View from behind the curtains

[Rotku]

Over the last twenty four hours I've had my inbox bursting full with PMs with people thanking me for the work I've done; apologiesing as they believed it was them who made me step down; and more often than not, asking what caused me to step down. First of all, thank you everyone for your words - it means a lot. And my apologies that I did not get to achieve everything during my term that I had hoped for. This post is partly in response to those PMs - partly as a last attempt to try and set ALFA on a solid road for the future.

I am not going to tell everyone my reason for stepping down - they are mine alone and I have no desire to start any drama and pointless bickering. ALFA has enough of that as it is. What I am going to do is offer a view of the ALFA that I see after chairing the Admin for just under 6 months. And maybe most importantly, advice which I suggest ALFA seriously consider if we wish to return to our former heights. I am going to try and provide a view of both good and bad, but I warn you, the bad is there so if you want a sunny disposition of ALFA, look else where.

There are three strong things currently going for ALFA: (1) the community; (2) the vision; and (3) a small handful of hard working magicians. ALFA community, as a whole, is special. THe people here are friendly and warm. While I'm not the sort of person to sit on chat and talk for hours on end, I have made some good friends on ALFA, a few of which have carried on despite the other leaving ALFA/NWN. To add to this, I guess you've also got the memories of shared fun while playing - I just recieved a PM a couple of hours ago containing a load of screenshots from some adventures with a player who I played with years ago. That certainly brought a large smile to my face. ALFA certainly has a more tightly knit community than most, which I think is what has kept it alive over this transition period and may do so in the future.

I think this is ALFAs biggest selling point - the thing that seperates it from all those other PW out there. THe vision to recreate the entire Forgotten Realms using the NWN engine. This shouldn't be taken lightly. There are other PW out there who focus on RP, some even set in the realms, like us. However, none of them can promise their members that they are aiming to recreate as much of the realms as possible. Of course, it brings its own problems but at the end of the day, this is something that raises us above the rest. Keep this in mind, ALFA. Don't forget it.

Third, and maybe most importantly, a small group of hard working people behind the scenes. Cipher, AL, Rick, indio, Hialmar, Legionnaire; to name but a few. This is the group of people who will see ALFA standing on its feet; who will help her when she's sick and be there for her during her glory. These are the magicians who keep life in ALFA and will see ALFA through to NWN2, come rain, hail or snow. Never stop heaping praise on these people - they have earned every speck of praise you can give and more.

It's these three things that will keep ALFA rolling slowly onwards. However, we are not with out our negatives; which at the end of the day, is the reason for this post - to highlight them for people and suggest possible solutions.

ALFA is currently on a slippery slope into the NWN history books. At this rate, I would predict that within 9-12 months, our first server will split off to form their own world. While that might not use to have been a problem, when we are down to just a few it does become more significant. By 24 months we will be down to a couple of servers and a handful of players, with nothing making us much different from other PW than our memories.

It may be a horrible outlook, and yes, I am exaggerating, but this is the road I honestly think ALFA is on at present. Our membership isn't increasing - if anything it's shrinking. We will, of course, see a boost when we start to get NWN2 servers Live. But ask yourself how long that will last. I know I have asked myself that many times before. ANd to boot, we have an enmity towards change, which isn't doing anything to attract more people.

I n eed only look back a month or so to see a glowing example of this. THe Planetouched issue was a chance for us to show each other that we were capable of compromise. That we could find a middle ground that everyone can agree at. BUt no, we went back to the same old thing we've seen a hundred and one times before. Really people, is it really so hard and time consuming for a DM to say "I don't want to DM Planetouched, but go speak to DM Joe over there - I think he's got something running for Planetouched". IT really won't cause the DM a nervous breakdown saying all those twenty words, and they would have made DM Joe's (and the players) time in ALFA more enjoyable.

What ALFA really needs it to get over this fear of change. We need a solid Admin group who are able to push forward changes for the benefit of ALFA, without squabling over every small detail. And this, I feel, comes back to the system we currently have.

WHat I suggest ALFA needs, in order to encourage this prescribed dosage of change, is a change to the structure of the ADmin body. At present, each Admin is elected on their own merits, which have caused conflicts time and time again. Murky, Bear, Ava and Indio; Squat, Inaubyrn, Mikayla and Bool; Bool and HEEGZ; myself, Mikayla and Rusty. At one stage, maybe such conflicts were not ground breaking - ALFA would still roll on its course. But at this point in our life, I believe that ALFA needs a system in place to allow for a united Admin team, who are able to put forward a common policy for ALFA to work towards.

