501warhead

Just to reiterate from my status update; No, I don't see the numbers draining. Actually, they're draining from their summer high sure but to say we're draining? Cmon. Literally 3rd best month of the year, 4 months of subpar activity and we're doing absolutely great now. And you were an asshole on staff, I wanted to tell it to ya but I respected ioannis and let him know my thoughts so that he could run the team he wanted to, because we let directors have independence. I express my concerns to team directors, but I don't force my opinion on them. But regardless, we're working on the mechanics & the rule set as stated here. Also flambo is a good lad, I'm glad he accepted our offer ? ...What? We've accepted 1,600 people this year. 1,500 have joined and 200 of them are still playing, our retention rate is actually going up, currently at 28.5%. What is this flat line you're talking about? Do you even know what you're talking about? Because right now, looking at the numbers, it doesn't really agree with you. That rate can and should be better but we've been rapidly bringing in new players who are enjoying the server - while the retention is garbage it's not this so called "flat line". I do want to take more of the media team into our hands though, but media producing takes a while. I did a few livestreams of the Territories plugin development a while back kinda low-key to see what it would be like and boy I was exhausted after doing such. It's hard balancing all that out. I want to pursue this though, if you're interested in helping out though I'd love to reach out to you non-ironically so you could help out if you wished. I kind of explained the admin thing, we can't prioritize activity heavily. It's nice, it's important, but replacing an admin (I've had to do this way too many times) is stressful, time consuming, and often takes away from our other projects. We gotta choose between hunting a 5th admin or writing war rules, hunting a 5th admin or increasing communication. It takes time to interview people, and it's time we'd rather just use elsewhere if the admin is going to be at least semi-present. It seems backwards but that's my experience.

I mean, alright sure. I'll just not communicate anything next time, because it doesn't matter at all right? If it's useless then why bother talking at all? Why publically announce anything? I put in the effort to increase the communication because I feel it is an issue, and while my answers are very weak at times it's about all I can give. I apologize for being honest? Maybe I should learn to lie to the community more? It's not intended to "address player concerns". It's intended to answer questions, explain stances, and just communicate. Nothing is final here, but overall the goal was accomplished even if you read things you didn't like. Sorry? Playercount decreases every night after 2AM, and fluxuates throughout the days and weeks. I'll get back to you with some hard numbers though to see if I'm accurate on this front, we can parse exact player averages. Nations being inactive is due to a lack of being able to encourage people to come by. This can either be due to roads not being great or the nation not offering anything. Sutica is an active nation and it's position is far away. Haelunor is growing more active, and it has been dead. Some nations thrive, others don't. At any given time during peak hours there are between 20 and 30 individuals not a part of roleplay, either as 1 or 2 people. We can measure this, and have a command to do so; and about 10 are staff members (ET/GMs). I wouldn't exactly blame this on freebuild. And yes, they are at critical levels. But, that's why I'm making something like this, no?

My grandfather died of parkinsons (the really bad, falling kind) and my mother has been living with stage 4 for ~3 years after being diagnosed for 10. I'm allowed to make that joke

Added Nexus, as a plugin, is never returning. We may attempt to do some of the concepts it had however in a better, more RP friendly way. We will see if this is a reality we have the time for. But ya, nexus' code was like watching a stage 4 parkinsons patient try to paint within lines

Stay classy, LotC.

agreed

I write rules, not follow them ?

As stated above, I want to see more levels of war that don't include destruction & support them with increased casus belli + casus belli system revamps. It's a matter of figuring out what those goals are that will take discussion, planning, etc.

