So, I want everyone to know that this project isn't dead. Just been rather delayed because I ended up getting paralyzed with indecision on how to best approach it. In many ways, I still am, but I'm putting this out here for a few reasons. One, it helps illustrate some of the decision-making processes that go into some of these big decisions like this, and two, there may be some genius out there who knows the perfect solution to fix this mess (and who should go on to eliminate world hunger and cure cancer.)
So, overwhelming vote is to bring "some, but not all" of the class combinations into the light. Hooray gnome hunters! Then I realize, with growing horror, the problem inherent with this kind of vote. How the heck am I supposed to stick with that resolution and not piss off half the playerbase no matter what I do? OH GOD HELP SOMEONE SAVE ME I WAS WRONG I APOLOGIZE JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE AHHHHHHH!
So, consider the following situations or ways that we could tackle this:
Edited Note: These are not poll options. These are ways that this could have been handled, but we're not choosing to pursue because of the listed problems inherent with them.
1. GMs vote amongst themselves and create a list of combinations we really don't want to see and we have those "DO NOT WANT" combinations barred. This results in the playerbase angrily saying that they didn't have a voice in what was or was not barred ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T BE A GOBLIN DRUID, WHAT IS THIS STUPIDITY?" along with "WHO WAS THE MORON THAT SAID THAT DRAENEI WARLOCK WAS OKAY?!") and that we're just imposing our own desires on the server as a whole. At the same time, from our perspective this creates a situation where players can't "Wow" us and make an argument that we hadn't thought of before that could make something make perfect sense and allow a great story.
2. We take each combination as they come and just roll with it, and hope that in the end the chips rest in a way that works out for everyone. This is a bit...luck-based by my reckoning and creates an issue that we often have to be faced with: in this sort of system it's very hard to say, conclusively, "no." Much like profiles, this would create a situation where people would change things in order to capitulate to our problems/demands, and that leads to eventually everything getting passed.
3. We open up polls for every possible combination and see what popular opinion decides. This is wonderfully democratic, but sometimes democracy isn't all it's cracked up to be. For one, this minimizes the ability for players to communicate their own amazing ideas before the votes start rolling in. For two, there are concerns that votes will end up skewed due to a number of factors, primarily the people who didn't want to see this system be implemented at all. This answer is also extremely time-consuming and involves a lot of clutter.
4. Do #2, but with imposed limitations, For example, put down rules that "no one race can have all classes and no race can get more than two new classes" or something along those lines. Which sounds cool, unless you're that guy that wants troll paladins. It also makes the whole thing kind of rigid and the limitations artificial. This also creates a very "first good poster wins" kind of situation and I'm not sure that's ideal here.
What do?
It seems that no matter how it's approached, there's going to be the inevitability that some folks are going to be unhappy. Heck, some folks are unhappy that the idea got passed at all. So our job is to work this in so that the most people possible are happy while the fewest possible people are angry. I know, I know, "YOU HAVE FUN WITH THAT!"
We're still discussing internally how to approach the issue, but you're free to comment on stuff here.
...
YOU HAVE FUN WITH THAT!
So, overwhelming vote is to bring "some, but not all" of the class combinations into the light. Hooray gnome hunters! Then I realize, with growing horror, the problem inherent with this kind of vote. How the heck am I supposed to stick with that resolution and not piss off half the playerbase no matter what I do? OH GOD HELP SOMEONE SAVE ME I WAS WRONG I APOLOGIZE JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE AHHHHHHH!
So, consider the following situations or ways that we could tackle this:
Edited Note: These are not poll options. These are ways that this could have been handled, but we're not choosing to pursue because of the listed problems inherent with them.
1. GMs vote amongst themselves and create a list of combinations we really don't want to see and we have those "DO NOT WANT" combinations barred. This results in the playerbase angrily saying that they didn't have a voice in what was or was not barred ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T BE A GOBLIN DRUID, WHAT IS THIS STUPIDITY?" along with "WHO WAS THE MORON THAT SAID THAT DRAENEI WARLOCK WAS OKAY?!") and that we're just imposing our own desires on the server as a whole. At the same time, from our perspective this creates a situation where players can't "Wow" us and make an argument that we hadn't thought of before that could make something make perfect sense and allow a great story.
2. We take each combination as they come and just roll with it, and hope that in the end the chips rest in a way that works out for everyone. This is a bit...luck-based by my reckoning and creates an issue that we often have to be faced with: in this sort of system it's very hard to say, conclusively, "no." Much like profiles, this would create a situation where people would change things in order to capitulate to our problems/demands, and that leads to eventually everything getting passed.
3. We open up polls for every possible combination and see what popular opinion decides. This is wonderfully democratic, but sometimes democracy isn't all it's cracked up to be. For one, this minimizes the ability for players to communicate their own amazing ideas before the votes start rolling in. For two, there are concerns that votes will end up skewed due to a number of factors, primarily the people who didn't want to see this system be implemented at all. This answer is also extremely time-consuming and involves a lot of clutter.
4. Do #2, but with imposed limitations, For example, put down rules that "no one race can have all classes and no race can get more than two new classes" or something along those lines. Which sounds cool, unless you're that guy that wants troll paladins. It also makes the whole thing kind of rigid and the limitations artificial. This also creates a very "first good poster wins" kind of situation and I'm not sure that's ideal here.
What do?
It seems that no matter how it's approached, there's going to be the inevitability that some folks are going to be unhappy. Heck, some folks are unhappy that the idea got passed at all. So our job is to work this in so that the most people possible are happy while the fewest possible people are angry. I know, I know, "YOU HAVE FUN WITH THAT!"
We're still discussing internally how to approach the issue, but you're free to comment on stuff here.
...
YOU HAVE FUN WITH THAT!
Have you hugged an orc today?
- I am not tech support. Please do not contact me regarding technical issues. -
- I am not tech support. Please do not contact me regarding technical issues. -