I guess there was an incident that was controversial and suffered from a lack of clarity about what was happening, and by some outrage that sort of fed on itself.
Likewise a couple threads popped up with some heated words.
Now guys, I know we're on the internet, but this is all a bit silly.
I think it would be beneficial if those of us getting upset collectively (DMs as well as players) checked ourselves a bit. We are basically just playing a game here. I really don't think anyone is trying to damage anyone else's efforts in some kind of mean-spirited way. I can understand people losing their temper or getting angry, but if that happens, the proper reaction is to step away.
We need positive constructive criticism in order to improve. It is welcome. It is important for the health of the server. What is not healthy is actions, comments, or attitudes that make DMs not want to DM, or players not want to play.
Being supportive of each other and respectful is very important to me. I know that when asked I have said again and again that the most important thing is just having a good attitude about things (and that does not mean just blindly agreeing, far from it). I really think the true foundation of a healthy server is one in which where people are friendly, positive, trusting, amiable, cheerful, constructive in their OOC dealings.
A player that doesn't seem to have that important, core respect and constructiveness may absolutely be asked to leave the server.
I'm not trying to single anyone out, or blame anyone - I am a nice guy and I have absolutely lost my temper over this game - but let's all just try a little harder.
I think everyone can agree on the following:
1. There is no one here who can afford to waste their time.
2. People who cannot openly express their frustration grow resentful.
3. Ad hominem attacks against individuals or groups are always unhelpful.
4. We are all here to have fun.
It takes a second to wreck it
It takes time to build
You gots to chill
Only together can we defeat the Second Wave menace.
About the Faction post which probably originated all this, I have learned a interesting american farmers expression today: "Hope, spring is a turtle."
About being upset and angry, doesn't make sense, bottom line it is a game period. If you are not happy please don't spread it among those who really enjoy and contribute to this "awesomeness".
I really like your turtle.
Let's play for fun. Keep cool.
Hey ya'll, I've been traitoring over at another server for a bit, but I just wanna say that we all just really need to kind of flow, ya know? Now, don't actually smoke any weed, but please try to have the pothead's outlook on life. Remember Bob Marley's words, and the Bible's. Have peace my children.
*throughout is nodding his head obnoxiously, blinking often, and waving his arms in random patterns*
Hug?
Players should be able to communicate openly with the DM team about things they dislike or would've wanted to be different or thought could be better done. The DM team should be able to communicate openly with individual players and with the playerbase in general about things they dislike or thought could've been better done, by the player (s).
If venting has a point, or a constructive element it should definately not be dissallowed, otherwise any criticism at all will be construed as pointless whining.
In all of the above personal attacks should never happen. Critisizing the way someone does something has to be done in such a way that it isn't taken personally. There has to be a distance between "that sucked" and "you suck."
I believe that as long as that distance is maintained, complaints are not a bad thing and can actually be beneficial to this community.
Pleased to meet you,
Hope you guessed my name...
People need to vent from time to time. It's alright. DM's defintiley understand. Players sometimes don't, though. I'd say 90% of the time its better to vent to a DM privately then to go after another player. You'll be surprised how much you don't care about it when you're finished, and then, if you need to, you can talk to the player in a much more reasonable and constructive tone.
Good rule of thumb though about the game in general is this: no one is out to get you personally, no matter how much it may feel that way. With that in mind, try not to get nasty. The game is only fun because we play it together.
I said this before about a year ago, but it seems like a vast majority of the angst that players feel is PvP related.
True?
That said, a polite Tell sent by a player either days, hours or minutes before PvP can totally change the experience for the "victim".
I don't buy the argument, "it takes away the element of surprise." Long ago, Mort asked me via Tell, "Are you ready for this?", when I already knew his evil half-orc cleric was going to ambush me. I didn't metagame it and change what I was doing. Instead I relished the impending thrill and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the action.
That opposed to being in the middle of a scripted quest and getting mauled by an invisible assassination squad with no warning whatsoever. The players involved did nothing wrong in any way - nonetheless, I didn't enjoy it at all and it was very anticlimatic for me.
I'd suggest sending a Tell to intended victims at some point, if even to see if the player was going to be able to stay logged for the next 30-60 minutes at least so that the PvP and consequences could be addressed fully.
Whether that Tell says, "FYI, your character is targeted at any time in the next few days", or "Are you ok with PvP in a bit, or would you prefer it not happen right now?"
Just a suggestion, don't mean to digress here.
One of the great advantages of the new forum is the ability to post in Private to the DM's.
If you need to ask a controversial question, comment or rant and its fairly angsty, negative, controversial or whatever, maybe consider using the Private forums, rather than mIRC, public forums or IG tells?
