Player Needs (from Staff, not other players)

[Carnage]

It involved a superior PC, and an NPC, both played by the same IMM (though I didn't realize the PC was played by the IMM until several RL weeks after my PC died).

How did you find out?

[Sanvean]

Because the policy is for immortals not to run PCs in their own clans, I was curious about this.  When I went to track down what really happened, I was told it was two NPCs. I don't know that it makes much difference, but we -do- ask immortals not to run PCs in their own clans, being the feeling is that it's too tempting to then arrange circumstances to benefit one's PC.  

This hasn't always been the case, obviously, but is one of the policies that's developed over time.  *shrug*  Wanted to set things straight on that, though.

[Anonymous]

I ask staff to not misunderstand my intentions with a plot and assume that the entire point of my idea is to imbalance the world. We are all mature, intelligent people who want to have fun. I am willing to answer questions if I have not been clear in my intentions due to my incertainity with english language, anytime. I am willing to point for point list up and elaborate what I REALLY had in mind and why I do not think it is unrealistic or imbalancing. I think I am intelligent enough to realize when I am being unrealistic, and I also believe I have a good general understanding of what imbalances the world and what does not.

I have been shot down for trying to create something unique in a different mud that definitely did not have any player run plotlines and did not allow players to achieve anything but levels and playerkilling arena ranks. I did not expect to be shot down for an idea that I was planning to shape in an interesting, somewhat unique, but by no means imbalancing or unreasonably powerful. Not on Armageddonmud.

I never felt so deeply misunderstood by staff before (and I've had some weird ideas, including my Byn halfling special app), so this leaves a bitter aftertaste, leaves me very frustrated in RL because in my experience I am being asked questions before having my intentions laid out before me in a way I did not know I intended to happen. I expect to be treated with some amount of trust. And willigness to clear something out and define it together before jumping to conclusions.

-A very frustrated player.

[Akaramu]

Oops, the above was me. I thought I was logged in. Its hard to notice details on a screen with watery eyes.

[Boggis]

I ask staff to not misunderstand my intentions with a plot and assume that the entire point of my idea is to imbalance the world.

Without knowing the situation I would assume that the Staff have treated you the same as they treat just about all players. You very well may be able to be trusted but unfortunately the Staff can't take such statements at face value and every idea has to be evaluated equally. I don't know what your idea was but my guess is that it was one that didn't really "fit" with the gameworld in some way.

Recently, I got the go ahead from the Staff for a particular concept that I  that I wanted to bring to life. I think some Staff members had some reservations about the potential ramifications of the idea but they were willing to give me a chance (after a number of clarifying emails back and forth) based on my previous actions over a couple of years where I'd shown that I could be trusted not to abuse a role.

My advice to you would be to continue to play as normal. If you build up a greater level of trust with the Staff over time I think you might find it easier to get that unique role that you wanted to play. Unique roles have to be managed and seeing as the Staff can't be watching you 24/7 its all about trust - trust that you'll play the role so that, while unique, it still fits into the gameworld as a whole. One example would be that of a serial killer - if a player who has been playing for six months apps for such a role the Staff will have reservations about whether they are up to playing the role realistically or whether they simply want to cause grief. A player who has been playing for a couple of years and has demonstrated their trustworthiness is far more likely to be granted the role which is the way things have to be in my opinion.

[spawnloser]

Akaramu, I sympathize.  One of my characters was assassinated by its employers when the IMM misunderstood what I was trying to do.  Then, when asking about it, as I was quite upset, I was told, "There were things going on IC that you didn't know about."  I've been told since that my suspicions were correct.  Speaking of which...that reminds me...

[jmordetsky]

1) Responses to queries in a reasonable amount of time. Not sure what reasonable because I'm not an Imm. Though, a post here about what a reasonable amount of time is would be tops. I think most of the "you haven't emailed me back" strife comes from not having a benchmark.

Some IMMs reply in a day, some a few, some not at all. How long should we wait before we worry that the email was eaten by the spam filter?

2) For updates, not so much the weekly ones but the random things that get sent out, a reply even an auto-reply that it was received would be cool. Just so a player knows that it did in fact get there.

3) Not sure about other players, but for me, feedback, feedback, feedback. If I'm F@cking up...I want to know. Odds are, I don't know it....I think I rock. If you think I rock...Let me know...I'll rock on.

4) Give me stuff to do. Especially at the lower levels, little jobs are a great distraction from spar, twink, hunt, spar, twink, craft, talk in tavern.
Short term goals, goals, goals.  When these short term goals tie into the long term goals of the over all clan, life is cool.

[JollyGreenGiant]

4) Give me stuff to do. Especially at the lower levels, little jobs are a great distraction from spar, twink, hunt, spar, twink, craft, talk in tavern.
Short term goals, goals, goals.  When these short term goals tie into the long term goals of the over all clan, life is cool.

Just wanted to make a quick comment that this is something that clan leaders can (and probably should) do as well.

