A Land Far Away

Hey all, as stated, I am running for DMA. JaydeMoon, elitist scumbag and inventor of the legendary series of jayde13wt. I hope you all take the time to read and I encourage you to ask questions.

A little about me

I have been a member of ALFA since just prior to the release of NWN1 and have been a DM for ALFA pretty much since latter parts of the Beta days of the first ALFA servers.

I took a break from ALFA when a combination of life crises and a general disdain for NWN2 led me to not play much. This culminated in a trip to Afghanistan and upon my return, I came back to the community, immediately filling a DM position.

I have a pretty good relationship with most of the community and a friendly disdain for a few others.

My platform:

DMs:

Recruit, Train, Retain.

Ensure that our DMs have the tools available to understand our complex standards and have the means to run their adventures without feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the client, toolset, or standards.

Plot Standards:

To pick up the defunct plot standards and make a go of it. The purpose of plots is not to hamstring DJs and force them to only run certain stories, but to show the entire ALFA DM team that we are playing in the same sandbox and that it is easy to sabotage the hard work of others through thoughtless inclusion of certain unnecessary elements.

Global Plot:

Vendrin as PA has evinced interest in picking up the global plot thing. It was something Mirabai and I tried to run with, but from our end, it felt like it was not feasible. As DMA, I would like to work directly with Vendrin to see if a true Global Plot is something that can be attained.

Change:

The times, they are a changing' and sometimes, we must change with them. Some may have concerns that I'm gonna try and do something drastic like remove perma-death or something equally weird. Of course I am! Wait, no… Of course I'm not!

Seriously, we have to be able to move forward. The pillars have served us well, but there come times when a community must examine the rules and traditions set forth for itself and determine if they continue to serve the community or hamper it.

I don't personally have any hot button items that I think need to see immediate change, but I am very open to some of the ideas going around.

Standards:

I have a very keen understanding of how our standards work and am interested in seeing it actually be applied. Streamlining some of the process, perhaps, could help it not be so daunting to members of our DM team, some of whom do not make use of standards but instead opt to err on the side of caution.

Making standards more accessible to our DMs and easier to understand is important.

Timeliness:

We need to stop talking circles around subjects for days, weeks, and months before not coming to any conclusions on them. I will push for a standard timeline on decisions, starting with our own standards process.

Balance:

I have balance as a community member. I play a character, I DM, and I am active in the community.

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That's what I have, please feel free to ask questions below.

Will you support the current beta projects and when the projects are ready let them go live?

Spreading the population of ALFA thin is a concern that I have. However, there are two points that mitigate this in our case:

The first is simply that this issue is recognized by the community as a whole and there are already discussions about how to alleviate that.

Second, the answer is not stopping the addition of more content, but rather adding to the size of our community.

So the short answer is, Yes, I support the current beta projects and they will have all the help I can give them to get Live!

JaydeMoon wrote:


Balance:

I have balance as a community member. I play a character, I DM, and I am active in the community.

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That's what I have, please feel free to ask questions below.

1.There are some claims that as a DM you are not 'balanced' in terms of favoring specific people and PCs . Do you deny those claims? and how can we know that as DMA you'll be neutral?

2. Why to choose you and not Curm?

Do you believe the current HDMs are ineffective at couciling their DM teams on what is and is not appropriate for them to run?

If the answer is no, what more do you see the Plot Standards achieving that individual HDMs cannot?

Lastly, will plot standards be a collaborative effort or will it be guidelines laid down by the DMA alone?

Plot Standards:

To pick up the defunct plot standards and make a go of it. The purpose of plots is not to hamstring DJs and force them to only run certain stories, but to show the entire ALFA DM team that we are playing in the same sandbox and that it is easy to sabotage the hard work of others through thoughtless inclusion of certain unnecessary elements.

1. What is a defunct plot standard?

2. With only four regularly scheduled campaigns, none of which coincide with each other, what are the unnecessary elements that sabotage others?

I can only think of the incident (which I can speak of since everyone is retired) where a God-like manifestation was involved by a well-trusted Dm that caused a CVC chain reaction that lasted over a year, killed three players, destroyed a faction entirely, and mainly effected Vendrin. But it was great RP.