As such, my first suggestion is to reconsider LEm's old suggestion of electing an Admin Team rather than 5 individuals. This comes with pros and cons, as everything does. It will allow greater power in the hands of a few, as one of the biggest checks (fellow Admin) would be removed. However, I feel that such a risk is worth while, for the benefits that we may gain. Having a common front will allow us to progress at a rate rarely seen in ALFA. I can tell you, from experience, when all 5 Admin were in agreeance over things, everything ran beautifully. Sure, nothings wrong with a few disagreements, but when you have polar opposites in Admin positions, it isn't the nicest thing in the world.

My second suggestion would be with regards to the NWN community as a whole. Let us get our name out there. Contact the VAult, see if we can get someone like Mikayla to be interviewed about the 'New ALFA'. Get our custom scripts and what ever other content we have up on the vault. Not packaged under ALFA's Haks, but under attractive names that will make them useable to many. Pile our effort into getting Silverymoon, Anaroch and Moonsea Live, so we can get out there and show the community what we have.

Let the community see a rebranded ALFA. An ALFA that works beside the community. An ALFA that praises its contributers instead of shooting them down. An ALFA that is not afraid of change.

I know I have had some great times in ALFA and I know many others here have. Let us do everything we can to make sure others can experience the fun we've had.


Anyway, I am off to download the Haks and then what fun is still to be had on our NWN1 servers. Hopefully will see you all in game

[JaydeMoon]

Welcome to ALFA.

Good luck on your second character!

[danielmn]

Thanks for the words Rotku. It takes a real person to set aside the drama, not go into specifics, and say what they really think and feel, not for the benefit of themselves, but for the benefit of the community.

Hats off to you!

Daniel

[indio]

You've always been one of the workers Rotku, and a harder worker than most. That's what I've always liked about you. That, and your forthrightness.

ALFA won't die in 12 months though. And the simple reason we don't have increasing numbers, and it feels like we're in stasis, is because we don't have a NWN2 server ready. Both factors will change within 6 months, when we have 2 live servers. And that's not hyperbole, that's just the law of supply and demand.

As long as no one's trying to screw me, I'll continue working on my hobby. And noone's trying to screw me any more, which is great. The politics are there for a reason, and without them I don't want to work for ALFA. I want the structures that are in place so that we've got a representative administration based on what's happening in the community now. But I don't need to involve myself in the politics any longer, and my hope is that you feel the same way.

[witch]

Very well put down Rotku..

nailed it down perfectly!

[PensivesWetness]

Very well put down Rotku..

nailed it down perfectly!

Having only seen what you do on the front page, i can't comment on what you do for ALFA (but it must be immence)...

but i can say about what you did as a PLAYER. You had impact. You ran for Mayor, you battled pirates and demon spawn children... you travelled the realms (and showed me alot of those realms and how much good effort people put into those places)...

and you made individuals believe in kittens triplicate...

/me huggles you, good sir.

[mxlm]

You the man, Rotku.

As far as the admin team thing goes, my only input would be to say that such teams would likely benefit from an official 'devil's advocate'.

[JaydeMoon]

[MShady]

You the man, Rotku.

As far as the admin team thing goes, my only input would be to say that such teams would likely benefit from an official 'devil's advocate'.

A devil's advocate is fine. The problem is when there is a devil.

[Souvarine]

Agreed for the planetouched...although i saw that decision with alot of salt (as in...oh yeah it's alfa, of course it can't change, what's new).

As for the admin team, i think it'd be fun to see new blood, but how much new blood is there anyway? I mean a potential admin is probably born every 150 new person that applies...it's rare. So much is required (time, drive, knowledge, vision, diplomacy, blah blah)...and it looks so much like work than many would simply say they have enough of 1 job in their life. Add in the political drama that ALFA likes to throw at em... can't blame them for stepping down.

Anyways, the OP should be mind-food for the next victim to take on the chair.

[MShady]

With the Planetouched proposal, I never understood why that was defeated. Nor did I engage in that debate because I rather thought it straight forward.

