📢 2 cents about players and GM recruitment 👀

[Tigrix 308]

(edited the post for this reason)

2(thousand) cents about players and GM recruitment. (long msg, so TLDR: idk... tis' too long to shorten )
 

A lot of people feel apprehensive by the idea of recruiting GM's among players (without prior experiences, i'd probably be counted among them), 
but that's why I wanted to shed some experience on the matter.

(read only if you're curious on what I base my own experience and arguments)

 

 

A long time ago in a galaxy blah blah....I used to run a F2P game that had similar number of online players as APB in better days, over a thousand often with a peak of 2500.

We started out only myself and 1 other admin, so we quickly realized we would need help and fast.
We had email support similar as LO and ontop of that we had an in-game query system similar to those familiar with world of warcraft, where you petitioned to talk with staff and
a GM would respond your queries and have a 1on1 chat about your problem. The game ran for almost 10 years, solely based on a F2P model, while being maintained by donations alone,
in which you could only get in-game cosmetics in return. All our staff was volunteer, including programmers, website admin, moderators etc etc and all recruited from the player-base,
by two students, with no prior experience in recruitment or let alone how to run a game server with thousands of people relying on you keeping their things safe and servers up.
 

In that decade we obviously went through a number of GMs and yes we definitely had our share of bad apples to filter out during screening interviews, 
yet it was really a rare situation having to warn a GM for inappropriate behavior. In our whole time we fired 2-3 GM's for minor things and one for a severe attempt at scamming.
A lot of people, when given some tasks and a certain amount of trust, will actually live up to it and are able to place themselves above in-game rivalries and in a rare case that someone
couldn't, we had the tools to spot it.
I'm certain APB has ranks among staff (I mean programmed ranks, not just a title) and countless ways to maintain staff integrity within APB and the unreal engine, especially while having a team of dedicated admins.. We had it where any higher staff, i.e. admins & a lead GM could always see what any GM was up to, and we always ensured one admin was online, i.e. taking shifts as necessary. Aside from being able to "spy" on any actions and movements of your GM's, we had a bunch of auto-security. I.e. coded alerts that would pop-off only for admins, showing certain command warnings if a GM had attempted using it, or if a GM was following the same player for extended time or bringing up a players logs without being on a query response with that player and full logs of every single move/action if ever needed to look at a GM under a microscope.

 

 

I understand it is a big concern to imagine that players who might dislike or rival each-other in the game, could potentially be the GM you just thanked for helping you out...
But I do trust that LO has the means of overseeing their GM's and will take advantage of it, far better than the old management ever did. If a couple of students could do that,
I really don't see a problem in LO choosing that route, do you? LO so far seem very on top of things and very hands-on.

 

 

Finally, if the choice falls between seeing a lot of active staff and a few active admins to monitor and manage this staff 
versus few active staff with one very active admin (you know who);
Well, take a look back at these last 3 years. How often did you see a GM? let alone see them interact? imho because they insisted on having a small number of in-house GM's
who received a paycheck, which they less and less was willing, if even able to afford.
 

It's a lot of resources paying GM's for a job that could be done by volunteers (under the right management). <-- KEYWORD. 
Those resources are arguably far better spent on engine development, patching new content and protection against cheats, ddos and other game-breaking things.
 

imHo.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Tigrix

[Clandestine 390]

If you want to moderate a game maybe you should start moderating your girlfriend first? Rage whispering more than a bronzie

Edited May 30, 2018 by Clandestine

[vsb 6131]

the ingame GMs have no banning powers, theres really zero ways this can go wrong unless theyre using their GM tags to scam players out of ingame items or talk players into giving out their account info

 

both of which would be reported super fast and would be easy to verify through logs 

[Spheri 64]

To me it seems like a healthy idea. The community needs to help out to save this game as well.  I think the name GM just sounds pretty strong for someone who can't even ban. Not that I want players to have this ability, but perhaps calling them moderators or something alike would sound more fitting.

[Tigrix 308]

2 minutes ago, Spherii said:

To me it seems like a healthy idea. The community needs to help out to save this game as well.  I think the name GM just sounds pretty strong for someone who can't even ban. Not that I want players to have this ability, but perhaps calling them moderators or something alike would sound more fitting.

It does sound a bit different than when thinking of the classic game master term, but it's definitely best that way I agree

[HK33E 40]

Welp... I have some experience as GM/Admin/Moderator/Helper. I used to be an Admin in a SA:MP server. But yeah, we need a GM from the player base that is able to interact with others without being toxic or tricky.  I know the new staff are competent, but they need help. Our help. We give them our feedback and they give theirs. We need to help each other.

Well... I'm planning to apply myself when the GM recruitment gets opened.

[Excalibur! 207]

Pls dont do this again...

[Thial 176]

15 minutes ago, Clandestine said:

If you want to moderate a game maybe you should start moderating your girlfriend first? Rage whispering more than a bronzie

omegalul

[Ohshii 215]

As long as they're just glorified ticket writers and walking help kiosks, Im ok with it. If they have any authority or power in any shape or fashion however, I am not. Lets not relive the same bullshoot please k ty.

