Staff Methods

[Deykari]

My biggest point is that dictatorships are bad. Even though this isn't some political forum or whatever' date=' it still has a government. It has nearly admitted to being a dictatorship and performs much like a dictatorship. I cannot for the life of me think of how a dictatorship is in any way good for anyone except the leaders. I think problems can be solved on both immortal and mortal levels if the form of government is changed. Not a word has to be changed in the rules; it's just a small change in the way the staff and the players communicate. They do unto us as we would do unto them, and visa-versa. They respect us more, we respect them more. The relationship doesn't have to be strung so tight. We shouldn't get nervous when RPing with them in game because we're nervous near them OOC.[/quote']

Who is saying anything about being nervous near them OOC or IG, due to their forum presence (which consists of the closing of threads that they deem inappropriate)? I simply do not see this big "dictatorship" that you see - there have been tons and tons of suggestions and ideas placed forwards, that have been discussed with both Imms and players alike. To me, the Immortals aren't shooting down people or locking threads because of what is being proposed or discussed, but rather because of the way inwhich people are proposing and discussing. Your most recent example of the thread that Belegriel locked? There are a couple of posts in there (Not the well-thought out ones by Celerity and co.) that could be interpreted as veiled flames towards the Immortal staff (and I will pick them out if you so wish). Again, that could be another issue of misinterpretation between Imms and players - which is why it is important that when 'sensitive' topics are discussed, people are a little more careful to make it clear what they mean exactly. Or at least if you're going to have an outspoken opinion, get it down in the Prayer forum where it's a private debate between Imm and player, and not a public call-out of the staff/system.

The forum certaintly isn't run like a dictatorship, where the Imms are disposing of any people who speak an opposing opinion by bringing the unmarked black helicopters to come and ship them to some secret base for execution. If that was the case, I wouldn't be here. But if people (and by people, I mean everyone who posts...even though there are people who do do this already) were clear about what they are trying to say, and have a sensible, mature approach to suggestions, perhaps more often would there be a sensible and mature response where threads are usually locked.

I know if I was an Immortal I would have gotten so sick of seeing some of the same crap over and over again, I would have either banned a few people or just closed the forums out of sheer annoyance/frustration. That'd be a big mistake, but I'm easily frustrated.

Dey

[Celerity]

Well, it looks my post started all this, and now that we are three pages into the alphabet soup, we haven't even answered the original question.

I understand that this is run privately by the imms, and they can do anything they want. That doesn't bother me--just like any private company, it is in their interest to do things well.

Now, I've been here since beta, and not once have I gotten into trouble with the staff (I guess I was recently forum-banned for providing the wood to START a flame--I still have objections, but life goes on and I don't care at the moment).

I sincerely do my best to IMPROVE the atmosphere through my posts, in game, and even when I was an imm. Like I said in my last post, I AM thankful for all the stuff the imms do. I realize they aren't in it for themselves, and they are geniunely interested in the welfare of the MUD. However, I don't know how to post my opinion any nicer. I've tried to do it privately by sending PMs to various imms about it over the last few months, (including you Raar) and have YET to get ANY response.

Response concerning what?

We know that the staff does a lot to support the MUD (although haven't checked my volcano area YET!) (desc checks, inductions, etc)---I haven't seen ANYTHING change in the code of the game for a long, long, long time. Yes, I know we are supposed to be patient--but for how long? How many months or years have to pass before ANY code changes come in? This MUD is effectively unsupported code-wise right now. Yes, Behrens may be busy--but at what point do we say, "If you are too busy to contribute, why don't you give it to someone who isn't?" That is exactly what Viri did...although it looks like the MUD was given to a person who is MORE busy than he became.

Yes, this IS a bit of a challenge to the staff..but hardly an open assaulting flame. I probably could've posted it a bit meeker, but the point stands. I'm relying on my reputation as a long-term player and poster here. I am a bit frustrated as a serious player (I do have some locked threads to my name). I've tried to ask indirectly..Things like change logs are no longer public..why is that? I've tried privately through PM. I just tried nicely. How am I supposed to get an answer? If I get banned for 5 days and get an answer to that question, it is well worth it for me.

