February 2014 Staff Critique

[Tefka]

This is where you get to call us out and voice your opinion without repercussion. Don't be rude, be constructive. Don't be petty, be mature.

Don't be dramatic, just be llamatic.

I'm sorry.

High Value Targets For Slamming Staff These Days
-Why we passed all Factions this Check-In
-Why Valen wasn't that great and why Soliael's still a cool dude
-Why Members Keep Raging & Staff Keeps Giving In
-Who's Banned & Why
-Who on earth gave Ayden Member of the Month and was it the same person who capped Circe

 

[Darth Carnifex]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I have an issue, and I consider it important enough that I'm sorry, but I feel it's necessary for me to air it in public.

Tefka's avatar gave me epilepsy.

 

[Tefka]

In most cases the cause is unknown, although some people develop epilepsy as the result of brain injury, stroke, brain cancer, and drug and alcohol misuse, among others.

Who hurt you, @[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Fabula Caromed]

He needs the drugs to numb the pain.

 

[Tobasu]

Since I attended the staff meeting I thought I'd share my two cents worthwhile or not I hope you don't take what I say as me starting an argument or taking a stab at someone.

Personally I think the staff do a great job here, catering to such a large community there is always going to be something wrong and unfortunately this place or anyplace like this will never be perfect, it would be blasphemous if it was. To me, the biggest gripe and I've voiced this is the chaoticness large group threads such as dominions and invasions brings. Is it really that much to ask for everyone to label their posts with where its happening etc so I and the others who have the same problem can follow the flow, especially as a newer member I'm like "What the actual **** am I reading, its all over the place" Then again it could be my OCD.

Like all I ask is staff reinforces the idea of people in large threads post like a little authors note at the top saying where the post is taking place, I know its directly not a staff thing but it really is starting to make me freak and has honestly stopped me from joining in such large open threads because I need the order, or else I feel so uhhh anxious? I don't know but I think its more me than the site or the staff so I'm sorry just my two cents.

But in all honestly I have had so much fun thus far, and wish to keep having more, I have meet amazing people here and thank the staff for giving me the opportunists I have gotten. I'm not going to say I love you, because I'm really anti-feels; but you make my time here enjoyable and for that I thank you @[member="Tefka"] and every single other staff for putting up with my crap. So much respect yo.

 

[Tefka]

Your kind of critique is the kind I love to see, @[member="Tobasu"].

We did announce that we'd love to see people tagging better shortly after the voice conferences, but sadly, it's just something we can't (won't) force people to do. Too many people to enforce it on, not enough Staff resources, and as I've learned in the past we can't afford to take on more Staff personnel or we'll start developing internal problems and angst ourselves.

I have been looking at the wild success of the Factory Judges, though. Perhaps more Forum Moderators is the way to go. I think we certainly have the people for it.

 

[Desmond Voralis]

My main thought with Valen is that it might've been more successful if it weren't ultimately a microcosm of the usual meta game. An event will probably draw more activity as a break from the norm instead of repeating what the factions are already doing but on a smaller scale.

Otherwise I'm afraid I just don't have all that much to gripe about. SWRP is yet to destroy my generally good natured if snarky personality.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

On a more serious note, I'd like to congratulate staff for the current state of the factory. I just went through every denied submission for the last two weeks, and only a couple of them could even be called brusque -- and even then, for valid reasons. I'm no fan of one-shot denials, but there are times when I see the need for them. The current state of the factory is professional, and having lived in the factory for many a month, I know exactly how hard that condition is to attain. Props to the Factory Judges and to those other staffers who lend a hand.

 

[Nyxie]

Been a good, hard month for the staff. No complaints on my end. Unless I can complain about myself. Because I know you guys want to complain about me! Probably for complaining a lot! ;n;

But seriously, lol, looks like the end of a smooth month from my angle. *thumbs up*

And wait, people have been banned from here before? xD
lolwut

Oh, and finally, congrats again Circe, and Ayden.

 

[Tobasu]

I agree and as stated its really just my OCD acting up and I'm probably the only one who honestly feels that bad about it. It's also the different environments of where people come from, I for example came from a forum where it was mandatory to do such a thing and I feel like it's the right thing, although it could not be at all. As I said everything can be improved, nothing is perfect and the way strive with their dedication to make the site the best is astonishing to say the least; you guys honestly do deserve a break.

Oh I would also like to thank @[member="Fabula Cavataio"] for being like her name suggests, super fab and giving me advice like a angel of some sorts. But be warn she is also a irl tsuntsun.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]
The state of the Factory is entirely due to the Factory Judge system. As stated above, they're pretty much the best thing since sliced bread on this site, and they've been doing an incredible job. Before the FJs, we had backlog of two to three pages on almost every Factory forum. Now, it's rare for us to even get more than five submissions stockpiled on a given forum unless they're waiting on the members who submitted them. Specializing Judges for each forum also promotes competency and cuts down on workload, which means they get better faster and stay that way longer.

This entire post is just stroking the FJs' egos, but I feel it's deserved. You guys do amazing work and you should feel friggin' awesome.

 

[Darth Athora]

I'd like to know why I'm constantly being told Staff won't

take it's nipple out of OP's mouth
cut the umbilical cord from OP
stop enabling a faction that does little to nothing?
Just curious.

