Jayde Moon : DMA Platform and Q&A

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:36 am

Rotku:

Q1A

Yes, I plan on sitting down with the current builders as well as the DM Corps and Admin and hammer out some potential incentives.

Q1B

Of course. There are many ideas about what to do and what not to do. I have some very strong ideas about where some things may be heading, especially as we get closer to fielding of servers.

Q1C

We should be welcoming to outside groups, but we still have our standards to maintain. There is the question or recruiting talent, but that opens up a whole new realm of questions. I think each case will have to be handled separately, depending on what the potential gain vs potential risks were.

Q2

If anyone thinks that the Admin will ever truly accomplish anything working wholly independent from one another, they are one step further in the fantasy world than the rest of us. In your 1-10 scale I'd say a 7 or 8.

Admin should be working together toward a common goal and communicating regularly.

Q3A

Unnecessary. If they are inadequate for DMship, that will be determined during their 30 day PADM trial.

Q3B

It's lovely.

Q3C

I do agree with maintaining a formal EADM position and during my tenure if elected, it will become readily apparent what I mean to do with them. I will say it is about listening to the voice of the DMA's constituency.

Q3D

6-7. I want DMs to feel like they can do what they need to do on their server, but the need for global consistency is readily apparent and so should we maintain that consistency.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:50 am

Looks can be deceiving!!!

In many cases, the points I am trying to make are that the issues facing the DMA are better faced with the team that he represents (the DM Corps) or the teams he is working with.

If you ask me what I will do about pricing out permanent stat changes, I would say that while I lean on accepting them within a balanced pricing scheme I would have to sit down with the experts and make that determination later. This can be construed as 'I will think about it'. But what I'm trying to convey is that 'I will sit down with the people who are smart about these things and weigh their opinions on the matter'.

If you ask me about an issue that will have a great effect on how DMs must operate, I have to tell you that I'll find out what the DM Corps as a whole feels about it and then make a decision based mostly on that.

To address the two questions you brought up specifically:

I would look for someone who is knowledgeable.
I would look for someone who isn't going to spark drama over their opinion.
I would look for someone who is enthusiastic.
I would look for someone who knows what they are doing.
I would look for someone who works well with the rest of the team.

What makes a DM worth reinstating? If I, and an approvinging HDM, felt that the person in question could operate under the standards set forth by ALFA and that they would run their sessions wholly in the spirit of ALFA, then they would merit consideration to return to DMing.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:58 am

My opinion, addressing an 'expired' DM status:

On a live server, if an HDM lists you as a member of his DM team and you have passed the 30 day PADM window, then you are a DM. It is the HDM's prerogative to decide what exactly constitutes a DM on the server he runs.

Some folks just build, some folks just do live DMing. Some do a mix of both.

On servers that have not gone Live and are in the process of being built, those builders are to be considered DMs. Their actions, what they build and how they build it, will be affected by the DMA, they deserve a voice in the DMA's decisions.

indio · Post by **indio** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:06 am

Here's my question to both candidates:

What will you do to assist teams getting Live?

We should only really interested in hearing practical measures, because I'm right in the middle of getting a server live, and us knowing you actually know what you're talking about is critical. Obviously there are multiple dimensions to the role, but this seems to me to be the one around which all others revolve.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:13 am

Well, Indio, you are actually a key pivot point in my plan on getting these servers up and running.

I think it's very important that the DMA know what's going on and be intimate with the issues facing the builders. I'd be a big phat liar if I told you I knew exactly what to do and how to do it.

My plan is to meet with the builders and initiate a plan of action. The plan of action will address the problems facing the build teams with realistic solutions that rely on the resources available. Not the resources we wish we had or deserve to have or may have in the future.

It is my fervent hope that we can come to a consensus on a method that will bring our servers to Live quickly without sacrificing quality.

indio · Post by **indio** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 8:18 am

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

I think Rusty should steer us to Live under these particular circumstances, but if the electorate decides otherwise then I have every confidence in your leadership.

Veilan · Post by **Veilan** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:13 am

Hey... still something I have to get back to, 'fraid.

The_Phoenyxx wrote:The Admin curry no special favors in game as a result of their position. Standards are just that, standards, and they apply equally.

This is a very broad statement, and I asked not only about other Admin, but also if you were affected specifically, since I really consider it a different and more touchy case. As you didn't really answer more concrete by yourself, I'll give you some suggestions in my questions... but don't tell on me

.

What'd you think of, that if your PC gets involved in a dispute with a DM (against a DM), you relinquish your authority of handling appeals on DM decisions to the LA? Since else you could be appealing the DM's decision to yourself...

Now, more importantly, what if the other way around, you were the DM and were having a dispute with a player - would you decide a player's appeal to DMA against a call you made while DMing yourself, or would you also consider along the same lines - to then surrender authority for the appeal to LA?

Think this may be good policy? Or case by case basis? Or rather generally not (charter doesn't really have much sanctioning this, after all)?

Also, why don't you spell favour like a brit?