This thread is all about flaming and banning and all that. That is all besides the point---the ROOT of the problem is a lack of answers. I still just want an answer from the imms concerning the situation with the code.

I hope it is -very- obvious I'm not flaming or attacking anyone here, nor stating my opinion (code changes can be measured). I know I'm disliked by a few players here, but anyone will have that. I hope the staff realizes that I am not, nor have ever been, out for their blood or embarassment. I just want to knooooow.

[Iusedtobesomebody]

1. it's their forum.

2. it's their game.

3. you pay for neither.

how hard is that to understand?

we all have ideas and complaints and whatnot. the best we can do is voice them rationally, and then the staff considers them.

but their ultimate decisions are not up to debate.

[Raargant]

RE Celerity: I'm not sure what PM you are referring to, I don't see myself as having one in my inbox...

EDIT: I see it. I remember it now. It was on my to-do list in terms of PM's to answer. Oops.

Regardless of that, with regards to the thread which Belegriel recently closed, I will only say that I personally, at least, did not feel attacked or flamed by you.

[Dale]

This game has risin to a point where the imms have to treat it as a priveledge to play it. In return it just pisses everyone else off more.

[Aulian]

*sigh*

[Sirax]

The Imms do a great job.

No im not sucking up, I have had loads of disagreements with the Imms, one in particular. I thought things should go this way, The Imm thought they should go that way. Perhaps the Imm could of been a bit more Tactful but thats life you get on with people and you do not get on with people. Best thing to do is get on with it. Most of the imms have always spoken to me like an adult, ive asked questions offered suggestions and most of the time they have answered me, using the prayer forum. I perhaps get somewhere because I do not suck up but merely act in a polite and courteous manner, they are after all taking up some of their time to read and reply to my gripes and belly aches. And if there really was such attitude with the Imms I think there would be very little players playing, if you dont like bugger off.

[The Once Duped Lemming]

Warpnow's post removed.

[Raargant]

Stop making dummy accounts, Warpnow.

[Pali]

I've been here for about six years through three different forums. I've never been forum banned, though I got a warning once from accidently posting qrace info that I shouldn't have. I've been punished for in game activities once, right after I started playing, with a slay. I like to think that I've had an impact on the way this game has developed, and in a couple points I'm certain about it. I've posted a few thinly veiled flames here and there, I've posted a couple actual flames in the past, I've made posts where I was simply stating frustration with the game or staff in general. I've quit and returned more times than I can count. I'm one of the oldest players who still remains. And you know what I've learned from all this?

If there's something bothering you, and you can't post it without frustration (Not in your words, but in your current MOOD - I guarantee it comes through the words without you realizing), then shut down your browser, go have a beer, smoke a cig, or whatever you do for stress, come back an hour later, and sit down and make a well-thought constructive post. In my entire time here, through all FL's various admins, I have NEVER seen a truly constructive post gain any flak whatsoever from the IMMs. I've seen plenty of constructive posts with veiled flames in them gain flak from the IMMs, but I have yet to see a single one that doesn't have anger and frustration just leaking out of the words gain any trouble for the poster.

[corpsestomp]

Is it really required of the IMMs that they constantly put out improvements? The biggest and greatest thing about this mud? Replay value. No two characters will ever have the same interactions, ever. The mud is always changing, and it's the players that are doing that. Take an active role in doing something in the mud if you want changes. Build an area, send an application to be a coder if you know how.

I think what bothers me about the whole thing, is the assumption that the Imms are doing nothing to change the mud. Nobody BUT the Imms knows what kind of changes are going on.

If you want changes, ask for them. If you have an idea, post it. Just don't expect silly posts to get the proper attention.

[Goomf]

I haven't played for a bit, but I have received messages once in a while from some people who bitch and complain about what's going on.

