Ways Points of Conflict and the Burden of Being on Staff Can be Reduced?

[Windstorm]

On the topic of fun stuff staff does: I've actually found writing character reports to the staff and reading their replies to them really fun myself!

Documenting my own PCs' journeys has a lot of fun and it makes the staff feel more like an audience than spooky ominous faceless people up on this otherwise untouchable mountain. I think it's an important way to connect with people you might not otherwise be able to - by sharing your PC's story! It also gets them personally interested, or so I hope.

Reports are a great way to record your PC's tales into record and always have them. I wish I'd done reports more consistently on my earlier PCs.

Highly recommended! Big thanks to everyone who bothers reading my character reports and replying with such attention and enthusiasm. The ever-beloved Oryx was especially good at this. Miss you, Oryx!

[jalden]

I really like the Animator idea. I think that right now part of the problem on both sides is that EVERYTHNING is staffs fault. A mob acts weird and kills you... staffs fault. Karma is reduced... staffs fault. A wish request isn't fulfilled... staffs fault. That isn't to say that there aren't a lot of positive interactions too because there definitely are. The Animator role creates a job where you are really only going to be interacting with players in a positive way. This would be good for both staff and players. I think that what lead to the shadow boards is a combination of having a system in place where there is a lot of potential for negative interactions combined with having a few bad apples who were abusing their power. Both of those issues need to be addressed. The Animator role wouldn't have much potential for negative interactions, and it could be a proving ground for new staff.

[Seeker]

I like how it might be proving ground for staff, yes, but more that it is low-pressure, very low commitment.

Stumped for ideas for a new PC?  Be an Animator for a month.  If its fun, stay around longer.  You won't ruin any surprises for yourself, either.

You don't want to play more than 2 hours a week?  Or have to mess with the Request Tool or any of that jive?  Pick a night when you want, Animate as much or little as you want.  Skip two weeks in a row?  No big deal.  No one's plot or storyline is gonna suffer.  Hate the grind and just want to be a part of cool scene?  Find one and its your job to make it better.

You want to fight?  Go find and become a raptor and go hunting.  Best if you can entertain a party of 6 Bynners.  If you are really good, you might get to pick which one ganks you.  Practice your gurgling death emotes!

I fondly hope it might attract more people to engage with the game.  People who want to try something new but aren't inclined to have the burdens of staff.  People who still want to positively contribute.  I bet some of you readers would be awesome at it.

For the concern about it possibly drawing away active players, is that necessarily a negative? 

Imagine the game turned on its head: 8 players on-line, 10 Animators signed-in. (2 staff hidden).  Those 8 players might not have to worry so much about if they can find someone to play with.  If some of those 10 are watching a movie or playing another game, that's awesome.  They're still open to the possibility of peeking in and making something dance and twirl.  If its boring for them, they can roll up a PC themselves tomorrow.

Maybe it would open up the possibility of an entirely underserved swath of people engaging with the game who wouldn't easily be able to in any other way?  One of the highest obstacles to playing described by our player-base was was the time investment burden.  Animators would able to drop out the moment they wanted to do something else without leaving anyone high and dry.