FanaticusIncendi Player Admin. Platform and Q&A

[Rotku]

Well I'm out of questions. Thanks for the answers, FI. Good luck with the elections!

[FanaticusIncendi]

Who rules Barter Town?

Your mom rules Barter Town.

[HATEFACE]

Hello FI! You currently DM and provide fun to a lot of players. What is your fun to stupid stuff ratio? How much of that time is actually devoted toward reading steampunk Sonic fan-fiction? If zero, are we as a community really willing to believe that a nonfan-fiction unreader can do an appropriate job at running this abysmal place?

What legacy will you leave this minor roleplaying community with? Will you build a bridge to the 21st century? Invent the steam engine? A thousand points of light, etc.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Finally, if the goal is to put DMs on the OAS moar, how will that improve the absolute zero amount of player participation? What made you feel its time to move up from negative numbers and actually start bringing in players instead of watching them leave?

These are all radical questions, please take the time to answer them.
Lovingly yours, Project_Deviant.
XOXO

[FanaticusIncendi]

Hello PD

What is your fun to stupid stuff ratio? How much of that time is actually devoted toward reading steampunk Sonic fan-fiction? If zero, are we as a community really willing to believe that a nonfan-fiction unreader can do an appropriate job at running this abysmal place?

7.89:1
None
Yes

What legacy will you leave this minor roleplaying community with? Will you build a bridge to the 21st century? Invent the steam engine? A thousand points of light, etc.

See answers to Wynna's questions.
We are already in the 21st century, njub
While the steam engine is already invented, I plan on incorporating a flux capacitor.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Finally, if the goal is to put DMs on the OAS moar, how will that improve the absolute zero amount of player participation? What made you feel its time to move up from negative numbers and actually start bringing in players instead of watching them leave?

It has always been time to bring in new players. Now we approach the means to spark a great revival. If you build it, they will come.

[HATEFACE]

It has always been time to bring in new players. Now we approach the means to spark a great revival. If you build it, they will come.

Thank you for your quick and terse reply on answering those fatuously puerile questions with fatuously puerile answers.

My biggest fear is that if we build it they will not come, as far as I understand that movie quote. In your previous post, you mentioned a great revival? Praise jeeezuz! Oh lawd! As you may, or may not be aware, life rarely works out like a movie, unless its rated R and starts with "No country. . ."

How can you ease this heightened fecalphobia brought on by all time lows of player numbers. What steps do you believe the community will have to take in order to draw in a larger crowd of John Q. Everybody's. Viral marketing, pyramid schemes, asking for help from the broader NWN2 community, Getting our name out there in John Q Everybody's eye socket.

[Rotku]

Player Retentions? What are your thoughts here? The position and department has sat empty since danielmn finished his fantastic work there. Revive it? Scrap it?

[FanaticusIncendi]

How can you ease this heightened fecalphobia brought on by all time lows of player numbers. What steps do you believe the community will have to take in order to draw in a larger crowd of John Q. Everybody's. Viral marketing, pyramid schemes, asking for help from the broader NWN2 community, Getting our name out there in John Q Everybody's eye socket.

I suppose I'm just a teensy bit more optimistic about things than you are.

The steps I believe this community needs to take to draw in a larger crowd is get up to speed. NWN2 is out there, but we don't have any Live servers ready. People are ready for those servers. As soon as they are up and running, we will have taken the first huge step in getting people interested in the community again. The trick then is to get the word out. Public Relations, under the purview of Lead, has wonderful ideas and smart people tinkering with that issue. I'll be happy to lend my thoughts there, if they ask.

Player Retentions? What are your thoughts here? The position and department has sat empty since danielmn finished his fantastic work there. Revive it? Scrap it?

I'm sorry Rotku, you said you have no more questions, so I am forced to ignore anything more out of you

Kidding!

The key to player retention is to keep the morale of the community up so that it remains excited about what it is we are doing here. As such, player retention is about ALL facets of ALFA. The player retention team is the Admin, the DMs, the staff members, the ARs, and the players.

