rivean
staff puppet account
Posts: 4
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Post by rivean on Jul 1, 2014 1:41:47 GMT -5
As an administrator, your essential responsibility and primary goal is the well-being of the game. It is plainly self evident that it is to betterment of the game that character applications be as quickly, and as smoothly handled as possible. It's not about YOU vs. THEM as a staffer (and might I add that this sort of attitude has been precisely the problem with SoI's staff over its long history), it's not about who should be doing what, it's simply this:
If it's in the interest of the game, you should be doing it. If your having fixed the typo or whatever and accepted the application would be beneficial for the game (and it most certainly would) then you should be doing it. That the people you are dealing with happen to be careless, unlucky, or simply idiots, does not relieve you of this simple burden. And if you're NOT doing what you ought to be doing because you feel you and your precious time are not being respected by the people making typos in their applications, then you, sir, are the one with the ego problem, and are the reason why mud admins everywhere are a universally reviled breed, second only to accountants and criminal defense attorneys.
I say this (except for the sleight to lawyers and accountants) as someone who, for many years, was a player guide on SoI - which job, as you well ought to recall, entailed going through the most numerous, most ridiculous and most poorly written character apps the game would tend to see.
And in the event, really, that you're being more helpful to the game by coding, making crafts, or, you know, that other favorite staff pasttime - conveying undue advantages to your PCs and those of your lackeys and significant others, then please go do that, and leave the character application process to people who are capable of dealing with [often new] players without making them feel slighted and unwelcome.
It is, in my opinion, infinitely better for the game for the app to wait another few hours for somebody with the time to give it the consideration its due, than for it to be summarily rejected for some stupid mistake by somebody who has no regard for what impact this sort of treatment will have on the player's perception of the game and its administration.
More generally, though I never got to know him well, I've always admired Japheth's sense of dignity and the way he's conducted himself in his dealings with the players - which is in direct contrast to our other titans, such as Kite, or Rhino (the latter of whom was an excellent roleplayer, btw)
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Post by blooper on Jul 3, 2014 22:13:05 GMT -5
I gotta say, I've been enjoying the two characters I've played here so far. Both orcs. One died because I didn't know the Swim command. Running from a warg, found the river, tried to South the river, but it said you need to Swim. I hadn't had to do that before, so I ran off another direction. Warg caught me, ate me, heh. Least now I know though. This time, I took quite a few crafting abilities, but I gotta say, the system is WAY different than what is on Armageddon. I was getting pretty frustrated the other day after trying HELP way too many times and typing all sorts of commands to try to cook a hunk of venison. Got some help though and got it figured out. Pretty interesting stuff. Point of all this, I've really been enjoying myself. From what I've seen on the Orc side, the leaders try to include players and there's good activity during peak hours. Again, that's the Orc side. From what I understand, the humans have more players, but I've -really- been enjoying the RP with the Orcs. Lotta fun!! Oh yeah, don't try to Look East or whatever. Use Scan instead. There are a number of other differences that can be frustrating for someone transitioning over from Arm, but so far, I've found it to be worth giving the old college try.
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Post by topkekm8s on Jul 9, 2014 16:06:13 GMT -5
I thought signups were closed
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crane
staff puppet account
Posts: 3
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Post by crane on Jul 19, 2014 22:39:43 GMT -5
Submitted a char app to SoI while waiting for Arm to approve my latest char app.. Much faster response time, so far it looks good
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 15:56:46 GMT -5
Anyone playing this? It seems like there's nothing going on in the game except some private plot centered around some former admin's invite-only tribe. The peak numbers are dropping steadily, too. Not sure what's up but there just doesn't seem to be anything going on at all. I haven't put in that many hours, but still it's remarkably dead already in terms of activity, although the numbers don't seem critical just yet.