I, like Howl, hope i am fairly decent person, but have screamed at the screen on occasions when things haven't gone my way IG.
Thankfully no one was their to hear, apart from the wife, who thought i was being attacked.
Venting (verbally or in writing) can be theraputic, but make sure you move on after you are done, it is only a game and we are grown ups (well most of us). Spreading the 'venting' to everyone on the server isn't usually a positive thing to do.
Anyway just a thought.
This is just a game. Occasionally something can be happen that might take a day or two to get over, or just ticks you off immensely, but that's when it's time to take a break, not time to start yelling at people.
Honestly, just two or three days off can solve a lot of problems.
As has been said countless times, this is only a game, whining and complaining and making others feel bad will do nothing for you, it's useless and wastes time. When a problem arises look at what is going on around you and see why that problem is there, and work to correct it, I promise that if you approach things like this, rather than complaining to the person who just FD'd or mugged you, that you will have a funner time.
If your character that you enjoyed playing suddenly gets FD'd, and you feel it was uncalled for, calmly speak to the other player about it, see why they did it, and try to come to the most unbiased opinion about whether or not they made the correct IC decision in FD'ing you. If your opinion is that it was legitimate, then take a break for a bit, and then come up with another awesome concept for another character.
I'm not sure what I'm writing is. It could be a confession, a plea, or a heart-to-heart. Whatever it is, I'm hoping it'll resolve some thoughts and questions about EFUA, while getting this thought I have off my chest.
Lately there's been a lot of complaints about how the DM Staff has been running things, and I understand that some people have a reason to be frustrated. However, I can tell it's starting to wear on some of us. Sometimes I question whether I should continue DMing, and continue dedicating time advising people's applications, monitoring PVP, and doing other menial tasks to run this gameworld I love.
EFUA is such a massive game, and there's a lot of psychology, sociology, and other -ologies that run behind it. It's a game so big that we simply can't please everyone, no matter how hard we try. Yet, I can tell you an absolute truth.
We are working our hardest.
Lately, I've been limited on time so I haven't been able to do as much as I would like to. In a perfect world, I'd have infinite time and energy to help establish governments, make more factions and ties around them, run amazing DM quests, and expand this world to an intricate story I share with my fellow DMs. Yet, I can't. Within my limitations, however, I've worked damn hard. Every day I find myself writing a small paragraph on how someone can improve their applications, dedicating my time to offer advice to players, occasionally wondering if they'll even get anything out of it. I try to script a little bit every other day, and toolset to keep the gameworld up to date and running. When I log into the forum I update NPC responses, check to see if anything is new with the factions I'm interested in, and reply to many PMs. When I log in to the game, I try to reply to every message sent to the DM channel, I try to run some sort of NPC interaction, and if time permits I run a DM Quest. I try to keep things fun for everyone, especially for those who felt like they lost, because I want people to have fun.
The most amazing thing to me is, I'm not the hardest working DM. I know there is a DM out there that works way harder than I do, logging more hours in the game and on the forum, running plots and DM quests doing his best to have fun, and give fun.
Yet, I'm not sure if I can do this for very long. On the forums and in IRC, I often read about complaints on how a DM ran his quest, or how this player feels neglected, or the philosophy on which we run our gameworld. Sometimes I log into IRC and I simply don't want to read another application, or log in toolset hours, or do anything related to EFUA, knowing full well that the next day I'll read more complaints about things were so unfortunate for one player, and how the DM team failed, and how we're neglecting this person, and so on. This is not something I'm used to, and it does bother me.
EFUA is such a massive game that it is easy to criticize it. I bet I can log in and start making amazing criticisms on EFUA, and end up feeling angry, depressed, furious, neglected, or whatever. We can boil the game down to its fundamental components of PVP, PVE, Questing, NPC Interactions, DM Quests, etc. and criticize every aspect of them. It is easy to pick on how things are run, and spread this dissent to others. Yet it's not desirable for any of us!
The big message I'm trying to convey is that we are working hard. We're trying to give everyone an appropriate amount of attention, and help with their concepts. Yet, some players prefer to be pessimistic about playing here, and I can say it's starting to wear down on me. I DM to have fun, and when I read complaints that don't offer anything truly constructive, I feel bad and I don't want to log in to cater to those people. Some players I will never understand. For instance, I've offered assistance to some players in their efforts, and they declined it. Yet, they would later post on the forum that the DMs were not helping them. Imagine how that makes me feel. Betrayed, and lied to.
We're working hard, and we are putting lots of hours in, and we're trying to have fun and give fun opportunities to you. I know there are power cycles, struggles, and I know it's hard to find DMs who will follow your plots, dreams, goals, and I know it's hard to find DMs to possess NPCs for you. But we're doing our hardest, and some of us are paying money to give you this game to play here. Instead of viewing negatives as bad things, can we instead view them as challenges? Can we view the people in power as a challenge to overcome, and not complain that the DMs are playing favorites, or that the game is unfair, or that powergaming is the answer to winning?
