NJ's LA platform and Q&A (take II)

[Nalo Jade]

I will do my best.

I will respect that a lot of folks involved in the project are also emotionally involved, however I will remain objective and promise to not allow myself to get derailed from the primary objectives/responsibilities I am setting forth now.

1. I will do everything I can to help NWN2 servers get to live. I will attempt to help streamline any requirements so there is a little uneeded delay's as possible.

2. I will do everything I can to recruit and retain quality Players and DMs.

I think its important to keep it simple, complicating things makes it less likely to be used correctly and effectively. I would like to see more in game solutions to as many problems as we have.

I promise that I will not use this position to further my own agenda's. For those that are not aware of my "agenda's", I have wanted to see more PnP style player groups, adventuring companies that consist of the classic Fighter, Cleric, Rogue, Wizard formats. I have also wanted to see more cross server DMs, to help give the world a better sense of continuity. I have viewed the community as a confederation of servers that needed more centralized uniformity.

I will not initiate anything to further any of these goals if elected.

The selfish reason for running is, to prove to the community that I can be an asset, to show that I can handle this type of responsibility, and lastly to demonstrate that my "agenda's" are second seat to the majorities wishes.

I intend on asking "duty experts" for their help and guidance.

I would like to extend a peace offering to anyone that would like to see me strung up by my toes, If through open communication/PMs or chat we can come to understand each other better that would be great.

Questions???

[JaydeMoon]

Do you have any thoughts on rearranging aspects of our infrastructure?

For example, Standards (see Vendrin's thoughts, as well as MShady's).

Do you think that any of the current Admin positions carries more weight than the others?

If so, how?

How will you address it?

[Nalo Jade]

Do you have any thoughts on rearranging aspects of our infrastructure?

For example, Standards (see Vendrin's thoughts, as well as MShady's).

Do you think that any of the current Admin positions carries more weight than the others?

If so, how?

How will you address it?

Keeping things simple.

I would like to see things as efficient as possible. To directly answer your question though, at the onset I would make no promises to change anything. I don't think it would be wise to make changes without being "in the forest" and giving what we have currently a good "college try". However having only 6 months to work with means I would only spend a short time to study the situations and see if they can just be "tweaked" instead of a radical change to procedures. I think a new Lead coming in and changing a lot of things would only help cause a delay in getting servers live.

I looked over Vendrin and MShady's proposals to have Standards transparent, involve community wide input and streamlined.

From where I sit I don't see why the process shouldn't be viewable. So my first impression is YES, the process should be visible.

Involving community input, although it brings us closer to a "true" democracy, a complete democracy can be a slow monster to deal with. With that said I think if I pushed for community input, it would be limited, to ensure it did not slow up the decision making. So my first impression is YES, there should be a method for the entire community to offer their input, but NO standards decisions should not be completely dependent on the community at large to decide. Democracy through the trust of the elected seems more efficient and simple.

YES, standards being simplified and streamlined, with a balance between what we need, and how to make implementing it as painless as possible. I could definatley see this as a major factor in my goals to get servers live, and retain players. I agree that a 62 page list of "rules" is a discouraging factor for any new community member. I would see to it that some progress was made to simplify these.

As for Admin positions, I suspect that popularity is a huge factor in the "power" of any position, though I concede that the granted authority of each position can be abused. So an Admin's power I think is the sum of their general popularity (ability to avoid recall) as well as their Charter granted authority. I would have to be more intimately involved with the Admins to make my determination of that. If all Admins are subject to recall, then I think this is a balance of "power".

I do agree that a Player Admin and DM Admin should be active in their domains.

I do think that all Admins should be held to the highest standard of conduct. Regardless of popularity there needs to be a way to reign in counter-productive actions as well as actions that can be divisive. Its okay to disagree, but Admins should do so in a polite, considerate fashion.

For the record, I would not Veto Rusty every chance I got, I would intercede when/if problems arose. I have not personally been attacked by Rusty but this does not mean that I would defend Rusty if someone else was insulted. I also hate the fact that Rusty is a platform issue.

Rusty I will do my best to work with you. I hope that things will change for the better.

As for a "resume"

I have no experiance as an Admin, I think I can do a good job, and everyone that has been on the Admin has at one time been in my shoes right now.

I have been a player, and DM for ALFA in the past and am currently (when I get my video card) attempting to be accepted as a DM for every server in ALFA both NWN1 and NWN2. Once I get my "super computer" built, I intend to start work on getting an NWN2 server live hopefully Cormyr if its still available when I get to that stage.

I served in the United States Marine Corps for 7 years and learned a lot about leadership from them and my father who was a roofing crew foreman.

