ET Purge & What's to Come

[Bvie 1754]

Hey All,

 

I’m going to keep this as brief as possible, yet knowing me this will still be three pages long.

 

The Event Team roster is purged, effective today.

 

Management has done the best they can, but with the revolving door of directors—the team is in shambles. Instead of applying bandaids, I am restructuring the team from the ground up.

 

I want to ensure that all members have signed up for their role. The team duties will shift with the overhaul and all members should both be aware of and accept the new set of responsibilities that comes. Thus, the purge serves to shed old mentalities.

 

Events

 

Currently, actors are recruited as pseudo freelance agents, per se. It’s an aimless job where they may run events for any group of their choosing. Hence, the idea is, everybody will get an equal number of events. But it doesn’t work this way—bias is an unavoidable quirk. Members have always found a favourite place, and preferred performing events there.

 

We should not ignore this. In fact, we can use this to our advantage. I will fill roles on the team with respect to the affiliations of each member. LotC is very diverse in distinct role play styles, and each group prefers a different style of events. Some areas take well to magical events, some prefer low-fantasy—the ET responsible for those areas will run events geared for what those players enjoy.

 

With that said, actors aren’t barred from running events not in their area or from assisting with other events. Here we simply ensure that the community receives consistent events.

 

Storylines

 

I’ve noticed a trend of issues that follow storylines done by the ET. Either the target audience does not mesh with the event (Which the above will hopefully address) or the storyline gets dropped as a member becomes inactive. In an attempt to address this, ET members will now be required to create proposals for such events.

 

This will alleviate numerous issues such as: enabling management to ensure work is being completed, allow fellow members to be aware of events going on in a region, and ultimately allow other members to carry on the story should its teller go inactive.

 

This proposal will be a concise, informative and resourceful document for all members to utilize when bringing about events to the server.

 

Player Event Support

 

One topic I want to give a spotlight to is supporting player made events. Players often establish their own festivals and contests to attract players and bring entertainment to the server. I will be making it a priority to support these types of activities and ensure players receive the assistance they require to produce quality events of their own. More information about this process will be available soon.

 

ProActive Moderation and Quotas

 

Previous management teams have moderated in a reactionary manner, allowing for members to become too comfortable and for quality to slip. In an attempt to prevent such, I will be shifting the team to a proactive moderation style.

 

Managers will be meeting with their members on a bi-weekly basis to review their work together. Criticisms and questions will be discussed, all aiming to better the team as a whole. Should management notice a member slipping, this will be when it will be addressed.

 

Along with bi-weekly meetings, the team will be held responsible to working towards a ‘quota’. I understand that certain events are longer and require more time than others, making it difficult to give a solid number of what is expected. However, I expect every member to be producing consistent and quality events.

 

Downsizing and PEX

 

The team setup was a mess. Telanir found scraps of leftover in-game and forum permissions from members long gone—and not to mention, inactive staff that sat in perpetual hiatus. There is no single person to blame for this—the people that cared did their best but did not have the power or authority to do what had to be done.

 

Going forward, I was presented an admin directive that the team size should be small and efficient as opposed to oversized and comatose. I am looking for a tight-knit team of skilled and dedicated roleplayers.

 

This is a game. A volunteer position. I get it, 100%. However, once you step into this team you’re not just meeting my expectations—but the entire server’s. You’re putting a certain number of hours into your staff role each day, so you might as well make them worth your time.

 

If you’re here to get some PEX, save my time and yours. But if you’re here to improve this server, then I want you on my team.

 

I believe this is the right path. It’s a tough road to take but there is little time left and my team has to be prepared come the next map.

 

-Squirt

 

P.S.  Yep, three pages.

[Vindicant 642]

Glorious Overlord Squirtgun blesses us with quality event team

praise be

[Guest]

[Farryn 860]

Welp.

[iris1612 1780]

[Ford 1996]

 

[Lvke 1000]

this seems like a terrible idea that will simply lead to et driven cliques forming for certain regions, that will exclude a number of players. not to mention the large drain on et members who have to cater to more people with fewer numbers.

[ScreamingDingo 20568]

On 11/7/2017 at 10:08 PM, SquirtGun said:

Hey All,

 

I’m going to keep this as brief as possible, yet knowing me this will still be three pages long.

 

The Event Team roster is purged, effective today.

 

Management has done the best they can, but with the revolving door of directors—the team is in shambles. Instead of applying bandaids, I am restructuring the team from the ground up.

