Player/Staff Meeting: Meeting Topics

[Nyr]

We're going to try a different format for the meeting itself this time in the interest of getting the most questions answered in the most timely manner, and getting some quality discussion from staff members on different topics.  This will involve some input from you folks in the playerbase in advance, so I'd like to solicit some ideas and suggestions in this thread.

What topics should the meeting be broken down into?  What topics would you like to hear from staff on?  Note that we're looking for topics, not questions here--we want to know the general gist of things that the playerbase wants to dig into.

Example:  Armageddon Reborn (the obvious one)
This topic would take up a certain amount of time.  We'd field questions from players at the meeting on the topic.  We'd have a staff member speak on something about that topic (at the discretion of staffers present).

Post your ideas below.

[mansa]

Sorry for posting questions, as I realize this is not what this forum is about...

But, I wanted to list the minor points of a general idea, so that the answers I'm looking for aren't easily answered with "yes" or "no"

How does ArmageddonMUD change the world that is written, evolve, create, grow.
Both existing game, and the future game
What is the Staff's View on changing rooms in the game
- Due to time passing
- Due to 'updating the game for new things players to interact with'
- Due to player results

When do Staff feel that rooms should change?

How can players change the rooms around them?
- What is an average time should a player invest into changing a certain area of the game?

Same with NPCs.
- If Players feel that there are missing NPCs in certain areas, what must be done to get the world to feel more, 'Full' ?

Same with ITEMS.
- If a Player feels that the world could use more items, that aren't directly specific for a character, but for the game in general, how do they go about doing it?



What are the reasons behind this policy?  Is this policy the best that it can be?  Are there ways to fix the "issues" that caused this policy to exist ...  like a 'item creation tool' much like the request tool?  Would that help streamline issues that arise with creation of objects?  Or are there other issues that is not talked about?


How to get more/new players to ArmageddonMUD
What ways should the game change, to make it easier for people who 'solo play' to do things, and not get bored?
- More mini quests, jobs, etc.

What are ways to improve the ease of bringing new players into the game, and keeping them playing? 

What are some things that have been done, and did not work?  What are some of the failures that the staff have done, and ways to avoid it?  How can we the players help storylines continue, and help prevent the failure of certain issues?

[Nyr]

I'm not sure I see the idea.  I see a list of questions.  Can you elaborate, please?

[Tisiphone]

I want to talk about player retention - both newbie retention and retention of veterans.

What can we do to get people to enjoy Armageddon more, stay longer, continue on for a greater period of time?

What plans do we have to that end? ARE there any concrete plans to that end?

[Nyr]

Good suggestions.  Mansa, I see that you've bolded the topics (I think).  That helped, thanks.

[staggerlee]

Design philosophy.

I'm not sure how much elaboration you want on the topics, but it would encompass conversations about the theory and system behind the game. The kind of discussion that could lead to a general statement of intent from the staff, to a better understanding of what the game is, what the game should be, and how to play it.

[Gimfalisette]

I want to talk about player retention - both newbie retention and retention of veterans.

What can we do to get people to enjoy Armageddon more, stay longer, continue on for a greater period of time?

What plans do we have to that end? ARE there any concrete plans to that end?

Totally this.

[JustAnotherGuy]

-Websites Updates/Organization and how the Community can help.

-Crafting - What can be done to improve upon it and make it more user friendly, how to make it so that a new crafter at least knows some basics from the skills they already have. (Kinda like how Magickers get their basics)

-New Player Experience - What does the New Player go through? and like others have stated, what are we doing to keep them around?

-And of course.  Arm Reborn.

[Good Gortok]

Preventing powergaming

I feel that many aspects of Armageddon's code encourage OOC-motivated actions that conflict with the spirit of the game. There would be fewer twinks if twinking didn't give you such a big advantage, or appear as the only option for certain types of characters.

[Sunburned]

I want to talk about player retention - both newbie retention and retention of veterans.

What can we do to get people to enjoy Armageddon more, stay longer, continue on for a greater period of time?

What plans do we have to that end? ARE there any concrete plans to that end?

Totally this.

