Update:

The person who I didn't know and denied was my brother.

He asked if I got his Discord invite like a week after I told him my full handle.

The previous advice goes double for family.

THE NOn-MAskable INterrupt

A non-maskable interrupt (NMI) is a hardware interrupt that cannot be ignored by standard interrupt masking techniques in the system. It is typically used to signal attention for non-recoverable hardware errors. (Some NMIs may be masked, but only by using proprietary methods specific to the particular NMI.)

In computer terms, "cannot be made to shut up".

The next time someone throws “ICA=ICC” my way, I’m going to link them to this thread. We play games for OOC reasons, and make limitations for OOC reasons. We try to be IC as much as we can, because that’s what we do, but at the end of the day we are players and nothing is going to stop that from being true. Short of a full scale psychotic break.

Looking at you, person in the mirror.

@tinuviel said in When Staff No Longer Cares:

@thenomain said in When Staff No Longer Cares:

Make a game that takes the parts that you like and create your own original thing.

I'd also add that one should build their game with the idea that 1) It will eventually end, and 2) You might not be the one to guide it there.

First I'll be nice: I approached this thread to answer "What do I do when the thing I love is abandoned?" How you build a game is up to you.

Now for the blunt:

No. Build the game you want to play. It doesn't matter what that is, but if you don't build what you'd enjoy than there is a non-trivial chance that it will fail. And by fail, I mean "you will not enjoy it" (unless your marker of success is to make money).

It may fail anyway. Who cares? You're there to build a hobby on your own terms. Hell, this space-cowboy game being alleged in the first post, maybe the people running about it don't care about it anymore. I feel bad for the people who are still enjoying it, but it's not their call.

To reiterate Rule #0: RL Comes First. This is true for staff as much as players. This is true about the kind of game built too. I doubt that Multiverse Crisis MUSH had a planned ending and it's still going because this is what they want.

--

So build what you want. Enjoy what you do. If you can't, or don't, the world has a hundred million other things worth your time and energy.

@admiral

”I wanted to post to say how much I don’t care.”

Yuhhuh.

This is ripped straight from old WORA. Brus had a lot of important things to say, and this is one of the most lasting. I am copying it here because it's something everyone should read.

I can include the conversation that followed, but we need to start here.

(edit: originally posted Wed Aug 05 14:17:55 2009)

---

So, it seems the theory of good staffing is coming up more and more in the threads, as well as in PMs. I have gotten 3 in as many weeks from new/returning after hiatus staffers asking for my advice in being a good staffer. I think my reputation is overstated and it is not like anything below is stuff you all haven’t heard before, but hey, I have ideas I have followed and offered for years and they seem to work, so I thought it might be helpful to put them all in on place. For what it is worth, here is what I think makes a good staffer.

1. Have a Vision

It isn’t enough to say I want to run X game in Y setting. You have to know why you want to run it. What is your specific goal? What do you want to do in the RPG? I call this detailed idea a Vision, it is what separates your game from every other X game in Y setting. So, instead of saying “This is a Vampire game set in San Francisco”, you should say, “This is a Camarillan Vampire game set in San Francisco with the theme of how predators fare in a social setting, with a heavy focus on Clans.”

Having a Vision acts as a road map. When questions come up about what new character types, plot lines, expanding the game in different directions, and so forth, having a Vision keeps you focused. It stops you from doing the “Ooo, I should add X because it would be Cool.” You should add X because it fits your vision. If it isn’t, it is diluting the game, making it a mish mash of stuff, just like every other boring MU* that seems to lack anything new and interesting.

This also applies to staff joining an existing game. If you can’t get a straight answer to “Why should I play this game?” or “What does this game do that other X theme games don’t do?” then you are going to have problems staffing. If existing staff can’t tell you what their game is really about, how can you help them run it?  If you are picking up a dead game and trying to revitalize it and no one knows what the Vision of the game is, make one!