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jkarr
GDB Superstar
Posts: 2,030
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Post by jkarr on Jul 30, 2014 19:34:41 GMT -5
stuff that makes complete sense bigtime necro, but i just jumped into this thread so deal with it t2thej, keep doing what ur doing. ur sticking to the policy and if some players are going to get butthurt over u conditioning them (or not) to take the time to send their shit in properly the first time then let'em leave. ur time is more valuable than players, and when its not the numbers will show it. arm did exactly the same in earlier days on top of the fact that u would already regularly be waiting days (not hours) for approval to begin with this isnt anything players should have to convince you to do, because if its that much of a nuisance for them then they would leave. my guess is theyre continuing to bitch out of an unwarranted sense of entitlement because they think its ur job to correct their mistakes. it isnt and it never will be; doing so is an optional courtesy that is up to u to use at ur disposal, not something to be expected by any of the pbase just because theyre used to getting spoiled with imm autocorrections
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Post by legendary on Jul 30, 2014 20:33:34 GMT -5
Anyone playing this? It seems like there's nothing going on in the game except some private plot centered around some former admin's invite-only tribe. The peak numbers are dropping steadily, too. Not sure what's up but there just doesn't seem to be anything going on at all. I haven't put in that many hours, but still it's remarkably dead already in terms of activity, although the numbers don't seem critical just yet. I play once in a while. My Merchant Guard PC did well during the opening boom, but after that I've been unable to get involved with much of anything. There are five groups in the human sphere that are involved in their own mini-plots, but they seem to be incredibly exclusive and isolated. If you aren't with them you don't get to be part of the plot. There is the Lodge which doesn't seem to serve a purpose, save for being a 'catch all' free ride. Free food, free craft training, free lodgings, free storage, free access to facilities with basically no requirement beyond asking to join. It's open to anyone and everyone, even warriors and 'rogue' type PCs who contribute nothing but their presence to what is effectively the social clan of the sphere. There is the Merchant Guard acting as the token combat clan, though they're a bit of a running joke since they do nothing but lose to the Orc sphere. They get free food, free NPC healing, free equipment, a free sparring NPC and the leaders seem to be heavily staff favored. The only plots the Merchant Guard aren't dragging down are the staff created ones to give them combat experience and to make them feel special. They seem to be Icarus' favorite clan and get a lot of special treatment, such as 'max your skills guys' sparring NPCs that no one else in the game will have access to, at least human side. It was a lot of fun with the original group, but those days are over. There is the Toki / Hillman thing that seems to be the most popular of the bunch, since they all get away with a hilarious amount of skill twinking and still receive staff blessing with special constructions and such. I was involved with them when they were still with the Lodge but for IC reasons my hunter avoids them. It seems to be a sinking ship now that a lot of the import PCs have died. They are the only people human side to ever win against the orc side when it wasn't an 8+ vs 1 orc fight and do a lot / most of the buying from independents instead of the lodge. Then there's Calder, who is supposed to be a tailor at the Lodge but seems to be a catch-all facilitator. He buys from independents like Toki does and hires combat PCs for some reason, but I don't know why. He plays with his wife / girlfriend who has one of the top human combat PCs and the only one that gives training to independents afaik. They're the only 'group' that isn't propped up by the staff. They're the the smallest / least powerful group human side and the only ones without a building of their own. There is the Inn clan but they don't hire PCs and don't reliably buy anything but firewood and meat. They aren't around much and when they are they play with themselves as 'couples'. The clan leader is the only one regularly involved with the town and is probably the hardest working player in SoI. They run the only regular player RPT but I'm not online to see what it's like. Mixed reviews on the forums. There are a dwindling number of players human side because there is nothing to do and no room for people to be independent. It seems like it's the staff goal to force everyone into a clan and leave the solo / independent player to miss out on almost all the meat of the game. I started with four others and they all quit because there was nothing for them to do and no opportunities that weren't based in snooze-worthy clans. That's human side, from a day one casual player. From the sounds of things, the Orc sphere is doing much better, so when my hunter dies I'll give being a greenskin a try.
