thread about it? Someone else can search for it. You can't search statuses.