In the end, the game is going to succeed or not because people want to play it. If you have a Vision and the Vision works with players, then you have a shot at making something really cool. You want to have this game, players want to play in this game, everyone wins. And if the Player’s don’t share your vision?  Then find a new one. You can’t force players to play the game you want them to play, and you will just be annoyed if you run a game you don’t want to run. Having a Vision you can articulate makes your statement up front, “This is what I am offering you.” It will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

2. The Game is Your Focus

Staff often times get distracted by other things that get in the way of good staffing. Some people are too involved in their own ideas of how cool they are, some cater too much to the players, some are fiercely protective of the source game and try to emulate it perfectly, and some just want to watch out for the friends. (Good) players don’t come to the MU* because they think you are cool or the game system is holy writ or to get ahead and be the big fish in the small pond, they come because they want to play a game. They want to have fun. Their focus is the game, so yours should be as well.

This means you need to be ready to say “screw it” to game books and canon setting. This means you need to be ready to make unpopular decisions that will piss players off. This means you need to forestall your own ego or your own sense of how things should be done if it is hurting the game.

Putting the game first is the best away to avoid abuse as well. Almost every time you hear a horror story about a MU*, it is because people are not putting the game first. Staff are using the game for their own ego stroking, players are trying to make their own fiefdom, slavish attention to setting makes the game a chore instead of a game. People log into a MU* to play a game, so that is the focus.

3. Communicate!

Staff has a lot of duties and time constraints, so just issued edicts from on high seems like a good idea because it is efficient. But it is also counterproductive. Players and staff are here to do one thing, play the game. You may have different roles, running the game vs. playing the game, but the game is the thing. So if your players are part of the people making the game happen (you can’t have a game without players), include them. When you decide something, tell them why, just don’t issue it.

Communicate also means listen. Be available to your players, talk with them about their concerns. You don’t have to agree with them or do what they say, but you need to understand their positions about things. You need to be able to explain why you can’t do what you want them to do not because you don’t know why, but because you have considered it and you think your way is better. You may not be able to persuade them, but at least they will know you heard them.

And be persuaded at times by them!  You are not god (even if you have access to #1). You are fallible, you will make mistakes, and you will make bad calls. Your best reality check is your player based, because they see first hand the impact of your decisions. If you start ignoring them or rejecting their ideas out of hand, you are no longer serving the game, you are serving yourself, and that just leads to abuse.

Lastly, Communicate also means be honest. Never make a decision in secret that you wouldn’t want to be known by the player base as a whole. If you have to hide something because you will look bad if players find out, you have stopped serving the game. You don’t have to broadcast every thing you do, but keep in mind that in the net people will probably find out sooner or later. Further, admit to your mistakes. You will make them, and if they hurt someone, apologize. People are much more willing to forgive an honest apology than forget a slight never acknowledged.

4. Be Open to Change

Opening a MU* is like having a wedding. There is a lot of work and effort and passion getting to that point but the day after is when the work really starts. It is one thing to make something new and interesting, it is another thing to keep it new and interesting. You should always be striving to make the game better.

This does not mean, however, you should make change for change sake. There is still the Vision to remember; that is your road map. And there is focus on the game. If a change doesn’t fit the Vision and if it does not serve the game, it is not good change, it is just change for the sake of change.

However, if a player offers a new idea, if metaplot or player actions make significant alterations to the world, or if people want some thing new that isn’t what you expected; and if this new stuff fits Vision and Game, then do it. Your default position as a staffer should be to say yes. Unless Vision or Game gives you a specific reason to say no, say yes. This will keep the game alive and fresh and new. Saying no as default locks the game into staticity. Static and unchanging is just another way of saying dead.

So do not be afraid to try new things. Innovate. Alter. Expand. You will make mistakes and some of the ideas or stories will be craptastic, but trying is better than not. Be open to change, and the game will stay fresh and young for you and your players.

5. Have Fun

The whole point to doing this hobby is to have fun. You aren’t getting paid, you aren’t going to save the world, you are not going to get laid (probably). The reward is the enjoyment, the fun. If you aren’t having fun, then for god’s sake why are you doing it?

