[CotH-aluation] The Staff Team

[Loxmardin]

Hello everyone.

As part of the CotH-aluation project, I've opened this topic for discussion. Basically, I want an evaluation from you, the community (and the staff, if they so please) of our current staff team (and maybe the past, as well, if you've been here long enough). It's a way to ask you for feedback on what we do, how we work, and for you to give us ideas and suggestions for how we can do better and which areas we are lacking in, in your opinion. We're here for your sake to make sure the server runs smoothly and provides a good place to be for us to practice our hobby/interest together and find comfort in the community that surrounds it. We'll never be perfect or flawless, but we can endeavour to always improve and our ears are always open to your feedback.

For the purpose of this discussion, here are a few base inquiries:

• What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?
  
• Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?
  
• What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

Feel free to express thoughts beyond what is being asked for, as every bit of feedback is relevant and helpful. Avoid naming specific staff members unless given permission by said staff member prior, or just forward your feedback to them in a respectful manner in a PM if you want to address specific things. This thread is no place to call out specific people, so to speak.

With that, the soapbox is yours.

Love,
Loxmardin

[Paylonas]

Alrighty then! I do apologize if any of my responses are hard to understand, I am by no means a wordsmith - But I'd still like to get my opinion in on what's being asked, you'll most likely see me post on all of these said inquiries! With that being said, I appreciate you taking the time to ready my reply - Let us begin!

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

This one is tough for me to answer, because I'm viewing this as multiple questions. However, I feel that an effective staff team is one that is active within the community. While they still do their 'job' of enforcing the rules, reading through things, etc. This can be a tough thing to do since staff does have to enforce the rules, read through things, and whatever else their duties call upon them to do; but I feel that an effective staff is one that consists of people who are active within the community, and can still do their job.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

I've only been on this server for a short amount of time, so I don't believe I have had enough time to give a full judgement of this. But with what I've seen so far the staff does live up to my standards, they almost mirror it. Excluding a few staff members which I have rarely encountered on the server, most of them are in there with us players Role playing as well. They help us with events and host events, which is pretty gosh darn awesome! The staff from what I've seen is an amazing one, they enforce the rules and are active in the community; +1 for the staff.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

I understand that everyone has a real life to attend to outside of CotH, but you asked me a question so I'm going to answer it truthfully. I feel as if more staff could be active members of this community, there are some staff members I've never seen online/didn't know about until I looked them up. I have no doubt that every staff member does play however, maybe a couple of them are going through the 'rough' right now? Maybe I just joined at a bad time, I'm just calling it how I see it.

Once more I appreciate you taking the time to make something like this and reading it!

[ghaskan]

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

A staff member is someone who should be friendly, dedicated and knowledgeable about the subject - in the case of CoTH, mostly WoW lore and the server policies and other oddities (eg. community). Ideally speaking, they would be people who help brainstorm ideas for the server, create events, and guide new (and sometimes old!) players. All within the limits of their real life, of course - while they should be expected to dedicate some time to the server, they are volunteers, after all, and get no pay to make up for their time, only the gratification of being helpful.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

From what I see, I think the staff already does what I ask for, overall. Of course, there's always room to do more and better, but at present I have no real issues.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

Perhaps hosting more events, since staff-made events tend to have a special flavour to them - GMs know the tools they dispose of, so they can build the event around that and make for an unique experience. As for Forum Helps, maybe crafting more guides. I can't name anything specific, other than Racial/Class guides that might be missing/outdated. Actually, I think the problem with most guides would be the fact that a good chunk of them are outdated, so that might be a start.

[Kirabo]

The ideal staff team is one that functions as a singularity, a team that doesn't have internal conflicts, a hivemind, a well-oiled machine that solves any problem at its workplace without a hitch.

That's ideal, though, and completely hypothetical. What I'd like to see in the CotH staff, though, is something far more achievable, and something I've already alluded to in the other three CotH-aluations - Be human. Communicate with us. Talk to us. Ask for our help if you need something, help us like you'd help another staff member. Don't consider us less important than you because we don't have a fancy colored name. Engage in RP. Surprise us, catch us off-guard and make our experience here even greater than it is at the moment!