I figured this was a good time to just go ahead and write down some of the questions & their answers that I've been receiving over the past week or so so that these inquiries don't have to be answered so often and folks get an idea about all of these different subjects. New Map?/Is Atlas close to being over?/Is September Prince going to end the map? No. The new map's development will be communicated well in advance and we are no where near the time to do such. Atlas will last for a while still. Sorry to rain on your parade Aesopian, wonks are pretty cool though Is X going to be in the next map? Can't tell you. It's far too early to begin any form of rule rework planning. The server is dying I already answered this one but the short of it is; it's only dying if you believe it is. We'll take steps to improve the playing of the game but to be gloom and doom about the server "dying" is really just your perspective on things, not a reality. War Rule changes when? War rule changes are something we'll be talking about hopefully soon when we finish up handling some internal issues (promotion of a few directors and working with the GM team to finish up a few of their projects). You should see more about this but it depends on my schedule & availability. Ideally we can have a nice, friendly conversation about it. Ok, but none of you are pvp admins so you're going to make terrible war rules like you already have That's harsh. The war rules were an experiment that we've maintained poorly, but we want to expand upon it. Our ideal is that war can happen but we would like to pursue lesser tiers of war and increase the amount of available casus belli, so not every war ends up with one side feeling insane amounts of stress and so both parties can enjoy it more. As stated above, it'll be something we communicate. Also, fight me. Territories when?/Nation Applications when?/Tile applications when? Territories is on hold until 1.13 is more stable and will potentially launch with 1.13 or shortly after. There will be public posts & the works explaining what the plugin does. In the meanwhile some GMs are drafting up ideas for how to handle a system for claiming land. When are inactive nations being removed? As soon as we get the tools to prove they're actually inactive because timezones are a weird construct that tend to not line up. We wanted to remove two nations when we launched the map but they were proven to be more active than initially thought due to timezones. So we're basically not removing nations until we can actually prove that they're inactive + give them a warning to improve or be removed When is freebuild being removed? Likely not this map, though aspects of it will change over time hopefully with territories being released. Territories may be a success, it may not be, but hopefully it is at least something we can try and will work for us. Why is the Administration bad? Why are you bad? Heh, gottem... Communication?/Wheres the Communication? You're looking at it For real though Ok, we're attempting to pursue a new idea that will be hopefully formally announced soon to kind of explain it but we want to pursue having a Community Manager (not an admin position) which will assist us with both communicating over various media (livestream organization, community meetings) but actually yell at us when we need to communicate more. Like a coach for talking. It's probably sad that we need this but it's fiiiine. Limited Creative?/LC?/Can we get a limited form of creative for building? For this map, likely not. We're trying to pursue a survival-focused aspect augmented with resource island. It's annoying, I know - but LC hasn't really shaped up well (dupe glitches, ahoy!) What about fly? We'd have to do it on a per-region basis like LC but it's something we're considering if the land claiming thing/territories comes out. The map is too large! We know What are you doing about it? Planning for the future, also looking into routes to make foot traffic better without falling into what, we believe, is a fast travel trap that causes some issues. But if it has to be done to improve the server it will be. The rules aren't that good!/I got banned for something not in the rules! The rules are currently being worked on to add more to them, but at times we enforce the spirit of the law over the letter of the law. It usually depends heavily on context and intent and is not usually applied to random cases, instead you might find that even though you're within the "rules" if you're approaching something in a toxic/terrible manner you may be reprimanded. Surprise surprise, acting like an asshole gets you in trouble. But I feel I was target banned! You can make an anonymous staff report or contact the Game Team Director. Anonymous reports aren't handled! Anonymous reports are usually handled in a timely fashion if they're on specific members of a team, we try to sort them as quick as we can (we dont always look at them immediately!). Reports on directors or administrators take longer as a lot of internal discussion has to happen between the directors or the rest of the un-reported administration as to the subject. GMs are shit you're shit That's not a response You may not always like them but the GMs are here to help the server. They enforce the rules they think are right and try to make the server a better place. If you think a moderator could do a better job you should provide them or their management with constructive feedback and you might find your words listened to a bit better. It's better to be a freebuild than a nation You aren't wrong and it's something that we want to resolve with territories which at this point in time is soon to be if it already isn't a meme. In the meanwhile just hang in there Give Aesopian region perms get off my account aeso and no, you're not getting them New admin? As stated in my 1.13 post (I snuck it in there, you should read more posts!) we're looking for a new admin. It's from within the staff, so apply if you wish. Being or having been in a moderation position (LT/GM/FM) is a plus. The selection will likely not be for a few months as school is starting soon. We look for candidates who have a strong motivating drive as the first priority as pulling on an Administrator who doesn't or can't pull their weight as part of the team causes us even more delays. No, we aren't looking for an echobox; if you have the work ethic you'll be considered regardless of your ability to type long sentences or click very fast. X should be admin The requirements for being an eligible candidate is to be on staff. Outside of that we get frequent recommendations but we are watching at all times looking for a proper candidate. It'll be based on those observations, not recommendations Unban X We stand by the bans we've made. Sometimes we don't communicate the reasonings well enough, and hopefully this can change for the future, but we've pursued bans for reasons we believe are very valid and very warranted. It's unlikely making forum posts will change someone's ban time unless evidence that absolves them of guilt is presented. That's dumb We wouldn't have made the decision in the first place if we didn't believe it was justified. You're dumb I don't like administrator X We're sorry that you feel that way but kicking admins off the team whenever there is unrest is counterproductive to what we aim to do. As much as you might dislike a specific administrator replacing such a member will take weeks or months, detracting from the over all work that we do as a team and ultimately causing more issues than the ones usually presented in such a case that is made in this way. Every admin fills a role and is a pick we spend a lot of time discussing, planning, and making; it's unlikely an administrator you dislike is going anywhere soon. Instead; provide constructive feedback to the administrator and do so with an open mind. There may be things you don't know that could change your perception. Oh wait, that's reasonable. Ya nvm, fuck that guy. But that guy is you Ya? Fuck him still. What did I ever do for myself? All admins have to put in 30 hour days on lotc to make things happen at the rate I want them to happen Unfortunately, our schedules fluctuate. While it's great to want to expect admins to be present all the time for lotc at the end of the day replacing an admin after a bit of inactivity would mean the team would rotate at a rate comparable to the Event Team. When an admin leaves it creates a massive vacuum of work to pick up for the existing members and constantly having a rotating administration would stall out and crush any hope of progress or change. When it comes to the role we can't value activity over dedication; if someone wants to continue to do the role and they at least put in a fair amount of time then that is preferable to starting the recruitment process over again. NEW: You're all unapproachable My discord is to the left (in a box to the left to the left). Add me if you need to talk, I usually respond when im not working (5PM EDT - 10PM EDT weekdays, ~8AM EDT - ~12PM EDT weekends). If I know what you're adding me about already and I know you're just coming to me to try to get a reversal of a decision that's valid I might not add you. That's about it. NEW: What does each admin do? Telanir: Telanir is the Administrative chairman. It doesn't mean he has more authority than the rest of us but it means he focuses the time he has on trying to ensure the administration runs smoothly and oversees the induction of new admins to the team after we collectively vote on our new member Me: Honestly nothing tbh I'm the guy focused on Strategy, which means how we can grow and improve as a server. New players are a big focus but it's also about improving retention. Flamboyant: Our lore administrator, he's focused on working on and maintaining lore while being our resident lore expert that we poke when all of us other admins have questions Knox: Knox has focusing on communication + strategy, filling in for me with my tighter schedule when I have to fly off into devland and fix some plugin stuff. NEW (Not admin but w.e): Bring back nexus Nexus, as a plugin, is never returning. We may attempt to retry some of the ideas of nexus but do so in a less invasive, more RP-friendly way. Time will tell if the dev team has enough time for this. Why are you still here? We've heard this before Yes, you probably have. Unfortunately, time is an important and often lacking resource that is taken up quite frequently by trying to micromanage the various explosions and fires that happen both on the server and in the community. Between fixing server problems (3-4 days of headaches and it's still not fixed) to trying to respond to the latest of the forum panics these things tend to drag out quite heavily. As things quiet down you'll notice our productivity usually goes up. We tend to value work over talk, so communication is often poor while we try to resolve things. I'm a bit of a sarcastic asshole, but I hope this answered some questions. Have a great evening, I'll be out for a few hours getting some much needed groceries. This may be expanded upon if I think of anything else.