People leave because they lose interest. They lose interest because they feel that ALFA is no longer offering them the things they love. This happened in NWN1 as some people lost interest in the platform, stopped contributing to the community, which in turn caused servers to depopulate in terms of both DMs and players. This had a snowball effect until we have reached the point we are at now.

To keep this from occurring takes more than a cheerleading squad running about saying, "Oh, don't leave, ALFA IS GREAT! YAY!!!"

It takes commitment from those who are involved in the project on all levels. Everybody plays their part.

So no, I do not believe we need a 'team' or staff for 'player retention'. I think we need to focus on getting ourselves up and running and then get the word out and rebuild the community's excitement for ALFA.

[Rusty]

Hi FI

A few (er... nine...) questions, if I may.

Player Discipline

I do not see any problems with the way this is currently handled.

A considerable number of DMs have expressed frustration with the way in which player discipline was handled in NWN1; in particular, frustration with the apparent difficulty of formally establishing that any offence was committed by a player. The degree of proof required for a 'conviction' was thought to be unrealistically high, especially considering the logging abilities of our NWN1 incarnation. DMs have also expressed frustration that, where there was evidence of player wrong-doing, the disciplinary response was insufficient. Finally, the DM corps has also reported frustration over repeated low-level player infractions (e.g. metagaming, minmaxing, constant challenges to DM authority) that they feel they lack the ability to deal with. It was in response to this body of sentiment that HDMs were given a general power to exclude individual players from their server. While this may have had the effect of smoothing out individual areas of contention, it has a side-effect of removing the PA from the disciplinary process (appeals against a HDM decision would be made to DMA). It also suggests a more general failure on the part of the disciplinary system, in that a seperate disciplinary structure has had to be erected.

1. What is the standard of proof you will require for 'conviction'? Will it vary by offence?

2. What do you regard as an appropriate response to player infractions? In particular, what do you regard as 'strike-worthy'? And what would merit a response in excess of a strike?

3. What is your view of the extent of DM authority?

4. Do you regard individual server bans as a suitable long-term solution? If so, why? If not, what action would you take to meet the concerns of the DM corps over enforcing discipline?

5. What is your view of the current NWN2 logging system and what further requirements, if any, do you have of it?

ARs

Currently, the ALFA Representatives System works.

6. What is your view on the role, if any, to be played by ARs when a complaint is brought by a player against a DM?

The Charter

7. What thoughts do you have on the general role of the Charter in ALFA and its current provisions?

8. What are your views on how Admin should approach Charter amendments? If you could make any single amendment, what would it be?

Moderation

9. Do you have any particular thoughts on IRC and Forum moderation?

[Burt]

When will Jayde be banned?

[Mikayla]

As Rusty has brought the issue of Player Discipline up, I would like to follow up on that: Often as PA I was faced with DMs who insisted that a Player had done something wrong, but who provided no proof and no testimony - in essence, there was no log, no screenshot, and not even a witness to the alleged wrong - the DM just insisted that the wrong had been committed. When asked for proof, the DM might balk and say it is too time consuming to go through logs - naturally, I would offer the assistence of the ARs (who did the lion share of log reviewing - DMs generally only have to collect the logs, we do the reviewing) but even with that offer of assistence, I often found certain DMs unwilling to provide anything but an accusation. These DMs repeatedly criticized the 'system' as being to easy on rule-breaking players, but they never provided any proof, not even eye-witness testimony, to the alleged wrongs. Indeed, in many cases, the wrongs did not even happen on their servers - oft times I would receive a complaint from a DM about a player regarding things that happened on another server. They did not see these alleged wrongs, nor could they provide any one who did, nor any logs, screenshots, or any other data other than their accusation and belief.

So, my first question to FI is this: Would the belief or the accusation by a DM that a player has done something wrong, absent any proof or eye-witness testimony, be enough for you to sanction a player with strikes or other punitive measures?

My second question is a follow up: If your answer is "no", then how will you handle the criticism that the frustrated DMs will levy upon you when you fail to 'convict' players on the basis of their accusations alone?

If your answer is "yes", and you intend to punish players on the strength of accusations alone, how do you intend to keep the players in ALFA?

