A Community's Opinion: Major Faction Owner Elections

[Darc Xavior Talus]

What is your view on IC leadership vs. OOC?
I'm not worried, as long as they don't become like TGC's elections

Precisely one of my points.

 

[Galaar Tal'Verda]

I like this... But! There would it only vote for OOC staff positions? Because some factions simply cannot vote for leaders ICly. Such as an Empire or the Mandalorians.

 

[Darc Xavior Talus]

Another thing I will predict is this, which forces factions to restrict membership even more. For instance, let's say 10-20 posters want to take over a faction. They can just say hey we want to join your faction and they do. Then they will group up and convince the faction body to overthrow the leader whether it be OOC or IC. So the faction owner who has worked so much for their creation would be ransacked by someone else. All they have to do is stay within the website's rules and they can roflstomp any leader on the board they want.

 

[Darth Voracitos]

I'm worried about this too, as the best writer to organize a faction may not be logical IC. Perhaps there could be a separate vote, one for OUR leader, and the other for our CHARACTERS leader. Naturally, these two delegates would have to work with each other to keep their stories straight, and maybe a third party in faction could break any disputes between the two. IC Leader says "A" while OOC Leader says "B" and the third delegate would compromise to make them say "AB" or "C" or something similar, and if neither can agree Faction Wide vote!

 

[Yasha Cadera]

For me it's a question of work vs. reward. This seems like a good idea, but ultimately it also seems like another avenue for more politicking, an accentuation of drama and a concentration on winning elections instead of making good story. Although I do see why we would want to liven things up in stale factions, is livening up every faction every 3 months with potentially major changes do the job? Or is it something which could be addressed by simply having Staff talk it over with the people in charge of certain factions should there be user complaint?

Agreed with Darth Iscariot.

I do realize many people here do have the time for that, but for those of us who don't, why would we want our roleplaying environment to be so mutable all the time? Long-play stories could be made to be redundant before they've even gotten interesting, and there's potential to minimize the story itself in order to 'play nice' for an election when really, I play my 13 year old Mandalorian to run into places in pink Beskar'Gam and shoot 'ugly monsters' without having to go "Ok, it's three weeks until the next election, so if I get this thread started now, I might not be able to finish it with the same person in charge who was doing xyz, hmm. Should I wait? Should I see what's happening with this other thing before I RP, or come to the potential new management with what I've already done which they may or may not like?"

 

[Darc Xavior Talus]

Again, it sounds quite democratic but it's extremely dangerous.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Limit it so only members who have been active in the fraction for at least three months actively can be nominated.

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Guys, its really important to remember. OOC leaders of factions are NOT IC leaders necessarily. There is a difference.

 

[Darc Xavior Talus]

Limit it so only members who have been active in the fraction for at least three months actively can be nominated.

That would be a method to create a 'popular' vote rule. The factions would turn into a 'buddy-buddy-elitist' group so that no lower members have a power or say. It's unavoidable. It will turn into a 'friends' versus 'other people' thing.

 

[Domino]

Might be confusing for people if there's a new leader too often and staff can be a bit slow on updating forum privileges, I know it was several months before I was apparently given the full package.

Another thing I will predict is this, which forces factions to restrict membership even more. For instance, let's say 10-20 posters want to take over a faction. They can just say hey we want to join your faction and they do. Then they will group up and convince the faction body to overthrow the leader whether it be OOC or IC. So the faction owner who has worked so much for their creation would be ransacked by someone else. All they have to do is stay within the website's rules and they can roflstomp any leader on the board they want.

This, so much this. There may not be a group like this but I can see this being exploited at some point either by someone the faction bested or for another reason. We already see IC 'revenge groups' or people trying to form backroom parties to overthrow factions. This could be opening the door to even more.

I also like the idea of someone staying in charge of the faction with experience (the ooc owner) to help the IC leader who is chosen by the fraction which is how we've gone to in the Suns. I still have enough control to protect my investment but at the same time I don't have the IC power to railroad what we're doing which gives the players the freedom to continue on with their prerogatives. And if that leader starts making poor decisions like I did IC, then they can be swapped out by the players at that time IC like with the Republic's no confidence votes.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Perhaps make the OOC faction creator the permanent adviser to anyone who was made the OOC leader. If the OOC leader suddenly wants to change the fraction and such, the OOC faction creator can step in and remove the person and put up another vote for someone better for the factions goal. Or something. There's an idea in that somewhere.

 

[Darc Xavior Talus]

Another thing I see is people making alts and joining other factions on purpose to overthrow the leadership then turning around and running that faction to the ground so that their original faction gets an upper hand in expansion, putting them in an advantageous position.

 

[Darth Voracitos]

Not all creators of factions stay active.

But I would like to repeat what Talith said, in that OOC leadership does not necessarily mean an IC leadership. The Empire was run by the same guy OOC while it had three different IC leadership changes.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Another thing I see is people making alts and joining other factions on purpose to overthrow the leadership then turning around and running that faction to the ground so that their original faction gets an upper hand in expansion, putting them in an advantageous position.

That's something Tef has already said the Staff has a defense against. Asides, anyone can see anyone's alts at any time. I don't think that would ever be an issue.

 

[Tefka]

I know it was several months before I was apparently given the full package.

I'll just be blatant about this:

That's your fault, not Staff's. If your first PM gets ignored, PM again. And again.

 

[Nyxie]

1) Major Factions are required to have public, faction-wide OOC elections for the position of Major Faction Owner once every 3 months. 2) Upon being inactive for more than 10 days without notice, a public faction-wide OOC election may be held for the position of Major Faction Owner.

I can see the benefit of this in general, but specifically a few huge "no's." Here's why.
1) This far too easily enables people with completely outside agendas to have their way with the faction.
2) "Public," "OOC," and "Owner" do not mix. x.x
3) Old Senate 2.0
4) Ten days is actually kinda short, especially for the smaller factions. Besides, people sometimes require extended leaves of absence for finals, vacations and other instances. Just imho personally, two weeks/fifteen days would be a reasonable compromise. No people thirsting to auto-impeach like bloodhounds just because something came up unexpected.

Furthermore, again only in my humble and experienced opinion, this should apply only to factions over a certain number of planets or members or even set time after becoming major (grace period type thing), as this far too easily allows negative influence and too frequent changes on the smaller ones. Disruptions of any kind are the last thing a growing faction needs.

 

[Darc Xavior Talus]

That's something Tef has already said the Staff has a defense against. Asides, anyone can see anyone's alts at any time. I don't think that would ever be an issue.

I really don't wish to put so much work on Staff to begin with. They have already enough in their hands to deal with. Factions should be managed on their own.

 

[Dredge]

I don't think this would be wise, if someone comes to me and tells me I'm running things wrong I expect each and every one of my members to tell me. And if I can't change then I will step down. But I see this being used to gain power in larger factions, this is in support of the Drama Llama and I think that it shouldn't be boiled down to we don't like you so we overthrow you in the election because we think this Kat is better. I'm a firm believer of handling things like men, not with paper work

 

[Tefka]

Ten days is actually kinda short, especially for the smaller factions. Besides, people sometimes require extended leaves of absence for finals,

2) Upon being inactive for more than 10 days without notice

 

[Darth Ferus]

I really don't wish to put so much work on Staff to begin with. They have already enough in their hands to deal with. Factions should be managed on their own.

You, as in non staff, can look at peoples alt list. Thus, the problem still isn't a problem. Someone new pops in on an alt? You'll know if you pay attention.