Idling all day on MU*s
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Is it just me or do more people spend all their time idling in the OOC room or quiet room than actually going out to RP?
What's the point of even logging in if you're just idle? How would a MU* try to change this? How can we as players try to change this?
Thoughts?
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I think that I would personally challenge the premise that this is some kind of problem.
That said -- people do things when they are aware there are things to do that interest them in a time when they are available.
So maybe just ask people what sounds fun to do, and gather a group?
Racism isn't Tinkerbell. It doesn't need you to believe in it for it to exist.
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I log in while I'm working. I often page and set thing up for later in the day, or want to be reachable if someone wants to discuss something (not everyone has a discord).
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I know for myself, there are people I enjoy talking to but I haven't shared my Discord handle with because I've always been a rather private person when it comes to people being able to contact me if I don't want to be contacted.
Logging on MUs, even if I'm not playing(and let's be honest, I'm barely playing anywhere currently)creates a buffer that makes me feel a touch more comfortable.
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@chibichibi said in Idling all day on MU*s:
Is it just me or do more people spend all their time idling in the OOC room or quiet room than actually going out to RP?
What's the point of even logging in if you're just idle?
Engaging in OOC convo. Having the backscroll when you come back (if you're actually idle). Being able to manage stuff that doesn't require actual RP scenes.
How would a MU* try to change this? How can we as players try to change this?
Why does it need to change? I find that the reaction to this is often something a bit more visceral than it is necessary. It BUGS people, but it's really only an issue if it -- well, becomes an issue. If you have a roster game and someone is squatting on a roster (logging on but not being active), sure, take the character away if it would be helpful to the game to have someone active. Otherwise, unless there's a problem caused by the idleness, I don't think it's actually a problem, it's just a thing that tends to bug our brains.
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@derp said in Idling all day on MU*s:
I think that I would personally challenge the premise that this is some kind of problem.
This. A MUSH is more than just a game, it's a community -- at least to many people.
So folks like to hang out and chat even when they can't necessarily go out to play.
I don't see any harm in it. If your game isn't getting any RP, there are probably larger issues going on. Trying to discourage people from hanging out and chatting isn't going to make them play - it's just going to make them not log in. I don't see how that helps anybody.
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@chibichibi said in Idling all day on MU*s:
Is it just me or do more people spend all their time idling in the OOC room or quiet room than actually going out to RP?
What's the point of even logging in if you're just idle? How would a MU* try to change this? How can we as players try to change this?
Thoughts?
What is the actual problem that needs solving?
Often, the idling is incorrectly stated as the problem, for example:
The problem is actually that people aren't out and playing on the grid in any number; they are instead sitting in private rooms doing nothing. The problem is attributed as "people idling in rooms" when really the actual issue is "not enough accessible grid RP is happening". You cannot solve the actual problem here by addressing the idling issue.
Alternately, the problem is "people are engaging OOC significantly more than they are playing". This can be attributed to people idling during the workday as the problem, when the problem is actually just how people are engaging with the game.
Each of those problems have different solutions, and then again there are differences between how staff could handle it, and how players could handle it.
The first step in actually dealing with the underlying problem (if there is an underlying problem, and not just zomg stupid idlers) is identifying it correctly. "People idle" is not the correct problem to address.
eta: those two examples listed above are just examples; there's a million and one other possible 'actual problems' here. None of them change the situation, though -- the ACTUAL problem needs to be identified before it can be addressed.
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I would personally much prefer a game with 30 non-alt accounts online out of whom 22 are currently idle than one with 8 people online.
At least there is potential in 22 pairs of eyes who may eventually return to this window, who could respond to requests for RP, who already invested the time to complete CGen thus they have proven interest, and ultimately who know this MU* exists.
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I have no issue with idling. My issue is the existence of the OOC room as a hangout. Channels exist, talk there!
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@chibichibi said in Idling all day on MU*s:
Is it just me or do more people spend all their time idling in the OOC room or quiet room than actually going out to RP?
Speaking only for myself, I want to talk to people before I jump into scenes with them. The odds are too good that random, spontaneous RP will be either two people meeting in a coffee shop making awkward small talk with one person doing all the heavy lifting of asking questions; or unpleasantly sexual. I know a lot of people resent someone talking to them OOCly, but these days I'm fine with that. If you don't want to talk, then I don't want to play with you.
