Motivation...

[VenCain]

I understand and agree with the concerns over any individual suddenly dropping interest in the game and there should be a facility built into the game where "if lobby server A is unavailable check B then C", etc. in order that the game continue. There should not be a single point of failure.

Thalgor kept the servers up and now TigerEye does that, in turn. Having the servers up is more important than anything else and bitching at the people letting you play the game is not the right strategy.

It is easy to get emotional about this game and it's survival. In fact, I not only think it is valid to ask "what would happen if TigerEye (or whoever else) got hit by a truck today?", I think it is unreasonable not to have a backup plan for that.

I've been out of it for quite awhile but my opinion is there needs to be a plan (I hope there already is) where if one lobby server is down a mechanism exists to check for others.

After Microsoft dropped the game I made a program where individuals running independent servers could be accessed. If one was down that would not prevent you from accessing another (you had to enter them though, and we published them on the zone staging room. It was painful but worked). While suboptimal we operated in survival mode like this until Thalgor got dedicated servers running.

Then, after malicious folks tried to end the game I offered code for Thalgor (and Pook) to use (via lobby hooks) to protect the game if he chose. There was no requirement to run it and there were never any back doors. I did not run the site and I could only play the game (which was all I cared about). My point here is that there can quite easily be a segregation between these roles; I've always held that systems software and operations should be independently managed departments.

Having someone keep up servers for everyone else deserves a lot more respect than they get. Keeping the systems up is like being a firefighter but people focus more on the downtime than the efforts required to keep them up. Operations is a thankless job. It's easy to overlook but, honestly, this is crucial to the game's survival and deserves serious respect.

And to chime in on the OP's topic, this is a game for which (since MS) everything has and should continue to be done simply because you want to, without obligation. If you find you can't (like myself) then you need to transition your work to others.

In summary: have a backup plan and try to avoid creating hell for the folks making it possible for you to play a fun game. I don't know all the details of everything going on nowadays but having servers to play on around the clock trumps most every other concern.

-VenCain

[Orion]

QUOTE (VenCain @ Aug 25 2010, 01:44 AM) I did not run the site and I could only play the game (which was all I cared about). My point here is that there can quite easily be a segregation between these roles; I've always held that systems software and operations should be independently managed departments.

Amen VenCain. Just because you built the security system does not make you the obvious choice to administrate a community (nor should it even allow you to decide who does)

Also, pay no attention to Mastametz, he's generally regarded as a clown.. and it's kind of hilarious you actually took his post seriously and replied to it

[spideycw]

Sup Ven!

[Mastametz]

QUOTE (Orion @ Aug 25 2010, 06:52 AM) Amen VenCain. Just because you built the security system does not make you the obvious choice to administrate a community (nor should it even allow you to decide who does)

Also, pay no attention to Mastametz, he's generally regarded as a clown.. and it's kind of hilarious you actually took his post seriously and replied to it

It's unfortunate when the clown is smarter than 99% of the community.
Crowns have very little credibility.

Bad people choose to blame "balance", "bugs", "features", and other players, for them being bad. given that the majority of the community is bad at the game and always will be, an "equal say" system will always cause the collective opinion of those who are bad to weigh heaviest on the core "development". These people demand that the game be changed to accommodate them, instead of said players adapting to the game. It is this type of homogenization that inevitability causes the demise of decent gameplay in many a game. This is why "democratic" systems are bad by nature. Few people are smart enough to be responsible for influencing their own lives (or games) and the lives of others.

I'd be more comfortable with...let's say...the top 30 people on the leaderboard casting the only votes towards core balance changes.
(not that I think ranks or accurate or anything like that, but it would be considerably better than the "system" in place now)

[jbansk]

ridiculous

[pkk]

QUOTE (VenCain @ Aug 25 2010, 08:44 AM) Thalgor kept the servers up and now TigerEye does that, in turn. Having the servers up is more important than anything else and bitching at the people letting you play the game is not the right strategy.

Orion hits the nail on the head...

QUOTE (Orion @ Aug 25 2010, 03:52 PM) Amen VenCain. Just because you built the security system does not make you the obvious choice to administrate a community (nor should it even allow you to decide who does)

Thalgor appointed the first ZLs.
Thalgor made TE to his successor.
Head Admin and ZLs appoint new ZLs.
TE says he's not head of FAO, but even ZLs think he is.
Then TE says, the ZLs (the self-constituted of the community) what him to continue the way it currently goes?!

QUOTE (Tigereye @ Aug 22 2010, 06:20 PM) Frankly, the reason is: I hold the DNS domains and the administrative accounts. These are in my hands because both Thalgor and Pook gave them to me, and most importantly the Zone Leaders want me to have them.

How can ZLs represent the community, if the community has no real influence? ("ASGS polls" is the ultimate answer.)

Anyway, ZLS are leaders of their Zone. They should be a specialist on their Zone. What does for example the training ZL has to deal with enforcement problems like permanent bans (and other community related stuff which got handled during ZL meetings)?

PS:
That doesn't mean TE/TB or ZLs are doing a bad job.

[lexaal]

I like some ideas of mastametz' post.

I propose a new voting system for everything: vote weight = (games played the last 3 months -forum posts).

[Freyja]

QUOTE (lexaal @ Aug 25 2010, 07:19 PM) I like some ideas of mastametz' post.

I propose a new voting system for everything: vote weight = (games played the last 3 months -forum posts).

AllegAge -AvgPostsPerDay

[Picobozo]

Vencain

[Gandalf2]

Maybe when a new ZL is proposed, and the ZL's agree with the appointment, it should go out to the community - "do you think xxx should be ZL of yyy?" and 75% needed for appointment to be confirmed.