OOC Thread #2

[Cannonshop]

The following is a statement of Opinion...


O dear god please, no more extensions!!!

In the aftermath of the last...what, three extensions, we've had two major controversies and  people quit, the forum didn't move, the game didn't get played, and everything ended up going to GM Simpres.

the LAST one fouled up TWO turns, and lost us a couple MAJOR players.

The turn extensions aren't helping-either with keeping players here, or bringing players IN, they aren't resolving hanging threads, closing out events, or helping the game.  It is my considered opinion that they have had the opposing effect- the turn gets extended, which means people get bored, bored people don't stay, the player base that is active gets smaller, the problem that caused the extension in the first place just gets WORSE.

People play games because games don't follow the randomness of reality-they have rules-people don't stick to games when they can't rely on those rules to be enforced, this includes things like deadlines and deadline-imposed forced resolutions.  I understand that people have lives- I'm house-hunting, while working full time, next week I'm filling in for my team-leader which means even less time than normal, and I work second shift-which translates as being "I'm not available when most of you are even AWAKE"-including most of the staff.

Please, GM staff...NO MORE EXTENSIONS, if people are late, they're bloody LATE-we have rules codified (and policies) to handle this, start using them, stop second-guessing, stop trying to be nice-it is not working, if it did, we'd be seeing responses from the Adders, posts from Holt, and there would not be open combat threads left this turn with "bump" posts asking if anyone is home.  What we have, is a flaky situation, too few Active Players, the ones that are left are either die-hards or thinking about bailing-and some of the die-hards are probably thinking about bailing now.  The advantage this iteration had when I returned, was that the 3010 game was in an even FLAKIER state, with some danger of not even happening-that advantage is gone now-what's left has to be things like Momentum (instead of..y'know, inertia), compelling action (which doesn't happen when everything is late), and a sense of urgency (Which is not helped when we're still coping with rules-crap that should have been resolved on the 4th of January).

Extensions and uncertainty may not be the only reason the post-counts and player numbers are dropping, but it's a damn big contributor.  we have THREE GM's with only EIGHT active players-"Uncertainty" and "Extension" don't even belong in the vocabulary of this game at this time.  When a GM resolves something, or makes a ruling, it needs to be titanium-boned-ferro-fibrous-plated-solid-you-can-take-it-to-the-bank-and-cash-it, fair or unfair, it doesn't matter-fairness in GM'ing requires consistency, and when you're GM'ing in teams, it's GOT to be solid, no second-guessing, especially not a week after the fact.  After the Coventry res, the forums picked up, people were doing shit, playing the game, maybe even having fun.

AFTER the second, "Revised" resolution??

the forum turned into a  grave-yard.  Nobody talking, nobody posting, business not being done, play not occurring.  Extending the turn will not help this.  Firing people will not help it, bitching about what's happened in the past (including the Coventry mess) isn't going to help it.  Players need to know that when the staff says a thing has to be done by X-day-y-month-this-year, that it WILL be done, that when a GM speaks, it's the word of "GHOD"-even if he's wrong.

I'm fairly sure the Player base can drive forward, but the Staff needs to be working to maintain momentum or gain it, with iron-clad rulings and iron-clad deadlines, or I fear we're going to lose more players and the delay problems are only going to get worse.

On the PLAYER side...

People, we need to STOP WAITING.  We GOT the coventry mess, because people decided to wait, instead of taking the "Declared FP can be rolled by any involved party" line to heart.  It would be NICE and maybe prevent the massive crippling lag in the game if people...you know, declared their forces on the thread when they're defending, instead of dropping off the earth through the end of the turn?  It's courtesy, guys, show a bit and maybe you'll get a bit back, and instead of a dead forum, you might have a live game instead-and the same goes for attackers.  If all you've got is a Miliz at one point, and you're facing thirty, you're going to lose (minus a roll of 12 on the crit table) regardless of whether you, the other player, or the GM staff roll it out-the only REAL difference is that by delaying, and delaying, and delaying some more, you're just making things less fun for everyone involved.