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t2thej
staff puppet account
Posts: 44
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Post by t2thej on Jul 30, 2014 22:14:33 GMT -5
stuff that makes complete sense bigtime necro, but i just jumped into this thread so deal with it t2thej, keep doing what ur doing. ur sticking to the policy and if some players are going to get butthurt over u conditioning them (or not) to take the time to send their shit in properly the first time then let'em leave. ur time is more valuable than players, and when its not the numbers will show it. arm did exactly the same in earlier days on top of the fact that u would already regularly be waiting days (not hours) for approval to begin with this isnt anything players should have to convince you to do, because if its that much of a nuisance for them then they would leave. my guess is theyre continuing to bitch out of an unwarranted sense of entitlement because they think its ur job to correct their mistakes. it isnt and it never will be; doing so is an optional courtesy that is up to u to use at ur disposal, not something to be expected by any of the pbase just because theyre used to getting spoiled with imm autocorrections Nah. Everyone got all butthurt because I made a snarky comment to Delarak. His history with SoI was quite tumultuous. Of course this wasn't my behavior during my time there, it was too easy to right-click and auto-correct spellings, like I pretty much said in the posts. I refrained from responding individually because I am not that invested in defending a stance I only offered in counter to a weak stance they took. In all, you'll never convince me that players aren't lazy when they don't put forth their best application possible when they're applying to game that the whole -community- has spent countless hours pouring their time and effort into.
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MartenBroadcloak
Displaced Tuluki
It's not a shit post if you spell check (tm)
Posts: 370
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Post by MartenBroadcloak on Jul 30, 2014 23:00:07 GMT -5
It's totally alpha. Everything is a test at this point. If something is horribly broken, either mechanically or in practice (exploits, loopholes, clans, documentation, plots, skills, items, etc) That's kind of to be expected really, I'd think.
the only complaint I really have is the lack of documentation. Perhaps I'm ARM spoiled but having a solid body of docs that stipulate what things are and how they fit and what they're supposed to be like is pretty important to cohesion in a game world. Even if the code is alpha-level broken or exploitable, documentation needs to exist for an RP guideline on behaviour.
That being said there isn't a lot to do and as clans start to make up their own little rules it's becoming cliquey and people are clinging to whichever PC's or groups they find consistent/regular RP with and 'settling' into a certain mindset, that might not be what the actual intent of their role was at the outset.
So. No. It's not solid enough to say you can jump in and find a whole lot of stuff to do or plots to jump into. It's fun but it's not at all streamlined or polished in any sense of the word.
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Post by legendary on Jul 31, 2014 16:19:28 GMT -5
I like you, but your parroting of "Alpha, it's alpha! Squawk!" like the ARPI / PRPI cliques on the forums makes me want to slap you.
"It's Alpha" doesn't excuse some of the blatant favors being granted to some players but not others, nor does it excuse them investing an excess of staff resources into clans like The Merchant Guard while leaving the rest of the sphere twiddling their thumbs. If they have time to regularly create rooms, NPCs, plots and more for this specific group on a regular basis, why not for other clans?
I have been hunting on my PC for weeks and weeks and have never once had any kind of animation, but my friend who (up until recently) played a hunter in the clan regularly had creatures animated for him to interact with. It was enough he complained to me that he feels like they're always watching him.
The Merchant Guard is never bored for long because the staff is always right there to create a pack of animated wargs, forest trolls, organized entire plots around brigands and constant construction, expansion and improvements of that clans facilities. By comparison, the Lodge has been waiting on four rooms so the Foremen can have offices.
For weeks and weeks and weeks. Four rooms.
The Inn had been getting requests for rooms, almost from the start of Alpha, and only recently had them added to the game. The players in TMG complained they couldn't compete in combat with hunters (when most of TMG excursions involve training on wolves and wargs), so in a few days time the staff had not just agreed to give them sparring NPCs but to make them exclusive, just like NPC healing.
The rest of the sphere? Fuck you, rest of the sphere.