Thirding this.  Its become no small matter of concern to me when, in the past few months, too many respected, veteran players have essentially stopped playing the game for various reasons.  While I'm sure that some have made the choice based on reasons completely exterior to the game, many of those that stop playing because of RL obligations do so in moratorium, rather than in principle.  I feel that in losing veterans, Arm, as an institution, weakens.  The knowledge of experienced players on the history and culture of the game, much of which is not written, is an intangible asset that is lost when they, again, make the principle decision not to log in anymore.  The player landscape of this game is constantly changing, and this game is a collective... but one thing that I believe will always hold true is that great players are the best source for inspiring other great players. 

[a strange shadow]

I want to talk about player retention - both newbie retention and retention of veterans.

What can we do to get people to enjoy Armageddon more, stay longer, continue on for a greater period of time?

What plans do we have to that end? ARE there any concrete plans to that end?

Totally this.

Thirding this.  Its become no small matter of concern to me when, in the past few months, too many respected, veteran players have essentially stopped playing the game for various reasons.  While I'm sure that some have made the choice based on reasons completely exterior to the game, many of those that stop playing because of RL obligations do so in moratorium, rather than in principle.  I feel that in losing veterans, Arm, as an instituition, weakens.  The knowledge of experienced players on the history and culture of the game, much of which is not written, is an intangible asset that is lost when they, again, make the principle decision not to log in anymore.  The player landscape of this game is constantly changing, and this game is a collective... but one thing that I believe will always hold true is that great players are the best source for inspiring other great players. 

And others have been on the verge of leaving, yes. This.

[th3kaiser]

Yup, I'm gonna have to agree with that as well. I'm afraid I know several very seasoned players on the verge of leaving as well. Quite the shame.

[Clearsighted]

I want to talk about player retention - both newbie retention and retention of veterans.

What can we do to get people to enjoy Armageddon more, stay longer, continue on for a greater period of time?

What plans do we have to that end? ARE there any concrete plans to that end?

Totally this.

Thirding this.  Its become no small matter of concern to me when, in the past few months, too many respected, veteran players have essentially stopped playing the game for various reasons.  While I'm sure that some have made the choice based on reasons completely exterior to the game, many of those that stop playing because of RL obligations do so in moratorium, rather than in principle.  I feel that in losing veterans, Arm, as an instituition, weakens.  The knowledge of experienced players on the history and culture of the game, much of which is not written, is an intangible asset that is lost when they, again, make the principle decision not to log in anymore.  The player landscape of this game is constantly changing, and this game is a collective... but one thing that I believe will always hold true is that great players are the best source for inspiring other great players. 

And others have been on the verge of leaving, yes. This.

I think the most surefire way that veterans start to lose interest in the game, is when they find themselves in lose/lose situations, that have less to do with IC matters, or IC consequences, as from a feeling of OOC politics.

[Marauder Moe]

 

You people...

It's probably yet another perspective issue.

We have two players make public announcements about it within a week of each other and suddenly it's an epidemic?  Seriously, people are leaving or on the verge of leaving all the time.  Only thing is usually they quit quietly.  They don't decide to leave and make a big  deal of it (no offense to those who do, I certainly do appreciate it when people say goodbye), they just stop playing and stop posting.

[Synthesis]

I don't see what the point of a player staff meeting is when we have the GDB.

I mean, if it was a face-to-face gathering, that's different.  But substituting one text-based format for another seems a bit silly.

It seems like...there's not a damn thing that's going to be brought up that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum here, and if the Staff cared enough to weigh in on any of it, they've already done so.

Someone should just go through and compile a list of Staff replies to every meaningful thread topic over the last couple of months.  I'm willing to bet that if you compared that with whatever comes out of the Player-Staff meeting, the two will be remarkably similar.

[Salt Merchant]

1. Steps to be taken to ameliorate the ongoing dissatisfaction with gemmed characters (both playing them and playing with them).

Clarify that reactions of terror are -not- required or expected from the Allanaki population when a gemmed mage appears. Leave the terror for witnessing actual feats of magick.

Update the documents!! It's a mystery why this hasn't been done despite the numerous threads that have appeared on the GDB.

Give gemmed mages more of a role in society than they currently have! It isn't necessary to remove the hate, but closing every door save one is too extreme.

