Formulating the GM Council

[Arev]

With the recent thread about regarding "Jo'Taur's Proposals", it's become obvious we need to create some system to better regulate and deliberate new ideas and directions from RID RP. For some time, I've been using the title "Acting Guild Master", which does coincide well with my title as Executive Chairman and XO of RID. I would know like to cement this title officially, as well as create two Deputy GMs to oversee various tasks in my stead.

RID Guild Master: Amodeus
- Oversees RID continuity
- Maintains order and conduct in Fort Keen
- Establishes and fosters relations between PAs
- Sanctions new roleplay directives

RID Deputy Guild Masters: Apauck and Farik
- Assists RID GM with his duties
- Acts in his place when unavailable
- May sanction roleplay directives jointly if GM is unavailable

Approve or disapprove?

[Farik]

Approval resended due to some matters that have come to light.

[Lexx Yovel]

*edit*

Will write up a response later today.

[Lexx Yovel]

Okay here's my response finally, heh.

Well aside from the semantics, such as title assignments, what type of stuff are you proposing? In other words, how exactly should new RP ideas be proposed, and how should they be regulated?

If you ask me, the Empire forums are the best place to create new ideas pertaining to RP, and what direction RID should take in that regard. I feel that these suggestions should be weighed in a manner that most RID members prefer.

And how exactly will this "GM Council" work in regard to our present Council? I assume we're merely expanding the responsibilities of our current Council members. That's not a problem. I can see confusion arising from the title, "Guild Master" though. What is that supposed to mean exactly?

[Ramd]

Why the new titles? It seems superfluous.

[Arev]

Well aside from the semantics, such as title assignments, what type of stuff are you proposing? In other words, how exactly should new RP ideas be proposed, and how should they be regulated?

It's not so much "proposing" as much as maintaining a flowing continuity, ensuring that all the parts fit together. In many ways, this merely cements what we have had in practice for months now.

For instance, if someone comes up with a great idea and says, "Can we do this?" The GM Council would meet and say, "Yay" or "Nay". In every other PA, this is done by one man, the GM, but in my proposition it is more democratic.

If you ask me, the Empire forums are the best place to create new ideas pertaining to RP, and what direction RID should take in that regard. I feel that these suggestions should be weighed in a manner that most RID members prefer.

I'm not disagreeing, however, as you and I both know sometimes it's better to meet in private and, in some cases, come up with simply a "Yes" or "No" answer. RID RP should mirror how the OOC organization operates as well, much like how RID RP itself mirrors RID--we offer a basic organizational structure that promotes more choice than our peers.

And how exactly will this "GM Council" work in regard to our present Council? I assume we're merely expanding the responsibilities of our current Council members. That's not a problem. I can see confusion arising from the title, "Guild Master" though. What is that supposed to mean exactly?

The title "Guild Master" is simply the guy that oversees the roleplay. In most RP PAs, the Guild Master is synonymous with the Guild Leader - however, this isn't always the case.

You need roleplayers to handle roleplay issues. Individuals that understand the finer points in Imperial/RID roleplay. As I mentioned before, some issues need to be deliberated upon in private, such as the ranks issue. Why else have a council, if everyone is going to be disected by the general membership? That is the same intent for the GM Council, so maintain a basic continunity so everyone understands the direction that it is headed. I'll give you an example - I said in our SSG-Empire forum that I never wanted RID RP to be man-centric. Well, you have individuals like Victure that crave attention (he even mentioned how he wanted the Shadow guys to be his own bodyguard), how do I prevent this?

This isn't an attempt to cut you out of the picture, Lexx, if that is what you're concerned about. But, honestly, some issues need to be handled swiftly and decisively by those most familiar with the issues. And, again, this isn't anything new per se. We've been operating under this system unofficially for months now.

[Lexx Yovel]

Yeah I'm not worried about you "usurping" control or becoming a "de facto" leader. I'm way beyond that, and I think such musings are unfounded anyways. I just want to see RID prosper.

Obviously you know more about the RP world than I do, so it's only logical that someone intimately familiar with the subject should make more decisions on it. Though I don't want to see the entire weight of decisions fall on the shoulders of just the GM council. I know that sometimes the majority doesn't know best, but what other members propose, and what other members support should be taken into serious consideration.

So at the end of the day, I'm less afraid about me being less relevent; a useless figurehead so to speak, and more afraid about alienating certain members. Now I know, I know, you cannot make everybody happy. People will get hurt feelings, and feel like they're being ignored when they submit proposals (IE: Jo'taur). But I think that even though if things may seem stupid in terms of roleplay, these considerations should be taken seriously, especially if there is considerable guild support for a certain proposal. Obviously though, when it comes down to it, the leader and the council should be making these final decisions. If we have this guild-wide debate about everything, nothing will be agreed on. But just like in the real world, you got to pick your battles, and sometimes this means approving, or simply compromising about decisions that you may not wholly agree with. I'll talk about the Shadow Trooper stuff in the other thread.

