AMA: Leadership Q&A

[Is Friday]

Hey! We have a large influx of new players, so I figured this might be a good idea to post as a quora-type Q&A. ArmageddonMUD requires that new players take up the mantle for leadership as the vets shouldn't always play leaders. MUD leadership can be intimidating for new(er) players, so this is meant to bridge the gap in mentorship prior to application. My hope is to give new(er) players a better perspective of how things are. If you're offering your advice to new'ish players please share your "resume" at the bottom of your post to give others context about where you have experience.

Sample Questions:
What was the most challenging thing you found about X noble?

How did you work on the routine for the military leadership in X clan?

Leadership:
Kadian x2, Salarri x2, Kuraci, Borsail, Tor, AoD Sgt, Byn Sgt x3, human tribals leader.


There's a great deal of experienced leadership players in the community and I'd like to encourage them to post so we can have a wide selection of advice. As always: Do not post sensitive IC info here or sling mud. Let's keep it clean.

[Lizzie]

Disclaimer: I consider myself a much better follower/minion than I am a leader, but I am often defaulted to leadership roles because of "dead boss syndrome."

I find that sponsored roles offer more structure combined with more limits, but this combo provides for a more "safe" starting point. You know where your character stands, you know what is expected of him, you know before you ever get out of the Hall of Kings what your long term goal should be.

With a promotional leadership position, it's more like "your boss is dead. You're the boss. Go." And you're left just sort of flailing around hoping your character doesn't die before you even get to see the clan docs.

Both leadership types of roles can be amazingly fun, and amazingly challenging. They're just very different.

In hindsight, I'd suggest to any new player just one consideration whenever your character joins a clan:

Spend a couple of hours offline, considering what your character would do if he ended up becoming the boss by reason of "dead boss syndrome." Think of some activities and projects that you think YOUR character's boss could do/have done, that you'd like to try. Assemble these ideas in a notepad file and append/edit as your own character progresses as an underling.

In this way - even if your character doesn't outlive his boss, you could use this file when you decide to try for a sponsored role.

[mansa]

I have some questions for any leaders to give their answer to:

When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?

Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?

What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?

[Is Friday]

I have some questions for any leaders to give their answer to:

When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?

I find projects to work on. I'm a goal oriented person, so if I'm working to accomplish X or Y that I think is fun/exciting, I enjoy that. e.g. On my noble, it was her hobby to write as much as possible so most plots she was involved in somehow were about turning that into a research book or biographical account. On my military leaders it is important to develop a "personal time" routine where your PC's hobbies or relationships develop naturally over time. (That doesn't mean hang out in locked rooms for days at a time. You shouldn't do that as a leader.)

Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?

For most/all things the Request Tool is invaluable for communicating where the bus is being driven. Asking and collaborating with staff to facilitate NPC animations is key toward making some events happen. I usually start with the IC side of my reports detailing what they're reporting up and then asking for an animation later on for direction to continue the plot.

What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?

I've played a few leaders who killed their underlings, but that is not my go-to. Torture (if consented) is a good compromise to killing a PC, but it can be a difficult decision. Mutilation can feel actually crippling to their concept for the other player. For the most part disciplinary actions from my leaders tend to be "teaching moments". Military leaders use group peer pressure, plain jane ass beatings, whips, or yell sessions. It varies by personality and clan. I often think back to the more memorable experiences on Arm when I was a noob being punished by a leader. The more creative you are and still appropriate to the theme--that sort of thing will be appreciated.

e.g. Exile, political ruin, reputation smearing & boot from clan, stealing their stuff (yes, really,) ruining their lover's life, hiring the local law to hassle them and then yell at them for the local law bothering me about it, etc.

[BadSkeelz]

For subordinate fuck-ups, how many chances are too many chances?

[Hauwke]

3. Take it or leave it.

But seriously, I feel like 3 is a good number of fuck ups. It depends on the fuck up, or if they are a good subordinate, but if they do something very wrong 3 times. Done. Dusted. Game over.

