Primer for Being on Staff

[Halaster]

Staff Primer:

Staffing for Armageddon is a labor of love. While there can be a lot of fun, creativity and camaraderie, it can also be hard work and quite stressful. We want to make sure that players putting themselves forwards to come on staff have an idea of what they might be in for so that there are no surprises.


Time Commitment

To adequately fulfil staffing duties usually requires at least 10 hours per week if not more. Most staff find that, while it is encouraged to keep playing the game, staffing duties take up a good chunk of the time they have for Armageddon.


Responsibilities

As a Storyteller, your primary responsibility is to be a driving force behind Armageddon's narrative. You would be assigned to a region under the oversight of an Administrator, who will delegate you to oversee one or more clans. Players will primarily communicate with you for reports, queries, requests and other interactions regarding their clans. It is essential to respond in a timely manner and keep your fellow staff up to date of your clans' activities on the IDB(Immortal Discussion Board). Your time is split between plot planning, request handling, building NPCs and objects for your PCs, animating in game and writing things up on the IDB for fellow staff.

We try our best to accommodate the desires of all staff in regards to where each person wants to be placed, to staff over.  If your favorite is the North, we'll do what we can to place you there.  However, there is no guarantee you'll get to staff over your favorite area right away.  And, we do staff rotations from time to time to keep things fresh, so you may be moved off wherever you're positioned after a while.


Probation

During your initial 60-day probationary period as a new or returning staff member, our aim is to help you acclimate to routine staffing responsibilities, understand ArmageddonMUD's procedures, and familiarise yourself with the staff culture and regulations. It is important to note that during probation you must refrain from submitting plot or game change proposals. This period is designed to focus on mastering the fundamentals of staffing and learning the ropes.


Restrictions

There are a lot of rules and restrictions governing players who staff. Notably, you may need to store your PC to come on staff if your PC falls under any of the rules listed here. Then, moving forward, you are restricted from playing any leadership or sponsored roles. Additionally you may not play Sorcerer or Psionicist PCs or play a PC that operates primarily in the region you staff over.


Staff First

On staff we expect you to adopt a 'staff first' attitude. This means putting the overall game, community and non-staff player interests ahead of your own interests as a player. This can mean having to make tough decisions such as storing a PC to avoid a conflict of interest or a conflict with the restrictions outlined above. To confirm you have read this primer, please include your favourite Zalanthan animal in your application. It can also mean pausing before you contribute to a debate to make sure your perspective is 'staff first' and that you are prioritising what you think is best for the game over what might be best for you as a player or your PC.


New Staff Training

To keep new staff accountable, learn quickly, and help them ease into the role without becoming overwhelmed we will have a mentorship/buddy system that starts immediately after onboarding.

Each new staff member will have either a volunteer or assigned buddy, this can be from the pool of experienced STs or Producers and can be from any region. Their buddy is there to help and support them throughout their probation and onwards, to answer questions, assist in teaching building and general staffing etc. Of course, everyone should be around to help new staff, but their buddy should be someone they feel confident and comfortable approaching when they might be daunted by all the new people.

New staff will also be assigned immediately to a region and the Admin of that region will function as their mentor. They can spend this time shadowing other staff in their region, helping with basic tasks and learning about the various clans of that region.

This gives new staffers an ST who is willing to act like a buddy to assist and help them and also an Admin to act as an official mentor, meaning they have at least two people they can rely on, feel comfortable approaching and to keep them busy. Additionally, it provides the new staffer with exposure to at least one region in depth and whatever areas their buddy is working on.



EDIT:  Added 2nd paragraph to Responsibilities section