A Note on "Interaction"

[Delmure]

While I'm sure this has been discussed in private with others, I felt this is a topic that needed to be talked about here. This is not an attempt to rile up Out of Character Drama, or an excuse to point fingers. It's an attempt to talk about improvement, or at least to add something to make players want to keep logging on.

I'll be honest and not beat around the bush: I believe that the level of Game Master interaction and players could be improved. I'm not saying that the Game Masters already don't do a great deal of work for the server, but these are not Live servers. We have an opportunity here to shape and mold the environment of Azeroth so that players might find things to do with other players, instead of looking for it in LookingForGroup. Not that they shouldn't be doing that, but when you ask a few times and get no response... it's a bit disheartening. People usually log off after receiving such silence, because people will be people.

I am aware that the GMs are busy. Very busy. Absurdly busy. At least that is what I am lead to believe, correct me if I'm wrong. We all have real lives and they are not an exception. So this brings a question to mind: Why are there not more to fulfill this idea that I bring about? Well... It's a good question!

One reason is trust. Simply put: There aren't many people on the server who have the responsibility or the maturity to handle such a position of power. If there were ever an application to apply to be a GM, I'm almost certain that a majority would sign up in a heartbeat. I'm sure that's not what Kretol or Grakor want, or wish to put up with. It's also the reason why I'm sure Reetha was selected without revealing who Reetha was.

But I don't believe that acquiring another GM simply to enforce rules and watch over those is productive management. A simple way to eliminate the need for such a role is to give all GMs that role. And if they already do, then why the need for one simply to do what all others already do? I think I'm getting a bit off topic...

We need more Game Masters to interact with the player population. I'm aware we currently only have four... and that Kretol is always busy maintaining the server, and that Grakor is... well, Grakor is Grakor. I respect him because of what he deals with all the time in Kretol's stead. If we do not have enough Game Masters then we should want to acquire more... From where isn't my decision. I just submit that if we have more interaction with Game Masters and Players, it will keep people on longer than they otherwise would be.

In Short: Game Masters should (In my opinion) act more like Dungeon Masters. We need more Game Masters. As the title of the forum section holds... This is only a suggestion. Take it how you will, and I look forward to the replies.

With Respect,
Andre/Gyntaru/Demoraksha

[stenson12]

I'm not fully understanding this post, are you talking about a GMs purely for RP, for instance, the ability to control Npcs and what they say, a GM to enforce RP rather then the other basic rules. I don't totally agree with this, to be totally honest like you said, its hard enough to find players with the maturity levels to hold such rights, and as I discovered there is one GM for the GMT timezone and three in the states. I'm judging by the fact that you even said you hadn't been online in awhile and you're basing this post on today, things do pick-up in the evening however, I myself being ill, am usually always online. RP happens, just not untill later on in the day.

[Kretol]

While I only have a few minutes before I must head off to work, I'll make a couple comments.

Reetha was originally GM-ified to fill Grakor's role of enforcer, yes, but she also has quite the creative force. She's the one who has come up with the ideas for the first two server events, and she and Qaza have been busy at work with world spawns and transforming some of the world to reflect the dire need for the two factions to work together.
I'm not sure if you were present for each of the previously-mentioned events, but they went quite well in my opinion, and opened up the door for further RP, both for players as well as future 'world events,' so to speak.

I don't quite have the time that I thought, so I'll comment more later.

[Delmure]

While I haven't been around in awhile, that does not mean I don't check in here sometimes. I was there for the Shardlight Festival and I witnessed the first bouts of the tournament. I'm making this post based on the time I have spent on the server. I'm not saying GMs should be only using their powers for the players... I'm saying that I would enjoy them using such powers to create RP with more depth.

The World Events are fine. I was talking more of a casual experience. I believe the majority of Roleplaying here shouldn't be spent on focusing on epic, world-changing events (While those are fun, and character developing), but working on simple interaction with each other. We shouldn't need such events to gather people together. It just feels empty when you and a friend are roleplaying in a bar with all the NPCs walking about, knowing they aren't anything but server-controlled drones.

It's also especially difficult to do anything dastardly and be recognized for it. I realize that if I kill a few innocents as Andre, my reputation goes down magically. But it doesn't go down by word of mouth if people aren't there to witness it, and I can't kill certain things because a GM isn't controlling them. But that's my own complaints.

I just feel that the environment would be more enjoyable if we had more GM interaction with the people. The fight between Grakor and Anar was great. That whole plotline was great. The guards chasing Andre through Stormwind was a blast. That's sort of the only example I can think of.