Certainly, it's possible that they're the only ones offended. However, the vehemence of how the Imm 'nazis' are ruining the forum, which indirectly is tied to the game, gives me pause to think.

On one hand, this IS a privately run game and it IS a priviledge to be playing it. The players don't pay for anything and one or two imps pays expenses from out of their pocket. And believe me, for someone who spent hundreds of dollars trying to win this girl over to have her says "Oh, I didn't notice you were flirting with me," unappreciation sucks.

On the other hand, I have seen quite a few locked posts. Not so much as when Chayesh was locking them, but some of them offered criticism. I appreciate people who can stand their own, not just lock them because they don't agree with them. In all seriousness, this forum and game has aspects similar to a government. The imms have absolute power, and it does seem to me that they are using it quite effectively. Heck, one can almost compare it to V for Vendetta.

As I see it, the crux of the problem lies with the fact that the imms are understaffed, which coincidently lies with the pbase count. Higher pbase = more imms. For those of you imms out their: treat this as an enjoyable and fun experience and NOT as a task or chore. Once you choose the latter, you might as well as quit and leave because it will reflect off how you express yourself both in the forum and in the game. And by this, I'm pointing my finger to you Raargant.

People bring up the point that this is 'just' a game. That it should be fun and enjoyable. Obviously some are hooked to it so much or think they have obligations that they don't realize they could probably be doing other things. It's a balance of benefits vs costs. Since it is 'just' a game, people should be free to express their opinions as long as it does not harm the base of the game.

As the last fraction of my 2 cents, even though this game is privately owned, don't treat it like that. As much as you guys might hate to think of it, the imms are/should be concerned with customer satisfaction. That's the whole point of constructive criticism.

[WarriorCleric]

This is not a dictatorship. This is OWNERSHIP' date=' of this forum.[/quote']

Ownership! That's the way to see it. When someone comes into my apartment and gives me ****, I show them the damn door. I'm nice enough to let them use my ****, eat my food, drink my soda, and they tell me that I need to have red sheets instead of blue, leave my dishes unwashed when they leave, and then tell me that I'm being a mean guy? **** that. It's my god damned home, and when they leave, I'm still here, and I pay to be here, everyone else is just a guest.

Oh and Zroth, I used to read your posts and say 'What the ****?' because I completely disagreed with you, lately I've still been saying 'What the ****?' but it's because you've beat me to what I wanted to say.

WC

[Raargant]

Have you, now?

I have listed all the locked posts in the General, Ideas, and Newbie help section. Why don't you take a look at this.

Page 1: 2 locked threads. One in which someone was flaming another player (non-IMM related). One in which a player felt that the speed of coding was slow.

Page 2: No locked threads.

Page 3: Two locked threads. One which was an IMM announcement, one where players were flaming other players.

Page 4: One locked thread. One in which a player called the IMP-staff 'clowns' and incompetent.

Page 5: Two locked thread. The one just before Warpnow was banned, for reasons that, evidently, you agree with. And one where Balinor improperly posted an RP log.

So, across a MONTH's worth of moderating, there were exactly seven locked threads on the general discussion forum. One in which a player directly insulted the IMP's, one in which Warpnow was banned for reasons you agreed with, two for flaming other players, one for an improper posting of an RP log, and one IMM announcement.

And then one. Just one. Of locking for 'veiled flames'.

Newbie help? One lock in three pages and a month's worth, on a thread by granny4man maintaining that liches was a waste of time.

Ideas and suggestions? Three locks in two pages; one lock at request of the pbase to kill a thread that was no longer needed, one thread killed because of Warpnow (subsequently banned), one thread about whether or not academy could be used for hiding from PK, locked after the IMM's gave their ruling on it.

Hrm.

Does that seem like a lot of 'Nazi IMM policies' to you?

Quite frankly, this is the problem.

I haven't played for a bit, but I have received messages once in a while from some people who bitch and complain about what's going on.