Global Plot:

Vendrin as PA has evinced interest in picking up the global plot thing. It was something Mirabai and I tried to run with, but from our end, it felt like it was not feasible. As DMA, I would like to work directly with Vendrin to see if a true Global Plot is something that can be attained.

1. Global Plot is good if it is a regularly scheduled campaign style event which I assume is your intent?
2. How do you plan to make it work organizationally ? Will all the DMs know of it? Will the HDM know?
3. How do you plan to create a plot that appeals to the players?

Hey Jayde,

allow me a few questions. They may be tough but I know you would not have it any other way!

1. Now, from my angle something of import, since I have seen first hand how important yet usually thankless staff work is - what staff have you secured to support your administration, should you get elected?


2.

JaydeMoon wrote:Plot Standards:

To pick up the defunct plot standards and make a go of it.

You have been the Staff Head of Plot Standards, with Curmudgeon's blessing and support, for six months now. Why is your work defunct? How would it change if only you were DMA on top of it, with more things to keep you from working on it?

3.

JaydeMoon wrote:I will run.

You sure? Aren't you worried about falling into chests of nails... or being asked mean questions by squeaky wheels?

Cheers and good luck,

1. Do you support the 1 Underdark/ 1 Surface character proposal?

Rorax

1.There are some claims that as a DM you are not 'balanced' in terms of favoring specific people and PCs . Do you deny those claims? and how can we know that as DMA you'll be neutral?

I've never heard these claims. That such claims are out there is surprising and somewhat confusing? It has ever been my policy as a DM to be inclusive in my storytelling and sessions. I don't believe I have inappropriately favored any particular person or PC.

In recent memory I have done such things as to be openly inclusive of new players or new PCs (Tegid and jmecha, recently in a Moonshaes session) and extend invitations to other players who may be around, such as I-KP.

In Balder's Gate my most recent DM session was a one off that basically included everyone who happened to be logged onto the server.

On TSM I frequently ran open sessions and it was through openly extending myself to new community members, without knowing them at all, that Basilica. I actively invited Gollumnator to my sessions, and I have been known to port people so that they may more actively take part in things going on.

That said, if I begin a story and a player takes an active lead in that plot line, then generally that will be a go to individual for that plotline. If a group involved in a plotline has a particular IC (or let's face it, an OOC) reason to disclude a character from play, that is on the RP, it is not for me to force players to play together.

If the reason is OOC, and obvious as OOC to me, I have gone out of my way to try to get the players to include the individual anyway, often speaking on behalf of the person being disclosed.

Finally, it may be that players are concerned about regularly scheduled sessions with a core group of players. Again, that's simply a reality. The good aligned characters on TSM aren't up on arms because Trid regularly DMs for a greyer shade of PC on MS. Meanwhile, as with Trid, within the boundaries of the story, I am as open to new players PC as I am with anything else.

Closing out this question, I can only surmise that there is a small minority that, for one reason or another, have not been DMed by me and are incorrectly attributing this to favoritism. Since none of them have had the gumption to approach me outright and ask me why I have not DMed for them, I neither know who they are, nor can I respond to the question.

2. Why to choose you and not Curm?

That answer is truly an amalgamation of the answers to any/all of the other questions. Perhaps it will be clear and folks will vote for me, or perhaps they'll see no reason to vote for me over Curmudgeon and they'll vote for him.

Swift

Do you believe the current HDMs are ineffective at couciling their DM teams on what is and is not appropriate for them to run?

If the answer is no, what more do you see the Plot Standards achieving that individual HDMs cannot?

Lastly, will plot standards be a collaborative effort or will it be guidelines laid down by the DMA alone?

I think that most of the HDMs have laid down a few clear guidelines of what is expressly not allowed on their servers, and that's a great start. For example, Castano wants every DM to know they can use the areas for whatever they need as long as it does not render the area unusable for another DM. However, what I feel is needed is a more centralized definition of plot standards so that everyone can be on the same page.

Plot standards should definitely be a collaborative effort and I don't believe anything should be a hamfisted and tyrannical decision by the DMA.

Cloud_Dancing

1. What is a defunct plot standard?

2. With only four regularly scheduled campaigns, none of which coincide with each other, what are the unnecessary elements that sabotage others?

The defunct plot standards refer to the Plot Standards initiative that never went anywhere. I was the 'Head' of this committee andI will expound on this subject in my response to Veilan's question.