[mansa]

When starting out in a sponsored role, how do you jump in without knowing much of the background of the social/political ongoings of the clan from the last 6 months?


How do you fit in with other characters around you who have been in game longer than you, but you're both supposed to be leaders of a family/clan ?


What's a few good examples of a good way to handle transition from one staff member to another staff member?

[Marauder Moe]

Disclaimer: I only played one real leadership role, AoD sergeant.  I didn't really like it, neither me nor my character were great for it, and I eventually got burned out.

I have some questions for any leaders to give their answer to:

When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?

What kept me afloat for as long as I could was setting boundaries with my character's personal time.  Some days I'd just be like "I'm on leave until tomorrow.  If it's not an emergency, fuck off."

Also, delegate, delegate, delegate!

Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?

Nothing major comes to mind.  I'd suggest, though, that you can get a LOT done with readily available objects and creative drop-descs, though, for temporary events.

What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?

First thing I will say is for as much as we consider ourselves to be hardcore badasses who roll with in-game punches, I've seen very few instances of PCs/players reacting well to setbacks, discipline, and property loss.  I think, when confronted with such situations, we all need to be better about realizing that our character is not losing an opportunity/item/money/bodypart, they're gaining history and motivation.

Good non-lethal options:
*Beat them up
*Make them do extra chores (at a reasonable duration)
*Make them do work outside their normal job (order a soldier to help out with an aide/merchant's work, make an aide clean armor, etc)
*Lengthen probationary/promotion period
*Forced sobriety (order them not to indulge in alcohol or spice for some period)

Bad non-lethal options (as above, things I suspect most players will react poorly to):
*Docking pay
*Restricting free time/movement beyond normal clan rules
*Confiscating gear/items
*Making them miss training
*Making them miss RPTs
*Public humiliation

[Cind]

One thing I noticed (that I think everyone eventually notices) is that clan leaders are seriously overworked, and everyone tries to take every problem to them first. I've heard someone say: Delegate, delegate, delegate. Get your aide to take care of this and your most trusted clan member to take care of that, allowing you to have that tea-time with Lord Bundybuns that the noble Lord absolutely have to have right now at the busiest time at the week. Because that's going to happen, and there's nothing you can do to predict it or prevent it from happening.

[only_plays_tribals]

Delegate.

Unbelievably important. Not only does it make these roles easier for you, it automatically creates work for minions.

Assign responsibilities. Scale it up if they do well.

Try to observe your minions to see what they gravitate towards doing naturally. Attempt to tailor assignments this way.

If there is a task you think is really important and are not comfortable with anyone else doing it, please consider a minion who has proven themselves competent.
This makes them work to earn favor, is a clear sign they're earning it already, (and gives them a chance to blow it!)

Make a minion go 'Screen' that potential who wants to be hired and deliver you a report. New hires don't speak to you until you think they're worth your time.

Have them do deliveries, dispatch them to send gifts, and bribes, and bring important verbal messages over to people instead of just sitting on the way.

Punishments

Can be tough. It's contextual.

Consider your characters feelings.

How mad would they be?
How important is this mistake to them?
What did this error cost?

Take this payment from their ass.

As a minion, I found the simple fact a leader was screaming pissed at me could be very sobering.

You can be creative.

Forced sobriety was a good one from Moe.

Making them miss training / restricting them is not a good idea either but it CAN be if it's context based and limited.

Did your minion forget to lock the sparring hall three times in a row?
Alright no sparring for you this week so you can spend it thinking about how to lock doors instead. Never give them the key again.

[Is Friday]

When starting out in a sponsored role, how do you jump in without knowing much of the background of the social/political ongoings of the clan from the last 6 months?