Truthfully, you guys don't live up to this, at least not yet. You literally work behind the curtains to make this place run. You could do that even without the GM tags, frankly. If we see that you're working on something, you'll definitely leave a greater sense of importance than you do by just showing us a finished project every few months. Perhaps you could even include us more often, like you're doing right now, with this thread? I'm enjoying this, because I feel that you will actually make changes based on our opinions, and I'm glad that we got the chance to speak our voices.

[Psychyn]

removed

[Xigo]

Cool your tempers. Don't go on witch hunts. And don't hate everything someone does just because you dislike the individual. Stay rational. Stay cool. Expect to be treated as equals.

We are not playing poker. There's no need to play with your hand close to your chest. Ask the community. Not everyone will enjoy your lonely vision. Communicate.

JV, don't b-hnnnnn

[Delta]

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

That depends entirely on what it wants to be effective at! An effective staff team should accomplish what it sets out to do. I think communication is the grease for staff wheels, as are clear goals and objectives.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

It definitely does in some aspects, and it's been improving slowly for years to get to the point where it is now. As a body, the staff still seem kind of directionless, though. There isn't much visible cohesion between the team even when someone does take the initiative to start up a new storyline, plot, or event chain.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

Talk to the players, talk between each other. Work together whenever possible, and try not to be discouraged by negative criticism. There is something else, however...

Staff inactivity. This seems to be a very taboo topic, and I'm reluctant to touch on it because I know as well as anyone that life sometimes happens, but it's no good to have a person hanging onto a position they don't have the time to fill. Nobility obliges, I suppose. I don't want people to be faced with ultimatums or anything silly like that, I just want to see GMs GMing and enjoying GMing. I don't think the answer should always be adding more GMs, either. Work with the materials you have at hand. It was a bit too much when the in-game ratio of players to GMs was 1:1. A solution with a bit more finesse is called for.

It's not easy being green, and the burden can weigh down on you after a while. Burnout is not exclusive to the administration, so rest assured, we understand, and there's no shame in taking a break.




Lastly... I appreciate all that you guys do. I love these feedback threads. I am glad of all the events you take the time to host and help with. The steps you're taking towards revising policy look very hopeful. Keep it up.

[Ural]

• What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?
  • The ideal staff person has three qualities I appreciate the most. First, they have a strong forum presence. This is the lifeblood of CotH and as such required to remain connected to, and shepard, the playerbase. Secondly, they enable the players to achieve their goals. Let's find a way to make this work versus a flat No. Finally, they are professional. Intimate details are never discussed about someone whether it be when they approach in confidence, are deemed unfit for the server, or constantly prod for attention. No matter the situation, we should be able to trust the Staff has our best interests in mind when making decisions.
• Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?
  • It is my opinion over my four years here, across a couple breaks and though my time as a Trial GM, that the Staff as a whole has lived up to what I consider good conduct. I've heard plenty about drama, but I never experienced it for myself. There was this one time I accused the Staff of playing favorites, and they defused my ignorant complaint without reprimand. Moreso, I've had more than my fair share of ideas, concepts, profiles, storylines, relationships, guilds.. all both past and present that have been flops and successes. And I've gotten feedback from various staff members when I was honest enough with myself to ask for guidance. There have been times where I've had my posts removed, questioned and refurbished to work once again still in-line with what I wanted to accomplish in the first place.
    • Related but separate; I've always experienced the Staff to be highly approachable. Even the scary administration. There have been times where I've watched a GM spawn buildings and see them fume and fuss over getting it just right. I went through this one phase where I was hosting mini-events and I discouraged GMs from puppeting stuff. Just so they could enjoy the event for themselves.
• What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?
  • To be honest, I believe the Staff as a whole should enjoy some respite to recharge their batteries. Turn the red, blue, green and orange off and take some time to be a simple player from time to time. Unwind and go exploring with a couple of friends with no strings attached. Write an IC-post or do something completely random in the Off-Topic area. Unplug and go for a walk sledding. Go play Skyrim.
    • But how can they when we are so needy? This is on us, the playerbase. Host mini-events without demanding GM control. Take a breather before posting a controversial topic. Assume the best in the Staff instead of the worst.

