Quote from: Karyuu on August 08, 2006, 11:05:08 PM
"What would people want at this point, exactly? Exactly exactly. If you make a suggestion like "someone overseeing the GMs", you have to mention the who part of it. If you want changes to GM rules, mention the which of it. It's specifics that help much more than generalities."
This is certainly a good read. Anyway....
This may be a little off the current subject, but here's what I think would help close the gap between the gm team on the player base. All to often, I would hear players refer to gm's with an uncertainly, some even being affraid of them. Heck, when I was new, and I saw a gm online for the first time, my first reaction was, "whoa, a GAME master!, they must be important, i'd better not go by em, as i wouldn't want to bug em" It's just to me anyway, there is a gap between the gm's and player base. There's a certain air of uneasyness or something about it. When really, the GMs and players should be working along side each other to create a better world for both.
So perhaps to better fill this gap I propose a few things. Make it more gm-to-player base friendly.
1) Have it publically available the rules GM's must follow. Put it side by side to the general players rules. Show that gm's are players too, just with more added responsibilty. This can also be used for when questions come up about actions taken by gm's. Prevent confusion why things were done as they were done. I don't know of any governing body that has rules, but doesn't let the populance know them. And afterall, that is the primary role of a GM. To make sure that the players are able to play without having "bad apples" spoil it for them. (Thus the discussion about a team for creating RP events, and a team for moderating can be brought up, but one thing at a time here)
2) I'd also like to see the minutes posted somewhere of the gm meetings that take place. Now I'm not a GM, so I have no idea what is talked about during those meetings. But, again, it would prevent confusion form the player base. As Miss K likes examples, lets refer to the one already pointed out. Referring to the Auction incident that recenltly happened. If the minutes of that meeting were posted, that decision could have been debated on, and perhaps none of that could have ever happened.
3) I'm not sure why exactly but before the restructuring, gm's didn't have to be invisible. I would occassionaly see one on the plazaa, standing, chatting with players, having a good time, getting feedback from the players about the world's happenings, staying informed and whatnot. Now that they have become "ghosts in the wind" well, it has reduced the friendly atmosphere between GM's and players. If at all possible, I'd wish that this rule be optional for GM's to follow. If a GM wants to be invisble fine, but if they wish to remain visible to the players, mingle with them, chat with them, just be friendly again, I think it would bridge the gap again. Now, I know that GM's are supposed to exist out side the realm of the game, that they are OOC, but by demanding that they be invisble, I think it has done more harm than good to the player base. When they were still visible, a simple explanation of they are figments of my characters imagination, was good enough for me. They were still able to do their job, be friendly like, and it didn't effect the RP atmosphere, well, not to me anyway.
GM's aren't hear just to enforce and punish. Their main goal is to make the game fun for everyone. Again, to me at least, becuase of this air of uncertainly or something, there seems a to be a gap between the gm team andnormal players. I'd like to see that closed, see the players and GM's work as a single unit, both supporting each other, rather than one ruling over the other. These types of threads are perfect for this. GMs need feedback as to how they are doing. It's a players duty to provide this.
Hope this helps.
Edit, sorry miss k, was typing while you and Verr had posted. Didn't read your posts till after I hit the post button.
