How to Annoy the Staff, in One Easy Step

[Tlaloc]

I was speaking with a few other Storytellers today, and we all realized that there has been a recent trend among a few players, and felt that it should be adressed, and even thrown up for discussion. I was voted as the one to post about it.

Basically, its a trend similar to Imm-fishing, only slightly different. For clarification purposes: Imm-fishing is where you go around to multiple staff-members, in an attempt to get the same role approved, which has been rejected before. In this case, its more like casting mutiple lines for special (each different) roles, to multiple immortals, without communicating to the Staff as a whole that you are doing so.

For example: Person A applies for three different roles in Noble House Y, Merchant House X, and Tribe Z, and neglects to tell the Staff overseeing Clans X, Y, and Z that they are doing so; its further complicated if you don't tell the staff when you've accepted a role, or made a PC. This can put the staff in a really awkward, and annoying situation when we start trying to plan things: I might be looking forward to and expecting to get a new Noble, for example, and then turn around and find out that my player has already accepted a role in a merchant House.

From personal experience, I've been burned by this twice in about a month, and its quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine. Its really dissapointing to me, particularly when I realize that it makes me less inclined to use that player for potential future roles (since I can't really depend on them to make it through the process before choosing another clan). After speaking with several other Storytellers who also run clans, I discovered that I'm not alone, and we all agreed that we think its really annoying, and kind of rude to do this.

If think this might apply to you, don't panic too much: we realize that the playerbase may not realize that this is an issue, or that it might really bug us when you do this. We decided to post here, to inform the playerbase that it really bugs us, before we start to shoot fire from our nostrils.

So, in short, things to keep in mind, to keep your clan staff healthy and sane:

1) Consider applying to only one role at a time. This makes it easier on everyone, as we don't have to fight for you. Furthermore, its not really fair to your other players, because I might turn someone down for a role, because I picked your application - only to find out two days later that you're already in game with your new Lord Fancypants.

2) If you apply to multiple roles, please cc: and/or inform the other staff who you have previously applied to. We don't mind so much if you apply for multiple roles, because you want to keep your options open. We mind that you don't tell us when you do. I dislike this option, personally, and highly, highly, highly recommend item 1) as the best choice.

3) If you have applied for a role, and another immortal offers you a role, please tell both immortals about which role you are picking, even if its the new role you've been offered. It sucks for us to log into the game, thinking we have a new Special Role on the way, only to discover that another immortal accidentally snaked the player out from under you. Don't assume that because you were offered a role by a staff member, that we all know whats going on with your outstanding applications.

4) If you create an interim PC while you wait on an application, please inform the Staff you've applied to that you have done so, and that it is an interim PC. Furthermore, if your interim PC gets recruited into a clan, please inform the clan staff member that your PC is an interim PC, and that you might not be around for very long.

5) As usual, cc: mud@ginka.armageddon.org with all emails sent to staff member.

6) When in doubt, go back to item 1).

In short: please help us keep track of what roles everyone is applying to, by keeping the Staff informed of where you have applied and what roles you have accepted, and what you are currently doing with your PC - be it via accepting a special role, or making an interim PC, or changing your mind entirelly.

[Krath]

I think I was guilty of this with this character. Here is what happened.

I had a current PC ingame and a role opened up in a certain clan. I emailed the imm and said I was interested. The imm emailed me back and said write up a char and they would work with me on it if I came up with an idea that we both could agree on. I took about a good 5 hours to write up this character. The imm knew I had a character in game and was applying for when I would die. So I sent off the email. I waited ONE ooc month for a reply, nothing. I emailed the immortal twice in that peroid asking what was going on while CCing the mud account and still got nothing. So I said I probably didnt get it.  So about two weeks afterwards another role opened up and I applied for that. Once again I heard nothing about it, so I figured I had not gotten the position either.

Low and behold my character died. So I figure I was not accepted for either of the roles I applied for. I made up a character and the next day was denied, come to find out, because I got accepted for the second role I applied for.