Above all, I have always viewed the Staff as volunteers. That is their greatest strength. They don't have to be a GM.. they get to.

[Grakor456]

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

Ideally, they should be friendly and helpful to players, new and old, when dealing with server-related issues. They should also be working to foster RP in the community, whether it be by running events or arranging RPs on a smaller scale. The staff should have significant activity through most of the day.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

It's been noted before that often we have staff without a strong active presence. We have actually been taking steps at removing inactive GMs, but more vigilance is always a good idea in this particular case. I also feel that more activity in terms of encouraging RP is probably necessary.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

"More events" is a cheap answer, but nonetheless a possible solution. However, events don't hold RP attention forever...they only do for the duration of the event, so other avenues would need to be explored. Providing more tools for players to create their own stories would be welcome, but we'd have to see how to do that without de-stabilizing the server.

[Sorum]

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

Effective.. heh. I don't have an image of an effective staff team. But I'd like to say what I personally like about a staff member. Staff members should make themselves visible and show somewhere out there for whoever needs help. CoTH is doing a good job at it by having that office thingy where people can go and speak with a staff member whenever they need something. You can PM them, you can touch them on Skype. The staff members -are- there and the players can easily reach out. Second.. I like to see staff members which actually show that they are players as well, and not only GMs or whatever.

@Grakor for example is doing an amazing job at that. He poses more as a player than a staff members when in public, and personally.. I think that's great. He hangs around with people in the OOC area. Talks, socializes with the players there and doesn't get online just to RP with his group of people or just go build whatever for who knows what event. No, he feels like he is IN the community, and not someone that organizes the show from behind the scene. I am not saying the other staff members are antisocial or that they don't socialize enough. No, I am just saying that it'd be nice if you guys would log in to just chat in OOC as well. See how the community really is instead of just waiting for people to tell you the state of the community.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

It does. Everyone is there and they really help with everything when you need them. The decisions are made and everything seems to work pretty well. I mean, we had like 5 announcements bringing new features to the server and revamping the old ones. That shows that the staff is doing work and clearly doing a good job. I won't even talk about the profiles which are clearly looked at and dealt with.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

I think I already pointed at it. Get in the community, see how it is. Be a player, not only a GM.

Sorry for the pink. <3

[Jonoth]

• What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?
  • The ideal staff person has three qualities I appreciate the most. First, they have a strong forum presence. This is the lifeblood of CotH and as such required to remain connected to, and shepard, the playerbase. Secondly, they enable the players to achieve their goals. Let's find a way to make this work versus a flat No. Finally, they are professional. Intimate details are never discussed about someone whether it be when they approach in confidence, are deemed unfit for the server, or constantly prod for attention. No matter the situation, we should be able to trust the Staff has our best interests in mind when making decisions.
• Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?
  • It is my opinion over my four years here, across a couple breaks and though my time as a Trial GM, that the Staff as a whole has lived up to what I consider good conduct. I've heard plenty about drama, but I never experienced it for myself. There was this one time I accused the Staff of playing favorites, and they defused my ignorant complaint without reprimand. Moreso, I've had more than my fair share of ideas, concepts, profiles, storylines, relationships, guilds.. all both past and present that have been flops and successes. And I've gotten feedback from various staff members when I was honest enough with myself to ask for guidance. There have been times where I've had my posts removed, questioned and refurbished to work once again still in-line with what I wanted to accomplish in the first place.
    • Related but separate; I've always experienced the Staff to be highly approachable. Even the scary administration. There have been times where I've watched a GM spawn buildings and see them fume and fuss over getting it just right. I went through this one phase where I was hosting mini-events and I discouraged GMs from puppeting stuff. Just so they could enjoy the event for themselves.
• What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?
  • To be honest, I believe the Staff as a whole should enjoy some respite to recharge their batteries. Turn the red, blue, green and orange off and take some time to be a simple player from time to time. Unwind and go exploring with a couple of friends with no strings attached. Write an IC-post or do something completely random in the Off-Topic area. Unplug and go for a walk sledding. Go play Skyrim.
    • But how can they when we are so needy? This is on us, the playerbase. Host mini-events without demanding GM control. Take a breather before posting a controversial topic. Assume the best in the Staff instead of the worst.