Planetouched are a real minority PC race. Most people are not going play them. However, they are not an ECL race. Genasi are found in the population of most major areas. There aren't many, but they are there and sometime more populous than other PC races or an equivalent minority. They're actually on the surface, moreso than Drow or Duergar and even in the Underdark in spots.

So what was the issue? A majority of DMs do not like them? Well I would expect that.

There is a fine line between not liking something and imposing your will on others who actually might want to do something. I'd never play a genasi of any type, or an aasamir or tiefling, which are far more common. But why would I want to stop someone else from doing so? So I don't get the vote. Every PC and every race is not for every DM as it is. There's not going to be a flood of them if we allow it and not unbalancing.

50% + 1 is too low a margin for something only a minority are going to use anyways. What would the vote be on Drow? I would expect a 2/3rds majority on that and phrased a bit different, I hope it is addressed again.

The real question should have been... whats the harm?

Souvarine sums it up well. "It's Alfa, of course it can't change. What's new?" We are kind of a monolith, don't like new ideas and ritually sacrifice the people with them. With a side of BBQ. How the Planetouched thing was decided, if not handled, is symptomatic of how we do not embrace change.

That is probably what happened with Rotku, Heegz, a prominent staff head lately and a long list of others. ALFA is a game, but its DnD not Mortal Kombat. Some people don't seem to get that. Always strive to be fair with everyone you deal with.

MShady

[jmecha]

See ya in game

[Magonushi]

Though I haven't been keeping up with ALFA too much lately it is rather shocking and disappointing to see this happen to you Rotku. This seems to be an all to common occurrence and I think it's high time to re-evaluate how we handle politics around here.

As such, my first suggestion is to reconsider LEm's old suggestion of electing an Admin Team rather than 5 individuals.

My only question is why this hasn't been done? It would allow for better unification of vision, increased ability to get goals accomplished, and hopefully less animosity in the community.

Yes there may be abuses of power, but that's why you'd have a separately elected devil's advocate/reporter who kept the community informed of any potential abuses going on behind closed doors. I'd say if there are any problems with an admin teams decisions they be countered by a poll called for by the reporter to veto the admin with a requirement of 2/3rds or 50% +1 majority. That should allow the community to police the admin while also allowing the admin the freedom necessary to quickly get things done.

And, I do agree with Rick on the idea of limiting political polls so that they gain a sense of importance and assured finality.

[idoru]

stfu n00b.

I'm mostly just happy that I wasn't listed as one of the drama admin - not that I don't deserve it.

I think the idea of electing an admin team is a good one. Better yet, elect a single lead admin, who then picks his cabinet and hands out portfolios as it suits him/her.

The problem with having elected officials as administrators is that the people who could do good admin work want to do just that - work, not argue in forums. Not to wax nostalgic about the pre-ALFAquake days (does anyone even remember anymore?), but one thing the place had going for it was that the admin were workers, not politicians. This created conflict at times, but boy, did they get things done.

In the end, ALFA has run into kind of the same problem I kept having when I was a kid. My friends and I would come up with some pretend play which seemed fun, but then we got so bogged down in deciding how the play would work that by the time we were ready to start, it was time to go home. Just telling people to forget the politics and focus on the game won't work. We have to change the system to make it more conducive to a gaming focus. Changing how admins operate would be a good first step.

That being said, I share Rotku's skepticism. We are stagnating. I've been gone for a while. Apparently hope is now pinned on attracting lots of players when the NWN 2 servers go live. I hate to say this, but before that, everyone was convinced that the player situation would turn around when NWN 2 was released. Rather than putting our hopes on future external events, it may be time to turn to ourselves.

Are we happy with the current situation? If so, my point is moot. But given that we are not, and given that the fundamental problem is the steady loss of active members, we need to start thinking about how we can change this community to make it more attractive to new members. Everyone likes to talk about PR and advertising, but the problem isn't that people don't know about us - it's that our community is fundamentally dysfunctional, which turns people off when they do stop by. People come here to play a game, and we aren't delivering. We haven't been for quite some time.

[indio]

We'll have a game when we have a live NWN2 server I'd reckon. Till then, every effort should go into making that happen, then seeing if it doesn't work. If it doesn't, then let's start the academic threads and discussions about what you suggest idoru, which I don't really disagree with.

The community is no more stagnant that it was 12 months ago, with the exception of fewer NWN1 servers, which have been in decline for at least 2 years. If you're interested, quite a few of us are working on NWN2 servers, and Thangorn is looking for help.