[HEEGZ]

If you are elected PA will you let Dan run things as he wants or will you give him a mandate to change some things? If there are going to be changes, what will they be?

[danielmn]

FI can mandate me anyday....

*dodges the beeer bottle Jayde throws*

[FanaticusIncendi]

Rusty, thanks for your questions.

Let me start by clarifying my position.

It is my understanding that the method in which grievances are brought to light, arbitrated, and ultimately enforced is as follows:

The rules of ALFA and the expectations of its members are made readily available to all members.

Someone notices that these rules and expectations are not being followed or held up to.

That someone notifies the proper authority.

The matter is investigated. All pertinant parties are notified and given a chance to speak and/or explain their views on the matter.

A decision is rendered.

A chance to appeal is given.

A final decision is made and enforced.

Now this is a simplified word-smithing, supported by the ALFA Charter and (outdated?) ALFA Rulebook.

When I say that I do not see any problems with the way this is currently handled, I mean by the Player Admin and PA Staff, in terms of the system in place. When an issue was brought to light, the ARs investigated the matter, relevant data that was given over to the PA and staff was studied, those affected had the ability to speak up as they wished, and the PA rendered a decision.

This is as it should be. I cannot speak to the ability or desire of 'prosecuting' DMs to provide the evidence needed to enforce ALFA's rules. Quite simply if a DM is not willing to do more than point a finger and make some defaming comments, then the PA is unable to see it as anything more than a simple he said/she said issue that cannot be acted on in good faith.

However, one of the things that is key as the PA, in both of the meanings I have applied to it, is to ensure that ALFA is the place we all expect it to be. This means ensuring that all of its members adhere to the rules and guidelines set forth to them. If they cannot abide by our standards then they are not a good fit for the community. Enforcing this is not solely upon the shoulders of the PA, but requires fair and balanced action from all parts of the community.

Now, for your actual questions:

1. What is the standard of proof you will require for 'conviction'? Will it vary by offence?

It is hard to place a 'standard' of proof because there are so many different forms of potential 'evidence', each weighted differently depending on the circumstances. If I lock myself in by saying 'Logs are my standard of proof', then what recourse do I have if the entire playerbase and DM team of a server (let's say 15 individuals) all state that they had personally witnessed the infraction during a time for which logs are unavailable?

As for vary by offense, again, it can depend on the offense. A single log showing a player heading into a goblin cave and clearing it out is not proof of farming, while logs over several days showing the same player 'making the rounds' every day might be.

However, it only takes a single log of a single instance showing a player looting his own corpse to show that there is a likely infraction of our rules and standards.

2. What do you regard as an appropriate response to player infractions? In particular, what do you regard as 'strike-worthy'? And what would merit a response in excess of a strike?

I feel that two of the main variables in determining the extent of 'punishment' in a given situation are the extent of damage and the extent of intent. Again, the situations can vary widely and I cannot lock myself into an inflexible position, but I can safely say that an infraction that was unintentionally made and resulted in absolutely 'no harm done' might result in merely a warning while intentional hacking of our vault to clear it of all data would definitely result in permanent ban.

3. What is your view of the extent of DM authority?

I would like to see standards of DMing that are available for all members of the community to see, so they can have an idea of what to expect and also that the DMs can have something to back them up in certain situations.

Certain things like:

DMs will adhere to XP and wealth standards
DMs will not railroad players (railroading defined as allowing only a very limited course of action, the result of failure or not attempting the action resulting in unavoidable serious loss for the player)
DMs reserve the right to not DM a certain player, alignment, faction if they choose

etc. Those are just examples, maybe not the best examples, maybe they could be worded better, what have you.

However, such a listing of standards is under the purview of the DMA and I will not push this as an issue.

I bring it up to point out that doing something like this will better enable us to understand the extent of DM authority, which I feel is as follows:

The DMs are responsible for creating engaging and interesting plots that involve the servers and players they work with. With this responsibility comes the authority as the first line of arbitrators of the rules of ALFA, Dungeons and Dragons, and Neverwinter Nights as it relates to our community. So long as they adhere to the standards set forth by ALFA, and players can expect engaging plots that are fair and balanced, the authority of a DM within those plots and within the server is near absolute.