Your best bet is to try something your PC can do without any understanding of the current political climate.
e.g.
Byn Sarge app: Finding out who the other PC leaders are and asking them what work they might need in the near future. Offer to have a general meeting to discuss current events. Recruiting is also a good first major action.
AoD Sarge app: Meet with the Templars and have a general meeting. Establish who is who in the clan, try to meet all of them, and figure out your recruiting strategy. (I need X and Y to have a good team.)
Noble app: Start work immediately on your noble's personal hobby and go out to meet people who can help your noble accomplish it. Be it music or painting, whatever. This will help your PC meet people and put their toe in the water. A noble's first plot should be selfish and mostly about them, imo, so that they can get their bearings. If you roll in as a noble and start chopping heads off you're not going to be playing that noble very long.

How do you fit in with other characters around you who have been in game longer than you, but you're both supposed to be leaders of a family/clan ?

It's most important to have a well-defined PC before you enter the game. This isn't like a normal app in which you have time to "feel it out". It would be beneficial to write up some extra biographies and go through mentally how your PC will react to common circumstances. I type up "rules" for my app-ins, so that they are a strong PC right away.
e.g. for an app-in breed Sarge I wrote up.
Breed's Decision Making Loop: (RP Rules I will reference, in order of importance)
1. Am I pissing anyone off?
2. What is good for my success?
3. What is good for my personal reputation?

What's a few good examples of a good way to handle transition from one staff member to another staff member?

Best example I could give is provide staff with some biographies (if you have them,) and a summary of what your PC has been up to. You can whip this out in some bullet points or however you like, but I feel like brevity is important here. e.g. My PC has been working on X project because she likes Y and wants to woo them. My PC has been feuding publicly with Z because of this and that.

[PriestlySiren]

I have played a couple PC leaders on Armageddon, one of whom was a very present AoD Corporal just before the war HRPT in 2013. I was lucky enough to get in with an excellent PC Sergeant and Lieutenant. A big thing to remember, a busy clan is a happy clan. Even if it's just making small RPTs for your clan to be involved with two or three times a week. This is particularly important for being a leader of a combat clan.
I've found that the most effective nobles to interact with are the ones who involve their underlings in their plots and delegate important tasks to them, while also giving them a good degree of freedom.

To answer the questions.
Q: When starting out in a sponsored role....
A: I can't speak to this, in fairness, since most of my leadership roles have been ones I pushed for in game and started at the ground level for - but I would definitely try to hit the ground running, make some PC relationships and start building your reputation from the first time you enter game. You would also want to meet with your superiors and underlings to get a 'state of the union' idea.

Q:How do you fit in with other characters who have been around you longer?
A: You don't. That's part of the fun. You don't have relationships, trust or respect from these PCs, so it's on you to build them.

Q:What's a few good examples of a good way to handle transition from one staff member to another staff member?
A: I've had issues with this before. Different staff members have different views on how their clan should be run. I've had the same NPC get onto my PC for doing what the same NPC told them to do. My best suggestion is to say, 'These were not my orders last we spoke on it. I will go by the new orders now.' It seemed like it expressed the differences in opinion and showed that you are willing to modify behaviors. If this explanation ICly doesn't work, I'd put in a request with staff and open the dialogue about it so there are not IC repercussions for this change of staff.


Q: When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?
A: This is one of those things that is a hard balance for me as a leader. I have a hard time moderating my expectations of myself and end up burning out if all I focus on is the clan because a big part of what I enjoy are interpersonal relationships. These can absolutely be developed in the clan, but should be outside the clan too. Sometimes things get busy, personally, or in the clan, finding the balance is important. But I enjoy interactions. I want people to have fun and I want to be involved in that fun!

Q:Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?
A: Yes. And yes. Schedule, schedule, schedule. Coordinate with wishes. Wish up at T-1hour, t- 30 minutes, update them on movement. Keep rolling. These are for events or things that you literally cannot do without their intervention. For other things? Your regularly schedule report should handle a great deal.