This isn't a problem with the game being, "Alpha".
This is a problem with the game being managed by people who want to power up their friends and favorites, while neglecting the rest of the sphere until they can 'find the time' to implement an often bug riddled 'feature' to appease the disenfranchised.
Considering most players are completely ignored and ticket requests take so long that the PCs involved have died, rerolled and died again before they're addressed, it's not hard to see why so many are becoming unhappy with the game, or at least the sphere. Especially when they see a handful of people being showered with praise, special attention and in-game benefits that they themselves will never, ever receive.
Don't blame these issues on "Alpha" because that is a complete crock of shit.
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Jeshin
GDB Superstar
Posts: 1,451
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Post by Jeshin on Jul 31, 2014 17:29:09 GMT -5
Lets start off with some facts...
I am Elan on SOI and I appreciate your statement that I am the hardest working PC (if you meant me!) I have contact with staff and give my opinions on developement stuff like rooms in the Inn and pricing of food and any bugged stuff I see. I won't make excuses or apologize for SOI or their staff in this post.
That being said lets move on to some opinions...
SOI has a ragtag staff. They have heart but they don't have organization. They are not only in ALPHA as a MUD but they are in ALPHA as a staff group. This means that communication is in need of improvement, direction is in need of improvement, and the MUDs state is a reflection of the staffs state. With that being said I think that SOI represents the last bastion of hope for a lot of people. They either fundamentally do not like other RP or RPI mud options or cannot go back to places like ARM. While SOI as an entity is old this version of it is new and can still be positively influenced.
I personally do not believe staff to be showing any favoritism. I place this in opinions because I only base this on my discussion with the current staffers. I believe that they are teddy bears. They are push overs. They do not want to upset or unduly disenfranchise anyone. Thus people willing to push the boundaries, test the rules, and generally take advantage are doing so and the staff have as of yet stepped up with the hammer. They prefer soft methods of changing the way the game functions over outright scolding or banning.
For awhile people believed the Ironwood PCs to be staff favorites. I assure you the only 'favoritism' we receive is that our bug reports and concerns get a bit of precedence because part of the job description is to bring these issues to the staff. The Ironwood also hires quite a few PCs that were outside of the original family role. We have 3 such at the moment with 2 previously who are no longer with the clan for one reason or another.
The Lodge is an outright clusterfuck. The head PC there has been trying to get things together and I have personally been involved in giving some ideas and advice to staff about implementing an NPC support structure to the Lodge and Utterby at large. There are several updates that I have been assured are pending to make the Lodge serve a purpose and encourage them to interact with all the clans and independants equally.
I think the RPAs have been burnt out or overwhelmed and the new ones are still being brought up to speed. I hope they will have RPTs prepared.
I think the MUD needs players who care enough to tell staff the truth to become good.
In summary or TLDR
SOI is not a good MUD yet. It is still being shaped and likely opened to early to be truly ALPHA. The staff are pushovers not staff-pet enablers. The best thing anyone can do is post honestly and consistently to their forum and bring ideas and concerns to them until you are blue in the face and maybe this MUD will turn the corner and be a true rival to existing muds like ARM.
PS - I have shown this thread to staff several times when I was in communication with them and I have done so again. I hope that the opinions and concerns posted here will find their way to the SOI forums too.
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Post by nobodyatall on Jul 31, 2014 18:10:02 GMT -5
Nah. Everyone got all butthurt because I made a snarky comment to Delarak. His history with SoI was quite tumultuous. Of course this wasn't my behavior during my time there, it was too easy to right-click and auto-correct spellings, like I pretty much said in the posts. I refrained from responding individually because I am not that invested in defending a stance I only offered in counter to a weak stance they took. In all, you'll never convince me that players aren't lazy when they don't put forth their best application possible when they're applying to game that the whole -community- has spent countless hours pouring their time and effort into. People got 'butthurt' (AKA called you out on your shit) not because you got mad at Delerak, but because contrary to how you're talking now, you acted like it was a BIG DAMN DEAL that you AS A HOLY AND ALWAYS CORRECT STAFFER should have to right click and auto-correct spellings when there were typos. Hope that helps you understand things in the future, rather than make passive aggressive and untrue statements.
