Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

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DM Theophanies
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Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by DM Theophanies »

For the past month, the HDMs and admins have discussed ways to decrease the overall workload of the DM Team. We have observed notable trends including decreased application number, high turnover of DMs, and DM burnout particularly with the upkeep of forum workloads. The workload has stayed consistent, with responsibilities falling on a smaller pool of individuals. Most of the incoming correspondence is answered directly by the same small number of DMs, which leads to their eventual burnout and a significant drop in return correspondence. There are many reasons for this, good and bad, but ultimately, we feel that this has resulted in an overtaxed DM Team, high rates of DM burnout, less timely responses to players, and a decreased focus on events and campaigns in favor of forum-based systems management. To alleviate some of these pressures, to better manage player expectations, and to put a greater overall focus on DMing (and DMing in-game in particular), we've decided to undertake the following measures:

1) Going forward, we will be removing the application procedure for the remaining application only classes: The Red Wizard of Thay, Thayan Knight, and Shadow Adept. These classes will be treated like all other lore heavy classes and reported violations in their roleplay will be reviewed and corrections administered. We will be working with the developmental team to facilitate their availability.

2) We no longer will be supporting approved biographies. Unfortunately, this does mean that we will not be able to supplement new characters with the experience reward from the biography program. We will be conducting discussions regarding other ways to compensate for this mechanically, though currently there is no replacement program. We of course still encourage players to build biographies for their characters and believe that biographies can act as a great source of inspiration and help shape character development. Unfortunately, it takes a great deal of effort and collaboration among the team to review biographies for rewards. This has generated very long weight times due to limited staff engagement, high workloads, and concerns from the playerbase. The DM team will remain the authority for matters related to lore appropriateness in the setting. When anything of significant deviation develops, the issue will be reviewed, and corrections administered.

We acknowledge that this does have a negative impact on the playerbase but hope that these changes will result in decreased workloads and subsequent increased response times and DM availability for DMing within the module.

On Behalf of the HDM Team
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Kiran
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Kiran »

Anything that has the DM's less on the forums and more in the game is 100% supported by me personally!
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by chad878262 »

Agree, both good changes imo. Heavy workload for minimum benefit should always be looked at to trim.
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thids
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by thids »

11 public backgrounds, 2-3(?) private ones, in 3 months on a team of ~20 people. Backgrounds should not require a lot of effort, they should be given a glance for anything out of the ordinary or not compliant with the setting, and approved. That should be minimal effort.

I don't want to sound too critical, but it seems to me like you guys are applying a band-aid on a paper cut, while you have a gunshot wound in your chest.
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KOPOJIbPAKOB
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by KOPOJIbPAKOB »

Damn, I so much support both these decisions. It was weird for me that red wizards are app only while harpers are free to be included in literally any builds, application removal is a huge step forward imho! As for biographies award, this 1k xp is nothing anyway. I knew it wasn't normal to wait for month or two to get a 30 minute long small event (or not get anything at all since DMs could just forget about it), so I'm happy to hear these news! Let's see how things gonna change.
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The Whistler
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by The Whistler »

long time coming changes imo
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Ithilan »

I think the second part is very sad to be honest. But I will refrain from going on some lengthy rant.

I do have to say though, despite the staff tendencies that you are eluding to Theo. We didnt have a great deal more events prior to this system either. Quite the contrary.
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Wolfrayne »

Aaaaand just like that i have no interest in playing my shadow adept anymore. After seeing all the half baked "shar" RP ive seen over the years..... screw that. I dont want anything to do with it. It was hard enough to find people who could play the class/faith the way it was meant to be played. And now every pvpmongering idiot who wants to powerbuild is going to be taking these classes and doing the bare minimum to stay under the radar.

Im out. :dance:
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Wildsheep »

This does open the door to new players/pvp 'entusiasts' who have no clue about the lore or the required secrecy of the Shadowweave to give Sharrans a bad name.

I'm personally against it.
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Kiran
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Kiran »

Except they just stated such RP/Lack of lore would be monitored.

Then again, who would rp a filthy Sharran?!
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Damian Pascal, - Run away/dead. - Background - Corruption from Within
Amenthes Serb, Knight - Gone missing/Supposed dead Background
Tamzim Renima, mercenary - Handed over to the fist. Background
Kiran, Golden Wheel - Presumed dead
Althalous Fenwick, Paladin of Mystra. - A memory lost
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Wolfrayne
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Wolfrayne »

They dont have the time to approve of the people willing to learn the lore. But they have the time to monitor the unknown amount of people who may take the class?

even though they will have no idea who those people are until they actually look or it gets bought to their attention... meanwhile there will be RW and Sharans running around with no clue what that even means doing their "im evil im evil" act.

Yeah great. makes perfect sense.

The whole no Bio reward thing is equally as disappointing... This whole thing to me comes across as "We don't care who your character is or what their story is, we don't have the time to invest in it."
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Kiran
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Kiran »

I agree with a lot you say!

But my point was, I rather have them in game, monitoring, than in the forum.

Because there are many worse things going on I am sure than some people poorly rping some lore that they might catch, as well as the poor rp.

Was more the focus on in game over forum bit I was happy about.
Player of:

Damian Pascal, - Run away/dead. - Background - Corruption from Within
Amenthes Serb, Knight - Gone missing/Supposed dead Background
Tamzim Renima, mercenary - Handed over to the fist. Background
Kiran, Golden Wheel - Presumed dead
Althalous Fenwick, Paladin of Mystra. - A memory lost
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Tsidkenu
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Tsidkenu »

Looks like I bailed out of the Sharran guild just at the right time.

I'm still waiting for point 3 though: abolishing the player request red tape 'discussions' and just letting the DMs have the freedom to reply to stuff without the unnecessary shoulder checking. I mean is it too much to ask for the DMs to have an unhindered privilege to roleplay with the playerbase without having to ask all the other DMs if their NPC representation accords with lore or whatever?
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thids
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by thids »

I'm more concerned over the backgrounds part, than the applications. Truth be told, applications weren't proper applications to begin with, anyone who wrote one would have it approved eventually, as long as they kept adjusting it to DM wishes. Might even be better this way.

DM approved backgrounds, however, give a sense of character legitimacy to the players. It also helps new players form their character to be fitting within the FR setting, even if they don't know much about it. Not to mention that it prevents people from changing their character background depending on their mood swings. XP rewards have little or nothing to do with it, that was never the main benefit of background reviews. With this change the server has taken a step towards being less of an RP server, and more of a "social interaction" server IMO.
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Nemni
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Re: Changes to DM Supported Programs – Class Applications and Approved Biographies

Unread post by Nemni »

I think these changes are for the better. Why some classes require approval and some don't have never made any sense to me, and the more time DMs can spend on telling stories instead of doing administrative work, the better. If people fear that a lot of players will now pick shadow adept just for its power and not because they are at all interested in the RP of the class, then maybe it's time to revise the class ;)
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