I have since been managing Senior Citizen communities with my Wife. We will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary this June.

I have been a PnP DM for AD&D 2nd and 3rd eds.

Does anyone have a baby they want kissed?

Huzzah!

[Lusipher]

You are wasting your time. Sorry but its true. Not enough folks will vote for you, Nalo. You would be better off spending your time getting behind some other candidate and working for them getting some experience. Then, down the road if you did a good job and folks at ALFA respected you enough you might have a better leg to stand on. Most folks know you only for your smart mouth and long posts. Not picking fights just stating facts. Work within a candidates innner circle for a bit as a post position and then later on run when you have some credibility.

[HATEFACE]

Marine eh? You already know talk is cheap.

[Nalo Jade]

You are wasting your time...

You may prove to be right about the rest of your post.

However...

Even if I don't get a single vote, I get the experiance of running for the position which is something I have never done before, so I will not be wasting my time.

It will be a learning experiance for myself as well as a chance for folks that have no preconceived ideas of who I am to formulate their own opinions.

Helios...I do indeed know that actions speak louder than words. I also know that in order to be a "leader" you must work harder than those that work for you.

[Vendrin]

How do you intend to lead a community towards more NWN2 servers, when you don't even understand the engine since you don't have the game/can't run it?

[Nalo Jade]

How do you intend to lead a community towards more NWN2 servers, when you don't even understand the engine since you don't have the game/can't run it?

Minor correction, I have the game I am awaiting the PC to install it on.

I intend on asking the HDMs what they need help with, if they need people who can help them build, write ect... I will work to recruit more help for that purpose.

Streamline standards as much as possible, speed up the process so that implementing standards is less difficult.

I am not sure how having NWN2 installed would really assist me with helping someone else bring their project live, short of building for them, or beta testing. Sure the LA personally building and beta testing would help a little, but that isn't the major hold up for the servers comming live.

Getting the servers moved through beta for live status without undue delay would be my goal.

If this requires moving the "Standards" portfolio from the DMA to the LA, then maybe that is the move I would make, however first as I said before I would try to make things work without "re-inventing the wheel."
[Edit: I have since changed my mind since the orginal posting, I would if needed, spread standards among the relevent Admins.]

[Magile]

You are wasting your time. Sorry but its true.

As much as I hate to see it, the popular idea behind Nalo Jade is that he is, essentially, quite the idiot with ideas not in favour of the community (see: this link). Keeping this in mind, and you knowing full well that a good portion of what you said (and perhaps being aware that your arrival back in ALFA was not welcomed), would you not merely be in the race to soak up potential votes for someone more deserving? It seems this is always the case for you, given your previous jumps into flame wars in ALFA (see: this link).

Given your current track record, when a problem arises you add to it, such as flame wars. On top of that, you've suggested many ideas that seem to get shot down before they even build up, ideas that go against how ALFA is (and yet you speak about not changing ALFA and making run effectively, a contradiction to what you've tried doing in the past). Understanding that you already won't back down, as you've stated you want this experience (why anyone would want an internet experience is beyond me), have you considered running for something more akin to what you wish to do? Your work seems more devoted to DMs and servers, which by current standards (not the section, but the word itself) of ALFA, that seems to revolve around the DMA quite a bit.

edit: This is the only question/statement I'll make towards Nalo, so don't think I'll be dragging it on further. It is something to look at, given the current view, your platform, and what you've done in the past (since the past seems to constantly be brought up in other threads).

[Rick7475]

LA is a figure-head role anyway unless someone has the balls to change things.

[Nalo Jade]

Magile: All I can say is I will do the best I can. I appreciate your perspective.

I would agree that there are some folks that do not like me, who among us can boast that everyone likes them?

As for my ideas, I will put my creative thinking to work on improving things where I can, for the purpose of...

#1 Focus on getting NWN2 Servers live and
#2 Recruit and Retain quality members.

I will not implement any of my cock-e-mamy ideas without having community support.

When I self nominated the only other canidate was Vendrin, It is something that happens with elections, I hope that I do not cause a problem because I have decided to run.

Rick: Good point ... *looks at his limp flame saber* ... *calls his wife to ask for his junk back, she keeps it in her purse*

Okay Rick my wife has agreed to allow me the use of my testicles for the purpose of changing the "figure head" position.

[Nalo Jade]

Magile, in all fairness... I do occasionally have ideas that are not shut down instantly.

http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... hp?t=38793

http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... hp?t=39353 [Edit: reposted same link, thanks for letting me know Magile.]

I am happy that you "do not like to see [the "stereo type" that I am given]."