People pull stuff out of their ***, don't bother to check facts, spread it as gospel, then players who, by their own admittance, aren't playing the game (or evidently forum browsing) come here and pontificate about a situation which they evidently only have second hand knowledge, and never bothered to get firsthand knowledge of.

Pontificate in ways such as this.

Higher pbase = more imms. For those of you imms out their: treat this as an enjoyable and fun experience and NOT as a task or chore. Once you choose the latter, you might as well as quit and leave because it will reflect off how you express yourself both in the forum and in the game. And by this, I'm pointing my finger to you Raargant.

Cute. Guess what? We do think of this as being an enjoyable and fun experience. Being an IMM, that is. Babysitting a bunch of whiners or flamers on a forum? I'm sorry, that isn't 'fun'. No more than dealing with cheaters and rulebreakers in game is fun.

Since it is 'just' a game, people should be free to express their opinions as long as it does not harm the base of the game.

There is a difference between expressing opinions, and flaming the pbase or the administration, especially on a constant basis. Which is the only reason which any members of the pbase, namely, Warpnow and granny4man, have been permbanned in recent history. As you would know, if you bothered to actually research what is going on in the forum, instead of lecture on the basis of second hand knowledge from biased sources.

[Goomf]

Have you, now?

I have listed all the locked posts in the General, Ideas, and Newbie help section. Why don't you take a look at this.

Hrm.

Does that seem like a lot of 'Nazi IMM policies' to you?

Quite frankly, this is the problem.

Quite frankly, this is the problem. You take things too literally. There's a reason why I put quotation marks around Nazi IMM policies. That means I'm skeptical. And obviously you're frustration at moderating the forum is leeking through.

People pull stuff out of their ***, don't bother to check facts, spread it as gospel, then players who, by their own admittance, aren't playing the game (or evidently forum browsing) come here and pontificate about a situation which they evidently only have second hand knowledge, and never bothered to get firsthand knowledge of.

So I'm not allowed to make speculations now? Funny thing is, I even told those people who were bitching to think twice about what happened. In fact, I freaking defended the mud when they bitched to me. But you know what? THEY BITCHED. Obviously something went screwy where they didn't come out satisfied. Contemplate on that for a moment.

Done? Good. I'm not about to start a flame war or 'thinly disguise a flame.' However, if **** happened to them to the point where they IM me after freaking 2 or so years just to bitch, there's a huge statement that's made. Especially since I know they've had quality characters in the past.

I invested a lot of time in this mud and **** that if you're telling me I can't make speculations. I didn't even spread any gospels or rumors. And how would I get first hand knowledge? You want me to email you guys? Oh wait, maybe I can put it in the prayer room where chances are I'll get shot down just for asking because it's not my business? How about I just IM some other guys and see what's up? Obviously that's still a second hand experience.

BTW, getting imed from the person who supposedly got screwed over is considered first hand experience.

Cute. Guess what? We do think of this as being an enjoyable and fun experience. Being an IMM, that is. Babysitting a bunch of whiners or flamers on a forum? I'm sorry, that isn't 'fun'. No more than dealing with cheaters and rulebreakers in game is fun.

Then don't do it. Give it to someone else who doesn't seem to be anal retentive for every single thing a player, or for that matter a non-player, opinionates about or has speculations of.

There is a difference between expressing opinions, and flaming the pbase or the administration, especially on a constant basis. Which is the only reason which any members of the pbase, namely, Warpnow and granny4man, have been permbanned in recent history. As you would know, if you bothered to actually research what is going on in the forum, instead of lecture on the basis of second hand knowledge from biased sources.

Lecture? I'm sorry, I can't even give general advices now? Did I start a flame war with my 'thinly veiled flame?' In fact, it seems you're the only one that has a problem with what I stated. So please tell me if this is completely your opinion, the opinions of every other moderators, the opinions of the pbase, or the opinions of the world.