Q:What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?
A: Depends on the error. Whippings seems cliche and overused. Two of your underlings are fighting? Make them give up their leave to do a menial chore together. Have someone (or yourself) watch/listen to make sure they do it without fighting. Scare the crap out of them. I can't give you exact details for another year, but involve other PCs to scare things out of them. One of my favorite punishments rendered was giving a PC who didn't silence him/herself when ordered three days of imposed silence and a nickname to remind them of their idiot ways. I once had someone not rest their mount when told, thus slowing down a return trip - he was forced to walk the rest of the way, and given an embarrassing nickname that was used as an anecdote for several in-game years after.
Feel free to be creative!

[tapas]

A lot of people are intimidated by leadership roles. But I find there really isn't much too it.

Give your minions explicit directions. Give explicit boundaries. Find ways to include them in your goals. Don't sweat the rest.

Beyond that I find there's a tendency for leaders to punish players who take risks and brew conflicts. Quite often the punishments meted out seem intended to punish the players as much as the characters. Killing characters for mixing up the political scene comes to mind. It would be nice if players considered if an offence merited a capital response before they pulled the trigger.

[tapas]

Also. Don't worry too much about playtimes.

The best leader I ever played under was Jstorrie's Jihaen Templar. And the guy was only online like 3 hours a week.

[Riev]

A lot of people are intimidated by leadership roles. But I find there really isn't much too it.

Give your minions explicit directions. Give explicit boundaries. Find ways to include them in your goals. Don't sweat the rest.

Beyond that I find there's a tendency for leaders to punish players who take risks and brew conflicts. Quite often the punishments meted out seem intended to punish the players as much as the characters. Killing characters for mixing up the political scene comes to mind. It would be nice if players considered if an offence merited a capital response before they pulled the trigger.

I found that some of the better leader PCs I was under, had an understanding of what punishes the PC, and what punishes the player. If your Byn Sergeant said you have to go do chores instead of train, he'd assign a Trooper to oversee your chores. So you have someone to interact with, bounce off of, etc. Instead of casting the player out of the social scene, setting up a side-scene.

Unfortunately, it is also world-appropriate to "Kill your enemies/dissidents before they gather up enough strength to kill you". So often times, we resort to "just have them killed, this world is harsh" instead of public shaming and social castigation.

Personal note: A Byn Sergeant, rumored to have paid off a known raiding group being put to the Cuddler seems a bit extreme when they can be used for so much more, but hey... why not flex IC power for anyone that might doubt you?

[valeria]

Val plays leaders all the time.

I have some questions for any leaders to give their answer to:

When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?

Shed this perception. Nobody is responsible for anyone else's enjoyment of the game. The best way to make things enjoyable for other people is to be having a good time yourself and be doing the things your character wants to do. I'm not responsible for anyone else's fun, I'm responsible for having fun myself, and hopefully me having fun will drag other people along for the ride.

Basically, play your character, not your role. Your character should have enough ideas and interests to send people off on tasks for and to delegate things to.

Unpopular opinion alert: Your minions shouldn't be waiting around for you to have all the ideas. If they aren't out there doing their own moving and shaking, coming to you with cool things for you to support, and otherwise being characters with their own stuff to do, they deserve to be bored.

Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?

Yes... and I hate it. I don't like relying on staff for anything. Staff change or get overwhelmed or you get conflicting answers. I feel like relying on staff for your character goals is the road to walk down if you enjoy being frustrated and upset.

That said, I guess pointers for not driving yourself mad trying to get staff support, first tell staff your end goal. They might tell you it's not possible and then you're not going to spend a lot of time on something you know is impossible, unless the journey is fun for you (sometimes it can be). Then detail all the steps you're taking to try to do or get the thing in your character reports. Then estimate another how reasonably long it should take to do the thing, and then multiply that by 3.

And then don't plan on getting it anyway. Think of it as like a super cool bonus if you do.

What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?

Public humiliation, revoking privileges, physical punishment like whipping or mutilation. Bribing a templar to give them a hard time. Just firing them. Nobody is entitled to employment.

When starting out in a sponsored role, how do you jump in without knowing much of the background of the social/political ongoings of the clan from the last 6 months?