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@chibichibi said in Idling all day on MU*s:
What's the point of even logging in if you're just idle?
I very much held this belief before.
I think this was because I saw myself as valuable to a game. Why? Because when I play a game, I try very hard to get engaged. And when I engage, as others can probably attest to, I engage. So, when I saw people idling, I believed that their presence didn't add any value to the game.
This may be true.
But the better perspective is examining the harm. While I could conceive of reasons as to why idling folks harm a game, none of them held water. Everyone engages at different levels, and expecting people to approach a game as I do was sort of foolish. After all, my level of engagement, reasonably, set me apart from others, and this was fine too.
So, I see otherwise now.
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When I'm looking for RP, I'm asking for RP.
When I'm not actively looking for RP, I leave the window open and keep one eye on it, in case anybody asks me for RP, talks to me, or says something I want to respond to.
I don't think they're necessarily as idle as you think, they just aren't in a place where they can go for it/aren't feeling inspired.
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I'm good with idling on the game. I figure it allows folks to get to know each other and I prefer a sense of community among players/staff on the game. I'd like them all to feel more comfortable with each other by getting to know each other at their own pace. I figure they get to know when others are idle/not idle as well to optimize their RP times. If they're on the game, they're open to others talking/chatting/paging them vs small circle of friends sandboxing and only communicating in other mediums (which is fine, but doesn't contribute to that sense of community for me).
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@lotherio I think it's a problem when there's more idling than RPing. The main question is how to get people to RP instead of just idling.
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@chibichibi said in Idling all day on MU*s:
The main question is how to get people to RP instead of just idling.
Do something RP-wise that they want to do. See when they're available and shoot for that time slot.
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@chibichibi are they ignoring you when you ask them or are you trying to set up a situation where you do not have to ask because you want people in public readily accessible when you want to play?
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@chibichibi said in Idling all day on MU*s:
@lotherio I think it's a problem when there's more idling than RPing. The main question is how to get people to RP instead of just idling.
1 - invite them to play directly
2 - start scheduling public things happening that the people in question could join
3 - help build connections between characters / players so they know more people
4 - encourage a culture of regularly and publicly inviting people to play, including a premise and a hook -- 'hey I'm going to go RP seeing something weird in the ocean at the beach if anyone wants to join me' <-- the more people doing this, the more people will come out and be engaged
5 - mind your own business
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@sunny said in Idling all day on MU*s:
publicly inviting people to play, including a premise and a hook
I want to add to this. Public invites regularly. Expect to get a lot of not available or not now or maybe tomorrows. Eventually you'll get bites. If you get a few regulars that start doing things, still do public invites to draw others into the RP.
I'm just a surge protector doing my job, sir.
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Yes. Yes yes. Doing these things has to not be 'until it gets better', it needs to be 'the life of the game' -- as soon as you STOP actively leading that culture, it will fail.
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ALSO, a small list from the staff perspective:
A - randomly and publicly reward the behavior you want to see: HEY TOM AND JOE ARE PLAYING IN THE PARK I AM GIVING THEM 20 XP YAY
B - start scheduling public things happening that the people in question could join
C - help build connections between characters / players so they know more people
D - build systems to encourage engagement on the grid (reward new interactions with people they haven't played with before; give votes given in public more weight than votes given in private, whatever)
(private / public weighted votes is a BAD ACTUAL IDEA but a reasonable example of what I mean)
E - passively aggressively imply in bbposts on the game that the reasons people are bored is because they're idling in their rooms (I wouldn't include this, but it has seemed to be the go-to for sooooooooooooooooo many game staff out there, tho recent history seems to be better about it)
F - mind your own business
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@sunny said in Idling all day on MU*s:
passively aggressively imply in bbposts on the game that the reasons people are bored is because they're idling in their rooms (I wouldn't include this, but it has seemed to be the go-to for sooooooooooooooooo many game staff out there, tho recent history seems to be better about it)
Not to keep spring boarding. This one is never good in an incarnation, any blame on players for something that staff feel is deconstructive to the game. Its not what OP meant but like:
Too many people in private rooms (if staff really think its a problem, don't offer them)
Too many social circles/cliques (if you're not running things to include everyone expect groups to form to play together)
Not enough player initiated activity (show by example don't sit back then blame players for not doing anything)Again, I'm okay with OOC room and building community there. Community is more important to me these days then like daily RP log requirements or something.
I'm just a surge protector doing my job, sir.
