Are you creating your own plot?

nope. my last msg shouldve clarified that but heres what im saying that to: that part hasnt changed at all the only difference is that u had periods of time where the then staff regularly did all that shit and this got a lot of ppl conditioned to expect shit that never was a requirement for staff, just given the goahead by higherups when sts did try to make it happen

good on u ur not alone there a lot of us have stopped playing for a whole host of reasonsnot quite, again im saying theres nowhere u can find where its stated that u should expect any of the shit that the more motivated or capable sts have provided over the years, and when its happened ppl confused it for something they should be in a position to demand or expect vs treating it like a useful tool that is not a given or guaranteed by staff at anytime. thats all im pointing out theres a whole skewed set of expectations from some of the pbase because of this that has them assuming or expecting shit like that to be happening when its never been a guarantee, and then they model entire approaches to the game that bank on this assumed coded or animated support from staff that then leaves them with scuffed knees wondering where the handlebars went

Now see here's the the thing, all sarcasm (some of which you missed) aside: this forum is for the free discussion of the game. Sure we disagree and I don't feel you have to agree with me, Anaiah, Steinal or anybody else. What I do have a problem with is the way you put words in people's mouths and you having to resort to name calling and insults to make your point, gdb, here, royal rumble or anywhere. So your "I shut shit down" tone is grating my nerves at this point. I made an analogy, one that no one in their right mind could agree with, yet you did...matter of fact I'm not going to do this with you.

let me put this another way and this is entirely my opinion, feel free to disagree or agree. First I'm going to start with the elephant in the room. The state of the game right now is, it's a glorified hack and slash mud. Sure I can make friends, join a clan, have relationships, live, die exactly how I imagine my character would. Sometimes it's in my hands, sometimes it's not. I'm cool with that, I've even said that before several times in these very forums. Hell, I've even said I'm ok with being a minion and I'm ok with being on "minion! Go find me five blue salt crystals in the salt flats" type 'plots'. 

I'm using the word plot loosely because "to me" it barely classifies as a plot. Sure, I could initiate my own plot to kill some other player for his newbie boots, or creep around and spy on people to start shit, or ride to the farthest city state to sell the stuff I spent three days spam crafting. I could call that a plot, but I choose not to. Because the way I see it, I could do that on a hns mud with a crafting code. It's very masturbatory. Your cool with that, I get it. I've already said I'm cool with it...to an extent.

the problem I have with it, is Arm's like your favorite deli. It's stocked with meat, fresh bread and a STAFF. But in this deli, you don't say I want a spicy #3 with provolone. You say, I want a sandwich. The staff gives you some bread, some meat, but only bologna, and some American cheese.....and says make it yourself. Every time you go in there, that's what you get. You can fool yourself into saying you made a good sandwich, but deep down you know the staff can make them too and you see all the meat and cheeses back there and sometimes you see someone come out with a sandwich the STAFF made. How do you get that sandwich? You really aren't sure, because when you ask the staff they say "uhhhhh...yeah, we've looked at that. Hey, do you know we get 200 unique customers in here a week?"

so here's the thing. I play the game, I wasn't banned (yet), I am a roleplayer, I am not jaded and I'm sure as hell not whining. I see people go on these little fetch it plots and see them say ic, "wow, that was underwhelming", I see org leaders say "that's a great idea minion...but we can't cause...reasons", I see people spam hunt because there's nothing else to do, I see people play two dimensional cut outs and log in and out every hour just to kind of play their concept. I think the quality of RP has taken a nosedive. Yes there are great RPers and I'm fortunate to be playing with some of them. However, I find the "what I do doesn't matter" mindset disturbing and see it reflected in the game. So yeah, I'm going to talk about how I think it should be until I'm blue in the face. 

I'll end by saying this. I know I'm not alone in my feelings and I know staff reads this stuff. I want them to know, how some of us feel and that we still hope for the game, simply because we know what the game CAN be. But to brush it off and say "lolz, u just wanna play a speshul snowflake....get over urself." Uh uh....don't try to simplify me like that.

Good thing players can't read the mission statement on the wiki where it is, precisely, spelled out in words. That it is the job of staff to add the ooh factor, to put things in the game for players to find and be fascinated by. To give individual characters and the stories they are living added depth. To expand and add to the world in a consistent and meaningful way.

Good thing for that veil of opaque secrecy. Because without it, observations like yours where staff is called out on, quite literally, not doing the job they are signed on for, would actually have to be entertained or listened to.

Sorry, that was a little sarcastic, but it's stuff like seeing that as part of the expectations and job for ST's, then being denied at every turn, having to funnel everything through apathetic higher ups, being consistently turned down in your attempts to help do this for players or even help them achieve their goals in ways they have earned, and then you, as the ST (because you're the paperwork mule) having to tell the player 'Sorry... I can't because reasons...' without ever being able to point at the dickhead that shut you down in trying as the one that's actually responsible... that's why ST's burn out so quickly.

cool whoa whoa slow down there a sec baobab theres no elephants in red storm this aint tulukthat shit can be fun usually depends on whose playing with ucooldont agree with the analogy, but im seeing subway in my near future nowhell ya get it girlu should try harder at not getting urself upset by putting words u dont like in other ppls mouths. that stuff get u murderbetrayedcorrupted in arm fair warning

Also adding: Yeah. There was a time when that staff contract and requirements list was visible and accessible to players. I don't know if it is or isn't now. I also don't know if it changed. I was erring on the side of caution and current times. It actually was a requirement to support players as far as was reasonably possible at one point. That did occasionally cause friction, but staff were still actively encouraged to participate in (from a GM perspective) and create plots, both for their own clan and all players, really. There were some staff who were better at it than others, but it was encouraged and it was required that there be -some- support-- that staff was generally volunteering on behalf of other players, and the GMs. Again, sometimes they weren't great, but there was more of it happening and being encouraged.

yeah i know what ur talking about pretty sure that was sanvean cuz that shit was over a decade ago at least dunno if they updated it but the language was vague enough to the point where there wasnt any direct statement saying 'hey u noobmortal better animate some shit or else' but yeah probably the gnereal idea so u can see easily why higher staff supported the lower staff when they tried to do that at least then