Seriously dude, you need to chill out and stop taking offense to every single thing everyone speculates or says. Take a deep breath and stop trying to headbutt with everyone.

[Goomf]

Oh, and an addition. The players can't be sarcastic about something without repercussions but the moderators are allowed to be?

My initial post was NOT meant to be anything offensive. It's to give a neutral perspective with concerns to both sides.

Obviously your response, Raargant, was a sarcastic and snide remark attacking me in general because I didn't 'get the whole story' so to speak.

Wow, how about that. A thinly veiled flame.

[Chayesh]

RE: Celerity, I have no PM from you in case you intended to send me one.

RE: Goomf, I haven't been locking threads because I haven't needed to. 80% of the threads I've locked for crap content were posted by Warpnow, Sneak, Fallen Idols, Granny-Fiv, and a few other malcontents who wanted nothing more than to create strife and flame the staff and players.

I'm all for free speech, however, even your constitutional right to free speech has legal limitations on it. You CANNOT say whatever you want whenever you want, even in everyday life. Compound that fact of law with this being a private forum of discussion, and yes, if the owner-operators of that private forum take exception to what was said, you can bet it would disappear from just about any private forum, not just this one.

Many of you posted that you felt it was the manner in which things were posted or stated that often makes the difference in how we receive it and that's absolutely correct. Raargant mentioned, and I've answered this also to players who've asked me about bans on the prayer forum, that often all you players see is the end result of usually a few months of the same bull from the same person over and over and over in PMs, emails, the prayer forum, notes in game, etc. Then, they finally get banned after finally making a public comment, and they usually only make the public comment after repeated attempts to get what they want through private channels are unsuccessful or flat out denied by us for various reasons. So they run to tell the playerbase like they believe they're uncovering Watergate or something. Then you players see our reaction and think, "WTF?!?! He makes one comment and got nuked for it?!?!?" I can certainly see, from the players' limited perspective (and I mean physically limited, not a sleight against their mental capacities), that it would appear that a snap judgment is made and a player smacked down for little reason. I can assure you, though whether you believe it is up to you, that this is the case except in extremely rare cases.

It all boils down to this:

I want a strong playerbase and a dedicated staff. I want the best game out there to get better. I want the game to grow and develop. I want our players and staff to work together for all of this. I want our community of players and staff to thrive and grow also. This does not mean we'll all see things the same way, regardless of the common goal. What it does mean is that sometimes, players will have to TRUST (hard to do, I know, for anyone, especially nameless, faceless internet personalities) that the staff is doing things that promote the above mentioned desires that I have, whether they agree personally with them or not. And when you disagree, all we ever asked the players to be is respectful. Not groveling, not being yes-persons, but, like someone already said, give us the common courtesy you'd afford someone on the street and that you would DEMAND someone give you. You all certainly wish to be spoken to respectfully and so do we.

Oh...and waffles. I wish for waffles.

[Raargant]

I noticed you went through all the threads I referred you to. I appreciate that.

I'm going to answer all of this in simple quotes:

However, if **** happened to them to the point where they IM me after freaking 2 or so years just to bitch, there's a huge statement that's made.

I agree. It's the statement that the only person who they could find to talk to and bitch about it, is a person whom has been absent from the MUD and has no idea what is going on. It's a statement that pretty much no one else on their IM list agrees with them. That's my viewpoint.

I invested a lot of time in this mud

That does not give you the right to come here, without any facts or investigation (such as, say, actually looking at the forum, which would be a way of answering the question

And how would I get first hand knowledge?

), and call out IMM's by name, and telling them how they are doing their job inappropriately, with comments such as

you might as well as quit and leave[...]I'm pointing my finger to you Raargant.

Do you think that might cause the effect of

taking offense to every single thing everyone speculates or says

, at least with regard to what you say?

Then don't do it. Give it to someone else who doesn't seem to be anal retentive for every single thing a player, or for that matter a non-player, opinionates about or has speculations of.