You were transferred from somewhere or had some other stuff going on. Read the clan's rumor thread on the boards while you're waiting for staff to set you up.

But honestly just ask staff when they're setting you up what your character would know. They're usually really great about telling you the big stuff going on.

How do you fit in with other characters around you who have been in game longer than you, but you're both supposed to be leaders of a family/clan ?

I don't sweat this. Most families and clans are so big, nobody would know everyone. But I LOVE dropping out options ("Say, didn't we sit together at the last entmoot?") and letting people decide to run with them or not. Most people seem to run with them.

What's a few good examples of a good way to handle transition from one staff member to another staff member?

This is hands down my least favorite part of any sponsored role. I try to put together a big post of personality, the major things I'm working on, and the major things that my former staff was giving me help with. That seems to help. I then try to be patient while they're getting caught up.

[Bebop]

I love these questions SO much.  Over the course of the years here I've played a few leadership roles from a Byn Sergeant to nobles (north and south), Templars etc.  OOC I run a record store and do HR at my full-time job so I try to apply the things I learn IRL to positions I have IG.  I enjoy leadership roles because they give me plenty to do.  So here are my thoughts!

I have some questions for any leaders to give their answer to:

When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?

Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?

What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?

When you're responsible for other people's enjoyment as a family/clan leader, how do you keep your own enjoyment in the game?

This can be hard sometimes, even overwhelming.  Ultimately, one assumes you play this game (or any game) to have fun.  However, sometimes leadership roles translate into OOC work --- typing up lengthy reports, organizing RPTs, coordinating play times and putting your character out there for the possibility of failure, even humiliation.  It's not easy to lose when the stakes are high or visible in the IG world.  Sometimes, this can translate to OOC emotional exhaustion.  Armageddon isn't an RPG like Horizon Zero Dawn where you tune in, enjoy a pre-written story and tune out.  You're a part of the story, you're writing and in a leadership role you're often times helping guide the stories of others.

To answer the question, I feel to get enjoyment as a leader character you have to still look at your character as a character.  Just because you're in a leadership role does not by any means mean you have to play a perfect character or perfect person.  Can your character strive for perfection?  Sure.  But your character should still have their own wants, triggers, traumas, needs, flaws and conflicts.  Play a character first, a leader second.  Don't neglect your own story line or your character's feelings and all will fall in to place on the enjoyment spectrum. What ever you do RP the heck out of it.

Have you ever attempted to do something in game that required Staff Intervention and have it successfully happen?  What was some pointers that you can give to make those ideas more successful?

Though not to the scale of other players and to varying successes with varying characters I have.  I feel like it's gotten much easier to collaborate with staff.  The key is communication.  Do your character reports and keep them abreast of what's going on with you each step of the way.  Work IG to make it happen.

What are some disciplinary actions that you can do to the characters that are under your leader, without killing them?

So obviously, due to my PK thread I believe in the incubation of plot lines.

I think for me, the notion that PK isn't always the best way out was solidified to me while I was playing a Guild crew leader.  My character had a messy romantic relationship with her spice dealer who was in another crew.  After he threatened her at knife point her crew burst in and a half-giant nabbed him.  IC and OOC I was conflicted as to what to do.  I really enjoyed this character's play style, and to this day I attribute this person into making me the player I am.  Finally I decided, "Kill him."  My character walked out of the other room, couldn't watch.  The person I'd just ordered killed burst free of the half-giant and ran after me, half-giant came back in drug him back out.  I couldn't do it.  I ran back into the other room and stopped the ensuing killing.  Instead, I press ganged the opposing gang member into my crew and forced a blood oath on them. 

We ended up having a heck of a time.  With that same character, I had another lackey betray my character and I actually let him back into the crew.  He later died to my rival, encouraging me to go after and ultimately kill that rival.  By choosing to not kill off the people underneath me I got to have crazy, amazing stories I would've otherwise robbed myself of.  There were times I took out threats - notably a psion and sorcerer but when I could I let people live and in turn I was able to live because Lyvren spared me a few times.  So, hence ... my aversion to using PK as a first resort.  If everyone had been PK heavy some really cool stories wouldn't have happened.  I think leaders should set the standard there but that's just my personal principal on it.