Greetings LotC! 1.13 As many of you have likely seen, lately Minecraft has updated to 1.13, the Aquatic update. If you haven't taken the time to read through the changes or play them yourself you most certainly should - it is a massive update, the largest in Minecraft history, so getting familiar with it is a good idea! However, unfortunately I come being the bearer of bad news on this front. The 1.13 update is so massive and game-changing that it's going to be very difficult for us to update it in a timely manner, and that's not based on our own motivation. You can read the specifics on this spigotmc post (Spigot is the server software that runs Lord of the Craft) but essentially if we update now we risk corrupting massive portions of the map (50%+) - We'll be trying some conversions on a dev server to see if we can accomplish it but right now it's looking unlikely that we'll see an update for a few months while we wait for Spigot (and even vanilla) to fix some of the major bugs. In the meanwhile we'll be moving our code to work with 1.13 so that we're as ready as we can be for when it's ultimately possible for us to update. When we do update to 1.13 however you can expect a host of new features to accompany the big update, both integrating new mechanics possible with 1.13 and some projects that have been worked on for a while. We'll keep you in the loop as we get closer to the day when we can update, but for now hang tight! Wiki In other news, @2samspan has stepped down from the role as Wiki Team Director and for the time being I've taken it up until a future date. Working with the team and team management now we have some big plans for the future of the wiki to make it a better place for new and old players to learn things and understand how to use others. Keep an eye on the wiki and you might be surprised at how it changes in the next few months! The wiki is something that I hold in high regard personally as I see it as an excellent tool to teach players about some of the smaller pieces of lore we have on the server, as well as a resource for new players to easily learn about our expansive lore and complicated in game systems. I hope that we will be able to accomplish a lot in the next month toward making the wiki user friendly and up to date. If you aim to try to aid with this consider applying in the wiki team staff application forum! Administration @Harold has stepped down from the role as Administrator due to being unable to find the time for the position. We wish him the best of luck in all that he does, and in the next few months we'll be looking to bring on a new member of the team to fill the void. We aim, as a team, to float around the five member mark in order to allow our decision making to be (relatively) quick, as we've noticed a trend of larger teams causing us to stall out rapidly. To shed some light on the selection process for those interested the Administration chooses from staff members, often times looking for those who are communicative and show initiative. One of the strongest traits needed to be able to hold the position is a self-motivating drive as the team often focuses on individual projects, and we've felt that administrators who were promoted in the past without a drive to see change or improvement on the server often are unsure of what to do in their position. If you are interested in being a member of the Administration consider the above carefully, and if you aren't on staff and you want to pursue the role consider joining any team - all staff can be promoted to an Administrator, regardless of team. Experience in a moderation role however (Lore, Game, Forums) is generally considered a plus! That'll be all for now, we hope this sheds some light on a few questions you had!

