PenUltima Online

That does make it difficult, yes. However it also arguably makes it even more important, in a way. The choices you make now in who to bring on and how to bring them on will have a much greater effect on things overall if the shard does not have years of history behind it already. Essentially, what you do now makes your shard's history, and sets the standards by which it will be viewed for a good while.

Agreed.

The one thing I have found when I had more scripters was keeping them on task too. Seems like it's hard to get people to do what is needed. Instead it seems folks want to script what they want to rather than what is needed.

There is one last thing I realized that we hadn't discussed.

Hypothetically speaking Marilla, if I were one of your players and you had decided to entrust me with a postion as a scripter and assuming I had proven my capabilities, how would you convince me that working for you is better than doing my own thing and starting my own server? It's not like we can offer money (unless you are independantly wealthy ofcourse). So what kind of incentives do you offer to a prospective scripter to make them want to work for you? There has to be some payoff for them.

I dunno. I've tried FIVE times now to formulate a response to this, and I end up just rambling on and on! I'm gonna try again...

Short answer!

As a shard owner, we have literally nothing to offer people who might be staff or scripters. They must simply have a desire to 'give back' to the shard. That must be of value to them! If they do not get value simply out of helping to entertain others, things will likely go downhill quickly.

I left out, specifically, a desire to help YOU. That is: For your own good, do not bring in anyone you consider to be a 'personal friend' to help you run your shard, if it's not something they are very enthused about doing. Even if they are, I'd still be careful...


I think this is something that my own staff know is always in the back of my mind. I've certainly said it aloud to them. Hopefully none of them reading here, now, are surprised by this! But to a great extent, there is a real, palpable danger of "using" your staff. After all, there is little you can do for them beyond 'recognition'. And in our case, our shard has a rule that staff members cannot reveal who their normal player characters are, so that even sort of limits that.

If someone is thinking of being staff/scripting to 'get' something out of it, that's bad. If anyone ever comes to you and asks you the literal question you just sort of posed: "What's to make me want to script for you instead of running my own shard?" my answer is instant: "Enjoy running your own shard! kthxbai!"


I can't emphasize this enough: There is really nothing you can give them. Not only do I recommend that you have to find people that need to be talked into it; but I further say that there's nothing you can really do to make it worth their while.

They have to truly want to 'contribute' to the shard itself; They have to agree within themselves that the purpose for doing what they are doing is to enjoy entertaining others. Period. It's about the process; not the results. And another thing: They, and you, must also understand this: At some point, that process may no longer be rewarding for them. I think it's important to recognize that, and plan for it. I think it's important to maintain good and proper rules and such, as you see fit, but beyond that, don't take their 'positions' too seriously, and don't let them do so. The moment it becomes anything like 'work' to them, they should no longer be doing it, and they and you should both understand that, and plan ahead that there be a soft landing for them, to hopefully just go back to playing the shard, or perhaps even leave the shard altogether. It's just a reality that I think is important to keep in mind.


For an established shard, this is all a bit easier. When you've been playing on a shard for a couple years, and maybe, despite the regular updates and interesting new quests and such, you start to feel like you've "done it all", sometimes the offer of a staff position can be a new, invigorating and exciting challenge that can be very enjoyable, in and of itself. Not just to 'be staff' - but to be staff on that shard, with those people you've been playing with for so many months now. For people with the right mindset, being staff/scripter is itself it's own reward. But as the owner, it's important that you do all you can to help them enjoy that time; put up reasonable and good boundaries (like rules on how they can or cannot interact with players as their GMs, based on your own principles), and enforce those consistently, so that the staff always know where they stand. Make it clear to them that you want them to enjoy their time, and also make it clear to them that should they ever NOT enjoy it, you want them to talk to you about it, and whatever the result needs to be, it will be.


And that's all probably a bit more difficult for a younger shard to do; People often jump at the chance to do this sort of thing for a shard they've been enjoying for years, and they get so much more out of it as they do it, prolonging the time during which they will enjoy it. But for a new shard, that's real tough. People are not going to be very likely to want to put time and effort in ahead of time when the shard itself is an unknown quantity - they may only do it for YOU, because they are your friend, and believe in you. But that puts you in what I think is a messy situation where they believe they are doing you a favor. They don't feel like they are doing it because they enjoy it - but it is a show to you of their friendship, and people always expect such displays to be repaid somehow. And then, far more common, are the people who will want to do it because they think they'll 'get' something out of it.


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It occurs to me that maybe I'm coming across a bit.. well.. misogynistic. I hope that the staff we have on our shard would defend me on that point! But I think it's important to understand what people want and expect, and never to get into a situation where someone is doing something for you, but where they won't get what they expect back. I think it's important to try to understand what they really want, and then to realistically consider; can you provide that to them? My answer, arrived at after much gnashing of teeth, let me tell you, is that there is nothing *I* can offer them - they must want to do it merely for the joy it offers itself.

I have come to the same conclusion over the years I have been scripting/operating various incarnations of my server. I just wondered if I was missing something. I thought maybe I needed a new perspective.

I once wrote on the "Advertise UO" boards that we, the developers, must never forget the reason we do what we do; because we enjoy it. If we lose the joy we need to re-evaluate why we are still running a server. I suppose the same applies to staff.

Obviously being a free server I cannot pay them. So the financial aspect is not a factor. If I were to offer them aid in starting their own server I would be defeating my purpose in having them aboard. Outside of those two things and ofcourse the one you mentioned, friends helping me because they are friends, I can see no logical reason why anyone would help a developer except for the enjoyment of the process.

That reason in itself might seem rather sad to most on the surface but in reality isn't that why we do the things we do? Because we enjoy them?

I truly appreciate your input Marilla. You caused me to re-discover the reason I do what I do and so to understand that my staff must also do what they do for that reason and no other. Perhaps it's time that we, both myself and my staff, examine whether we still enjoy what we do.

Once again, thanks to the POLitburo for this "General Discussion" forum.

I've always done it, as I do it, because I enjoy it. Not just as a core developer, or shard admin, or shard developer, but as a Player. I enjoy the game itself, the reaction from others who enjoy the game, and those who are learning it. I have never done any of this, out of enjoyment of the scripting or coding or working on it for players, but for the reasons I play it myself, enjoy the game, enjoy the reaction the players give back. You must love it not as a developer, but as a Player. As a player, through those eyes, you create something more powerful than a mere game. You create bonds, friendships, enemies and allies. Throw the politics to the wind and create as you would love, for your love will show through to those who also enjoy it.

This is also where the decisions of who to let do what come in. Protect your love as you would an infant. And remember, everyone needs a vacation. You take vacations at work, etc, it's the same here. Do what you enjoy, but know when to take a vacation to keep that enjoyment strong.

Very well said Maud Dib.