So, in coordination with Howland's post, can we look toward a gentler and kinder tone in our community? Can we just appreciate the game for what it is, and play?
Sternhound=FTW
Dont feel bad Sternhound think about it this way Sternhound. People critisize the game because they love it so much theyd rather critisize then actually hate it. if people truly didnt appreciate the work Dms did or the plottage they did then they would just quit. Efu is a fun place and I have seen some amazing things from the DMs since EFU and EFUA
for example during jergalites Mort ran an awsome DM spice and we nearly got massacred.
What I am trying to say Sternhund is dont feel bad over a few complaints. Think of yourself as superior. DO they script quest? Do they deal with complaints/requests in the DM filter? Do they make awsomeness? I think no one should have the right to complain unless theyve been in the DM's shoes.
-DRD EFU Junkie
DM'ing normal PnP games can be difficult enough with say... 3 players. I can't imagine how difficult it can be DM'ing on EfU, granted, you have the help of other DM's, but still, so many people that all want attention.
Looking back on the two months I've been playing, I don't think there has been one time when I have been dissapointed with this server. You've all answered the questions when I've had them, helped me with minor problems, and have been more polite and welcoming than any other DM's on any other server I have played. Some people out there may think that you're playing favorites or you never do anything constructive, but they are wrong.
I have been playing on this server for two months now (I started back in July, but then quit for a while, so I don't count that time). Yet even though you don't know me and I don't know you, I have recieved a rather lot of DM attention/help when I need it, I have seen the detail and depth of this server increase. As DrD said, they have never been a DM, and I doubt that I could ever bring the level of enjoyment you bring to us here over to my own PnP games.
Hey, Stardog. There's nothing but love. :)
I have nothing but respect for the entire DM team, for what they did with EfU and what they are doing with EfU:A.
The amount of work involved boggles my mind, and the fact you guys are willing to put all the time and effort into making this world for the rest of us to play in makes me all warm and fuzzy.
I know it seems frustrating and that you aren't appreciated, but believe me, you are!
I really hate that Sternhund and potentially other DM's feel like this. I haven't been around, I don't know what's going on, and I haven't heard the chatter, but I'm going to say this...
I am deeply thankful and appreciative that there is a talented group of individuals who, on their own free time, in exchange for nothing, put up both money and energy to provide everyone here a good, fun and enjoyable experience. I don't think anyone would say that it's perfect.
However, as a player who played on other PW servers before finding EfU, it doesn't even compare. It really doesn't. Since I've found EfU two years ago or so, I haven't even tried another PW simply because for the quality of the staff and community here.
There is a saying, "You don't know what you have until it's gone." I think this applies to EfU. Having played on previous servers that were, to put it mildly, horrific experiences, I deeply and sincerely appreciate everything that the EfU DM's do.
It is difficult sometimes to not get caught up in the moment, to find fault, or to under appreciate something. All you have to do is take a break from EfU, go play on another server for a week, and it becomes easy to realize how trivial all of those things are in comparison.
I truly and honestly hope that there is not a strong feeling among the DM team that they want to give it up. I don't really know what's going on, but I hope that this is not the case, that it is just stress and will pass soon.
That's really all I have to say on the matter.
I still think that 99% of the negativity is caused by people just not talking to each other, or when they do, blatantly taking things the wrong way.
I think EfU:A has awesome potential. For stories and mysteries.
I think the DMs are doing wonderful things. I like the banner system.
I think some of the more "dominant" factions are going great, and I don't think they got their by "powergaming".
A kinder, gentler tone will start when people start talking face to face about things upsetting or irking them. This goes for players and DMs both.
There's some real frustrations on both sides, and if people don't try to talk it out--I mean, what's the point? The games only fun because of the community, and if people are stressing each other out and ruining the fun we have two options.
1) Quit.
2) Talk it out.
I'd rather we all just talked it out in a healthy way. People have different expectations and perceptions, and they should be getting a chance to share them openly and honestly. That should come without personal attacks, insults, or feeling slighted because someone told you honestly how they feel.
You as DMs should keep in mind that even if someone likes 99% of what you do, most likely the 1% they don't like is what you'll hear about. Complaining is always more prevalent than compliments, is longer remembered, and is more thought about. For me, I hate to compliment DMs because it sounds patronizing or like asking for attention or favoritism. In general you guys are excellent. Don't let the complaints get you down as they are the minority. It is a big mistake to believe that a few complaints means your DMing isn't liked or appreciated.