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jkarr
GDB Superstar
Posts: 2,030
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Post by jkarr on Jul 31, 2014 18:59:32 GMT -5
Nah. Everyone got all butthurt because I made a snarky comment to Delarak. His history with SoI was quite tumultuous. Of course this wasn't my behavior during my time there, it was too easy to right-click and auto-correct spellings, like I pretty much said in the posts. I refrained from responding individually because I am not that invested in defending a stance I only offered in counter to a weak stance they took. In all, you'll never convince me that players aren't lazy when they don't put forth their best application possible when they're applying to game that the whole -community- has spent countless hours pouring their time and effort into. People got 'butthurt' (AKA called you out on your shit) not because you got mad at Delerak, but because contrary to how you're talking now, you acted like it was a BIG DAMN DEAL that you AS A HOLY AND ALWAYS CORRECT STAFFER should have to right click and auto-correct spellings when there were typos. Hope that helps you understand things in the future, rather than make passive aggressive and untrue statements. not quite, juggernaut lol delerak started off by acting like it was a BIG DAMN DEAL that his shit got rejected because he didn't do his part by submitting a proper application. it's not any staffers job to clean up a players' apparent laziness, double so given the wide range of autocorrecting tools at one's disposal. ppl got 'butthurt' that a former staffer would make clear that it wasnt job to fix a character application that the player was too lazy to edit and check in the first place
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2014 19:23:39 GMT -5
People got 'butthurt' (AKA called you out on your shit) not because you got mad at Delerak, but because contrary to how you're talking now, you acted like it was a BIG DAMN DEAL that you AS A HOLY AND ALWAYS CORRECT STAFFER should have to right click and auto-correct spellings when there were typos. Hope that helps you understand things in the future, rather than make passive aggressive and untrue statements. not quite, juggernaut lol delerak started off by acting like it was a BIG DAMN DEAL that his shit got rejected because he didn't do his part by submitting a proper application. it's not any staffers job to clean up a players' apparent laziness, double so given the wide range of autocorrecting tools at one's disposal. ppl got 'butthurt' that a former staffer would make clear that it wasnt job to fix a character application that the player was too lazy to edit and check in the first place Yeah, if I'm being included as part of the 'people' in any of these it's all wrong. I wasn't and am not butthurt. But I still vehemently disagree that 'as a staff member' ANYONE's time is 'more valuable than a players'. If anything has me butthurt other than the McDonalds I had earlier for dinner, it's that. Because I can't stand people thinking they are better than someone else.
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jkarr
GDB Superstar
Posts: 2,030
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Post by jkarr on Jul 31, 2014 19:29:19 GMT -5
not quite, juggernaut lol delerak started off by acting like it was a BIG DAMN DEAL that his shit got rejected because he didn't do his part by submitting a proper application. it's not any staffers job to clean up a players' apparent laziness, double so given the wide range of autocorrecting tools at one's disposal. ppl got 'butthurt' that a former staffer would make clear that it wasnt job to fix a character application that the player was too lazy to edit and check in the first place Yeah, if I'm being included as part of the 'people' in any of these it's all wrong. I wasn't and am not butthurt. But I still vehemently disagree that 'as a staff member' ANYONE's time is 'more valuable than a players'. If anything has me butthurt other than the McDonalds I had earlier for dinner, it's that. Because I can't stand people thinking they are better than someone else. that's cool too, and when u have ur own place with its own rules u may be able to create a situation where that is the case. unfortunately when someone else owns the game that u visit at ur own free will, u have to provide more compelling incentive than 'i can't stand ppl thinking theyre better than me' if u want them to give a flying fuck about ur being incensed at getting ur broken app rejected
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