Lots of staff fall down on this one. They stay staff even without having fun out of a sense of obligation (if I don’t do it, who will?), or because players ask them to do it, or because they may hate their game but they love the attention. At best, these reasons will lead to burn out and you doing a piss poor job as a staffer. At worst, it will make you abusive because you will no longer be serving the game, but serving the players or your own ego.

Now that is not to say throw in the towel the first time you get discouraged. All staff have bad days. But if over time you realize you are not having fun anymore, that the game is a chore, then quit. Either turn the game over to someone else, or reboot it being something you do want to play, or shut it down and do something else. You will be happier and in the end, part of being a good staffer is enjoying yourself.

tl;dr

1. Have a very specific idea of what you want your game to be, and what it will accomplish beyond “be fun”.

2. Focus on making the game suceed, not yourself, the players, or the other details.

3. Communicate!  Talk with your players, not at them, with honesty.

4. Be open to change. If you aren’t trying new things to make the game better, you will have a dead game.

5. Have Fun. This is a hobby. If you aren’t enjoying it, you aren’t doing anyone any favors.

@Collective

Some advice.

Many people here are jaded.

Many people here have played a long time.

Many people here have not run a game in a very long time.

Many people here are working on or running games.

Take every word as thoughtful advice. Even these.

Take every word as potential time-bombs from people who don't know you. Even these.

Take every word with a grain of salt. Even these.

Do what you think is right.

Do it because you think it's right.

Stick to it.

---

Sometimes I find this community to be too full of righteous pedants who can't see further than their own ideas. It drives me fucking batty.

@paris said in I owe a lot of people some apologies.:

@thenomain The general action taken in these circumstances is usually no action at all, since most folks tend to like to pat themselves on the back about how 'fair' they are, instead of ejecting toxic people from their games and forums. Criticising the mob for actually calling for someone's ouster seems disingenuous to me.

I was responding to the truth of "do something" usually means "do the thing that I want". I found its lack of existence, as you say, disingenuous and needing clarified.

Or to further clarify: I'm not criticizing the mob, I'm criticizing you.

We, as MUSHers, tend to be an empathetic lot, and thus often shy away from cracking down on serial abusers.

Hello, my name is Thenomain. You might know me from such posts as "VA Spider is toxic forever and ever" and "it's always okay to punch a Nazi".

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to grab some popcorn to watch Tyche troll.

@Auspice said in Difference between an NPC and a Staff PC?:

(actually I've never multi-scened when we RP)

I once (mistakenly, honest) let a TS pose slip through a firelizard puppet.

There is so much packed in that statement that I'm just going to leave it there and walk slowly away, around the corner, and break into a flat-out run.

@tinuviel

A brand new account comes here to post about people being mean to "accused alt-righters"? It doesn't take an Admin-level awareness to know who this is.

Ugh, I hate the background requirements a lot of games have because I want to hit that moment, I want to discover my character through play, not through backstory.

Especially not backstory being judged by staff through unwritten rules.

Especially not backstory that will never ever ever be used ever again ever.

I love games that don't do this.

@Lotherio said in If you work hard, son, maybe someday you'll RP:

Despite the 'bar-RP is bad' (and other words of defense for Bar RP)

I’m going to rant.

Bar RP is not bad.

Bar RP is not now nor has it ever been bad. I’m going to offer a pair of middle digits to anyone and everyone who pisses on Bar RP for being Bar RP.

Bar RP is social and often mixes people together who would not otherwise have a reason to interact, for no pre-planned reason. Scenes with no reason are fun, and I have easily had just as much fun starting from a bar, or a living room, or a park, as I have any event or coming up with a reason to meet.

This is not to say there is anything wrong with either. Events is the best thing to happen to Mushlikes since Anomaly Jobs, and I will note that we can all thank Cobalt for being the one to put code to game. She deserves the recognition.

What we should criticize about Bar RP is that it cannot carry a game. It can facilitate passage of information, sharing of plots, gaining new play groups, but it can’t be the reason for the game.

But that’s it. Bar RP is a tool that is inherently social, and that's pretty much why we’re here.

@Ghost said in Staff scrutiny during CGen:

Make sure everyone is playing the same game.

Hold on a sec...

Make sure everyone is playing the same game.