Now, my only pet peeve with this is, If someone has a character in game and they HAVE been approved for a role, LET them know. Or else, they might think the same thing I did. Maybe just a one liner like: Hey Player A. You have been approved for Role X, once your character has died. Please contact me when such happens. Immortal Z.

With my situiation, I felt that I was not being either A communicated with or B I just did not get the role. I understand where you are coming from with this post Tlaloc, but if we do not know we have gotten the role, then how can you expect us not to apply for other roles.

If my situiation caused the other immortal grief, I apologize, but I had -no- way of knowing.

[spawnloser]

I can agree with Krath...I was told by another player that was in communication with a staff member to 'hold off on applying for a new character when [my current at the time] character died.  I was not told the reason, but it ended up being an offer for a special role from that IMM that that other player was in communication with.  If I hadn't gotten that warning, I probably would have been well into my next character by then, as it took a day or so for me to get the offer.  Something before a character death saying, "Hey, when this character dies, send me an email.  I want to talk to you about something," would be very awesome.

[John]

Thanks for posting this I know a player who did this on a regular basis and I always thought it would get him in a fair amount of trouble (good to see it doesn't piss the Imms off THAT much, yet )

2) If you apply to multiple roles, please cc: and/or inform the other staff who you have previously applied to. We don't mind so much if you apply for multiple roles, because you want to keep your options open. We mind that you don't tell us when you do. I dislike this option, personally, and highly, highly, highly recommend item 1) as the best choice.

I've done a variation on this and here's why.

(This is only an example! I've never applied for a role to these Imms ) Kivan advertises for a job, my character just died so I apply for it. A few days to a week later Gehst advertises for a job and I haven't heard back from Kivan.  I figure Kivan is busy working out the details with another player, but he hasn't knocked me back in case the other player(s) he has in mind don't work out.

So I e-mail Gesht and say I'm interested, and tell him that I've applied to Kivan so if he does accept me (or if it's a problem) to let me know immediately so I can let Kivan know. He e-mails me back saying he's interested and that if I let Kivan know straight away he probably won't have a problem. I do so asking Kivan to let me know ASAP if he has a problem and don't end up hearing from him at all

One way to stop people from just walking off and making characters or applying elsewhere, is either letting us know through e-mail if your working with someone else but would like us to wait in case it doesn't work out, or to announce it on the GDB with a message like "currently working with a player. Feel free to continue sending apps in case it doesn't work out with the player." That way if some players (like me) see it, they'll figure we're likely to not get the role so don't apply in the first place, or do apply with a message at the bottom with something like "I am also planning on applying for any other advertised roles I find interesting while waiting for you to work things out with the other player."

Simple reason is, IIRC, it eventually take a month for the first Imm I applied to, to announce the role had been filled. I don't know if he was working with the same player all that time or what, but more communication would be helpful

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Sorry. I've done the very same recently and it was because I didn't hear nothing back about it for a goodly amount of time. I'll make sure that in the future, my applications are more organized and that I am more in touch with the staff involved in my applications.

[flurry]

Threads like this are very helpful.  I've never been in this kind of situation, but if I had been in Krath's situation (no replies one way or the other from the imms for a while) I likely would have also assumed that something was wrong or the role wasn't available anymore.

[Tamarin]

I had a similar experince...I applied for a very high-karma position...though I didn't realise when I sent the e-mail that the class/race I needed was so damn high.  Anyways...I got no e-mail.  In the meantime, I spotted a role on the Staff Announcement board, sent the imms an e-mail, got the role, and proceeded to write up a character.

While writing it up, I get an e-mail from the first thing I apped, with the following question:

What is your account name?

Now, every e-mail i send concerning the mud in any regard (including this first special app i did), starts with both my account name, and character name (if one is currently living).  I ask...how could the imm have missed this?  It was the -first- thing in the e-mail....it was even included in the reply to my original e-mail....like...right there.

