ext_24919 (
burningvigor.livejournal.com) wrote in
damned_lounge2011-09-26 07:14 pm
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
Activity Check Discussion Post + Contact List Update
Hello, everyone!
While the game has been trucking along pretty nicely (I hope the military arc has been enjoyable for most of you!), recently there's been a lot of talk about people's waning activity. I do think that Damned is a place where you can afford to be slow at times, where you don't have to post to every shift -- this isn't meant to discourage people who aren't lightning taggers like some of us. It's already been mentioned a number of times, but there's little I can do as a mod to make people post faster, and yet there are a few changes that can be made to possibly work through this problem. I definitely want to encourage people to put their all into the game when possible and to play out some awesome plots, so here goes.
This issue was brought up over on the suggestions post, so this is mainly just meant to be a continuation of that. It was mentioned there that this is something that should be talked about by the game as a whole, and so this post is basically an open forum for people to give their thoughts and talk things out. Whether you're one of the people who's frustrated or someone who is on the slow side and looking to explain your side of things, feel free to reply and comment around!
The two solutions which have been brought up are as follows:
a) changing the requirements for the activity check
b) adding a "Posting Speed" section to the plot post form
The second option there would mainly be a way for people to know from the start what to expect from potential thread partners. It's not much of a change, but it would allow an open line of communication to be present from the start.
Changing the Activity Check requirements is something that is going to require some more thought, and so I'd like to start by polling you all on if you think it's something that needs to be revised.
[Poll #1781912]
So go ahead and fill that out, reply here with your thoughts, and we'll see what we can do about this! I'm sorry there's not more I can do, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction.
Additionally, some changes have been made to the Contact List in order to make communication easier for everyone. There's been a spot added for people to list their plurk names if they wish. It's in no way required, but if you are open to people contacting you/conversing with you through plurk then please feel free to list it. More importantly, a Preferred Method of Contact section has been added so that other players can know how you would like to be contacted. I'd like to ask for everyone to respond to the contact list with their response to that section if possible! Thanks a lot for reading all this, and have a nice night, everyone.
While the game has been trucking along pretty nicely (I hope the military arc has been enjoyable for most of you!), recently there's been a lot of talk about people's waning activity. I do think that Damned is a place where you can afford to be slow at times, where you don't have to post to every shift -- this isn't meant to discourage people who aren't lightning taggers like some of us. It's already been mentioned a number of times, but there's little I can do as a mod to make people post faster, and yet there are a few changes that can be made to possibly work through this problem. I definitely want to encourage people to put their all into the game when possible and to play out some awesome plots, so here goes.
This issue was brought up over on the suggestions post, so this is mainly just meant to be a continuation of that. It was mentioned there that this is something that should be talked about by the game as a whole, and so this post is basically an open forum for people to give their thoughts and talk things out. Whether you're one of the people who's frustrated or someone who is on the slow side and looking to explain your side of things, feel free to reply and comment around!
The two solutions which have been brought up are as follows:
a) changing the requirements for the activity check
b) adding a "Posting Speed" section to the plot post form
The second option there would mainly be a way for people to know from the start what to expect from potential thread partners. It's not much of a change, but it would allow an open line of communication to be present from the start.
Changing the Activity Check requirements is something that is going to require some more thought, and so I'd like to start by polling you all on if you think it's something that needs to be revised.
[Poll #1781912]
So go ahead and fill that out, reply here with your thoughts, and we'll see what we can do about this! I'm sorry there's not more I can do, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction.
Additionally, some changes have been made to the Contact List in order to make communication easier for everyone. There's been a spot added for people to list their plurk names if they wish. It's in no way required, but if you are open to people contacting you/conversing with you through plurk then please feel free to list it. More importantly, a Preferred Method of Contact section has been added so that other players can know how you would like to be contacted. I'd like to ask for everyone to respond to the contact list with their response to that section if possible! Thanks a lot for reading all this, and have a nice night, everyone.
no subject
On the upside:
I'm glad you liked the bulletin board idea. Allowing an option of up to two top posts to the bulletin board, regardless of length or number of replies (it's rarely a problem if someone drops a bulletin thread), could have some good effects to any format of the AC except one requiring an otherwise low number of prose posts.
IMO, the main point in choosing numbers would be to keep the percentage of allowable top-posts to the bulletin low, to keep the focus on prose. Allowing us to take advantage of this option to cover more than, IDK, 20% of an activity requirement seems like it would have a negative effect, so... "2 out of 10 or 12," or "1 out of 5 to 8."
I don't think 12 posts would be too high a requirement if AC were every 2 in-game days (another idea that you mentioned). That would cover most of the potential issues, in that it would allow for much more flexibility/autonomy, but I think most ppl want ACs more often than every three months. (Some of the issues caused by new players idling out could be handled by mod intervention rather than ACs, though.)
I have ideas for other suggestions, but they're pointless here. All any of them would accomplish is making sure that someone has tried to post throughout DS.
On the skeptical side:
I still think a requirement of 12+ posts is too harsh, esp. as a 1st attempt to find a new AC that works. I cut all the structural stuff about Damned not being like other games out of my initial response, due to length, but I've considered it and am aware of all the points you're making about it, and I've taken into account the idea that hiatuses would reduce the required post numbers and that real people would be processing ACs. I know this isn't the decision, but you sounded set on it as a proposal.
My basis (which I can articulate better now):
- This isn't just restructuring the AC, this is exponentially increasing the requirements in a way that makes any meaningful comparison to the existing one impossible. Yes, this level of activity itself is something people will usually be doing at a minimum, but tying punitive action to it makes it more than a guideline. I mentioned ACs of other games bec. I wanted to discuss the actual amount of effort required to meet them (not in terms of number of posts but in terms of time investment and the sheer amount of writing, like how many lines of text are involved, and being realistic about allowing players necessary flexibility with time management, something that's already limited by the shift structure).
- Major changes of this nature in a game's rules should happen conservatively, not go from lax to severe without first trying anything in between (like the less-extreme AC change proposals that were not adopted in the past). There's a difference between the game we have and what would be ideal.
- Feeling pressured isn't fun. A lot of players already feel internal pressure (which we signed on for and which is usually at acceptable levels that still allow for fun) to get posts out in a timely manner so they don't disappoint anyone, due to the DS schedule structure and how backthreads pile up. If something happens to rachet pressure up, it can become un-fun. An AC this stringent, one that seems driven by an impression that slow or unreliable posting is caused primarily by laziness/distraction, could increase that pressured feeling in a way that makes playing unpleasant, even if "motivation" was the actual intent.
- The length of a thread & the decision to drop it should be determined by the players & characters involved rather than standards that may be arbitrary in that context (although the selection itself wasn't).