The Future Of Lotc [Exceedingly Important]

[Danny 2232]

 

Well done if you were silly enough to fall for this. ^_^ 

 

The OP is in the spoiler below!

 

It was an awful April Fools joke, and had the desired effect. Most of the changes mentioned above obviously aren't going to be put into effect - we're not a bunch of total and utter idiots. However, some are. The ones that are are listed below:

 

 

• Firstly, I’d just like to say that we’re working on sorting the instability and rollbacks that have been occurring lately. This is caused due to a technical issue that we’re trying to solve currently - we can’t actually provide an ETA for this being fixed, however it shouldn’t be too long. Please be patient whilst we try and solve this, and understand that it’s just as frustrating for us as it is for you.
• Secondly, I hope you enjoy the Easter forum skin - we'll be doing this for all festive seasons - do be aware, I did this in about five minutes - in future, the skins will be much more attractive and elaborate. We'll be returning to the usual skin at 00:00 on the 2nd of April. Anyway, enough of the natter, onto the important information that we need you to read and take heed of.
• Forum Skin Updates - There will be some further changes to the forum skin, as we try and make it more eye appealing. This means that some of the buttons that are currently still sadly not fully textured, will be done soon.
• A website-based ‘Help Station’ will be released on the 2nd of April, that will work as an interactive knowledge base providing assistance on everything LOTC related.
• The VIP perk of ‘no advertisements’ will be returned shortly, and will be in full effect. We apologise for it not being sooner, however sorting the main skin was a priority.
• Most old (date still to be defined) staff applications will be denied - anyone still interested in applying should re-apply.

 

To everyone who was to be irritated if this was to be an April Fools joke, all I can say is cheer up. You can hardly expect us to keep a stone-face all of the time, and you getting so worked up over something such as this really isn't what we intend to do. Smile, and stop taking things so seriously - you'll have more fun.

 

Cheers to everyone who played along with our worst April Fools joke - worse than last years, which actually convinced people!

 

 

Howdy LOTC,

 

We have some extremely big news today. NB: I have postponed the release of the Newsletter and Help Station until the 2nd, as to ensure that everyone reads this, as it is exceedingly important that you understand the future of LOTC, and the steps we’re taking to improve your roleplay. Please direct your friends to this thread, as it is vital that they do not miss this information - we wish to convey a sense of transparency and accuracy to you, and that's exactly why we're informing you of the following changes well in advance - and also to avoid any confusion in future when these changes come into effect.

 

Firstly, I’d just like to say that we’re working on sorting the instability and rollbacks that have been occurring lately. This is caused due to a technical issue that we’re trying to solve currently - we can’t actually provide an ETA for this being fixed, however it shouldn’t be too long. Please be patient whilst we try and solve this, and understand that it’s just as frustrating for us as it is for you.

 

Secondly, I hope you enjoy the Easter forum skin - we'll be doing this for all festive seasons - do be aware, I did this in about five minutes - in future, the skins will be much more attractive and elaborate. We'll be returning to the usual skin at 00:00 on the 2nd of April. Anyway, enough of the natter, onto the important information that we need you to read and take heed of.

 

So, today’s the first day of a new month (or will be soon, depending on your time-zone. I'm GMT.), and the first day in a new, and improved Lord of the Craft. Below I have listed the changes that will be implemented in the coming months, and that will all be in motion by early June 2013. We have been discussing these changes for multiple months now, and I assure you that they were not easy decisions to make - the voting on each of these updates was extremely close, and you'll be probably pleased to know that some of the most server updates (not listed below) are not happening, due to the votes of 'No' outweighing 'Yes'. These first one’s will not be implemented instantly, however will be implemented and enforced by the 1st of May.

 

 