Also i'd like to point out that Fabs should keep doing what she's doing cause she's god-tier. that is all.

 

[Fatty]

I haven't been back long enough to formulate an opinion on any current dilemma's the Staff may be seeing, but what worry's me is that there seems to be an unusual amount of gripe between members and staff lately. Though I suppose it is the unfortunate truth that such things do happen, the few rotten apples situation.

One thing I've noticed lately though is that factions have become well... bloated. They have all of these "members" and very very very very very small percentage actually contribute out of those members. It also seems to me that factions for whatever reason are too timid. I don't know how to explain it exactly but that's my personal feeling.

However, I believe I have a solution to a common theme lately. Reward vs. Story.

I like the idea very much of adding a story challenge to obtain restricted materials, and I would even go as far as saying as you should restrict MORE things in order to encourage people to actually make a story. That is after all the purpose of this place, to ROLEPLAY, NOT GAMEPLAY.

Perhaps Staff should add more story elements as a requirement for more activities, items, battles, etc.


So there's that then, I don't think I have any more thoughts to share. Love you guys! There really could not be a nicer and just group of people, I hope the community allows you guys to continue to be this kind of group.

Good luck!

 

[Nyxie]

However, I believe I have a solution to a common theme lately. Reward vs. Story. I like the idea very much of adding a story challenge to obtain restricted materials, and I would even go as far as saying as you should restrict MORE things in order to encourage people to actually make a story.

Hmm. I actually never gave that any real thought. I agree with this. The harder the work, the more fulfilling the results. It certainly means there's more to be written about. +1

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

In the last few days of January, I started seeing the staff's work a bit closer and really, the work you are doing is amazing. There are so many people who complain, so many problems, so many questions, but you still do your jobs very well. At first, I understood how much RPJs have to do, because I saw some of their conversations. And then I really understood what the administrators of this forum do. I have always known what you do, but recently I was just amazed.

I'd say, that there's not only chaos in huge threads, but there has been chaos everywhere. It hasn't been that terrible, but still... When I came back to this forum and saw the Republic, I was like... what is going on? It wasn't the Republic I remembered. But staff helped it, as I understand, which is really cool.

I can't talk about other factions, unfortunately, because I didn't notice their problems during the first days of my third active period. But from what I have heard and what I saw, you have done really amazing things.

Valen. It was a cool idea. I was really sad to see the inactiveness in the event. I myself really loved it and it would've been a great thing. I still don't understand what went wrong, maybe because I enjoyed that event so much.

Also, I'm sorry for all the things I have done. I'll try to be a bit better in my job, just... everything's a bit confusing at the moment.

EDIT: Oh, and the falling major factions... They're a bit of a shame...

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I'd like to know why I'm constantly being told Staff won't

take it's nipple out of OP's mouth
cut the umbilical cord from OP
stop enabling a faction that does little to nothing?
Just curious.

Also i'd like to point out that Fabs should keep doing what she's doing cause she's god-tier. that is all.

This is kind of an interesting point, and one that's been bound up in a lot of people asking related questions. I've been on LOA for a month or two (and have a gorgeous infant to show for it!) but a few points of clarification do come to mind.

• While OP's greatest growth did happen at a time when its leaders were two Administrators and the head RPJ, it hasn't been like that in a good while. So far as I'm aware, no Staff member higher than a Factory Judge has his or her main account committed to OP. So OP as 'the staff faction' may once have been true, but that was many months ago. Rumor and resentment are behind the times.
• There used to be a lot of griping because OP's faction tech was overpowered. Frankly, a lot of this was because the people submitting that tech knew the Factory well and knew exactly how much they could get away with (I was one of those people for a bit). Since then, we've had blanket starship standards created for the Factory, and OP has voluntarily shifted to the new standards in a lot of ways. Other factions, meanwhile, keep growing and improving their tech bases (for example, the Republic now has more than one Remembrance-class battlecruiser, and many factions now have much larger command ships), and OP is no longer the technological powerhouse it once was. Once again, this is a dated complaint that hasn't had much foundation for a few months now.
• 'But OP gets preserved in checkins!' Yeah, and so did Black Sun, which may have gotten the shortest end of the stick in board history and has never, ever been associated with any staffer. Likewise with the Mandalorians, which are the antithesis of staff faction and, like OP, just starting to make a sincere effort to come back from a long and lethal slump. Some say that's cover for saving OP, but heck, I know for a fact that a good portion of Staff has history of NOT liking OP in its various incarnations.

TL;DR: 'OP gets preferential treatment' doesn't have a lot of foundation in this day and age. And I don't even like OP.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Ashin has it 100%. The whole ‘Staff is biased towards OP’ wasn’t true ever, but at least mid-last year there were 4 staffers RPJ and above in it. Now there’s none, and they get no special preferences, and they came within a day (and a Ventasia post) of losing their major faction status or a swathe of territory. Same with Black Sun, same with Mandos.

There’s no favouritism towards anyone. It’s just a scurrilous rumour which refuses to die, and which continues to live seemingly so people can have something to be resentful towards.

 

[Tobasu]

Hey I got some advice for everyone, lets not dwell on the past and look forward to the future; as said the past is the past not the present.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Mostly spread by folks who are either misinformed or have not yet internalized the timeless maxim known as Wheaton's Law.

"Don't be a dick."