A simple war-related your view. We're using a new automated system for Siege equipment like Trebuchets. This was used today in the Whitepeak warclaim and seemed to be mostly functional with a few tweaks needed to improve usability. For the feedback to not cover existing topics; We've made it so that for future warclaims each side will choose who can use Siege Equipment. Those who are not chosen cannot use said Siege equipment. This will be in effect for tomorrow's (Reiver Siege) warclaim and beyond. Discuss! We want to make the Siege plugin fun and friendly for everyone, new or old.

Update Freebuilds that are deemed over 30 days inactive through logs may be evicted with as little as 3 days notice.

Update This update sees some of the older rules and some of the Game Team policies added formally to rules. - A Leadership figure leaving a nation may only take up to 10% of the nation's storage when they leave. Moderator Supervision is required for specific items that cannot be divided - You cannot enter a Combat Prohibited area during Combat - You cannot construct "Instant" Death Traps "Instant" being traps that lock you into place and kill you without any interaction. - Several updates to Player-Vs-Player combat are added; Lava and Water buckets cannot be placed during Combat Flint and Steel may not be used during Combat Boat "Glitching" cannot be used during Combat - You cannot construct farms that are underground without appropriate lore allowing it.

Update Added the following rule back to the rules: If you are held against your will for 15 minutes or more without more than a minimum level of roleplay you may soulstone freely. Edited the previous rule to now state: A player can only be held against their will for up to 3 hours of roleplay. A noble or leader can be held for up to 5 hours of roleplay, the critera for this matches rescue raids. At the end of the timeframe a player must be killed, let go, or allowed to soulstone.

Accepted. Please add 501warhead#0501 on discord.

"Which Sect do you wish to join?" - A penned response.