2. Certain taverns could be made more social by allowing (encouraging even) crafting within them.

As it is, crafters more or less work in isolation, which doesn't benefit anyone.

[Eyeball]

Create a staff position specifically assigned to bringing the world to life? This would mean changing room descriptions now and then, updating rumors, running low-key events (such as migrations of animals) and perhaps reinforcing player actions as having an effect on the world on a small scale, all just representing the passing of days rather than any grand event or plot.

[flurry]

Preventing powergaming

I feel that many aspects of Armageddon's code encourage OOC-motivated actions that conflict with the spirit of the game. There would be fewer twinks if twinking didn't give you such a big advantage, or appear as the only option for certain types of characters.

This was the first thing that came to mind for me, too. Which I think ties into the design philosophy suggestion, in some ways.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Create a staff position specifically assigned to bringing the world to life? This would mean changing room descriptions now and then, updating rumors, running low-key events (such as migrations of animals) and perhaps reinforcing player actions as having an effect on the world on a small scale, all just representing the passing of days rather than any grand event or plot.

Amen.

[Gimfalisette]

It's probably yet another perspective issue.

Player retention is not a "perspective issue"; the published data indicates that we do very poorly at converting new applicants to committed players, and that we do very poorly at retaining experienced players over the long-term. Our crappy retention rate is fact, not opinion.

[Boggis]

and that we do very poorly at retaining experienced players over the long-term. Our crappy retention rate is fact, not opinion.

Define "long term"?

[Malifaxis]

It's probably yet another perspective issue.

Player retention is not a "perspective issue"; the published data indicates that we do very poorly at converting new applicants to committed players, and that we do very poorly at retaining experienced players over the long-term. Our crappy retention rate is fact, not opinion.

Really?   Really.


Because I see a whole forum board full of pretty fucking dedicated players.


And I see a whole game full of pretty fucking dedicated players.


And I see a whole lot of people not fucking leaving.


Two drops of water does not a sinking ship make.


I can think of several recent additions to our game who are more than making a mark, including the legendary Amandagreathouse and the uncanny and awesome Musashi.  This isn't even counting the Staggerlees or the Alicedavignons of our little world.


And if there's this huge exodus of players, how is it that our numbers remain, hmm, pretty consistent?  Fifty to sixty people on average at peak times during school... yeah, gosh, sounds like it's pretty much the same as it's been for the last several years.

People come, and people go, and then people come back.



Now in an attempt to rerail the conversation, I heartily suggest that we discuss easy ways that players and staff can work together to make more miniscule and entertaining events for the game.  Crap like festivals in Luir's, or a band show in Red Storm, or a drinking contest that starts at the eastern gates of Nak and ends in Cenyr, or playing hide-and-seek in the salt flats.  A lot of players don't know they can organize this stuff or that it takes a very small amount of staff interaction to make one go off without a hitch, and if awareness were increased about that fact, then it's very possible that all of our awesomest and bestest players would stop leaving in droves like they have been oh my god oh my god I'm all alone.

[Nyr]

So far, here's the topics I've come up with.

Player Retention and Player Promotion for Arm 1/Arm 2 -- Discussion on retaining new players and acquiring more new players without resorting to violence
Clan Staffing, Animation, Bringing the World to Life -- How things have been, how they are changing, how they will be for Arm 1/Arm 2
Armageddon Reborn -- General questions about currently revealed information regarding the new game
Miscellaneous*-- Things that don't fit into the previous categories that aren't already answered on the GDB, in e-mail, documentation, or within the game

*If there is time.

Thanks for your contributions to the thread.  Going to go ahead and lock the thread.

[Nyr]

Unlocking the thread for now.

The reason we split this up into two meetings was to accommodate people from different time zones.  We wanted the most people to have the ability to participate.
Dalmeth has posted the logs from each meeting topic to promote player discussion of each topic.

Should we pick new topics for the meeting next weekend?  If so, what topics would you like to hear about? 
As before, I'll dig through the thread to glean some sort of organized topic from the assorted posts.

[Semper]

Discussion on staff mission? statement, and goals for the game (Arm 1 and Arm 2) overall would be nice.