A Final Post from DM_Creo

[DM Dialectic]

DM Creo, thank you for all of the hard work and service that you did for the DM Team and the community and for your advocacy for players. Thank you for everything outstanding that you did as CC as well!

As Maecius said, it is DM policy not to publicly comment on why a recent DM left the DM Team in order to protect their public reputation after they are no longer on the Team, so it does not hurt their player experience, so the DM Team will not be formally engaging in this thread beyond this post. As long as the thread otherwise follows forum rules, we recommend to the Moderators that we leave it open.

[ctothep]

Didn't really have the chance to interact with you DM side a lot apart from two instances where you helped me set some scenes which was great! So thanks for that!

I remember rping with your PCs though and it was always a blast especially that damned dwarf.

Take care mate would be great to run into you on your PCs sometimes in the future!

[Alamar]

I was the "party leader" (Kirion Durothil) that arranged the Sunday 2pm CET session with you, and I just wanted to say thanks a lot for not only getting up extremely early in the morning (on a Sunday!) due to time zone differences to host an adventure for us, but also - no doubt only a few moments after waking up to this horrible news - quickly arranging for DM Soulcatcher to step in for you in the midst of all this so that there was no more than an hour's delay despite the extreme situation.

That says a lot about your dedication to players!

[Mac]

Hello everyone. It's me Creo/Mac. I outed myself in another post so I guess most of you know who I am. (was?) When I became a DM I gave up playing in order to avoid any chance of favoritism to my own characters, even be it unintentional. That is why you have not seen me around over the past year, in truth I did not go anywhere. I have been here all along stalking you from the shadows! *insert evil laugh*

I thought I would tie this to my other post so as not to overwhelm everyone with a million sappy goodbyes. I am writing this to thank you for 7 years of great times. It has been a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful community. If I were to actually list every person that made my time here special this post would read like an encyclopedia. So I will just cut to the chase. To everyone of you that has shared your amazing RP stories with me and allowed me to share mine with you I am forever grateful. The memories that I have from BGTSCC will last a lifetime. I really mean that! 40 or 50 years from now (if a am lucky enough to make it that long) I will still be thinking about things that happened in this virtual world we shared. Is that weird? Yea it probably is, but I don't care.

I really love you all. It was a incredible honor to get a chance to serve you as a DM and it was a great joy to be able to play alongside you. You made every moment of my time here special. My IG allies and especially my dear, dear enemies. I wish to thank all of you!

The perverted well intentioned hellfire warlock known as the emerald avenger thanks you! As does the unwashed gruff talking, hard drinking dwarven barbarian. The hapless nuclear warhead wielding pirate Hin thanks you! So does the treacherous revenge bent palemaster! Even the short lived trouble prone, poncey elven bard thanks you.

That is just to list a few! So many characters so many memories, so many interactions. I shall value them till the end of my days.

On the merits of my removal, I really wish not to speak of it anymore. I asked for details but they did not come in a timely enough manor. (bet we have all been there before right? *winks*) At this the point I no longer care to hear them. the fact is I did play fast and lose with the DM Code of Conduct. I do not deny it. From a clinical perspective, by the letter of the law, yes I deserved to be removed. So please do not blame the HDM's or Admins. They are good people who work hard for us. I agreed to follow a set of rules and I bent them as far as I possibly could. Frankly I did it because I think my way is better. Almost 30 years I have been a DM in one form or another, some things just come with experience.

I did not hide this from anyone and was selected to be a DM/CC despite of the above facts. To the staff I have no hard feelings. For the most part you are a great hard working group of people and I really thank you for the opportunity I had. I am sorry it did not work out. To the players I am so very sorry that I can not finish the Metaplot I started. It will haunt me that I left you all hanging like this. It is to my great shame that I have failed you. To the great DM_Boo my co CC I hate to drop this in your lap. That really sucks. This thing is a complex work with many moving parts, I wish you the best of luck with it. Should you decide to toss the whole thing out I would completely understand.

Now for the dark part and why I am leaving. I feel betrayed. For me that is not something I can overlook. To the small unnamed minority that did this. That actively went behind my back to seek my removal while smiling in my face. We are not friends. Do not dare to pretend we are. Spare me your false sympathies or bullshit well wishes. I trusted you, I voted for you, I worked with you and you stabbed me in the heat. You know who you are and shame on you.

To all the rest of you! I love you all! This community was like a home to me, I thought I would be here in one way or another forever. Hell maybe in time maybe I will be back. This is not a easy place to leave and we have a running joke DM side "everyone comes back eventually" In my case I hope this is true one day. For now though. Good Bye.