 

I want to ensure that all members have signed up for their role. The team duties will shift with the overhaul and all members should both be aware of and accept the new set of responsibilities that comes. Thus, the purge serves to shed old mentalities.

 

Events

 

Currently, actors are recruited as pseudo freelance agents, per se. It’s an aimless job where they may run events for any group of their choosing. Hence, the idea is, everybody will get an equal number of events. But it doesn’t work this way—bias is an unavoidable quirk. Members have always found a favourite place, and preferred performing events there.

 

We should not ignore this. In fact, we can use this to our advantage. I will fill roles on the team with respect to the affiliations of each member. LotC is very diverse in distinct role play styles, and each group prefers a different style of events. Some areas take well to magical events, some prefer low-fantasy—the ET responsible for those areas will run events geared for what those players enjoy.

 

With that said, actors aren’t barred from running events not in their area or from assisting with other events. Here we simply ensure that the community receives consistent events.

 

Storylines

 

I’ve noticed a trend of issues that follow storylines done by the ET. Either the target audience does not mesh with the event (Which the above will hopefully address) or the storyline gets dropped as a member becomes inactive. In an attempt to address this, ET members will now be required to create proposals for such events.

 

This will alleviate numerous issues such as: enabling management to ensure work is being completed, allow fellow members to be aware of events going on in a region, and ultimately allow other members to carry on the story should its teller go inactive.

 

This proposal will be a concise, informative and resourceful document for all members to utilize when bringing about events to the server.

 

Player Event Support

 

One topic I want to give a spotlight to is supporting player made events. Players often establish their own festivals and contests to attract players and bring entertainment to the server. I will be making it a priority to support these types of activities and ensure players receive the assistance they require to produce quality events of their own. More information about this process will be available soon.

 

ProActive Moderation and Quotas

 

Previous management teams have moderated in a reactionary manner, allowing for members to become too comfortable and for quality to slip. In an attempt to prevent such, I will be shifting the team to a proactive moderation style.

 

Managers will be meeting with their members on a bi-weekly basis to review their work together. Criticisms and questions will be discussed, all aiming to better the team as a whole. Should management notice a member slipping, this will be when it will be addressed.

 

Along with bi-weekly meetings, the team will be held responsible to working towards a ‘quota’. I understand that certain events are longer and require more time than others, making it difficult to give a solid number of what is expected. However, I expect every member to be producing consistent and quality events.

 

Downsizing and PEX

 

The team setup was a mess. Telanir found scraps of leftover in-game and forum permissions from members long gone—and not to mention, inactive staff that sat in perpetual hiatus. There is no single person to blame for this—the people that cared did their best but did not have the power or authority to do what had to be done.

 

Going forward, I was presented an admin directive that the team size should be small and efficient as opposed to oversized and comatose. I am looking for a tight-knit team of skilled and dedicated roleplayers.

 

This is a game. A volunteer position. I get it, 100%. However, once you step into this team you’re not just meeting my expectations—but the entire server’s. You’re putting a certain number of hours into your staff role each day, so you might as well make them worth your time.

 

If you’re here to get some PEX, save my time and yours. But if you’re here to improve this server, then I want you on my team.

 

I believe this is the right path. It’s a tough road to take but there is little time left and my team has to be prepared come the next map.

 

-Squirt

 

P.S.  Yep, three pages.

2

Upvote

 

 

I'm probably jeopardizing my potential for being accepted by posting this. But there are some clear redlines for running an effective ET you're crossing.

 

Firstly, this idea of providing playerbases with 'equal' amounts of events. The ET aren't there to spoonfeed nations events, they're simply meant to supplement their roleplay and give some interest. We do not need as a server some poor quality high quantity production line of settlement events, it's just ineffective and promotes the clique mentality that ironically you possess. I think you getting director is a super poor choice and I really don't hope you run the team into the ground with what you're doing.

 

Secondly, I could never condone event team members posting their storylines. There's a reason that they are kept to the one person, only they will be able to execute the thing to its best ability. It may suck for participants. Though the idea of ensuring quality is ESSENTIAL and forcing ET to show everyone what they're doing in a eventline not only spoils it but allows for other members to bastardise their ideas.

 

Also, you're doing the biggest REDLINE of all. You do not emphasise some sort of quota system or have actors watched like babies. Arguably the team previously was functioning with decent efficiency by players doing their own thing. He didn't poke his fingers and the ET who thrived, thrived. The ones who didn't obviously were put on the backshelf.

 

Just tread VERY lightly with what you're doing, if you stuff up the ET and your reputation will be on the line as a laughing stock.