Please bring up the posts in question. In fact, please bring up my posts, period, aside from this thread, where you feel I have forum banned or locked any threads unfairly. Any at all, within the past month or so (you can dig deeper if you want). Or, even give me examples of where I have forum banned or locked any posts/threads for being 'sarcastic'!

In fact, both the posts brought up by the original poster as a symbol of 'bad IMM behavior'? I had nothing to do with those at all. I locked neither of those posts.

To put it succinctly, when a person who neither plays the MUD, nor participates in the forum, comes back for the sole purpose of expressing his opinion on how IMM's should act, going so far as singling out one IMM in specific, while having spent little to no time reviewing the actual forum itself, then yes. You would probably expect a bit of a raised eyebrow. You specifically target me, then expect me to specifically target you in my response.

[songofsixpence]

So I'm not allowed to make speculations now?

That right there is the problem. You're speculating. There's nothing that says that you can't make informed judgements, but without knowledge of what actually happened, you're guessing. While you are experienced, and can likely make some very good inferences, you're still working from an unstable knowledge base. Speculation only helps add more fuel to the fire, as people tend to inadvertently assume that experienced people speak gospel, leading to misunderstandings, leading to greater flaming and arguments.

Obviously something went screwy where they didn't come out satisfied. Contemplate on that for a moment.

Again...they weren't satisfied. I think we saw that problem with another player...goes by the name of Warpnow. Just because something didn't go exactly how you wanted it in-game doesn't give someone a reason to come here and *****. It happens, I've seen many people say it before (and I agree with it), roll with the blows. Your experience is defined by how you adapt, you can change. Also, the IMMs can change, maybe you can show them you really deserve whatever you argued for in the first place, and you might get it when you least expect it. Life is not static.

BTW' date=' getting imed from the person who supposedly got screwed over is considered first hand experience.[/quote']

No, that is not first-hand. First-hand is experiencing it yourself, if you hear it from another, it's second hand. You're also only hearing one side, and if they're IMing you like you said, they're probably still angry about it. Meaning that you're receiving a very biased view (I'm not saying the other views won't be biased as well, it's hard to be non-partisan in such situations). It's just not possible to see both sides everytime.

Then don't do it. Give it to someone else who doesn't seem to be anal retentive for every single thing a player' date=' or for that matter a non-player, opinionates about or has speculations of.[/quote']

Raar? Anal retentive? Personally, of all the IMMs I see on the boards, Raar is the most level-headed of them. I have yet to see him lock a thread where the situation was calm. In fact, it seems to me that alot of times he manages to lock them before things degenerate too far. Sometimes that's hard to see, but experience as a mod has taught him how certain people respond, it let's him figure out when a thread should get canned before people get themselves temp/perm-banned. And yes, he loses his temper sometimes as well, he's still a person. We all are, we have emotions, we get hurt. Personal attacks against you when you're devoting free time to something you love takes alot out of a person. I see lots of attacks on people, players and IMMs alike, maybe we should all step back and take a look at ourselves and why we still play.

[The Lemming]

I dont remember where I saw this, but I know I did. It may have even come from AR's Forum who knows.

By and immortal that I do not remember:

We can do this two ways, give everyone else what they want (Newbs are still newbs, Vetrans that complain are happy, People who will continue to play reguardless are happy, and the staff is not.) Or we can do what we want (Newbs are still newbs, Vetrans who complain either leave or deal with it, People who will continue to play reguardless are happy, and the staff is happy).

Now lets examine that. There are 4 general catagories there, newbs, Vetrans, Addicts, and the staff. Now, the two catagories who will not change are the newbs and the addicts, they stay as they are reguardless. So lets focus on Staff and Complainers. The complainers likely will never be happy compleetly, more likely they will find something to nitpick reguardless of situation and circumstance (Kind of like a bad wife:D ). Then there is the staff, who ultimatly run the mud. To me it seems rather important that they be happy else, no more mud. So the complainers that leave, by free will or otherwise, are no longer part of the P-Base, and the staff is happy, newbs are newbs and Addicts are adicts, seems like about a 95% rate of happyness. Rather than the 80-85% rate otherwise.

