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[electricsheep]

I'm going in to this knowing that pretty much all criticisms are taken as attacks here.

To me, it really feels as though the focal point always becomes the insignificant things in conversations like this. This same conversation comes up every few months, the same rhetoric is spewed, and eventually it is buried on the forum until next time. A negative statement, but let me temper it with a bit of constructive criticism.

If you can't comprehend marketing a game, can't manage a website, and only excel at in-game development... perhaps it is time to hire out or turn the project over to those that can bring it back before it dies, staying on as in-game developers of course. Let me be clear that I've no interest in taking it, but several of the others here do. I see the current website and lack of marketing just as bad as when you lost the domain name and half the playerbase. I see it as bad as Malch and Chayesh just SITTING on the game and doing nothing. I see it just as bad as when Irumeru tried to get the playerbase to pay him a salary. Maybe I am the only one, but I see the current state as the result of a series or poor decisions, incompetency in most things outside of the game, and an almost communistic fear of losing control of power. The current forum, website, and marketing plan is indicative of a staff that just doesn't care or just doesn't have the time to care. I assume it is the time thing, but that is no excuse.

So yeah, no one cares about your real life as staff. If you can't manage it, and have an interest in keeping it alive... why not show a bit more sense than those that came before and pass it on before stagnation kills it further.

Don't sequester me with "If you think you can do better, do so." I already did. I want to see THIS game flourish because I actually want to play it. It pisses me off to no end that the same thing keeps happening... the ettin > arzaeth > Irumeru > Malchaeius > Current.

I'll end it on a positive note in that if the appropriate people just "wake up", it wouldn't need to change hands. I don't mean work harder, I mean "wake up". Start looking at players as resources and not cattle. Start looking at your staff as staff, not just buddies. Have requirements. I know I've trained seventeen people how to manage my linux servers, some as young as 15. I've trained four people how to manage the social media aspect. I have two guys I've trained to help me with marketing.

It actually makes me chuckle that you are so terrified of ending up with a "bad apple" as a staff member. If they don't work out, fire 'em. What, at this point, do you have to lose.

Jibber for president, 2012. Awendris for Coder. I dunno... the list goes on.

You might be pleasantly surprised at what people who have played a damned game for 10 years of their life might come up with... they MIGHT even have enough devotion to be productive in keeping it alive.

[F-3000]

[Note: Replies below are about "how I see them", they may differ from real facts.]

I'm going in to this knowing that pretty much all criticisms are taken as attacks here.

It's not just about that "criticisms are taken as attacks here", it's more about HOW that criticism is expressed. There's a huge difference in sentences "this could be done better" and "god damn you guys suck". There's even difference in "this could be done better" and "you could do things better", because the latter goes into personal ("you"), and pretty much CAN count everything the target is doing ("things" as plural). Because, if you (not pointing (just) you, sheep) don't have skill to write in a manner that it's difficult to get offended, how you can demand that the reader has skill not to be easily offended?

And then there's this fancy thing that some people have a habit of writing in offensive manner, meaning that if they write "defensive" post in their style, it sounds offensive regardless do they mean it. Strangle me if you wish, but f0xx is good example of this. He doesn't always mean to be as offensive as his text expresses.

Not to forget that sometimes those who express criticism, fail to accept it themselves, when their criticism is criticised.

"If you think you can do better' date=' do so."[/quote']

That line is expressed, because current staff simply cannot do things better (without exhausting themselves), AND they seem to lack skill to incorporate the available possibilities (properly). As a personal example, I told that I have skill with web-coding, and offered assistance with web-CODING, yet, I got impression that I was expected to not only code, but create new content on all my own - very likely not gona happen. And I still don't know the possibilities or restrictions of the current webhost, so I can't start improving current code. Thus, as long as I'm not given content that's supposed to be translated into HTML, I can't do anything. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.

But then, sometimes the possibilities have such a bad sides, that it simply is better to let it go. Think of a situation where a guy who could help requires to become a full member of the staff. It's not just that simple.

What makes things worse? Outsourced things easily get poorly produced. As an example, current wiki is locked up for editing (even for registered), if it's not a page I've created. Not very couraging to use it, especially since the information there isn't updated.

And if that (quoted) line comes out of the mouth of non-staff, it should be plain ignored.

It actually makes me chuckle that you are so terrified of ending up with a "bad apple" as a staff member. If they don't work out' date=' fire 'em. What, at this point, do you have to lose.[/quote']

You really can't see how soft-skinned the players around here are? In one group in certain social media, there's even a guy who can't stop expressing his hatred towards the staff and this game (and the admins of that group fail to understand that "right for free speech" does not equal to "right for blatant insult"). He just can't give up and swallow his bitter. Look at my signature - it's not only about me.

[F-3000]

To be honest' date=' I've been floating the idea of reinstating the CMT, but the issues I've outlined have me thinking it will suffer the same failure as last time.[/quote']

Why not create subforum for CMT in this forum? Closed from public or not, it would cut the "separated" feeling.

[Volgathras]

I wanted to do that originally, but changing the system of our forum is very complicated. It was easier to create a temporary forum.

[F-3000]

I wanted to do that originally' date=' but changing the system of our forum is very complicated. It was easier to create a temporary forum.[/quote']

If it's more complicated than with phpBB-forum, I wonder why you're using vBullet.

If this forum has enough similarities to phpBB, I think it should be as easy as to create new subforum, if it's closed then access to a certain group only (plus imms group), then throwing specific members into that group. Then you, Vol, as group-leader, then you have right to add/remove members into/from that group, if you otherwise wouldn't.

And if I don't remember wrong, vBullet has very much similarities to phpBB with UI. I was an admin on torrent-site with vBullet as forum. And I created subforums in there, one with restricted access.

[Iyorvin]

Seems pretty simple to me. We have ideas, we need implementation.

1. Website - This HAS to be done. We need updates on in game changes, new content, and more importantly, what is going on RP wise in Aabahran. We don't need to even have some one to write this content, there is a current herald that is doing fantastic things.

2. Snipet Coders or Full time Coder - Maybe it's time for current staff to step up and learn intensely, or even a trusted member of the community. I certainly wish I knew how, but I'm much too stupid!

3. RP Development Coordinator - Bring Player RP's into a grand RP scheme

4. Ideas - No one needs to be hired for this, they are offered every single day.

[F-3000]

1. Website - This HAS to be done. We need updates on in game changes' date=' new content, and more importantly, what is going on RP wise in Aabahran. We don't need to even have some one to write this content, there is a current herald that is doing fantastic things.[/quote']

Hold on with that...

[Iyorvin]

I hope that includes some photoshop banners and such, if I got off my *** I could do that. I have the damn CS5 Photoshop with CS4 Dreamweaver lol, just been too lazy to do anything with it.

[Imoutgoodbye]

I hope that includes some photoshop banners and such' date=' if I got off my *** I could do that. I have the damn CS5 Photoshop with CS4 Dreamweaver lol, just been too lazy to do anything with it.[/quote']

Sounds like someone should

.