As for the second question there, I would say that certain plot elements that aren't properly thought out could result in either a diminished return of fun for a particular player; stretch our suspension of disbelief; lesson the wonder, awe, or horror of an event; or severely curtail the options of follow-on DM sessions.

Your example may be a bright spot of good times, but I have also seen deity intervention used to simply railroad players into very specific actions with very dire consequences.

My concept of plot standards isn't to simply disallow options for creative DMs to run amazing stories. It is to educate and allow DMs to make the best decisions regarding plot elements and include a… checklist, if you will, of things to tick off before you decide, for example, that Mystra appears in all of her glory before Joey the 1st lvl Apprentice Mage and demands he embark on a grand quest.

1. Global Plot is good if it is a regularly scheduled campaign style event which I assume is your intent?
2. How do you plan to make it work organizationally ? Will all the DMs know of it? Will the HDM know?
3. How do you plan to create a plot that appeals to the players?

These are not questions I have answers to. They are the questions I would work towards answering along with Vendrin.

Sketched out, off hand? I'd say that elements would/could be included in scheduled AND ad hoc events, that HDMs at least need to know the details, and that some ADMs may be disclosed if there is too much meta information.

As for how I will create a plot, the first point is that I will not create the plot, that it would be a collaborative effort. However, enough players over the years have been pleased enough with the plots I have run that I don't think it is a stretch to say that I could probably think of something, if I had to.

Veilan

Always with the tough love!

1. Now, from my angle something of import, since I have seen first hand how important yet usually thankless staff work is - what staff have you secured to support your administration, should you get elected?

Honeslty, I have not secured any Staff. Currently, I do not take issue with any of the Staff and am optimistic that they would like to continue in their functions. I hope that none of them take offense to my assumption. However, if that is not the case, I do not think it will be an overly onerous task to staff the office. Time may prove me horrendously wrong.

You have been the Staff Head of Plot Standards, with Curmudgeon's blessing and support, for six months now. Why is your work defunct? How would it change if only you were DMA on top of it, with more things to keep you from working on it?

I will point out immediately that I did not have Curmudgeon's support. Curm made the position and appointed me Staff Head. I immediately set about to start content for discussion and ultimately inclusion. I wrote on several subjects. I then turned them into Curmudgeon so he could look them over and give me his approval, tell me that he didn't like it, tell me to send it to the committee for discussion… anything.

On October 22d, I sent submissions to Curm. I heard nothing from him regarding those submissions.

On November 3d I sent a post regarding the timeliness, or lack of, of responses to, among other things, my submissions. That is just under 2 weeks to read a PM and give some sort of feedback (even, sorry, busy, I'll look over these later). In my post I noted that if Curmudgeon could not afford the proper attention to the post, then I would not be interested in maintaining the position.

On November 5th he sent a response saying that yes, he needed to look over the submissions.

I heard nothing after that. I received no acknowledgement after that. I did not feel it was for me to continue querying him on the submissions. It looked to me like Curm made an appointment but then either had not the time or the inclination to support it.

So that is why Plot Standards is 'defunct'. Lack of action from the DMA.

As for how I would be able to handle it with 'more things' to keep me working on it, that would not be an issue. It would be a section that would have its own Staff Head. If it were to fall to me to begin with, then that would be fine. I do not have an entire Mod to administrate whilst being the DMA and I honestly believe that holding both positions (DMA and HDM) has hurt Curm's ability to properly serve as either to the fullest extent of his abilities.

Vendrin

1. Do you support the 1 Underdark/ 1 Surface character proposal?

PHEW! An easy one!

Yes!

Obviously, it needs to be talked into the ground for a few more months, but... that's just how it goes!

I appreciate both yourself and Curm volunteering to take on this position. I only have a fairly simple question to start with, though I may come up with more later.

Would you be in favor of or opposed to instituting a general time frame for Standards to make recommendations to the DMA for consideration on wealth and pricing guideline issues in new proposals? Obviously exceptions can and will occur, but something in the way of a two-week period to provide feedback on a proposal from a wealth and pricing guidelines standpoint perhaps?

As DMA, would you be willing to had over some of the decision making on what goes in and what doesn't back to Tech Admin (if they wanted it) as per our charter?