Better.

(edit: can't make it bigger, dammit)

I made an account on Rotten Tomatoes to give Last Jedi 5 Stars because I had to participate in this parade of butthurt.

@auspice said in Dreamwalk MUSH:

It's terrible that this image does not have the best part of the interaction:

"No. Have you?"

So I lost this response somewhere between the doctor's office and here. Let me see if I can replicate it:

There have been, and still are a lot of very popular games with toxic staffers, some of them in spite of it but others because of it.

Staffing is work, it's unforgiving and takes dedication and it takes passion. And you know what a lot of toxic people have? Passion. And you know what a lot of passionate players do? Become passionate staffers. Some of them are not self-aware, but a lot of people are aware just how big of jerks they are and wear it like a badge of pride because they get things done, because enough people feed their egos that they feel justified.

I'm not saying that any of this is okay, but PHBs (Psycho Hose-Beasts) have been running successful games, Muds and Mushes and Superhero and WoD and Pern and you name it, for decades. And as more reasonable, balanced people tend to leave the hobby, we pretty much expect this. A lot of people justify it to themselves, to each other, for decades.

I have no answer to this. I've been on these forums long enough to see the cycles and to want to get out of some of them. Is this view blunt honesty or toxic behavior? Different people will tell you different things about me, and that's a huge problem with the idea that is the core conflict with how this discussion has formed itself; few people can agree on what is a bad staffer, but damn are we ready to tell others what they should think one is!

I'm being part of the problem by participating in the same "no, I'm right", but while we're all in the chaos of the creative commons of open discussion, I wanted to get in my two cents.

@auspice said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

I referenced goatse today when 'weird internet shit' came up at work. (The younger guys were talking about when they were first shown 2girls1cup.)

A coworker said 'I don't want to know about that crazy shit from back in your day.'

You know what this means?

That the Internet is as deviant as it can ever get. We made it to the top of that hill before anyone else. Everyone after our generation will be following in our footsteps.

We won.

@arkandel said in Make MSB great again!:

@faraday Why does it need to be sudden?

I think part of what she was saying quoted you directly (c.f., censorship). You're now the person who sets the tone for MSB. Its changes or lack thereof are directly and indirectly because of your decisions.

But everyone gets flamed on MSB.

When Wora finally died and @Glitch decided to make a replacement, that wasn't true at first. It started becoming more true and we made the Hog Pit specifically for that (edit) we started pushing and splitting more threads that direction. It continued being true and the Hog Pit became opt-in only. All this work has become undone because it's been allowed to. All it takes is a few bad actors.

The community in general is braver when riding a bandwagon, which goes well beyond this forum.

Who on earth thinks that this forum represents the community? I mean, besides Rasheem. You are the administrator of The Mu* Soapbox; anything more than that is due to how people see MSB and is a bonus, not the point.

This particular forum's community is also much shittier when riding a bandwagon. The bandwagon that brought us here was on fire, and more than a few people gleefully throwing lit matches around. If a civil but sole person tries to convince people to put the matches away, god help them because they're going to get the ire of hate and quite probably be lit on fire themselves.

There's more potential in what we're doing than what we're seeing.

Bravery doesn't mean intelligence nor righteousness. Potential is a sheathed blade; what will it be used for?

My mother is on Twitter and has a lot of followers somehow, and has been known to ban people from her account for trolling.

My mother has become a netizen.

So strange, but so awesome.

@auspice said in MU Things I Love:

@thenomain said in MU Things I Love:

@arkandel said in MU Things I Love:

@ganymede said in MU Things I Love:

Wrong thread, dork. You're looking for the thread titled "Shit that don't mean shit to Ganymede or to how the NBA Finals are going to play out."

That's just because you're not woke like Kyrie, fam.

Fucking hipsters.

Complaining about hipsters is the new hipster thing to do, Theno.
YOU ARE NOW ONE OF THEM.

I was bitching about hipsters before it was oh my god I’m one of them now

Kidding. As a Gen-Xer, I can only say: Rookies.

Edit: Will you never rest, fighting the battle of who could care less?