Update Added the following rule: "A player may only be held against their will for up to 1 and 1/2 hours of roleplay. At the end of the timeframe the player may leave the roleplay however the capturer permits either through being let go, soulstoning, or dying as requested."

Accepted. Please add 501warhead#0501 on discord.

The Wilven Order “The Wilven Order has one primary goal, to serve the Triumvirate and their wishes. The Triumvirate teaches patience, teaches us to guide the lost, to feed the hungry, and to respect the dead. These principles are the bedrock of our order and our faith, and it is through following the paths laid before us that we will best serve the Triumvirate. In order to see the duties of the temples fulfilled properly that a structure has been defined for the temples to follow that align themselves with the Wilven Order. These roles and sects are created for the purpose of general guidelines for all Pious Monks, but never forget the principles that the Triumvirate teach. They are universal to all monks, of all statuses.” From the Desk of Abbot Urian THE ORDER Abbot Urian Delfrote (Unplayed) Abbot is the highest attainable role in the Wilven Order. It is this single individual that leads the order in all of its efforts and they maintain the will of the Triumvirate from Maronir, the Center Temple. They are rarely seen and spend most of their days seeking the will of the Triumvirate for the order. This character is not to be played without Administrative Approval Grand Monk (Unplayed) Grand Monks are the hands of the Abbot. Grand Monks are promoted from capable Archmonks and brought to Maronir to serve. They are the will and the voice of the Abbot and by extension the Triumvirate. They are also rarely seen as they spend most of their days in Maronir, awaiting the word of the Abbot. These characters are not to be played without Administrative Approval Silent Monk (Formerly, Crypt Monk) (Unplayed) Silent Monks are the monks of legend and rumor. These people are the mysterious force behind healing and rejuvenation at the temple. As a part of their learning in order to wield this healing power they are subject to an oath of silence to the Triumvirate. Breaking this oath means death, and as such they work in quiet beneath the temple grounds where their secrets remain hidden from prying eyes. These characters are not to be played without Administrative Approval Archmonk Archmonk of Keldrith Velth ((501warhead)) Archmonk of Rellenia Knom ((Corpean)) Archmonk of Tariel Vyktor ((RideTheSky)) Archmonks are the appointed caretakers of a specific temple. Each temple has 3 Archmonks, each representing a member of the Triumvirate and their will in the lands that they have been appointed. They are the extension of the abbot in the lands that the Wilven Order serves, and promote new monks in the temple. Each Archmonk leads a sect of the order stationed in a land. Archmonks are only playable by an active Administrator, Game Moderator, Developer, Application Team Director, or Application Team Manager and must be approved to do so. Elder Monk Elder Monks are the direct assistants of the Archmonks, they are trusted with advising the Archmonks on decisions, training new initiates, and maintaining temple grounds. They are subject to following the orders of the Archmonks. Temple Monk Temple Monks are the graduated state of the Initiate, being deemed to have properly followed the guiding principles of the Triumvirate. They are given more responsibility and are expected to set good examples for initiates. Temple Monks have varying responsibilities based off of their chosen Sect. Initiate Monk Initiate Monks are new members of the order who have expressed interest in following the principles of the Triumvirate. They are tutored by their superiors on the path of the Triumvirate and upon successful understanding are promoted to Temple Monk. THE SECTS Sun The Servants of Keldrith The Sect of the Sun follows the principles of Keldrith, aiming to be a beacon of light to those in need. They maintain the temple grounds, harvest crops to feed the hungry, and manage the temple stores. It is through their efforts that the other sects are provided the tools they need to perform their duties. Moon The Servants of Rellenia The Sect of the Moon is one of healing and respect for the Dead. The Silent Monks heal the serious wounds but such is an intensive process saved only for the most mortal of wounds. Instead, using alchemic and medicinal routes the Sect of the Moon treats wounds of adventures who come to the temple, bandaging them up and helping them on their way. In addition the Sect of the Moon handles the respectful burial of the dead and will actively seek out such to give them a proper burial in moonlight of the mother. Stars The Servants of Tariel The Sect of the Stars is one of guidance. Sailors use the light of Tariel to guide their ships and the Sect of the Stars aims to each be a light to guide. The role of the Sect of the Stars is an important one - while all monks are expected to fulfill this task the burden especially is on them. They are to guide the lost and confused through the realms of the world - using any resource at their disposal to navigate safely to these locations to provide a haven or a home to the homeless. ((OOC)) Application Upon successful application you will be added to a discord where you will be given additional details and coordinated with in order to begin some basic roleplay. Monks will be given housing inside of the temple. MC Name: Discord (Or Forum PM me): Character Name: Age: Why are you pursuing the route of Monkhood?: Which sect do you wish to join?: Do you agree to abide by the three laws of the Triumvirate?: (Do not Fight, Guide the Lost, and Teach the Confused.)