[flurry]

My biggest expectation would be for timely communication.   I certainly don't expect same-day responses and I completely understand that Immortals have real lives and plenty of other players and staff they are dealing with as well.   The  problem I'd like to see avoided are questions or requests that go completely unacknowledged for weeks and weeks.  Just a quick "This is going to take me a while to get to" or something similar would be fantastic and make a big difference.  

Also, this might seem silly, but if my PC is in your clan and dies or is stored, and I write in to report that and thank you for my time in your clan, it would go a long way to get a reply.   Just a quick "good luck with your next PC" or something.   I don't know - maybe I'm weird, but the one time that didn't happen left a sour taste in my mouth (although there were some other issues  that exacerbated the situation).

I agree that NPCs shouldn't be animated as omniscient beings, but I haven't personally had any direct problems with this.

[SailorMars]

Give me stuff to do.

I'll be the first to admit that it rocks when my imms animate some NPCs, or come up with a little RPT for us. Still, I can't help but mention that there's tons of stuff to do out there without really needing the imms. I didn't say tons of safe stuff though.

[ashyom]

On this line of thought, I wanted to share that, from Staff POV, sometimes it is easier to create a plot based on PC(s) actions, rather than their inactivity.  If you spend day after day sitting in a bar, it's hard for me and most of the staff to know what would interest you, and difficult to plan when I don't know what you will/won't do.  I'll share a secret with ya'all - we're not psychics.  

Generally, I don't see a very good track history with making plots for these kind of PCs.  Most of the staff have run into this type of player.  It's also equally, if not more, frustrating for us to try get something started only to have the PC continue to do nothing - which happens all too often, unfortunately.

Some days, I want to take a 2 by 4 and just smack some players with it and tell them, "Do something!"   :twisted:

Alternatively, it's also frustrating to know there are active players who would be a joy to run a plot for, but they play different hours from me.  This is partly why we've started to double-team clans - to try cover different hours.

Additionally, creating plots out of the blue always struck me as odd and not very coherent with the IC aspects of the game.  I like to try keep my plots closely entwined with the ongoings of the PCs' activities in-game.  This sort is often long-winded, sometimes encompassing weeks and months.  Sometimes it's so successful that PCs don't realize it was an imm that set them on this path.  It's always a pleasure to hear, months or years after the fact, a player reiterate one of his experiences on the mud, and realize, "That was my plot.

Trust this helps
Ashyom

[Agent_137]

i've come from seven years in a mud that not only did i pay for but I got ZERO gamemaster interaction unless it was me longing to be part of a huge event, but I couldn't because I would just die because I never had high level characters because I was too busy RPing.

So, bascially, I'm in heaven. All my imm interaction so far has been awesome, and I haven't been bored yet as long as some one else is on. I even manage to be only half-bored interacting with vnpcs.

fairly-prompt email response, though, is an important thing. No need to beat a dead kank, though, I'll leave it at that.

I'm sure I'll come to expect things from the staff . . . after I get past the intial amazement, but I hope I don't forget that I should never feel entitled to anything . . .regardless of what you have invested in this game, it's still FREE.

(I had to keep reminding people of that too on my old Counter-strike pub server. They bitch about changes but they haven't paid for the game since they bought half-life 5 years ago.)

-edited for grammar

[Mar]

Yes, I have to agree. My experience was great so far. I know sometime it takes longer time to get your email responsed. But generally, I believe our IMMs are great. Thank you for all thankless work you are doing for us!

Well... Only thing I hate is when they suspects something without let me explain what´s going on. If I am not clear in my intentions (could happen, I am sorry), please, ask me what and why I did. You can always disagree with my acting after you get all information, no? :-)

[jmordetsky]

4) Give me stuff to do. Especially at the lower levels, little jobs are a great distraction from spar, twink, hunt, spar, twink, craft, talk in tavern.
Short term goals, goals, goals.  When these short term goals tie into the long term goals of the over all clan, life is cool.

Just wanted to make a quick comment that this is something that clan leaders can (and probably should) do as well.

Agreed, though this sort of thing should cascade. Imms give the leader a goal which should then have sub goals that need to be obtained by the house members and such.

[Carnage]

I'll share a secret with ya'all - we're not psychics.

Then why the fuck have I been paying 3.99 a minute to call up and ask a Jamaican Sanvean when the next weekly update is coming out?

[Sanvean]

I've got to fund the mud somehow...mon.

[Cenghiz]

Do anything your doing for often.. Dump your lovers, desert your families, get fired from the work and work till your eyes bleed
To be serious (and you know it's real hard for me to be) the only thing I'd want is not for myself. I've friends in Turkey with no karma. I've got a feeling that I'm watched much more often than they are. Of course I'm proud of this, but this way we can't form the Turkish LOOT magickers clan . That's the only thing I'm hoping. When they gain karma we'll be worse enemies (they killed some of my chars) and better friends IG. Please watch the non-karma players more often.