Burt · Post by **Burt** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:20 pm

Will you continue to actually DM?

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:45 am

Alara:

Yes, what I will do, in the case of a dispute between myself as a DM and another player, ot myself as a player and another DM is put on my DMA hat and say, "HA! I'm the boss, you lose, loser! BaN!"

And then I will state that in my platform so everyone can see that's how I'm going to behave. [/sarcasm]

I fully expect the TEAM that I am working with, specifically the Admin team, to take note if I don't notice something where unfairness or even the perception of unfairness might exist.

In the cases you exampled above, I always thought there was a policy in effect if contention in the DMA arena was made against a DMA while he or she was operating under another hat.

If there is not I would support putting such a policy in place.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:47 am

Burt:

Yes. The idea that one would not have enough time to continue doing the things they love because they are overloaded with an insane amount of DMA work doesn't jive with me.

That's all about time management. And if you can properly manage your time, you can fit in all the things you need to fit in.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:05 am

Rusty wrote:Concerning your point more generally, I of course appreciate your support. I am concerned, to say the least, about ALFA's prospects for NWN2 if supervised by someone who has no involvement in our NWN2 development work and, apparently, no policies on the matter either.

Yup, as a non DMA, I have no policies on anything. What I have are ideas and thoughts on how I will accomplish things. It is not my place, at this time, to have any actual policies.

But to address the implication that I do not know the issues facing NWN2 development and that I apparently have no clue what I will be doing in the position, let me state that my future policies regarding NWN2 development will be like my policies regarding other aspects of DMA:

Sit down with the team, address the obstacles facing us, determine reasonable options for overcoming those obstacles, determine the option or options that best match ALFA and get the job done, enact those options.

When I stated before that I would be a liar if I said I knew exactly what to do and how to do it, the key word was exactly.

I have my ideas and opinions on how things are going and what we can do. But I'm not arrogant enough to state that I have the answers. My goal is to work with the NWN2 team and come up with answers together.

Perhaps Rusty has the answers. Perhaps it would be better to maintain continuity during the switchover to NWN2 and stick with him. If that's how the constituency feels, then that's the man to steer the ship.

However, from my perspective, there are still problems, there are still issues, and we are still some time away from fielding a live server. Not all problems have been fixed. I'm sure Rusty already has policies in mind to fix them.

As for the point about Rusty's relationship with the other Admin, anything I might say about it is potentially laced with my own personal agenda. Anything Rusty might say about it is also in the interests of his personal agenda.

The people with those answers are the Admin themselves. If there's any doubt about whether Mikayla and Rusty do or don't get along, I'm pretty sure Mikayla has a good idea. If Rusty refuses to take the LA seriously or to listen to his input, I'm sure Rotku has a good idea of the truth to that statement.

[Editted after further fact finding]

Vaelahr · Post by **Vaelahr** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 3:27 am

The_Phoenyxx wrote:1. I think that the placement of that statement in the APM was to discourage PK behavior as a 'mode of play'.

I do not think that DM should discourage or encourage any sort of lethal CvC. I also believe DMs should be wary of railroading PCs into CvC situations. Each CvC situation is different and to attempt to dictate how DMs should handle it is a prime example of trying to install one of Vendrin's 'rules' (see above). I would encourage DMs to discuss with interested players possible alternate courses of action, but that applies with any sort of player activity (ie. I think my PC would like to kill Joe/join this guild/start a merchant company. What do you think about x?).

I think our Mission Statement discourages PK behavior as a mode of play. Our APM is quite specific in essentially saying anyone can gank another toon, but it takes a creatively-minded roleplayer to be at odds with another PC without killing.

APM wrote:it should be noted that there are many nonlethal ways to be at odds with another PC, and killing ought to be the last resort.

Do you truly think such non-lethal ways (tactical low-level spells; Sleep, Daze, Hold Person, etc., shrewd bargaining, subdual-damage combat, political pressure, etc.) aren't worthy of encouragement or XP reward in a perma-death setting?

2. It is give and take. Neither is the prime storyteller. DMs provide the narrative and backdrop and players provide the heroes and protagonists. One without the other is a pretty shabby tale.

3. No. Library stories based on logs can be sent to receptive DM teams as logs. Library stories based on DMed events should already have been awarded at the conclusion of that DMed event.

Every role played is a story being told, in game and/or in the Library. Why would one send a log of RP (without DM involvement) if such is considered shabby taletelling at best?

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:14 am

As I said, I would encourage DMs to discuss with interested players possible alternate courses of action.

As for XP gains, as a community, we have to draw certain lines. One line that I have drawn for myself is that XP should be earned in game for in game activities.

If your library stories are about in game events, then there is no reason why you shouldn't be getting your XP that way.

If a majority of ALFA tells me that we should award XP for library contributions, I would definitely consider it and likely approve of it, but my own opinions will keep me from pressing it on my own agenda.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:20 am

Oh. And:

Favour

You happy now?

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:37 am

You appeal to my non-american sense of spelling. I endorse this candidate