How to effectively limit your playerbase.

[Blackisback]

Player-service is a very big part of any online game. Players, whether they be casual or hardcore, newbies or veterans, deserve equal attention from the volunteers.

I'm not saying this affects everyone, but myself, as well as many of my friends who are veterans, and the potentially worthwhile players I've tried to bring into this game all agree that the player-service in this game is atrocious. Character apps go on for days without approval or acknowledgment, player requests see untimely resolutions (if ANY resolution), "wishing up" seems to only work when the planets align, and the responses from the volunteer staff could not be less professional. As volunteers, you are bringing it on yourselves to help serve the players and the community. By having terrible service in these regards, you are very easily and effectively going to limit your playerbase in the long run.
Heck, you can plainly see the effects it's having now. When I first started playing this game, 70~ players on any given night was the norm. You could go practically anywhere and engage with new, interesting characters and enjoy your time spent playing the game. It was fresh, exciting, and things were happening constantly. Now? I see maybe 40 players on a busy night, maybe 50 during an event. Entire cities are barren and boring. I can go several hours straight, in a city, during a peak playtime, without any character interaction. Why? Well, it could be that new players are scared off by the complexity of the game. That's fair enough, this game isn't for everyone. Could it be that players who do stick with it and get the hang of the game very rarely see any kind of advancement? Also fair, not everyone plays at the same level/frequency. Could it be that the player-service, which while touted as a means to an end by many players, is very much flawed? It could be.

I personally think those are all valid reasons why the game is suffering. However, in order to maintain the same expected level of character play and the same style of gameplay the veterans love, only one of those options can be changed. By enhancing your player-services, you likely see new players (or, at the very least, maintain the population you have going now). How can you enhance player-services? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Hire volunteers that actually do their job. That seems pretty simple, doesn't it?

2. Hire volunteers that are not smug, elitist jerks. Again, simple. You catch more flies with sugar than salt. Yes, you're just volunteers. Yes, you're not being paid to do what you do, but you did -volunteer- your efforts to maintain and improve the game. I've volunteered for many things myself, and I would never hold the fact that I'm not being paid for my job over anybody. It's uncouth, ethically and morally wrong, and in the end your cause suffers.

3. Have an email that is easy for players to find, and is easy for volunteers to respond to. Currently mud@armageddon.org isn't cutting it. Heck, the description for that email even states that it isn't checked all the time. If you don't want to bog down your volunteer's precious time, why not have certain volunteers specifically there to answer player questions?

4. Set a time where character applications/requests are likely to be reviewed. This shouldn't mean applications will not be reviewed sooner or later, but give players an idea as to when they can expect some kind of response or acknowledgment.

5. Let players know when IMM's are on, who they are, and how they can contact them in-game. IMMs can't be everywhere all the time, but at least acknowledge players who do wish up. 9 times out of 10, my wishes wouldn't even see a response. Why? If my request can't be reached at that time, at least have the common courtesy to let me know. Give me, as with anyone who has had this problem know, that they'll receive the same treatment as everyone else who makes a valid request.

6. Be courteous. This ties in with number 2, but absence of courtesy can be easily mistaken for a bad attitude or poor service.

Now I'm sure everything I've said is going to fall on deaf ears, but I feel it had to be said. I've spent too much time complaining about the staff in this game to NOT say something about it, and it seems like everyone I know has at least semi-similar issues. Why not speak up about it? Why live in fear of the staff? If the staff is so fickle and annoyed that they'd purposely make you unhappy, then why not say "to hell with this game" and leave? For all the success Armageddon prides itself on, it has one of the smallest communities I've seen in a MUD. I'm not saying the poor player service and the discourteous staff are the only reason for the dwindling community, but I think it plays a part.

I will not be returning to Armageddon after this post. I will not be suggesting it to prospective new players, nor will I continue defending it. You could own a restaurant that makes the best chicken wings on the planet, but if your service is shit, then expect to see only the same few faces.

[Gimfalisette]

A few points in response, as a player, not a staffer:

-- Your perception that the MUD is currently losing players is wrong. I watch the data. I know. We are steadily at the same number of unique players per week for the last 1.5 years or so. Players online during US peak naturally varies.

-- Wishes almost always go unanswered, for everyone. If it is not a critical situation for an entire clan, you are likely not to be answered.