[Akaramu]

Communication is important. I submitted a NPC and the background for a little possible future plot for my PC and never heard back about it until I wrote another email... I know the staff is very busy and cant always respond, but being new to Arm and all and quite unsure if I did everything right (please note, I wrote a NPC after just 3 weeks of playing) or if my submission had arrived at all (another one to the mud account didnt and I had to re-send it, I didnt know until a staff member told me ingame.) I didnt know if the NPC and plot background had been approved. So I was a bit worried and bugged the imm with another email after my PC had taken first steps to get involved in the little plot, and had the impression the imm was a little bit upset over it. (I'm sorry but I was sooo insecure.)

To make it short, just a few words can be very helpful for us sometimes. Just a "approved, thank you" or a "background unacceptable, try again" as a quick response would help us not worry and be less insecure. Same goes for role applications.

[deviant storm]

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm an imm fisherwoman.

After losing a character I liked dearly, I was at a loss for good concepts. So I used a sort of scattergun affect, sending out some inquiries about various roles to various imms. I did this because I too have had past inquiries get no answer, or a delayed answer. And sometimes imms say no, because they have other plans. I figured if someone liked what I was proposing they would get back to me as soon as possible and that they would say they liked the idea.

Some didn't respond to the emails. Some did, and one said no, one answered with a response that I still am not sure was a no or a yes.

I didn't realize my fishing was a source of confusion and annoyance. Now that I know, it won't happen again. I apologize.

I ask the imms keep in mind some of us are chomping at the bit to play. And some imms are fantastic, while others... I realize they are busy. But a simple email saying 'no way in hell' or 'let's discuss it' or some kind of response to let us players know our ideas are possible and to hang on, that woud be so appreciated.

The problem ias I see is that the imms take forever to  get back to you on special rolles., while the player wants to play immediately after death sometimes.

[Krath]

The problem ias I see is that the imms take forever to  get back to you on special rolles., while the player wants to play immediately after death sometimes.

Exactly!

[Xygax]

I realize that we may have longer turn-arounds on special roles.  A good way to deal with that and get your arm-fix in is to create a loner character to play in the meantime, while you wait for that other role to be approved.

If you -prefer- the scatter-gun technique, send your "I'm looking for a role" advertisement to the mud@ account and let them forward it on to the entire staff.

-- X

[deviant storm]

I hadn't thought of sending one email to the Mud. Good idea.

About the loner types...do you know now many times I've created a characer intended to be a loner who winds up getting hired by someone? It's very hard to keep from getting job offers ...guess I will have to make my loners all elves. At least it cuts down on some of the offers. After all, would a commoner turn down work for a prestigious House, without a -really- good reason?

[Ayashah]

So I e-mail Gesht and say I'm interested, and tell him that I've applied to Kivan so if he does accept me (or if it's a problem) to let me know immediately so I can let Kivan know. He e-mails me back saying he's interested and that if I let Kivan know straight away he probably won't have a problem. I do so asking Kivan to let me know ASAP if he has a problem and don't end up hearing from him at all

In defense of Kivan, he's been having some email problems of late which I think he posted on the GDB somewhere too. I know for the last month or so that on occasion stuff emailed to him has bounced back to me. I am not sure when all that happened to you but that might be the reason.

[Krath]

Ayash,

He said it was only an example :-P

[Quirk]

At least it cuts down on some of the offers. After all, would a commoner turn down work for a prestigious House, without a -really- good reason?

Generally I do, if I consider my commoner beyond the scope of likely targets for a House. Yes, zealous House recruiters will attempt to hire everyone who crosses their path. However, if they're going to approach a flea-infested, emaciated hunter or grubby, foul-mouthed thief who I happen to be playing, I consider that offer as an error of judgement on the part of the other player, and don't compound their mistake by accepting it (and subsequently becoming a flea-infested, foul-mouthed House aide or guard and an IC embarrassment). If such breaches of IC probability were rare, I would probably roll with it, but they're not. I don't see rejection of an offer that should never ICly have been made as any more OOC than refusing to play along with a power-emoter.

Quirk

[John]

In defense of Kivan

NO, NO, NO!

(This is only an example! I've never applied for a role to these Imms )

Please read posts instead of skimming