That being said there are lots of alternatives - debts, indentured servitude, blood oaths, flogging, public humiliation, threats, gossip, pettiness.  We all have to think about solutions to issues without killing people IRL, so I'm sure you can manage to get creative IG.  Think of what you want the end result to be, and try to figure out a way to achieve it without ending stories, if it makes sense for you to do that.

[Bebop]

I really like this thread, can we get the opposite of this - ergo one for servants/lackeys/commoners.  I really like Valeria's point about keeping yourself interested as an aide and I'd love to discuss that further.

Also here are some questions of my own to you leaders out there ---

How do you avoid long-term burnout?

Where do you feel your IC and OOC obligations to players or as a leader begin, end, meet in the middle?

What advice would you give to new players wanting to get into a leadership role?  What about once they've gotten it?

[Jihelu]

How do you avoid long-term burnout?

While right now I'm not exactly a leader I occasionally do leadership things, and I've played a few leaders before.

My semi-answer: God damn you've got to have the personality and enjoy this type of playstyle. I think I've slowly molded myself to appreciate the 'leader' position a bit over the years but if you are used to taking orders and typing 'kill' you are going to not have a swell time when you begin having to do....plots!

I'm curious as to other people's answers to this as well.


Where do you feel your IC and OOC obligations to players or as a leader begin, end, meet in the middle?

Oof.mp3. Sometimes OOC restrictions can limit what you can do for someone IC in ways that are fucking, redundant sometimes. I like to think that OOC I'm trying to give people a good time and keep the game running. Even if I am going to kill someone/do something illegal I want it to involve other people. There's no point in doing a /super secret destroy the city plot/ if it is behind closed doors and can't be accessed by anyone, get some people involved in that shit. To this extent, feel free to have your characters occasionally let information drip down. Maybe you mention a minor detail you shouldn't have during a conversation, people aren't perfect, but not enough to really tell someone something so they know /something/ is going on but not what.

IC obligations are completely dependent on the leader, their personality, the position, what their own seniors expect. A Byn sergeant might IC expect his entire crew to live every mission. It's hard to describe this entire question but, I think as long as people have the expectation of giving people some sort of experience, things should go good.



What advice would you give to knew players wanting to get into a leadership role?  What about once they've gotten it?

Don't feel bad if it isn't for you, even if you want it to be for you, and feel free to play an underling or just a regular inde for a long while before trying to be a leader. I feel the best way to slowly transfer into a leader is to go from a grebber, to a hunter that does contracts, to a hunter that runs a small crew. You'll learn. (Obviously you don't have to play an outdoor character but it's an example)

Anyway, lets say you get your role or make your own. What should you do first?
Getting underlings and a second is going to be very important. Nobles do this in the form of aides, soldiers their favorite privates/corporals, Byn their first troopers. You need someone to do shit for you when you aren't around. You also need someone who can betray you for power eventually to give dramatics to the game, or to aide you in your own times of need and forge a bond as strong as steel.
Learning how to maneuver your position is important, even if you want to suck IC at it knowing the OOC bits is important, so start discussing with staff on the regular about what you are doing and what help you might need, if any. Know that staff replies can take a week or more so try to have shit to do in the meantime so you aren't completely relying on a staff 'yes or no'.

[PriestlySiren]

How do you avoid long-term burnout?

Delegation is absolutely necessary. Finding a good second. Having both short and long term goals is vital. Building a connection to the character, making them real is a big tool I use. And if you feel like you are getting burnt out? Communicate with staff and take a brief step back.

Where do you feel your IC and OOC obligations to players or as a leader begin, end, meet in the middle?