-- Many staffers are very dedicated and put in a lot of hours to make the game run. Not all of them are Storytellers; they have varying roles and you're not likely to interact with all of them in game.

-- Staff emails are all listed at http://www.armageddon.org/ic/ . The MUD account does not routinely respond to emails; emails should be directed to the appropriate clan or independent staff, if you actually want a response.

-- Regular character applications should be rejected or approved within 24 hours. In my time playing, I have never seen that not happen. Special applications are a different beast entirely, and whining about those is rather silly, if that's what you're doing.

-- To the staff, I try as much as I can to be courteous, helpful, and not waste their time. In return, they are generally courteous and helpful to me. Sometimes there is miscommunication, but if you make an effort to treat them like they are human beings worthy of respect, they will extend the same to you.

[Cutthroat]

Assuming you aren't ever returning, then I guess this will never be read. However, since you posted this in the first place, I expect you'll check back anyway.

- Everything Gimfalisette said. She beat me to it.
- I'm not surprised you don't get help from the staff just the way you like it, if you treat them with a similar amount of vitriol that's in your post.
- Be as specific as possible with your wishes, if what you need is immediate. If it can be arranged in an e-mail, then patience is your best bet.
- Responses to clan-group accounts (e.g, human_tribals@armageddon.org, desert_elves, allanaki_nobles, tuluki_nobles, etc) are generally responded to in 5 days or less, and if they're not you can shoot a follow-up e-mail. Things get overlooked.

[Marc]

Hi.

I don't agree with your reasoning.

Here is why:

Armageddon is not providing a service.  It's a collection of individuals who have created a private game and let strangers come over and play.

1.) Pretty sure current staff does their job as outlined by their staff agreement.  Dunno so I'll concede that you could be right.  You're not, but you could be.

2.) Current incarnation of staff is a bunch of fluffy bunny rabbits (save the shade, but he is always watching).  But even if you don't agree, not the first point.  It's their game.  Yes, you can expect them to act as you want them to, but you're going to have better luck willing pre-teen girls to be silent at a Miley Cyrus concert.  I guess my point is, don't look at it like volunteering at the library or the hospital.  This is not a public works we all share ownership in.

3.) I dunno what to say about the email.  mud@ginka is the generic email.  If you can direct your inquiry more specifically (delf shit to the delf@ginka, Salarr shit to Salarr@ginka) it cuts down on time, much like an automated call system.  Staff has a system of rotating mud@ginka responsibility.  I'm guessing it gets checked every single day at least once.

4.) When you submit an application it says it will be approved or not within 24 hours (in most cases).  That is true.  The staff is ridiculously good about this.  Your recollection of back in the day isnt really back in the day.....

5.) I don't see the point.  Staff has made it known only certain ranking staff can even reply to wishes, those being the smaller minority.  Wishing should not even be used very often imho.  It's the sort of thing you do when you need immediate assistance after exhausting all other possibilities.  If you don't agree with the policy of only administrators/producers or whatever responding to wishes, great, but it's the staffs policy.  Refer to #2 and the point about changing peoples wills.

6.) Staff is courteous.  Not perfect, but certainly no worse than your average gas station attendant or blockbuster clerk.  Sometimes they are downright bubbly.  Other times, the exact opposite.  Just remember, you're using their game, they're not maintaining your 'Service'

edited: I should say wishing for assistance/interaction/response should be a last ditch effort.  Wishing to inform is pretty cool I think (wish all About to take my templar into the labrinth.  wish me luck!)

[Oleupata]

Let me start off by saying that I've only been playing for a few months now, so my perception of the game might be flawed. Everything I'm saying here is from first-hand accounts I've had with other players (all of whom are far more knowledgeable of the game than I am) and that while I may be wrong, I'd wish the Arm fanatics to take things easy. After all, this is just a game.

... I've made a handful of OOC player connections over the past few months. I've met twinks and diehards, in-game legends and in-game nobodies, people that have been playing for years and people who have only been playing marginally longer than I have.

Relevant part bolded.

May I respectfully submit that, perhaps, you're doing it wrong?

Also, if you have complaints about particular staff members, the best venue is to file a staff complaint in the Request Tool, rather than vent spleen on the boards.

Now, since this thread is unlikely at best to offer anything constructive to the GDB, instead tending towards simple dispute, I've locked it.