[CotH-aluation] Player/Staff Communications

[Loxmardin]

Hello everyone.

As part of the CotH-aluation project, I've opened this topic for discussion. It has been mentioned many times before that the communications between players and staff has sometimes been poor. Many times, actually, if we're to believe the reports and complaints. While the severity of the problem is still up in the air because we've no way to measure the evidence, it's still evident that there is a problem. So, this goes out to both staff and players so we can evaluate the player/staff communications from both ends and come closer to seeing where the problem is, if it exists, and strive to improve so that the problem goes away or, at least, becomes smaller. We will never reach perfection since there'll always be a rift between "figures of authority" and the "rest" for a wide variety of perfectly natural and logical reasons. We can't remove these reasons, but we can strive to cushion them and work around them to make things easier for everyone and strive for a more pleasant relationship between staff and playerbase.

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

• How do you think the communications between players and staff work currently? What's your personal experience?
  
• What do you think could be done, by players and/or staff, to improve the communications?
  
• What, if anything, makes you hesitant to approach a staff member? Or, for the staff, a player?
  
• How, in your opinion, could we make it easier for eachother? But, primarily, how could the staff make it easier for the players to approach them?

Feel free to add any thoughts, questions or ideas beyond the inquiries above. All feedback on the topic is appreciated and desired, and for the benefit of all of us.

Love,
Loxmardin

[Kirabo]

From personal experience, I've only had trouble communicating with a GM once, and it was due to their personal issues. I got an apology soon after, although I felt that it wasn't necessary, seeing that it was obvious that the person was having inner conflicts. It's a very minor case, but I felt that you'd like to hear about it, even so vaguely.

The communication with the GM team is just fine. After all, you do your selection of staff very carefully, and I don't doubt that you take friendliness and communication skills as an important factor of the equation. If something is wrong, you can always talk to a GM. You will be directed towards the right solution effectively, and by the rules. It's generally a problem with the players feeling that the GM should be their personal Genie in a Lamp, granting their wishes without question. If they were to more rationally evaluate the situation, and assess the problem from a different direction (which is usually just trying to think on a bigger plan than just their own subjective selves (read: server vs. individual)) any 'troubles with communication' would be diminished.

The Staff, on the other hand... I feel that they should be more engaged. Hopping into roleplays, starting conversations, playing with the environment around already revolving RPs just to add some dynamic. That's how the staff and the players get to know each other better. Being friendly goes both ways, right? I always recall certain moments when I'm about to write an emote for an NPC to respond to a fellow RPer's inquiry, and then I see a GM puppeteering the said NPC. It always causes pleasant chats afterwards, and brings the GM who aided the RP and the player a unique bond.

What makes me hesitant to talk to staff members? Well, honestly, I'm not all that hesitant to do so. When I need help, there's really nobody else to turn to. When I want to chat with somebody and there's only a GM near me, then I'll chat with them. We're all human, after all. However, I feel that many people feel hesitant because their (generally far-fetched) ideas get shot down quickly. They get the impression that the GM team is 'arrogant', 'close-minded', 'unfit for the duty' and whatnot, but nobody stops to think that they weren't picked on a lottery, by chance, but by a very strict system of elimination, analysis and reason.

I've already pointed as to how the staff could come off as friendlier to the players. Participate more. Show that you're humans, not gods, and talk. Chat about your favorite food, the music you listen to, books you like reading, anything at all. I know many of us here are introverts, but this is a virtual environment, and, as much as most of us are concerned, the people sitting behind the other screens are not -real- in the sense of the world, so you should feel quite alright to try and relate to them. A handful of friendly words go a long way.

[Paylonas]

How do you think the communications between players and staff work currently? What's your personal experience?

The communications between players and staff is amazing from what I've seen and experienced so far, they're very open to suggestions and questions. And they do try to get back to us in a timely manner, which most of the time they do! I haven't had any problems with the staff and communication so far, and I hope that it stays that way.

What do you think could be done, by players and/or staff, to improve the communications?

Well, my only suggestion is already here I'm pretty sure. A forum (where/were? I have the darnedest of times with this stuff!) we can ask you guys questions, and you can get back to us with a timely manner. The responses usually consist of very accurate and detailed information, even when very simple questions are asked. This is a really good thing and I'm glad to see that it's set up!

What, if anything, makes you hesitant to approach a staff member? Or, for the staff, a player?