[JEEGK 1367]

they didn't even accept my other application yet, that's how short my time was on the ET lol

[hearth_ 1023]

I honestly worry about an exception being made for you regarding being a NL. That was a well thought out and executed rule that prevents bias in the staff. However, for whatever reason, you are being allowed to keep your status as NL and remain a director of arguably one of the most important teams on the server. I really, really worry about your ability to avoid or somehow responsibly manage bias. You mentioned in the Sutican discord "embracing bias", which is absolutely absurd.  What is the point of a rule like that if exceptions are just going to be made. You also purged dedicated, hard working members of the ET. Some of them with seniority over you. 

 

I do hope you do well. But this entire situation makes me uneasy. 

 

[fighting evil by moonlight 455]

 

I usually try to stay out of staff drama-type situations, but this seems like a poorly thought out plan.  Coming from someone who didn't see any "bias" in the amount of events a group got, this seems unneeded.  I recently had a very pleasant experience with the ET, trying to find someone to handle a Frost Witch event line.  I've never had an issue requesting events for my groups.  You obviously know more than I do, but from an outside view, there has to be another motive.

 

7 minutes ago, Doomstadt said:

I honestly worry about an exception being made for you regarding being a NL. What is the point of a rule like that if exceptions are just going to be made. You mentioned in the Sutican discord "embracing bias", which is absolutely absurd. You also purged dedicated, hard working members of the ET. Some of them with seniority over you. 

 

Also, this.

 

I hope it goes well, I just have doubts.

[Monkee 7369]

reached out to the ET for a hunting event for weeks

 

received no responses

 

this purge needed to happen :)

[Amorphbutt 199]

and you never see it comiiiing,

 

FOR YOU

[rukio 8924]

Having heard about your....squid? event among other things....I genuinely worry for the future of the ET. Also, I don't really care for the fact they made an exception for you as a nation leader to get this position. Don't much care for your vision for the ET either, wish someone would come back and be director. Unfortunate.

[Ragnio 510]

So, I think it's time for some good and nice feedback to those steps (At least from my point of view)!

1. Events; Previously we had the problem that some areas had more eventlines than others, which wasn't always fair for everyone. As such I agree that the ET should start focusing with the restructor on providing the same experience to every group. An example would be Sutica, we had several events there and still some eventlines running all around Sutica, yet, I saw just one event the whole time near Adelburg. Such shouldn't happen! Events should be fun and accessible for everyone and I think the restruction will help with such!

2. Storylines; YES! One of the biggest problems was that eventlines weren't continued due to the stated reasons, even if they were interesting and loved by the playerbase! I'm also a fan of pre-planning and having a plan B in case that something happens, such as a member leaving, being absent, etc. As such I can only agree that such a step needs to be done.

3. Player Event Support; This is one of the best steps the ET could do right now! Player-Events should be a main aspect of roleplay and should also be supported by the team! In the past player-events were taking place more often, yet, at the current time near to no one holds such events as player anymore! Either due to the reason "Oh, the ETs will do something for sure", which results in inactivity if the ET doesn't act, or "I don't get support from anyone...seems like I shouldn't hold the event at all...", which causes events to just be ignored and not taking place! By supporting players they are also granted more freedoms in regard to their ideas and they will actually be able to perfom the wanted events!

4. Moderation and Quotas; Again, a yes from my side. Since I don't have any real knowledge about activity within the ET, besides from those that I saw by myself or was informed about, I often had the feeling that the ETs were a bit laid back and didn't do a lot of proactive work! Sometimes I thought "Mhmm, that person is an ET....when was the last time I saw him/her handle an event....I can't remember." and I think that shouldn't happen! It's unfair towards the ETs that took a lot of work into their hands and managed to pull of awesome events, yet, it was also unfair towards the playerbase. Why should someone hold a rank if they don't do anything for the playerbase? There isn't a reason for that. As such, yes, a proactive handling of the team is good for the playerbase and is also helping the managers to handle the future of the ET-Team.

5. Downsizing and PEX; Once again...yes! One of the best actions the ET Direction and Admins could do! Many may not think about the problems of old or wrong PEX, yet, the actual danger of those is real. Wrong PEX can be abused and can, if too many permissions are involved, result in actual damage for the server, such as griefing, damaged databases and a lot more. So, yes, cleansing the PEX was a really important step to do. I am also in favor for the downsizing, due to pervious stated information/thoughts (See point 4.).

All in all, yes, I am in clear favor for the taken steps.