The ALFA Mind -- Read Rules (Post Once)

[Magile]

Hello everyone,

If you kept up with Vendrin's thread on the dual-character vote that did not pass, please refer to my post on page 2 for why I have done this. I will post the rules and hope that everyone follows them. If not, I will request a lock and just assume... well, whatever I wish.

RULES
1) Be civil in your post and try to explain something so it is not misinterpreted.
2) Use your own words -- do not quote someone's post and say it is how you feel.
3) Do not respond to someone's post -- we want to see your thoughts, not nitpicking.
4) Do not bring up the past, as we are looking to better the future.
5) ONLY POST ONCE. Get all your thoughts outs in one post. This will prevent clutter, show who is active and will prevent people from responding to other posts that they may disagree with.

If this gets out of hand, then as I stated, I will ask it to be locked and it will surely show something about ALFA...

WHAT TO POST
Simply put, you are saying what you personally, as a player, DM, volunteer, builder, scripter or whatever, believe would help ALFA. You are not responding to any old posts, you are not using quotes in an attacking manner on any member in this community. We are all equals, no matter what our position in this group is. I want to see what you think is best for ALFA, and why you think it's best. I don't want to see flame wars, retorts to people posting in this thread.

[dergon darkhelm]

Well, as a member of the "My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it!" group, I suppose it doesn't hurt to for me to post first.

I'm just a player. I don't DM, build, script, or administrate. I do view myself as a prosocial player and try to be inclusive and helpful to others. I am old RL (44) and have never played any other games than NWN1, NWN2 and tabletop D&D. *shrugs* ....for whatever that's worth.



I prefer the rules of ALFA essentially as they are now. One PC, password restricted, permadeath, hardcore RP, a strong wall of separation between player and DM. (MAYBE I could be convinced that a level 2 PC start wouldn't cause a cataclysm and might get a few newer players not to be discouraged too early.)


These are the things that brought me to ALFA and have kept me here as the only gaming community that I truly feel well reflects the style of game I want to play.


Things that I think *might* help (and would not be so radical as to alter the basic essence of ALFA) :

* Increase integration with Exodus (shared vault, portal) ..... a true integration. I'm nut sure on the messy details of this, I'm just an idea man (" I got it! Take LIVE tuna fish, and FEED 'em mayonnaise! Oh this is great. Call Starkist.")

* Repeat outreach to old/inactive members on a repetetive basis.

* Consider limited open portions of servers ala a pseudo-OAS.



Not exactly a brilliant manifesto, but there you have Dergon's feelings on the matter.

[I-KP]

I'm only a mere thirty-something player who has been playing here for all of one year; nevertheless, here are a handful of observations along with associated suggestions for adaptation:-

#1. Too many people who aren't active have a say (in the shape of an eternal default 'No' vote in some cases as has been recently starkly highlighted).
Suggestion: Add an Abstain vote option to admin/staffer polls so that a percentage of active and interested electorate can be properly gauged.
Why?: The best people to decide on what ALFA needs are those who are still active and passionate about the game. There's no sense at all in running a game that suits the desires of people who no longer have demonstrable interest in it.

#2. ALFA sometimes suffers from poorly targeted creative talent.
Suggestion: New server proposals should be put to the vote, to determine demand and wider popluation considerations, with the usual 2/3rds current and active approval rating required (see #1) to sanction build commencement.
Why?: As a retired NWN2 builder of worlds, it's demoralising as f_ck to pour one's heart into an unpaid project to see it not used to the fullest, or worse still, effectively abandoned. Creative talent is notoriously short-sighted; it needs honest and detached direction.

#3. There aren't enough players and DMs to keep the three servers ALFA has now all alive and kicking.
Suggestion: Take a big bite out of the ALFAn pride pie, swallow it, and join forces with another PW.
Why?: It's madness how similar ALFA and Exodus are to one another yet both continue to struggle against the tides separately. To find a more compatible pair of servers one will not.

#4. The NWN2 community is only going to continue to decline; the 'build it and they will come' mantra is now more based in blind faith than reality.
Suggestion: As per Sand's suggestion, open up a little bit of one or more servers to the public. Do not create a dedicated OAS; yet further spreading out ALFAn talent in an effort to attract more members is flawed logic when one accepts that there aren't dozens of NWN2 players out there looking for a new home.
Why?: The environment within which ALFA survives has changed; ALFA needs to adapt along with it, not try to fight it.

#5. Too many excellent character concepts are thrown away in a pointless fashion.
Suggestion: Allow people to start at level 2 (or 3 - has worked for Exodus) if they so wish; however, leave the door open for DnD purists to start at Level 1.
Why?: Level 1 is a player retention barrier. A 1000-3000xp starting gift isn't going to cause the sky to fall in on everyone.

#6. Sometimes the ALFAn election process can be rather cruel to the very people that give it critical life support.
Suggestion: Someone needs to closely moderate hustings to ensure that they remain absolutely factual, not opinion-based, and don't become places for people to grind axes or air dirty laundry.
Why?: The most recent couple of elections were at best honest and frank, and at worst exercises in character assassination; this can be a hugely self-destructive process IMO. Talented people need to be embraced, guided (see #2) and encouraged.

[Riotnrrd]

ALFA can be a whole lot of fun. The best way to contribute is by playing, DMing, or building. Build positive relationships in and out of game.

Metagamers play ALFA politics instead of DnD. Get out of the forums, and chat, and play.

Abstain votes shouldn't count.

[zicada]

Make game B less fun (by removing most of it).

It was coined back when we had 2000 members. Now we have less than 10% of that, what Vendrin said in the other thread about the balance of players vs everybody else in alfa is very much true.

[Magile]

Hello,

To anyone with the ability to lock a thread, I am requesting a lock on this one. I have been informed by numerous ALFAns, and have observed quite well, that one specific thread with so many rules won't get much out, and the fact that everyone had already vented in numerous threads means that conversation might be on the low-side when it comes to hot topics.

I apologize if anyone did see this as an attempt at disruption. In actuality, I was just trying to see what people thought of this community and how they felt it could be bettered... without all the flame wars, drama, etc.

Again, please lock this thread when you can. Thank you.