• The removal of the OOC chat channel in-game - this is being done to increase the focus on roleplay in-game. No longer will the chat be filled with useless and mindless blethering, and instead it will be entirely roleplay in-game. You must also not send any OOC /tell’s or /msg’s to another player, unless said player is a GM and is assisting you.
• Mob difficulty increased - mob health will be increased to at least double it’s current average. This is because at the moment the mobs are too easy to farm and we believe that this will also add some needed challenge to roleplay. All mobs will also regenerate health at .5 hearts every two seconds and do 1 full hearts extra damage.
• Forum Skin Updates - There will be some further changes to the forum skin, as we try and make it more eye appealing. This means that some of the buttons that are currently still sadly not fully textured, will be done soon. 
• Temporary Whitelist Removal - the whitelist is to be temporarily removed in order for us to see how the server runs without it. Many other roleplay servers operate without a whitelist, and do so very effectively and work well - we believe that we have restricted ourself for too long with an un-needed whitelist, hence why we shall be removing it and seeing how we succeed without - which we are almost sure is well. There will be more Global Moderators hired in order to facilitate the influx of players as a result of this.
• Playerbase decide on bans - All decisions made on bans will be made based on the vote of the playerbase. This means that we will no longer have to ban people’s friends, and not allow their friends to be involved in the unbanning. For too long have people been getting banned for breaking rules, and leaving a lot of their friends behind and taking a lot away from the server - so, now - if enough people support an unbanning, the player will be unbanned.

 

 

In addition to the changes listed above, there are several that will be put into effect within the next few days. These are as follows:

 

•  The status feed will be removed from the forums - it is un-needed, and simply clutters the website. It has been abused far too much, and it has no reason to be kept.
• The Arts and Entertainment and Graphics forums will be removed - they take away from the immersive feel that we are trying to provide through the website, as they’re really not particularly related to the server.
•  RELEASED EARLY A website-based ‘Help Station’ will be released on the 2nd of April, that will work as an interactive knowledge base providing assistance on everything LOTC related.
•  CANCELLED DUE TO POINTS RAISED VIA PM The Off Topic - General Discussion forum will be set to ‘moderator-approval’ - meaning all posts and topics made there will need to be approved by a staff member before they become shown - anything that is worthless or un-needed shant be shown, for the same reasons as the previous two points.
• The VIP perk of ‘no advertisements’ will be returned shortly, and will be in full effect. We apologise for it not being sooner, however sorting the main skin was a priority.
• All staff applications will be denied - anyone still interested in applying should re-apply.

 

 

The changes mentioned above will indeed be considered controversial no doubt, however they are being implemented to benefit the community - and we are very sure they will be. Due to the importance of this thread, and the necessity for everyone to read it - the Newsletter is postponed until the 2nd of April (just to reiterate my section about this in the opening paragraph).

 

NB: All inappropriate posts will be removed - keep your post content mature and responsible, failure to do so will result in a member of the staff team removing it.

 

Thanks,

The Lord of the Craft Staff Team

Feel free to query any of the above updates below, however they are not up for discussion - they're happening, set in stone - if you disagree with them, I'm afraid it's tough.

 

[TornadoWatch 364]

-Comment removed. Keep it forum friendly.

 

Obey your masters.-

[big narstie 1701]

#unbandivinus2013

 

april fools

[the GOAT of the craft 606]

April fools

 

#BanChuckaboo2013

 

 

                                  

[Silevon 497]

CAN'T STOP IT. APRIL FOOLS.

[Tom_Whiteman 949]

Comment edited due to inappropriate comment. Keep it forum friendly.

[Volutional 935]

Ha. Silly Tornado.

[lemontide331 1615]

Comment edited due to inappropriate comment. Keep it forum friendly.

[Nug 2011]

april fools. silly FMs. 

[Old Man Boiendl 1454]

Comment edited due to inappropriate comment. Keep it forum friendly.

[Aptrotta 162]

Dont unwhitelist the server! You cant do that! The server will be ruined! Other servers run fine but they do not have great roleplay. Imagine all the trolls we will get. Please dont do this!

[Danny 2232]

All posts containing swearing or inappropriate content have been removed - making such posts is entirely unacceptable. The forum rules still stand, regardless of your opinion.

[leave me alone 995]

So, if we take off the white-list, no more applications? If there is no more applications think of ALL of the L33t speakers and crap we will have running in. In my opinion, bad idea.

[Alakabam 582]

-snip-

[nj13 18]

I believe we should still have the ability to local chat, and message another player. It helps us communicate easier without having to open an internet tab at the same time..not all players have stable internet and/or cannot have the internet open the entire time we wish to be on the server.
Though some of the idea's are equally good, I ask you to please re-consider stripping the players of local chat and messaging.

The fact that you even consider making the server non-whitelisted is absolutely terrible. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people will join the server, most of which un-educated and pvpers only wishing to either grief, troll, spam or try rp but fail miserably. Yes you will get more people to join, but the right ones? I don't want to join a server filled with hundreds of terrible rpers, even if they are joining to rp at all.