I'd assume since I'm a player I'm only being asked to answer the first part, so I'm only going to answer the first part - If you wanted me to answer both, I'm sorry... But there are a couple of things that make me hesitant to approaching a staff member.

1. I'm new to the server, I don't know how everyone is going to react. When there's only that one staff member who I don't know is online, it takes some guts for me to stand up and say: "Hey, can you help me out?"

2. Authority, I've always had a problem with authority.. I really don't know what it is but I just dislike most authoritative people, most likely due to my experiences in school.

How, in your opinion, could we make it easier for each other? But, primarily, how could the staff make it easier for the players to approach them?

Staff could be a bit more active within the community, in my opinion at least. I'd wish that they'd chit chatter with us as we do with them and other players when we're just standing around, a prime example of an awesome staff member would be Imagen. I don't think I've ever encounter Imagen IC or OOC where she hadn't been talking and communicating with someone, even if it was about the color shoes she was wearing.

[ghaskan]

How do you think the communications between players and staff work currently? What's your personal experience?

It's OK. Tickets could be answered a little more quickly, I reckon, but we do get our answers and requests dealt with eventually, and GMs tend to be nice, too.

What do you think could be done, by players and/or staff, to improve the communications?

Agreeing with the sentiment already expressed by the guys above me, I think some staff member feel a little distant. I have no idea of what they go through, since we players might also be giving them a sense of alienation, but maybe they could try to be a little more casual about what they do? It's a tricky subject for me, since I don't know what goes on the minds of both sides fully. Also, there are staff members that I don't recall seeing in-game, but it might be due to incompatible playtimes and/or the fact they are on a temporary break or something.

What, if anything, makes you hesitant to approach a staff member? Or, for the staff, a player?

I might be a little hesitant if it's the first time I'm approaching a specific staff member that I haven't seen much of, but so far they all have been nice to me.

How, in your opinion, could we make it easier for each other? But, primarily, how could the staff make it easier for the players to approach them?

The staff members who think they need to do more to improve their sense of belonging with the community should jump into RP as much as they can, especially if it's casual, and try to engage into conversation OOCly (GMI, chatbox, forum, Skype, and the likes), to get to know the community and their characters better. As mentioned before, some dynamic puppetering is also nice, and I think people will be more often than not thankful unless it's a strictly private RP and the participants don't like to have a third wheel... but if that's the case, I imagine they'd use party/raid chat for their private RP, anyway. Hehe.

[Grakor456]

How do you think the communications between players and staff work currently? What's your personal experience?

I can't speak for other members of staff, but it appears more players are more relaxed and able to speak to me more casually, which is quite good. This past afternoon I spent a good deal of time simply hanging out on GMIsland and chatting, answering policy and lore questions as they came up in the middle of random conversation. I think it worked quite well and am happy to have had the experience.

The forums are a bit trickier, as I feel there is a greater deal of hostility here than on the server itself. Beyond issues I'll get to below, I have the distinct impression that the forums get used to argue or vent over more contentious matters. This may make it impossible to avoid that the forums will be harsher, it's hard to say.

I've come to notice, speaking of the forums, that the likes system has something of a double-edged sword: it is sometimes used to passive-aggressively like inflammatory posts, or used as a "ganging up" tool to intimidate other users.

What do you think could be done, by players and/or staff, to improve the communications?

While I can't be certain of how other staff members act when I am not around, my interactions with other players left me with the sense that some of the playerbase at least feels that other staff members are more aloof or distant. Cliques have also been a problem for a long time, among the staff as well. A greater amount of mixing and casual conversation can go a long way in making communications easier.

A re-think of the like system may be in order, but I'm uncertain of any specific fixes that might work.

What, if anything, makes you hesitant to approach a staff member? Or, for the staff, a player?

This question is tricky, so I want to emphasize that when I answer this I'm not talking about any specific player. If I bring it up, it's because it's something I've seen more than once.

Generally, if I am hesitant to speak to a player it is because of hostility that I have felt from that player. A number of arguments have surfaced on the server forums as of late, and generally I get a sense of resentment and hostility from many members of the community, often not just because of the argument occurring itself, but because the same lines get drawn over entirely different issues. This says, to me, that there are some personal grudges and issues at work when I am not aware of the root cause, which makes it difficult for me to address these problems.

Another pattern I've noticed is when players attempt to leave advice or such for the staff, they get left as "words of wisdom" or other similar turns of phrase. This ends up resulting in the feeling that the staff is being talked down to, which just results in resentment.

