Admin Monthly Update

[Wrynn 1349]

September 2017

Hey guys, back at it again with the monthly update! The feedback on the last post was quite appreciated and it allowed me to structure this monthly update with a little bit more community input. First off we have an announcement regarding the structure of the Administration and how it functions:

 

Roles

Past Admin Teams have seen versions of ‘Roles’ and we’d like to bring them forth again. People are good at different things and roles allow us to specialize in those areas; I myself enjoy listening and talking with the community so I have been appointed as the Communications Administrator. Whilst the change doesn’t perhaps impact the community directly we feel that it will definitely help to structure our workload and also allow us to bring a bit more to the table for you guys.

 

Here’s a document of the current Roles system we’ll be using that you can have a look at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CUf8aKcYu0xK_-YQJ7IpCBzRlKwgdpIreKqtpNL33lo/edit?usp=sharing

 

I’ll now move onto a paragraph from each of the admins as they give their thoughts on how the server is currently doing and what they’ve managed to do within the past month as well as any plans they have or goals they’d like to achieve.

 

501warhead

Spoiler

 

What I've Done

The 6.0 Livestream was all around well received by those who could attend, while we had an issue where we forgot to save VODs it was still something we wish to do again. I’ve pulled on many builders from the application process and am still continuing to do so heading into the future. I also spearheaded the selection process for a new Game Team Director to make sure that the selection happened quickly and efficiently.

 

What I'm Working On

6.0 is the prime focus heading into the future, I’m editing a few timelapses to enter into your hands so that you can see some of the amazing builds produced by the builders. In addition I’ve started some team-building exercises for the staff as a whole to promote a healthier environment of trust to allow us to better serve the community as a collective whole.

 

What My Goals Are

We plan on announcing a LOT more about 6.0 heading into the near future! I’m working on making sure the builders are working while pulling on more and more folks to help with the process. My big focus is just making sure folks are working and allowing the builders to flourish with their individual skill. Timelapses are coming soon[™] and some announcements are in the very near future.

 

 

Telanir

Spoiler

 

What I've Done

I’ve been enforcing staff protocol, designed a new staff report format & description for the subforum, and we’ve held director and admin meetings. As you’ll see in this post as well, I fashioned a document to establish clear admin roles. I have also coordinated staff discipline on a couple cases last month.

 

What I'm Working On

I am getting through, one-by-one, all the administrative feedback that should’ve had a response a long time ago. In addition, by the end of this week I should have cleared up all outstanding anonymous staff reports. I am also collecting team reports from the team directors to update the admin team on team status.

 

What My Goals Are

I will prepare directives for each staff team in coordination with their director. The directives define the official responsibilities of each team and establish their borders. They leave ample room for the directors to manage their team to their liking. I will also complete the staff protocol rewrite this month, and aim to simplify it and lighten bureaucracy.

 

As the recently appointed Chairman in the Administration; it is my goal to ensure the staff is structured and professional. I hold a reserved role and abstain from active team dynamics to preserve an impartial nature.

 

 

Harold

Spoiler

 

This month I’ve been heavily involved in staff structure and director issues, among other things. Change can be difficult and leading up to 6.0, we have already changed so much, and the teams have even more planned. It’s our job as Administrators to help make this process easier for the great Directors we have on staff now. The next bullet points are what I can disclose that I’ve done, or helped with this month.
 

·    Led the placement of a new Event Team Director.

·    Led the placement of a new Forum Team Director.

·    Excused myself from voting on a new Game Team Director, due to friends on the team.

·    Approved the new Administrative Roles released with this post.

·    Put to vote in the Administration the removal of the Antagonist event line.

·    Investigated the four removals from the LT/MT.

·    Setup threads and run them with the new Forum Team Director for the assigning of PEX in Discord, and on the Forums following the          breakdown of the forum theme post-update.

·    Attended the Admin and Director meeting which allowed us to openly discuss 6.0, and new systems which are to be put in place by some of the Directors and should be understood across the different functional teams.

 

N.B - I also went on hiatus for about a week, as everyone’s allowed a break now and again.

 

In my new role as Operations Administrator, it's my goal to make sure that we as a full Staff, are on track for 6.0, which is fast approaching.

 

·    Helping Directors to realize their vision for the team they lead, and the wider server. I discuss plans and new systems they want to put in place, and the intended outcomes of these plans. We then help in any way possible to make the system a reality with the Director. I have been steadily doing this over the last month or so, and most Directors have responded well to the increased trust placed in them, whereas previous Administrators would have micro-managed, denied projects or new systems (or just be plain inactive.)  We have already seen good results come from this hands-off approach. It requires from the Director, good activity, competency and a drive to make a lasting change on the server. As you can probably tell, that's not for everyone.

·    Dealing with all Director concerns and queries as to processes and protocol for their team, other teams ,and the Administration. This can be anything from when precedent might need to be set in terms of rules, or when new systems overlap and protocol may need to be reviewed and understood. It can also be when a Director needs someone to discuss an issue with privately, such as when an important decision needs to be made by them about their team.