Players should not second guess, belittle, heckle, or otherwise cause 'grief' to the DMs on that server.

If a player has an issue with a DM and feels that the DM is not abiding by the standards of ALFA or that they are not providing fair and balanced plots, they have the option of taking up their issue with an AR and follow the greivance process. Both player and DM reserve the right, at any moment, to not be forced to play with the other.

4. Do you regard individual server bans as a suitable long-term solution? If so, why? If not, what action would you take to meet the concerns of the DM corps over enforcing discipline?

No, I do not. If you are a member of ALFA, you should have the ability to play on ALL of ALFA's servers. This does not mean a temoprary server ban may not be appropriate in some cases.

The action I would take to help meet the concerns of the DM corps would be to encourage them to follow the procedures set forth by the Charter and rulebook to provide the necessary evidence required to enforce our standards.

5. What is your view of the current NWN2 logging system and what further requirements, if any, do you have of it?

My understanding of the 1984 logs for NWN2 servers is that they should provide us with a look at players' activities on server, as they did for NWN1 servers. While the various technical jargon involved in the development and actual functionality of the process eludes me, my main concern is with the end product, a database-style resource that will be available to involved parties in the case of a dispute.

Our logs should give us tranparency into who we are actually dealing with, the status of their PC in terms of stats and loot (to include pChests, which is a nice addition if it actually made it in), where they went, what they did, and what they picked up or dropped.

I think that these are the items which are of most importance and will provide us with a clear enough view to determine in-game infractions. So, at the moment I would not have any further requirements.

6. What is your view on the role, if any, to be played by ARs when a complaint is brought by a player against a DM?

The AR should be the only person dealing directly with the player in such a scenario. They can be a buffer between the often emotionally charged individuals and the issue at hand. DMs have their own heirarchy that they can turn to, for example, the HDM of a particular DM speaking for him or her. However, ARs can be made available for DMs as well.

7. What thoughts do you have on the general role of the Charter in ALFA and its current provisions?

The role of the Charter is as the basis for all of our standards, rules, and methods. It is the backbone documentation for ALFA. Overall, the provisions provided therein are fine to me, though it is arguable that some of the wording might be changed.

8. What are your views on how Admin should approach Charter amendments? If you could make any single amendment, what would it be?

For the most part, I think it is good. My only thought on an amendment is that calling for changes to be made with majority Admin vote and 2/3 HDM vote might be changed to majority Admin vote with a possibility of HDM veto by 2/3 vote.

9. Do you have any particular thoughts on IRC and Forum moderation?

That they are under the purview of the IA. I do wish that ALFA's members could be more respectful of one another but I do not think that our current atmosphere calls for any drastic measures.

[FanaticusIncendi]

When will Jayde be banned?

Sometime after Burt.

[FanaticusIncendi]

So, my first question to FI is this: Would the belief or the accusation by a DM that a player has done something wrong, absent any proof or eye-witness testimony, be enough for you to sanction a player with strikes or other punitive measures?

My second question is a follow up: If your answer is "no", then how will you handle the criticism that the frustrated DMs will levy upon you when you fail to 'convict' players on the basis of their accusations alone?

If your answer is "yes", and you intend to punish players on the strength of accusations alone, how do you intend to keep the players in ALFA?

No. If the DMs are immature enough to complain that the PA fails to discipline players absent any proof, then we have bigger problems than whether my feelings are hurt by their criticism.

If the DMs are serious about trying to get the PA to enforce the rules and standards of the community, then they should make an effort to provide proper justification for it. It is quite obvious to me that enough of them do so, based on the investigations that have presented themselves and the way they were handled.

However, I would like to point out that I will not be a slave to logs as the only justification.

My belief is that our DM corps is NOT immature, overall. And as a trusted group within our community, if enough DMs are making waves about an individual, then I have to assume that there is something to it. Of course, I find it highly improbable that such would be the case and there would be absolutely no proof to support those claims.