On journals:
I really love this idea. It's not something that would be required of anybody, but for people like myself who love to write for the sheer beauty of the written word, and who love story-telling, it would add a really great dimension. As an imm, there *are* times that it would be really helpful to be able to peek at a character's backstory, not only to see them appropriately awarded/penalized for certain behaviors but moreso to give me additional tools that I can use as the 'dungeon-master' to help ME roleplay with YOU appropriately. I love to interact in small ways with players, little things here and there, echoes, supernatural encounters, etc. This kind of backstory/ history/ journal resource could be very very helpful in light of these types of interactions and in driving GRPs.
On snarkiness:
First let me say that it's really quite a joy to play an imm on SK. While its true that its a joy that brings with it some headaches, most every imm I've worked with on staff has loved the game, loved the playerbase, and loved the opportunities that we've had to contribute here. Most players really do interact with respect, courtesy, and kindness.
There are, of course, also people who just plain don't get along, people who have difficulty communicating with one another, some who enjoy having a reputation of being 'anti-establishment', and sometimes some who just want to hurt others. Fortunately, we don't really get that many players in the last category who remain on SK for long. Even our "trouble" players historically have had a love and commitment to the game that has been admirable and beneficial.
Online forums as a whole tend to have a unique kind of etiquette that is quite harsh as compared to "real life" social morés, and when you have people so passionate about something like this game, about their characters, and about 'winning', it can get heated and downright nasty. No imm wants to throw players out of the game, and those who have been thrown out in the past have generally been given MANY chances to do right before it reached that point. But every now and then, you must simply accept that this game and the rules & standards established will not be acceptable to all people, and sometimes the only solution is to find something that better suits that player's gaming interest.
Dulrik is one of the most thick-skinned individuals I've ever had the pleasure (and frustration) to work with. How he keeps so level-headed so consistently, year in & year out, is a source of amazement and inspiration to me. He holds to a vision for the game as an implementor. He holds us to standards of fairness and objectivity, and does look out for the long-term welfare of game and playerbase alike.
Alshain has had some rough times with a few players, and sadly some of those could have been avoided if I hadn't suddenly lost my Internet and been yanked out of game right after Alshain & Meissa had gone visible. It was my responsibility to help mentor them, but for out of game circumstances, they were thrown into the unsavory position of having to say "no" to some things that they had actually supported and WANTED to do for players, but were told they couldn't for various reasons, and they got the trial by fire. Alshain in particular took a lot of heavy criticism for things done by other imms and decisions made by other imms, and took it all with grace and goodwill. These n00b imms have had tremendous excitement about the game, have poured ridiculous hours into working in the game, have tirelessly advocated for the playerbase, and gone out of their way to help implement a myriad of player ideas and roleplays. We are extremely fortunate to have them both on staff.
As for me, thanks for the nod, Trag. I left the game and immstaff years ago because I am pretty fiery-tempered and dueling with certain players just drained me completely. I've bee back on staff permanently for a few years now, minus a few months off here and there due to complications in "real life". I limit my OOC interactions to reduce my chances for being pulled into the fights I used to get into, and to help me keep my focus & joy in the game. While I endured some headaches during the Demonchild RP, the positive feedback and response I got from the playerbase far outweighed it. It was the illness and death of my mother that interrupted that roleplay and that prevented me from winding it down as I had intended.
Anyway... That's probably more than any of you wanted to hear but apparently I felt it needed to be shared.
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