Above all, I have always viewed the Staff as volunteers. That is their greatest strength. They don't have to be a GM.. they get to.

[SpaksTheSane]

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

Not sure if such a thing is possible. However, it would be nice if the GMs felt to be or seemed to be like the player base. What I mean by that, and I've seen this happen with more than one player that became a GM, once they've taken up that role, they change. Almost as though they no longer consider themselves as part of the player base, but part of the staff team. I'm not say that is true for everyone or that it even happens, but it sure looks that way.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

More or less. From a "services rendered" point of view, yes. They answer any questions you have and if they can't, they direct you to someone who can. Any time I've had a problem either forum, lore or game related, I've always received help quite quickly and efficiently.

Now, from an RP point of view not so much. I don't know why people are making such a fuss about GMs helping with events and I for one really don't have problem with it. If I make an event I keep it small, something I can manage on my own without bothering a GM and pick an area that is not littered with mobs so the players don't have to kill 5 of them at every step. What my problem is regarding RP is that GMs either seem to do a lot of it among themselves or with a very specific group of people. Again, I'm not saying that it applies to everyone, but it does look like that for a lot of the GMs I've seen.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

Perhaps try to remember how it was before they took up the role they currently have and just enjoy some good ol' fashioned RP without the razzle dazzle of GM-ness. And also, please, I beg you: could someone make an application or something that shows how many profiles are currently awaiting approval ? I understand that there may be a lot, the GMs may be busy with something else or RL issues, but when you see 6 GMs online, all of which RPing while you have a profile pending approval for a few days without even a reply to it, it starts to feel wrong.

If there was such a thing as a pending profiles count, it would sure make the waiting a lot less irritating in cases where the waiting period is very long and who knows, maybe even make the rest of the player base understand what work load a GM has to deal with.

[Franksta96]

What is the ideal image of an effective staff team, in your opinion?

I believe that an ideal image of an effective staff team is one that is both active on and off the server (By that I mean forum wise too!). At the same time I believe that GMs should always try to encourage Roleplay whenever there is an adequate amount of RP, and maybe suggest a few things to players to either develop their character or storyline they plan.

I think that the GMs should try to focus in blending in to the player base more so, like getting involved in OOC talk on GMI, IC business and so on, and not just be the invisible entity that is just creeping around supporting players, I'd like them to actually do things too as part of the Roleplay that occurs throughout the server.

Does the current staff team live up to this ideal? Why/Why not?

I would say that they are indeed living up to this ideal, gradually and slowly. There are times where GMs sometimes sit around on GMI either as silent as a load of bread or just immediately goes invisible and is never heard from again. At the same time, I would like GMs to actually get involved in events, because in a way, even as a GM, what's the point in making characters when your not going to enjoy them as much because your primarily OOC in events? If you see what I mean here.

I do though, think that we are extremely updated with new announcements of RP, Updates and other occurrences within the community which is key. That is on reason why I think the staff team are indeed living up to the ideal, but as mentioned before, I believe there can still be things done on the server to harbor players and help them, but at the same time allow the GMs to get involved a lot with player interaction both OOCly and Icly.

What could the staff team do to come closer to this ideal?

Get involved more! Not that they get involved, but I think they need to participate a lot more ICly rather than just 'shadow' OOCly.