Post by Magic Rob on Aug 28, 2012 19:36:35 GMT -8
Good morning my lovelies. It's been a while since I've sat down and considered giving the game as a whole advise. The last time, I wrote a document on how to build a character which was well received, and the time has come for me to write another.
The nature of this lecture is how you and Staff interact. Allow me to begin with a brief introduction.
ECC has historically been a very Player Vs Environment type of game. I know there are several that feel it is very Player Vs Player, but I assure you, once you have tasted the ash of a thousand character sheets in other games, you come to appreciate the relative comradory of this one. However, the peace that players have with each other comes at a price. When most character death or conflict can be traced to NPCs or other non-quantifiables, players become increasingly antagonistic with staff. They are, after all, the NPCs, right? So if an NPC is screwing you over, that directly correlates to Staff screwing you. Right?
Well... yes and no.
Staff, historically, has been the sole basis for where all power stems and flows. Logically, they are viewed to resolve all disputes and make every rule and run every combat and write every plot and represent 7 billion other minds and, hardest of all, keep their vest of professionalism on at all time.
Therefore, it stands to reason that if Staff is good at what they do, they can objectively represent at least a handful of those 7 billion personalities, and some of those personalities might take issue with you.
I suppose this is meandering somewhat and taking a preaching tone rather than an instructive one. So, allow me to merge this back to my original theories.
ECC wants to objectively separate Staff and Players. They largely want these to be two bodies and exist in different worlds. This has been allowed to happen further over time from antagonistic staffs and over reactive players. This breeds a war zone sort of mentality, which can be jarring and downright brutal to Staff, especially in the beginning. They step in and can be blamed for the sins of the past. Alternatively, this can cause Staff to treat Players in a poor manner because of how other Players have acted, causing the cycle to start again. While this isn't fair, it's understandable and to a lesser extent inevitable.
However. This can be battled somewhat if we all take a moment to realize that there is no separation from Staff and Players; the only difference is where you stand at Noms. That's it. Two weeks ago, Staff was Players. In two weeks, Staff will be Players again.
Being on Staff can be a grueling experience. One week, you're the height of popularity. You just got elected in by your peers. You just got to feel that rush of power to elect changes that you've been wanting for so long. And then, it's all pulled out when your friends are now treating you like the enemy. It can be jarring indeed.
But! We have tools to battle this effect!
See, if we as those in attendance of EC recognize that Staff and Players are in fact the same people, we can cut this down a great deal. Treating staff with respect and giving them the benefit of the doubt is necessary. If you approach another player, it’s doubtful (or should be doubtful) that you will assume they are trying to screw you over intentionally. Maybe there was miscommunication. Maybe there are things in the world that you aren't personally aware of. Maybe you just tested poorly on that one thing a few months back and it's just now catching up to you. Maybe it’s just a matter of boons.
I guess my point here is that we're all in this together. Staff, Players, Observers... we're all just part of the community. A community built of peer esteem and an egalitarian view of social status. Staff doesn't really have power over you; you can just stop coming to game. Alternatively, you can play in a different sphere. Alternatively, you can step onto staff to help elect the changes you see as positive. They have power over your character, not you. And that only translates to power with you if you have given your character some sort of authority over you.
There are a lot of seasoned guys coming down on various Staffs right now. (I could be writing this at any time in EC history, and that statement would be true) This is unnecessary. If we all take a minute to think about how we would most well respond to something and use that approach when speaking to others (Staff or Players), I think this would all go a lot better.
Not to start a drum circle or anything. I'm all about respect, not love. You can definitely hate someone's Character and whack that guy. Just treat the player with some respect when doing it. And when a player becomes a staffer and they make a rules call you disagree with, vocalize it politely, and roll with it. If it really shafts you, that's unpleasant, but express that you are feeling like things are unfair and cite your case. This will give everyone involved a chance to calmly explain their respective side and everyone can remain friends
Former HST and all around a-hole;
-Rob.
The nature of this lecture is how you and Staff interact. Allow me to begin with a brief introduction.
ECC has historically been a very Player Vs Environment type of game. I know there are several that feel it is very Player Vs Player, but I assure you, once you have tasted the ash of a thousand character sheets in other games, you come to appreciate the relative comradory of this one. However, the peace that players have with each other comes at a price. When most character death or conflict can be traced to NPCs or other non-quantifiables, players become increasingly antagonistic with staff. They are, after all, the NPCs, right? So if an NPC is screwing you over, that directly correlates to Staff screwing you. Right?
Well... yes and no.
Staff, historically, has been the sole basis for where all power stems and flows. Logically, they are viewed to resolve all disputes and make every rule and run every combat and write every plot and represent 7 billion other minds and, hardest of all, keep their vest of professionalism on at all time.
Therefore, it stands to reason that if Staff is good at what they do, they can objectively represent at least a handful of those 7 billion personalities, and some of those personalities might take issue with you.
I suppose this is meandering somewhat and taking a preaching tone rather than an instructive one. So, allow me to merge this back to my original theories.
ECC wants to objectively separate Staff and Players. They largely want these to be two bodies and exist in different worlds. This has been allowed to happen further over time from antagonistic staffs and over reactive players. This breeds a war zone sort of mentality, which can be jarring and downright brutal to Staff, especially in the beginning. They step in and can be blamed for the sins of the past. Alternatively, this can cause Staff to treat Players in a poor manner because of how other Players have acted, causing the cycle to start again. While this isn't fair, it's understandable and to a lesser extent inevitable.
However. This can be battled somewhat if we all take a moment to realize that there is no separation from Staff and Players; the only difference is where you stand at Noms. That's it. Two weeks ago, Staff was Players. In two weeks, Staff will be Players again.
Being on Staff can be a grueling experience. One week, you're the height of popularity. You just got elected in by your peers. You just got to feel that rush of power to elect changes that you've been wanting for so long. And then, it's all pulled out when your friends are now treating you like the enemy. It can be jarring indeed.
But! We have tools to battle this effect!
See, if we as those in attendance of EC recognize that Staff and Players are in fact the same people, we can cut this down a great deal. Treating staff with respect and giving them the benefit of the doubt is necessary. If you approach another player, it’s doubtful (or should be doubtful) that you will assume they are trying to screw you over intentionally. Maybe there was miscommunication. Maybe there are things in the world that you aren't personally aware of. Maybe you just tested poorly on that one thing a few months back and it's just now catching up to you. Maybe it’s just a matter of boons.
I guess my point here is that we're all in this together. Staff, Players, Observers... we're all just part of the community. A community built of peer esteem and an egalitarian view of social status. Staff doesn't really have power over you; you can just stop coming to game. Alternatively, you can play in a different sphere. Alternatively, you can step onto staff to help elect the changes you see as positive. They have power over your character, not you. And that only translates to power with you if you have given your character some sort of authority over you.
There are a lot of seasoned guys coming down on various Staffs right now. (I could be writing this at any time in EC history, and that statement would be true) This is unnecessary. If we all take a minute to think about how we would most well respond to something and use that approach when speaking to others (Staff or Players), I think this would all go a lot better.
Not to start a drum circle or anything. I'm all about respect, not love. You can definitely hate someone's Character and whack that guy. Just treat the player with some respect when doing it. And when a player becomes a staffer and they make a rules call you disagree with, vocalize it politely, and roll with it. If it really shafts you, that's unpleasant, but express that you are feeling like things are unfair and cite your case. This will give everyone involved a chance to calmly explain their respective side and everyone can remain friends
Former HST and all around a-hole;
-Rob.