The Wilven Separation The First Abbot was the namesake for the order and the role model of all monks; Wilven Adonan. It was under his guidance that the Wilven Sanctuary was established properly and the monks of old were reformed into a new organization built on the principles of the Triumvirate. Through these teachings and guidelines the Wilven Order soon became larger than ever before, growing beyond the bounds of expectation. Realizing that there were always those in need of the teachings and guidance of the Triumvirate the Wilven Order set out advancing and establishing proxy temples in other lands, often sending expeditionary forces into unknown and uncharted land to establish places of healing long before any man, woman, or child had ventured forward into them. It was as this expansion grew that new problems had become acutely known - as expansions managed to become inter-dimensional soon the ancestral birthplace of the Order - the Sanctuary itself - became difficult to manage from. It is with this that the Abbot of the time, the Esteemed and Wise Maron Veneder, gathered the order together to pray to the Triumvirate for guidance on this grand problem. They would continue this prayer for a year until finally, deep in the night, the Abbot woke from a restless sleep. In a need to clear his head to return to sleep he stepped out onto his balcony - and the sky held the answer. Hanging in the sky in perfect clarity to the Abbott’s eyes was a fair maiden, a woman who’s flowing hair was made from constellations and her clothes were stitched with the heavens. She pointed a single finger downward, to a place hidden on the horizon. In a flurry the Abbot would gather up all of the followers he could in the dead of the night as he had received guidance from the Triumvirate themselves. For weeks they travelled the edges of Asulon, following the path laid for them by the Lady of the Stars. Eventually, after most had given up hope they found it. The Scene they found when they stepped through the portal was breathtaking - a sprawling valley of nature, wildlife, and peace like no other. The landscape was flowing with crystal clear water and welcomed the order with almost open arms with a plentiful bounty of edible foods. There was a price however and as the order stepped through the portal shut tight behind them, leaving them stranded in this unknown land with the Abbot himself. Maron would come to be known, as we learned later, as the ‘Missing Abbott’ but such could not be further from the truth. You see, this world was devoid of any structure man-made or not… with the exceptions of various door frames around the valley. These stood empty when the monks first discovered them but through time, discovery, and innovation they soon became fully functional methods of dimensional travel - Linking the various expeditionary forces from all over the known world to the Abbot, save one - the world of Asulon, the shining hope and the home of the Triumvirate, could not be reached no matter how hard the monks tried. The Temples of Asulon and Anthos were lost from the newly formed, bustling organization under the watchful eyes of the Abbot Maron. Soon Maron would pass away peacefully in his sleep - but the legacy of the Abbot lived on. The Proxy Temples soon became full orders of their own, having archmonks assigned to them to train and guide new Wilven Monks. Another Abbot was appointed and life lived on for a time until the arrival of the Descendant races in the land of Athera. As people poured off the boats from Thales the monks were startled, surprised even as the tales of all that they had experienced in Anthos and Asulon were told to the order present. Monks that had been left behind were brought in with wide eyes by the Archmonk of the temple, hearing their stories with wide eyes. Finally - the relics thought long lost were brought to the Athera temple - and thus the order became whole once more. Penned by Atlassian Archmonk of Keldrith, Velth ((This is an IC interpretation of the story, and may be subject to writers bias.))

It should be made perfectly, utterly clear (and I apologize for not doing so in the post) that there are two types of monks; Crypt/Silent Monks (Who revive players) and Wilven Monks. They are both monks, but Crypt/Silent Monks are unplayable and are the only monks who revive. The playable monks will have no magic to speak of, and will simply take care of the grounds and new players while the serious monks get busy below the temple doing the do.