 

GM's only follow the SOP if they are A. Paid well and B. Work physically in the same location where they can be monitored and C. If there is an actual SOP to follow to begin with.

 

Getting someone to program or make a website for low pay or free is one thing, getting people to police other people for free is a pipedream. No matter what you do, favoritism and elitism will be the end result, and we already seen what happens when you let G1 employees be in clans with their buddies.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by Ohshii

[Excalibur! 207]

Nono, no gms from community, NO.

I cant even believe this crossed anyone mind...

[HK33E 40]

Just now, LuzExtinguido said:

Nono, no gms from community, NO.

I cant even believe this crossed anyone mind...

Why the fear? Of course they'll need a filter that proves that someone is able to become GM. Ego-Driven players should be forbidden of applying.

[Excalibur! 207]

I dont even want to be gm, is way too powerful for me...

 

[Lixil 3523]

As I explained here 

 

 

 

Also can we please, please stop opening double/triple threads? I really don't want to be forced to warn people for this. 

 

That being said I will leave this open for now.

 

[HK33E 40]

2 minutes ago, Lixil said:

As I explained here 

 

 

 

Also can we please stop opening double threads? I really don't want to be forced to warn people for this. 

 

 

Thank you for the info and heads up Lixil. :v

[Excalibur! 207]

8 minutes ago, Maverick13 said:

Why the fear? Of course they'll need a filter that proves that someone is able to become GM. Ego-Driven players should be forbidden of applying.

Ok, you wont be gm then.

[HK33E 40]

Just now, LuzExtinguido said:

Ok, you wont be gm then.

Nah, I'm not ego-driven... I always helped people in-game.

[Excalibur! 207]

Just now, Maverick13 said:

Nah, I'm not ego-driven... I always helped people in-game.

But you want to BE gm and thats the first mistake.

I totally refuse gms from community, you can keep helping people whenever you want without any tittle, and thats even better.

 

If there is no way to prevent lixil to pick gms from community (and i hope she dont do it), then she should secretly pick people judging by behaviour. And even then i think it would be a mistake.

[PoopDragon 1]

You couldn't make me babysit these  if you tried.

 

You would have to pay me some serious joker boxes.

[HK33E 40]

6 minutes ago, LuzExtinguido said:

But you want to BE gm and thats the first mistake.

I totally refuse gms from community, you can keep helping people whenever you want without any tittle, and thats even better.

 

If there is no way to prevent lixil to pick gms from community (and i hope she dont do it), then she should secretly pick people judging by behaviour. And even then i think it would be a mistake.

:v

[Excalibur! 207]

5 minutes ago, Maverick13 said:

:v

Look our cm, already threatening openly with warnings after how many days of the new forums? Imagine 6 months later.

Then we would have GM Squads running all over the game, no thanks.

Edited May 31, 2018 by LuzExtinguido

[vsb 6131]

Just now, LuzExtinguido said:

Look our cm, already threatening openly with warnings after how many days of the new forums? Imagine 6 months later.

Then we would have GM Squads running all over the game, no thanks.

what does the date matter?

 

if you cant follow the rules you get smacked with the punishment, imo shes actually being too lenient in warning them about warnings

[Westford 164]

I would happily volunteer my time as either a GM or Mod.

I currently have no affiliation with either Clans or Players,

and can attest to the fact that I am somewhat of an unknown entity. 

 

Although I started playing this game back in 2011, I am by no means an "elitists" ( what does that even mean)

but I would be impartial, and would never hand out free T-Shirts or Tote bags whilst in Social or any other District. 

 

I am here to help.

[HK33E 40]

1 minute ago, LuzExtinguido said:

Look our cm, already threatening openly with warnings after how many days of the new forums? Imagine 6 months later.

Then we would have GM Squads running all over the game, no thanks.

 

They don't need to pick 1000000 players... Relax mate. I want only to be in-game GM. They can pick atleast 10 players.

Just now, Westford said:

I would happily volunteer my time as either a GM or Mod.

I currently have no affiliation with either Clans or Players,

and can attest to the fact that I am somewhat of an unknown entity. 

 

Although I started playing this game back in 2011, I am by no means an "elitists" ( what does that even mean)

but I would be impartial, and would never hand out free T-Shirts or Tote bags whilst in Social or any other District. 

 

I am here to help.

Same here mate. I'm not part of any clan.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Maverick13
Quoting

[Excalibur! 207]

Just now, BXNNXD said:

what does the date matter?

 

if you cant follow the rules you get smacked with the punishment, imo shes actually being too lenient in warning them about warnings

Yes of course, whatever you say.

But let me show you how triggered i am.

[vsb 6131]

Just now, LuzExtinguido said:

Yes of course, whatever you say.

But let me show you how triggered i am.

???