Also I would like to point out, the happier the general P-Base and staff the more prone to getting and Keeping newbs we are.

[Dale]

Banning really gets me...

Everyone knows how addicting this game is. Being banned from fl is comparable to a week without heroin. But it's not a week from fl... it's bannation.

[Goomf]

Wow, you've gotten much more subtle and diplomatic. Props Chayesh.

My initial problem with you was that you were banning posts left and right after you guys took over (2 years ago or so). Some of those posts, in the opinions of most of the pbase, should not have been banned.

All in all, there is no way I could ever get the full story. I did and still do believe the imms have the good of the pbase in mind when they do whatever they do. In fact, that's what I try to point out to those people who tell me about 'shady underdealings' on the mud. That, and I try to point out discrepancies in what they say. Face it, some of them just need to vent if things don't go their way.

A common problem that I've heard from many people (about 5 to 6 of the better players in the game) is the forum moderation. Yes, maybe Raargant enjoys the game and doesn't see it like a chore. The game is obviously an enjoyable hobby to many of the imms. That is how it should be. Once it becomes a chore, my ADVICE is to take a break, however short or long.

Of course everyone understands the benefits vs cost analysis. This question is directed at Raargant: truthfully, is the benefit of moderating the forum and being frustrated worth the cost of getting white hair and possibly having to deal with some lame shmuck? I say this because when you began moderating, I thought you were doing something good. Now I see a post directed personally at me because of some frustration over a long standing issue that contains the beast within.

I appreciate your goal Chayesh. I also think a smooth running mud would be ideal. However, snapping at people or locking threads isn't going to do it. Reasoning with them and CONVINCING them that you're on their side is the best way to ease them. Basic diplomacy 101 . You said yourself this forum is privately owned. And this is some idle speculation...if you don't want to read it than dont.

"That does not mean that the moderators should do what they want without proper logical justification that most everyone will understand."

Good luck.

[Goomf]

I stated anal retentive by the way he carried/carries himself sometimes when his loins get inflamed . I know Raargant is leveled headed most of the time. That's why I pointed out to him to take a chill pill because frankly, I wouldn't want to have someone like him leave a staff. I'm not stating that he unjustly or unfairly banned people/locked posts, but rather that he needs to take a step back and take into the perspective of the one who's bitching and try not to inflame their loins (god I love that phrase).

I speculated from a NEUTRAL perspective giving GENERAL advice, nothing too specific, because I thought it might add a positive impact and get people out of their nutshells. I didn't explicitly state that the game was going bad or good, but rather a statement regarding how the forum might be improved. If I had an inside view of everything, my opinions WOULD be biased.

"you might as well as quit and leave[...]I'm pointing my finger to you Raargant."

That's an excerpt from a bigger quote which states what I meant. I did not imply that you are doing your job inappropriately, but that if you think the game is getting to be a chore, a JOB, or a less than desirable responsibility, you should take a step back because people really won't be appreciating you nor will you be appreciating what you do. Treat it as a game...or so I think.

[Raargant]

Now I see a post directed personally at me because of some frustration over a long standing issue that contains the beast within.

...beast within? What in the world?

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Aside from completely not understanding that, my post was directed at you because you specifically singled me out. I responded to that. Quid pro quo. Very simple.

Since you asked another question directed at me about white hairs, this is my answer. I don't enjoy having to deal with 'lame schmucks', as you put it. But that comes with part of my responsibilities as being part of the administration of this game, something which I do enjoy very much, even though I am on a semi-sabbatical right now. Very, very rarely have I lost my temper on the forum. Comparing me and the other administrators to mass murderers a la Stalin and Hitler, however, is something which will upset me, yes.

For the record, with regards to inflamed loins, I have never had chlamydia or other STD's in my life.

[Goomf]

I was feeling poetic...