·    Carrying out informal checks privately on several variables for all teams to give the Administration a better view of where time could be best spent in the coming month, and highlight any possible issues so it can be brought up and discussed with Directors in confidence.

 

 

Wrynn

Spoiler

 

It’s been a pretty fun September and hopefully we’ll have more fun as we continue into spooktober. I’m sure some of you have noticed that the feedback subforum has gone under the knife and has been restructured completely. It’s been setup this way so that feedback can be directly delivered to team directors and also so I know if a team is looking at their feedback or not! We also had the livestream earlier this month which had a fantastic turnout which we’ll most likely be doing more of in the future; it was a good opportunity to show you guys a bit more about 6.0 and also clear up any questions you had about the map. The Administration also recently held a meeting with the team directors to discuss more about 6.0 and what will be happening with it to make sure that we’re all on the same page for our future plans with 6.0.

 

Currently I’m starting to take a focus on making the server a bit more new-player friendly and also player retention, as it’s important to make sure you guys are feeling some love too <3. It’s especially important to look at this  as we come closer to 6.0, making sure we’re all ready for the transition to the new map.

 

I’d like to see a little bit more transparency between the staff teams and the community, however I do feel that we’re doing a good job of it at the moment and if you guys have any suggestions as to how I could perhaps improve this be sure to send me a message c: I’ve also adopted the official role of Communications Admin now which isn’t much of a change as a previously held the role unofficially, that being said I do look forward to talking with you guys in the future and hearing what you have to say c:.

 

 

We hope you're all having a good day, and don't be afraid to contact us if you have any questions regarding the post or any questions in general. Here's a gif of a puppy and a cat to hopefully brighten your day!

 

[_Sug 2809]

[Chorale__ 2147]

Great job everyone!

[Archbishop 1784]

For those who were unable to watch the livestream like myself was it recorded somewhere, I've been asking a lot both on forums and in game and have not recieved an answer.

[Wrynn 1349]

11 minutes ago, A Moongazer said:

For those who were unable to watch the livestream like myself was it recorded somewhere, I've been asking a lot both on forums and in game and have not recieved an answer.

0

Upvote

 

501 whilst recording the livestream had an issue with VOD's and was unable to record it. However on your next livestream, we'll be sure to get it recorded c:

[Archbishop 1784]

2 minutes ago, Wrynn said:

01 whilst recording the livestream had an issue with VOD's and was unable to record it. However on your next livestream, we'll be sure to get it recorded c:

Provide screenshots of terrain for those who missed c:

[lemontide331 1615]

whats tythus working on 

[gandalfo 1452]

1 hour ago, Zoey~ said:

whats tythus working on 

1

Upvote

 

he doesn't need to work on anything thats why we have admins

[lemontide331 1615]

Just now, gandalfdahwhite said:

he doesn't need to work on anything thats why we have admins

why does he take all the profit if he does nothing

[_Jandy_ 3519]

Loved the 6.0 stream.

[monkeypoacher 8055]

I like that Telanir is taking the initiative to make staff more accountable to and cooperative with the playerbase. Not sure how much of it is doublespeak but I hope for the best!

[Xarkly 17299]

6 hours ago, Wrynn said:

 

What I've Done   Hide contents

 

As the recently appointed Chairman in the Administration; it is my goal to ensure the staff is structured and professional. I hold a reserved role and abstain from active team dynamics to preserve an impartial nature.

Upvote

 

 

This log is a significant improvement from last month, though I have to admit that I'm skeptical of somebody holding the role of 'Chairman' when they've played 3 hours on LOTC in the last 70 days. It's fine to work behind the scenes, but for a title as brazen as Chairman, I'm not really comfortable with it being held by someone who doesn't actually play. 

[Telanir 6975]

2 hours ago, Xarkly said:

 

This log is a significant improvement from last month, though I have to admit that I'm skeptical of somebody holding the role of 'Chairman' when they've played 3 hours on LOTC in the last 70 days. It's fine to work behind the scenes, but for a title as brazen as Chairman, I'm not really comfortable with it being held by someone who doesn't actually play. 

3

Upvote

 

 

 

 

 

I understand your perspective. As my role implies, I do not need to visit the game-server to perform it. Typically, I only need to log in to execute bans or alter permissions—this doesn't take long. My work, as indicated in the admin roles document, takes place on the forums, Discord, and in e-mails. I don't hide my playtime, it is well known.

 

Edit: To add, my role also requires that I remain impartial and as I described in my address this month I must stay reserved from active staff dynamics. Since this also means I cannot roleplay, this leaves me little reason to log into the game-server.

[Kvasir 1121]

14 hours ago, Zoey~ said:

why does he take all the profit if he does nothing

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He is the one that funds the servers. He puts that money back into the server so he can pay for everything.

[Sporadic 2844]

17 hours ago, Zoey~ said:

why does he take all the profit if he does nothing

0

Upvote

 

 

a) what profit lol LoTC greens like 300 on a good month barely enough to serve as an expense buffer

b) by all means let's reinvest those extra funds into another project... that gizzygaza video came out great last time.