I think a good leader is first and foremost a player. Taking a leadership position, however, means that you should be prepared to involve others in your play. When I play a leader, I like to give them depth. In certain clans, using OOC tools to help everyone have an easier time of knowing when/where they should be to be involved is a big part of the OOC aspect of my play. Organizing events to keep people engaged is something I enjoy, so at least on an OOC level, I recommend doing it as well. It is also your responsibility to be a bridge with your clan and staff and use your regular reports to keep them apprised of everything. There are, in my opinion, MORE OOC responsibilities than IC ones - but as a sponsored role, you have to be prepared to fulfill both IC and OOC ones.

What advice would you give to knew players wanting to get into a leadership role?  What about once they've gotten it?

Report for the role you want, if you're working for it in game. Tell staff what your goal is, where you see your character going. They don't know you want a position, unless you tell them what you're angling for.
Once you get it? Don't rest on your laurels. Keep pushing and making things interesting. If it's interesting for you? It's probably interesting for everyone else. And don't be afraid to make mistakes, even fatal mistakes. And don't hold back. Zalanthas is brutal. Be brutal, if that's what your character would do.

[Is Friday]

Questions!

What is your most memorable punishment inflicted upon as you an underling? Did this influence how you portrayed leaders after that? How?

What is your biggest regret during a leadership role? e.g. Something you thought was a good idea at the time, from a player perspective, but turned out not to be.

What is the quality you admired most about a particular leader player that you try to emulate in your play now?

What is your worst quality in regards to leadership? Have you tried improving this? How?

[Hauwke]

Most inventive punishment as an underling:

My low strength character was forced to carry around a bag of heavy stuff for a half an IG month. Only time it was to be put down was to spar and ride on contracts.

[valeria]

What is your most memorable punishment inflicted upon as you an underling? Did this influence how you portrayed leaders after that? How?

I haven't had minions punished a lot. One thing that really FELT like a punishment was how one of my characters was never allowed to leave the city for fear they'd be killed. Instead I was intensely bored with my outdoorsy-type character and eventually stored. I try to either not hire people who aren't going to fit my mold, or keep my "don't die" rules less restrictive than never leave the city ever.

What is your biggest regret during a leadership role? e.g. Something you thought was a good idea at the time, from a player perspective, but turned out not to be.

Storage. Every. Single. Time.

What is the quality you admired most about a particular leader player that you try to emulate in your play now?

Oh man, this list is too long. I loved how harsh Lizzie's Kadian was with my homesick northie back when I first started playing, and how engaging FantasyWriter's Kadian was with encouraging my character to live within her potential. Basically... let your minions minion and play the shit out of your character come from these places.

I also liked playing around so many leaders with flaws who let their characters be gross or tricked or fail and be less than the perfect X.

What is your worst quality in regards to leadership? Have you tried improving this? How?

Storing. I haven't yet made it past a year played on about character. Some day I would like to not store. I tend to start feeling overwhelmed by responsibility and then a life thing happens and I have to quit the game for a while. I'd like life to stop happening, pretty much.

I'm probably also a brat to staff when I'm grouchy about feeling like staff has screwed my leader characters for no reason. I try to give myself life 24-48 hours to cool off before responding these days, but it hasn't happened in a while.

[Is Friday]

Most inventive punishment as an underling:

My low strength character was forced to carry around a bag of heavy stuff for a half an IG month. Only time it was to be put down was to spar and ride on contracts.

LMAO

I can just imagine some weak, noodle-armed breed carrying around a bag of rocks and constantly sweating with a broken back.

[Bebop]

What is your most memorable punishment inflicted upon as you an underling?

To me, this is an easy one.  Hands down Lord Templar Validos Fale.  It wasn't me getting punished but I watched him toss someone off the top of Whira's tower.  Have this person healed.  Interrogate him and toss him off the tower again.  Like holy shit.  Amazing.  He also had me spank a Sergeant one time with a character I was playing.  Haha but that first one was just so good.  I would've never thought of that in a million years.