I do a lot of suggesting, that is part of how I learn what will and won't work.

[HATEFACE]

LA is a figure-head role anyway unless someone has the balls to change things.

At least they have a swanky latex suit. Covers the whole body, like on star trek.

[Nalo Jade]

With that information I will have to amend my original platform to the following.

1. Get new uniforms.
2. Help speed NWN2 servers to live status.
2a. Ask HDMs for ways I can help.
2b. Work with DMA/Standards to streamline things as much as we can.
2c. Possibly propose transfer of "Standards" to LA domain, after investigating the situation further.
3. Work on member recruiting and retention.

[Nalo Jade]

So my question is: Would you consider an invitation only system for special races? If not please explain why and how you would address an overabundance of such races which IMO could ruin immersion quite a bit.

Invitation system unlikely. HDM approval on the server with perhaps a recommended cap on the number of each planetouched type on the server decided by the HDM based on their region's history.

No one asked this of me, but I figured I would beat the punch, and some folks have implied that I am running on a "Do whatever you want." abandoning any self formed opinions platform.

Thats ridiculous, I have TONS of opinions that are all my own, however I believe that an elected rep has a responsibility of doing what those that elected them want.

I think the majority of ALFA would like to see special races being played by players (not just lifeless NPCs), and at the same time they do not want it to be overdone.

What Vendrin suggests sounds good, however, Players are not bound to the servers. So if each server (thinking of the future when we have multiple live NWN2 servers) approved 10 tief's and then they all congregated to another location, you have done nothing to limit the ratio of special races to standard races. Also it will create one more thing an HDM has to keep track of, how active are the approved players, how many do I have? ect...

I think it would need to be centrally controlled over the entire world of ALFA not just each server.

This is a big issue and I would want more community input to work together for a decision.

DMA- Would establish rules that DMs need to follow. (ECL and EXP awards, hopefully finding a way to automate it in game so DMs don't have to worry about deducting exp for different ECLs, thus working with the TA)

PA- Would establish rules that Players need to follow.

HDMs- Would use canon references to highlight what type of reaction should be expected by local factions to these races.

Finally Standards would have to decide how to handle the races. I would not support a "cap" as I don't think it is "simple" it would create another thing that needs to be tracked.

I would support an alternate starting location and DM approval of bio. I would also support adverse reactions from local factions to include hostile.

More importantly I would support the majority of the HDMs. They are the duty experts of their servers, what fits, what doesn't what they can and cannot do.

The mechanics of this would have to be worked out, however a beta testing of these races could start immediatley, with a small number of such races being approved to look for bugs and such, with an understanding that they are open to any rule changes and adjustments that may arise during the test phase. This would be worked out in conjuction with the HDMs who could either select a player(s) they know to be eligible or open up an application process. Admin would need to decide how "small" is small for the test group.

I see the LA position as the motivator, not the decision maker. The other Admins/Staffs and HDMs are the decision makers regarding their respective portfolios. The LA just needs to keep everything moving along.

In the event that the DMA has too much to do, I would move that the bulk of the Standards portfolio be moved to the LA.

However I don't think the LA should be able to exclusively "make up all the rules", So a Committee Lead would need to be installed with staffers, the LA would simply prioritize what they need to work on and keep them moving. The Admin as a whole should vote on any proposed change/addition to standards.

In order to facilitate momentum, I would propose that:


Lead Admin being responsible for the overall momentum of the project, may set deadlines for tasks in the interest of preventing crucial elements of game play from remaining incomplete indefinately. A deadline so established by the LA may be overturned in the same fashion as a Veto may be overturned. If the deadline is not overturned and, is unable to be met an extension may be requested, a popular vote from the Admin with LA's vote breaking any deadlocks, will decide if an extension is granted. Additional extensions may be requested with the same process. In the event that an extension is not granted, then the LA will become responsible for requesting self nominations to take over the task. A decision as to who will be the new responsible party will be made in the same fashion as a vote for the player Admin. Thus the issue will be given back to the community at large to choose a self nominated member to take over the neglected project. In the event that there is no eligible canidate (member in good standing) then the issue will return to the orginal responsible entity, evidently either no member is capable of taking over the task or there is no urgency within the community to complete the task.

In short if the LA see's fit to establish a deadline they can do so, if the deadline is not met it can be passed on to someone that is ...

1. Willing/eager to work on the project
2. Chosen from the community as a whole.

However as a check to this, the Admin may overturn the deadline or extend an extension.

I believe that having the ability to establish deadlines and then move forward if there is inadequate progess is a required tool for the LA position to be more than just a "figure-head" position.