Regardless of the answer to the above question, I'd like to hear your answer to NES's question also regarding timeframe (though I believe 2 weeks is too little and would suggest a month as more agreeable due to the nature of the internetz)

NESchampion

Would you be in favor of or opposed to instituting a general time frame for Standards to make recommendations to the DMA for consideration on wealth and pricing guideline issues in new proposals? Obviously exceptions can and will occur, but something in the way of a two-week period to provide feedback on a proposal from a wealth and pricing guidelines standpoint perhaps?

Timeliness is one of the points of my platform and this is one of the areas I hope to cover in that. There is no reason for anything to take upwards of 6 months to has out. Not one that I can see, at any rate.

So, yes, hard times and deadlines is what is going to help push progress.

Blindhamsterman

As DMA, would you be willing to had over some of the decision making on what goes in and what doesn't back to Tech Admin (if they wanted it) as per our charter?

I think Tech can have a very strong influence on what goes in or doesn't based on prioritizing and feasibility. I do not think that Tech should blatantly and unilaterally decide to implement something that the community does not otherwise want.

In order for things to work properly, it all needs to kind of go hand in hand and I think that Tech, DMA, and PA should be working more closely together on certain points and suggestions. Currently it seems like the office of DMA pretty much decides what goes in ALFA and what doesn't, whether it's a DMA controlled issue, an ostensibly PA one (like PrCs), or something Tech should have more say so on. So, I guess the short answer is 'Yes'.

How much say and control do you think a HDM should have over his or her server in terms of what content goes into that server, what rules his or her ADMs must follow and generally how that server develops? How much power the server do you think a HDM should have?

Do you think you have the technically knowledge to effectively fulfill the role? Are you in a position to support your HDM team in what makes up most of their role: ensuring their server is up to date, bug free and meets standards?

As DMA, would you consider it your responsibility to fight the corner of your HDMs and their teams or to support player's (assuming of course a DM is not clearly "in the wrong")?

JaydeMoon wrote:an ostensibly PA one (like PrCs)

Considering every facet of PrCs are currently governed and controlled by DMs and Tech (be it, standards working out how to make them work, DMs approving them for individual players or tech scripting them) why do you think they are something the Player Admin should be ruling on?

Would you move them officially to the Player Admin if you become DMA?

Sandermann

How much say and control do you think a HDM should have over his or her server in terms of what content goes into that server, what rules his or her ADMs must follow and generally how that server develops? How much power the server do you think a HDM should have?

I think that ALFA is heavy enough in bureaucracy and red tape that if you pass that muster, then the HDM should have a pretty heavy say in how things work on their server.

Do you think you have the technically knowledge to effectively fulfill the role? Are you in a position to support your HDM team in what makes up most of their role: ensuring their server is up to date, bug free and meets standards?

I have a general working knowledge of how to do most things except actually script. Thankfully, I'm running for DMA and not Tech. If there is something that I do not know or understand, I'm a quick learner and I'm especially good at finding an answer source.

As DMA, would you consider it your responsibility to fight the corner of your HDMs and their teams or to support player's (assuming of course a DM is not clearly "in the wrong")?

I think it is everyone's responsibility to support who's right and correctly determine who is 'in the wrong'. You cannot go into a conflict situation with a prejudgement in your head based solely on something like 'Fred is a player and Joe is a DM'.

That said, I stand by my opinion that DMs by necessity have a lot of leeway to adjudicate their sessions as well as resolve issues. In cases where the conflict is merely a matter of 'difference of opinion' (Fred: "Joe gave me Evil point! He's so unfair!"//Joe: "Fred murdered a baby, I thought I was being lenient!"), then I will generally side with the DM.

Swift

Considering every facet of PrCs are currently governed and controlled by DMs and Tech (be it, standards working out how to make them work, DMs approving them for individual players or tech scripting them) why do you think they are something the Player Admin should be ruling on?

Would you move them officially to the Player Admin if you become DMA?

Just because that's the way it currently is does not mean that's the way it should be or should have been. I think that in many cases determining what options are available to players should fall in the realm of the Player Admin. How best to implement those options (either through the DM adjudication or Technical feasibility and scripting/implementation) is best resolved through DMA and TA. There should be a lot more 'working together'.

As for moving them 'officially', I don't know. I think that would take more thought and a little bit of discussion between the affected parties before I had a concrete response to that. But my initial intuition would be to move in that direction, yes.