Feedback and Activity

Feedback and Activity

DrScottJonas 12 Aug 2019 20:51

Hi all,

Recently, we've seen some concerns about the lack of activity we've faced this summer, as well as some feedback from my fellow staff with respect to making sure we're genuinely listening to player feedback.

In the case of the lack of activity, I'll be the first to admit I could easily be more active outside of just doing runs and events, but I think the issue at large isn't as easy to deal with. That said, we think if we went over the reasons people feel less interested in the RP, and how to deal with that, we'd be in a better place.

This does sort of blend into the second point, which is feedback. We understand that it isn't always easy to say how you really feel, or easy to draw together ideas in the generally rapid-paced environment of IRC. So, We would like to encourage you all to provide more feedback, on any and all things. We've tried to be better about working with you, but we can always be better.

As to how to provide feedback, you can make comments on this post, on the forum, or talk to anyone on the team you feel comfortable with.

With all this said, we would like to thank you all for sticking around. Without you, we don't have a player base, and people who ultimately improve our runs and events by making them more than what they are on their own.

-DSJ

Last edited on 12 Aug 2019 20:51 by DrScottJonas Show more

Re: Feedback and Activity

DrScottJonas 13 Aug 2019 16:21

https://forms.gle/VBU2D4AMfG1vj5mv8 can also be used for feedback.

Re: Feedback and Activity

Klurg 23 Aug 2019 14:20

Well to begin, nobody truly believes the GM team is actually listening to player feedback. The GM group has had years and years of offenses of never actually listening to players. Hell even this update that's supposedly run on player feedback you guys are working on without really telling us much other than 'we're using this system and trying to refine it'. To quote Veiedhimaedhr "Can I be there? Unless you're on the GM team, no." This is exact problem us players have been having with you GMs, we want to be involved in the game that we play as well.

Not only that, but at the beginning of this new system, we already saw that the point buy system we use forces you to specialize and suck at everything except a certain category, or generalize and just suck at everything. Yet the GMs insisted on using it, saying it was fine and realistic, when the majority of the player base disliked it. The majority of the new system just felt incomplete in general. Contacts and training was put in, but other than some vague lines, nobody really knew what it did, mechanical or otherwise. The best way to describe this system and the way the GMs have been behaving with it is Fallout 76 and Bethesda's customer service. Incomplete game and nonexistent help from the ones in charge. It took years and the game dying out as well as people complaining about it for the GM team to do anything about it.

Finally there's the biggest offender: the GM's behavior towards players. The GMs (with some exceptions) have been mostly dismissive towards any feedback, hostile towards the complaints of players, and generally have given off that they feel like they're superior to players and know better about the system than the players. That as well like past behavior, such as dogpiling on certain players, targeting them IC and OOC, and general hostility. Examples include: Taylor and Klurg and being dogpiled for the slightest thing, to the point Taylor left most likely because of it. Marshall and targeting their spy PC with no real evidence, then subjecting them to a NPC with maximum sense motive. DSJ targeting Janelle with made up mechanics and flagrant disregard for both mechanics and player consent, with the GM team backing him up. DSJ purposefully giving harmful advice on where to go on his runs, and immediately punishing player for following it (not against the rules but a dick move and doesn't foster good player-GM relations). Other players might be able to find more offenses the GM team has perpetrated IC or OOC that I haven't been around for. And instead of punishing the GMs and players involved in dog piles and such, they promoted them. And then there's the case of the owner of the server. Diepotato almost never comes on, and when he does he doesn't get involved with or see anything, yet he still makes decisions for the RP while never actually being in it anymore.

The tl;dr is that GMs have been obstructive, dickish towards certain players, flat out break Rule 0 with no repercussions, and ignoring the player base for far too long and the toxic behavior and atmosphere it's created is killing the RP.

---

We change a lot over time, but there's always a little of our old selves in us. Never forget your old self, they're one of the most important parts of you.

Last edited on 23 Aug 2019 14:50 by Klurg Show more

Re: Feedback and Activity

Mister Madness 24 Aug 2019 10:49

I am replying to this individually to let you know there are GMs reading all of your opinions and we will attempt to address what's going on.

I will try to address your points but bear in mind that this is just as an individual, not representative of the GM Team at large.

We want to include you. There are bad ideas and good ideas so we want to filter that out. However, with so many people practically AWOL due to life getting busier and keeping us tired and away, it's hard to do that. If you can devise a way to filter up the popular ideas reliably, then look at it with us, I'm sure we can discuss things. Do things like plug up holes together.

For the new system, it was really an attempt to get people to stop min-maxing and generalize a little more instead of specializing so much. That way we wouldn't have to make opposing rolls and DCs so high and everybody would get a chance to contribute to a run. Thus, leading to flavor stats having some function. However, somewhere along the line, hard runs and dumped combat stats joined hands and made life a little harder for everyone. Answering which came first is like asking the chicken or the egg question. RPGs just tend to have it happen, I suppose!