How, in your opinion, could we make it easier for each other? But, primarily, how could the staff make it easier for the players to approach them?

As I mentioned above, the staff can sometimes act aloof. More casual mingling is always a good idea.

I do feel that a number of conflicts are caused by miscommunications, some of which can be helped and some of which cannot beyond repeatedly stressing some things. As an example, staff members have more than once been blamed personally for suspensions based simply on who it was that put the suspension in and sent the email, when often that is simply a matter of who was available at the time to put it in. Reminders of that may be necessary to ensure that specific GMs who are more active on the disciplinary side of things don't seem too unapproachable, but it may be hard to get that across effectively.

[Delta]

Likes could be converted to an anonymous +1 system. That way, you're not advertising whose side you're on, or giving the appearance of being biased, or 'bullying' other players. It'd simply be a way to indicate that a post someone makes is appreciated and agreed with by many people. 'Thing is, if you guys scrapped that system altogether, it may cause people to revert to '^ this' posts, which aren't much better, nor do they add to a debate.

Sorry for posting without giving input on player and staff communications. I've never had any problems with it, personally. GMs have always been accommodating and understanding when I've had problems. Perhaps more than they should've been. They're humans just the same as the rest of us, regardless of what colour their name is or who they're friends with.

[Xigo]

While it would be nifty to be able to give anonymous likes, I personally use the like system as stating 'I agree with this post/found it funny'. I really hate when it's used to try and strongarm a stance, but you can't really tell someone's intent behind liking something.

... So I just assume other people do it for the same reason.

[Grakor456]

While it would be nifty to be able to give anonymous likes, I personally use the like system as stating 'I agree with this post/found it funny'. I really hate when it's used to try and strongarm a stance, but you can't really tell someone's intent behind liking something.

... So I just assume other people do it for the same reason.

It's true that it's impossible to tell intent, but I also think that sometimes intent doesn't matter. As a random example, if a player is trying to get a profile passed, and someone criticizes it with ten likes attached, that can be pretty intimidating. Now, of course this may be for good reason...or it could be for something where a compromise could be reached in a few posts. Point being, I don't think a show of support should intimidate players from posting their opinions, yet this happens fairly often.

And, of course, liking the inflammatory posts of other players is an easy way to be belligerent yourself without risking any consequence for it, which isn't good either.

[Jonoth]

Interestingly enough, I had more worries talking to players when I was a staff member than vice versa. As staff, I realized that everything I did/said was representative of the team, especially to new players. If a player was unsure about lore/server policy, I wanted to give the best answer I could, or refer them to someone more knowledgeable. If a player did something wrong, I wanted to be clear on what the infraction was, and give them the opportunity to learn and grow from it if it wasn't already a repeated problem. But I always had this lingering fear that something I'd say down the line would get twisted and used not only against me, but against the staff as a whole, and there will certainly be people callous enough to do so.

Another big thing that most people probably don't take into account (including the staff itself), is that for the most part the server is very young in age. I say this not to call people immature, but rather to note that you are all (for the most part) growing and finding yourselves. For some staff members, being a CotH GM is their first experience in a significant leadership position, and being a leader takes time to grow into. Being a leader on a gaming server makes the position no less stressful than any real-life job, and is actually the primary force behind me having to leave the team both times, and I actually had real life management experience at the time. To the staff, especially the newer ones, learning to communicate effectively is a skill gained through experience, and I encourage the staff (as well as players) to work at it, as it's probably one of the most valuable life skills you can attain.

I always thought the open offices in OOC were good opportunties for player/staff communication. Perhaps holding those with greater frequency. It could possibly be done via Skype as well through the official channel since players are much more prone to lurking than logging these days. The GM team becomes less "big and scary" the more you actually get to interact with them.

On the player side, understand that rules and policies exist to help facilitate a fair and balanced role play environment. I say this because getting an idea refused can make a player bitter towards the staff, and in turn makes a player either less likely to speak to a staff member out of fear of further refusal or bitterness of the outcome. My point is, sometimes a no means no. It isn't meant to be mean or oppressive, but to maintain the goals and ideals of the server. If you have other ideas or concerns, don't let a no stop you from continuing to present them. And if you still feel strongly about something you got a no about, take a moment to cool down if you feel heated over it, do further study/evaluation on the issue, and present your case again with the new knowledge you have gained. I've seen a lot of change in my nearly 4 years on the server, so it isn't the immovable object it seems to be presented as sometimes. Just be constructive and not accusatory.

Love one another, dammit!