This concludes the rant.

[Marlin]

I read you, CS, but what if no GM shows up on a Bump to answer questions that need adressing to finish a thread?

And if we really are only 8 players.. with how many factions needing one.. uuuh.

[Cannonshop]

I read you, CS, but what if no GM shows up on a Bump to answer questions that need adressing to finish a thread?

And if we really are only 8 players.. with how many factions needing one.. uuuh.

I guess if the GMs really don't show up, then we're going to have to make the best judgement calls we can, based on our understanding of the rules as they are written. In situations where there is no rule, I guess we have to go with compromise between players, and where the target faction IS Game-Master run?

I don't have an answer for that.  We have THREE game masters on staff, that should be plenty to give 100% coverage even when one (or even two) are having computer problems-the lack of GM response IS troubling-but then, we've also got PLAYERS who don't respond for weeks at a time, or only show up when their interests are endangered by their own neglect.

I'm saying that we, as players, need to muddle through, I suppose-and that is frustrating as hell, which actually ties to my earlier statement-the Lag is helping to kill the game.

and the extensions and delays aren't helping to keep it going, or to keep it fun.

[Fatebringer]

"we are here, we are here, we are heeeeere!" ~ The Hoos

The's are louder then the GM's

[GraeGor]

Pending what I learn from Dis, I may be returning in the near future.

[Marlin]

Extremely impressive win at Kelenfold, Fate. Of course I know about the role of luck but IC, the Ravens/Bears are awesome.

Oh and: Yes, Grae, please come back. I would not like the Star Adders without their players. Despite the checkered history with the CIH, which was improving lately.

[Deathrider6]

Just a note from the staff (me)...need summaries and Turn 46 orders (no combat since these are what I will be using to calculate your "package" for the next turn). THe faction Ideas I have recieved look real good it will be a matter of integrating these to give us a good base for the "new" game" I would have set a due date but I am waiting for the permissions so I can open up the T46 boards. Please be paitent we will be getting things going very soon.

[Deathrider6]

New or returning players would be a good thing there are two factions that really could use faction heads.

[Marlin]

Is there a deadline for orders?

Niops is still open..

[Deathrider6]

Not officially as of yet Marlin..There will be one as soon as the boards for turn 46 go up...Niops will be resolved first I hope.

[Fatebringer]

Extremely impressive win at Kelenfold, Fate. Of course I know about the role of luck but IC, the Ravens/Bears are awesome.

Oh and: Yes, Grae, please come back. I would not like the Star Adders without their players. Despite the checkered history with the CIH, which was improving lately.

That wasn't no walk in the park or Simrez. I looked up the name of the Norse Luck diety just so he'd have someone to pray to in the RP

[Cannonshop]

Hey, y'all, need some help working something out for the roleplay section-I've started a Wiki page focused on what the various factions are using to back their money, the intent/idea is to do a comparison chart showing how these various funding mechanisms might trade against each other.  It's not going to impact the game-rules, I just thought it might be kinda neat to have-(not to mention kind of neat to see reference pages on the wikis for this forum.)

What I'd like to get from y'all:  what you're backing your currency with-it can be industrial production/credit figures (Fiat money), solid resources, anything, really-using Canon sources would be best, but if there is no reference in canon, then I expect it's up to the player to decide.

Oh, yeah... linky stuff

[Marlin]

CS: I guess the Clans use still the Kerensky or Work Credits. I did not make up my mind on that for my Clan(s). Perhaps their IS currency as well?

Clanplayers: are we ready for some new RP? I mean, there is something to brag about, right, Fatebringer?

[Daemonknight]

T46 is all RP, so might aswell get crackin on setting up whatever your faction is doing during the 20 year time-jump.

[Marlin]

Op Sledge Hammer has now its small writeup.

Wanna see how the First Lord reacts to the news then.