As for GMs behavior, I acknowledge that there's been some mistrust. Since we're the seats in power, of course the first steps for this GM-Player relationship rehab need to be taken by us. However, we're lost as to how we're supposed to go about doing that. Calling for heads will most definitely produce bad blood among the GM team. It might be stupidly optimistic, but I still believe reconciliation between these two groups can be attained. This goes both ways.

For any incidents involving my part, I apologize. If you want to talk about it, I will be free Monday 8/26/2019, 5am PDT, if not then the following Thursday and weekend throughout to talk about it. If you want to message me, please do, and hopefully there will be personal growth involved.

tl;dr these are my words, not the GM Team's, cooperation is good but hard, new system is far from perfect but happened for a good reason, i hope our relationships can mend for the better

---

Everybody's favorite state of mind.

Last edited on 24 Aug 2019 11:39 by Mister Madness Show more

Re: Feedback and Activity

Varren Erelim 23 Aug 2019 23:00

https://pastebin.com/5cY71VBd

Sources are from multiple people and numerous individuals echo the others so no one person alone gave a point.

As stated in the post I am open to all individuals that wish to leave nameless feed back be they GM or player.

Last edited on 23 Aug 2019 23:08 by Varren Erelim Show more

Re: Feedback and Activity

Mister Madness 24 Aug 2019 12:36

First, thank you for your effort in providing a middleman-safe-space for people to share their thoughts without fear of backlash. It is no biggie for how long it took, as this is just a hobby for everyone involved. Thank you for also consolidating it into one place. This is very appreciated.

Once again, this is me, not the entire GM Team.

I apologize for coming off that way and will attempt to act more professionally according to the problems listed. I am sorry about the lack of effort coming in from this side. I haven't been able to really do much lately, because I've been out in Oceanside, helping my dad out with work since I got my certs finished. Usually, after our day is "done" I just play videogames to blow off steam, but I'll make a better effort to come on and see what needs to be taken care of. I've definitely been slacking.

As for those suggestions with involvement, perhaps we could come to an agreement about suggestions and proposals for mechanical changes. Some sort of date set for a discussion all around. I haven't discussed anything about it with the rest of the GMs, as it's currently 5am PDT on the 24th for me, so it's not even on the ballot yet.

I am not sure what happens about GMs targeting each other, although I have and always will believe seeing people as problems is not conducive to finding a solution that works out for all parties.

Roll results with attention are something I would like reported so we can figure out what to do about it. This is a serious matter, and one I will pass on right away to someone that I can believe will handle it.

Lashing out doesn't usually happen without a reason. I'm not excusing unprofessional behavior, but some GMs do expect you to take their runs or events with a modicum of seriousness. Even some veteran players lash out at foolishness during runs. They probably worked hard on it and wanted to enjoy it alongside the players, but they get frustrated when their hard work gets a little fucked up because someone does something dumb. Anyways, I feel as though no one's really unbiased. No matter what they do. Even if you are aware of a bias, it probably affects you in other ways. That's not to say targeting players isn't serious.

Please, if you have specific instances where a GM did something such as target, belittle, or be rude, log it. Disciplinary meetings can't happen without proof, because we abide by innocent until proven guilty. If you are afraid to report it by yourself, perhaps a middle man could for you.

The meritocracy is very disorganized. I think I have a few ideas as to how to tackle individual issues so things don't get muddled because we have very different schedules in different timezones, using glacon and gDocs.

The complaint about metagaming is a little vague and confusing, and I would like to hear more about it.

I addressed the system in my reply to klurg, if you want to read that.

Cliques form by nature. It's a side effect of community. You can't really stop it, but you can always make it feel less clique-y by being that person who asks around for RP. A lot of people throw characters into open scenes, myself included. Please don't hesitate to ask someone if you can join into their scene. Group dynamics can be fun! Just imagine all the love triangles :VVVVV As for toxicity, it might just be me, but I don't think the people here are naturally caustic. Something is probably bothering them, and asking why might not always hurt.

DP has been busy. He's an old fart so he's got life stuff to do, like college and shit. That life hustle stuff. And yeah, he's owner. Roget was owner before and we had a lot of the same struggles when he went off to college. DP is more a hands-off owner, trying to let us figure things out together, but if circumstances were different, he'd have a lot of motivation to be here alongside us. He's a good bean, but he has to focus on some other more important things for his own sake. Real life comes first, right?

I don't RP that often and don't know what's going on between people. Back when I first joined, open ICs were pretty much the standard, I think. You just asked first. And I have no problem with that system. I think true private scenes mainly took place in the secondary, tertiary and quaternary run channels. But the feelings may differ now from before. More people would have to input their feelings about it.

I would like for someone to elaborate on this as well, because I'm not entirely sure what it means and would not like to interpret it in a way different from what was intended. Thank you.

tl;dr not the GM Team's just my thoughts. I cannot actually tl'dr, I apologize ;-; you should be able to ctrl+f and find your issues by typing key words from your responses. Anyway, thank you for reading.

---

Everybody's favorite state of mind.