With that said, I've got no problem with you (Amodeus), Farik and Apauck acting as directors of roleplay in the guild. I still think the title is more ambiguous than anything else, but if you want to solidify these positions, I'll consider that, and will notify the guild about it. I'm leaving on my week-long trip tomorrow morning (Saturday). So either I'll need to push for the official changes today, or wait until I return. Either way, since you say that a GM council already exists in actuality, continue what you are doing, and I can enact changes upon my return. Personally, I think the title Guild Director would be more appropriate, but I'm not going to get tied up in semantics quite yet.

[Farik]

Here is how I see it, RID has established continuity issues. Some members do not understand the roles they are taking on or the responsibilities and such that come with those roles. We also will always have the fact that the writers of the stuff we use for continuity were not designing any of the continuity with imperial RP in mind.

Take Rhiana for example; she likes the imperial RP in general, but the character is such a severe screw up and has such a lack of discipline where it counts that she always ends up sinking herself. OOC the player honestly does not comprehend her character as doing anything “wrong”. This is due to the fact that she does not rally fully understand the role she is playing. She only understands the surface parts. Really if I were a huge dick I would be telling the player she made a 100% incompatible character for imperial military RP due to patterns of misconduct, psychological issues and cowardice that she made for the character. The player behind the character is also bluntly, an irresponsible frigging emo who thinks because of long term friendship in game I am somehow her psychotherapist.

Then there is Victure, powerful character and he is handling it better these days. However, continuity gives him a crap load of free reign and we have to balance that out a bit at times. Honestly though Victure is a short term issue because he is leaving in about a month for the Army. His training alone will keep him out of gaming until around January 2011. Still he is a bit of a spotlight whore. The torture issue to me is a non-factor and he is generating a lot of RP from it actually with net positive OOC results. I’ve spoken with him on some things and OOCly in spite of Rhiana and Draykos OOC opinion he is not some dick getting his jollies off on torture. He is however rather hungry to be independent and flex muscle, not entirely wrong in that either, though it is all too easy for such a character to be taken too far. One of the many reasons I hate inquisitor characters personally. Honestly it’s about like someone coming in playing a grand moff.

Drayko, can’t frigging separate IC and OOC and I nearly guild kicked his ass to the curb yesterday for it too. He has little to no understanding of continuity or the complexities of imperial RP. Player is more centered on his character and Rhiana than anything. As Arev says sometimes “Days of our imperial lives”. I dare say the rest of RID are props for him in a lot of ways.

Pat, Hal and the troopers are doing alright, but the fact is there is a reason why I won’t go back to ST role playing. It requires steady numbers and a lot of them to actually do the in character work. I honestly do not buy the whole we need Storm troopers first in RID. Really most of the RP Troopers would get is a huge drama magnet. At the same time Jo’tour as an obnoxious ass in guild chat and an amateur in RP.

Then we have people getting into continuity arguments in general in guild chat, tells, etc. Not to mention idiots like the Tascyrrn and new doros people.

Now these are not all of the things that Amo and I have to contend with, but just some of the more recent things.

[Lexx Yovel]

It's nice to get the full picture. I know we spoke about Victure in-game. I agree I don't see that being a big deal -- especially, as you say, he will be training IRL.

Anyways my post is being cut short here because I gotta go for a bit.

But perhaps what we need are some clearly defined rules. First, I think we need to start by synchronizing the applications between our two forums. We need some stickied threads with what is expected of members before they join. That way there's no hard feelings or suprises after they join, when it's too late.

Anyways, I'll add some more stuff later.

*edit*

Okay I'm back. Anyways, you guys do what you gotta do while I'm on my trip. I think I need this trip to sort of clear my head, but I will be sure to check both forums to see what's going on in the guild.

I haven't see Jo'taur RP personally. I think he means well, but I understand a lot of what he's trying to do with RID may not meld well. Even Artimaes, who has developed a closer friendship with Jo'taur as of late, feels there are flaws in his SS proposal. I still think it should be given a chance, provided Jo'taur is willing to go above and beyond to organize it, and use it properly.

And what's the situation with Doros? You may have told me, but I cannot recall. I do appreciate the scope of what you guys are dealing with. Inter-guild relationships are one of the trickiest, more drama-filled things to deal with, more so than making sure the members of a single guild get along with one another.

[Ramd]

*sigh* the RP wars...One of the reasons I don't RP that much is because of the inevitable fights that break out in the course of it. I understand the complaints against drayko, rhiana, jo'taur, and others, but we really need to remember that in the end, its impossible to make everything completely canon. If Jo'taur wants to make a Shadowtrooper unit, I say let him. As long as he doesn't piss off other guilds, and people want to do it, I don't see a real problem. Let him organize it himself if he really wants to do it.

[Farik]

I'm ging to step back and let arev take it from here. I've said my piece.