[aaron22]

sad. we are all hurt

[dubhe]

I haven't played here in a long time, but I do know Creo very well... Or should I say, he's put up with me for a long time! For the last 20+ years whenever we would break out character sheets, pencils and stacks of books for a long night of adventuring with friends, Creo was the DM. There was never any doubt about this. It was almost laughable for anyone else to try and match the creativity of open-ended storytelling that Creo brought to the table, literally.

I know from our private conversations how invested he was in the server, and more importantly, the characters that populate it. I won't speak for him, but I believe that his intentions as a DM is and has always been even-keeled - affording opportunities for all character types to get involved and shape/impact the ongoing story. I'm astounded by the knee-jerk reaction to remove him, without a warning or at least a discussion to understand the 'why's' of what happened. I realize certain rules need to be followed, but also it is important and dare I say vital for any DM to use sound judgement in allowing the spirit of the game to supersede any minor code of conduct violation. At any rate, the abrupt way he was removed is not only obtuse, but it's an overall big loss for this server.

A best case scenario is a reevaluation on how these matters are dealt with. Execution with the possibility of an appeal is no way to treat one of your most active, talented and supportive DMs on this server. An apology and immediate reinstatement is in order. Senior DM's, look at what your fellow players are clearly saying about Creo. If no acknowledgement or consideration is made regarding the numerous posts that have been written in support of him, then I'm leaving as well.

Regards,
Dubhe

[Darkwind]

I would like to say I'm utterly stunned by these removals and defections but I'm actually not whatsoever. In my -very- short time here I've observed some fairly obvious things to any but the most inattentive.

One, the rules are draconian and arcane almost to the point of comedy. The few suggestions I've seen for this or that may deviate from the Golden Path are given lip service and tossed to the wind like so many feathers.

Two, there is a very entitled group of players who are utterly poisonous but wield tremendous power given their longevity on the server. Secondary to that, are players that are just part of the overall "run to the police" mindset of modern soft and feckless people. Don't like something? Call the police. Don't get a response FROM the police? Call different police... it boils my blood both virtually and in real life in ways I cannot fully articulate. BE STRONG. Stand up on your two little snowflake feet, and grow a spine. Try it sometime!

This is directed at no one, and everyone. It is easy to keep your head down and go with the flow, the path of least resistance is just that. To stand for something, and take the consequences? This gets rarer by the years as I've gotten older. We live in an age of cowardice and this is reflected in the virtual world too.

Three, there are very few mirrors in the Houses of the Gods. Walk by the mirror, if you can conjure one up. What is my role in this? What could I have done differently here? Are things to be set in unalterable granite? Is my way not always the best? Am I truly in my heart of hearts, open to critique? When your most visible and most talented are shown the door, while by the letter of the law, you may be correct, perhaps the spirit of the law isn't really as concrete as you imagined?

The number three point is critically important and as I mentioned a few times before right around the time I more or less walked off into the sunset, I'm a consultant IRL(ERP, BPM, etc) I'm brought into situations like this and they pay me for it! Imagine that? So this scenario is rather old hat for me. Intractable unyielding upper management has torpedoed many companies. I've even been in the room prior to the implosion in some cases.

So all that being said, the server will actually go on without a hitch or a hiccup because unlike RL where there is healthy competition, you've cornered the market. You have a niche product and NWScry tells that tale. So you can proceed as you have and will with no remediation or want to peer into that mirror in a very honest way. Enjoy that, it is exceptionally rare in the real world, but it doesn't make it the correct path.

I'm just going to leave this here as I'm feel like it won't survive long, but in a very unexpected turn with these events the Memory Hole and the Ministry of Truth seem to be on vacation at the moment. That is a promising sign at least!


p.s. Since we have "new openings" my app to the DM team is still out there, so have a look! I feel certain I'll be considered after the above.

[Aspect of Sorrow]

One, the rules are draconian and arcane almost to the point of comedy.

What's obvious to you and may not be to another. The rules exist purely because someone has given the author of it a compelling reason to.

Two, there is a very entitled group of players who are utterly poisonous but wield tremendous power given their longevity on the server.

QC isn't that bad. Jokes aside, the only authority rests on the DM and Admin groups.

This is directed at no one, and everyone. It is easy to keep your head down and go with the flow, the path of least resistance is just that. To stand for something, and take the consequences? This gets rarer by the years as I've gotten older. We live in an age of cowardice and this is reflected in the virtual world too.

This seems like projection.

Three, there are very few mirrors in the Houses of the Gods. Walk by the mirror, if you can conjure one up. What is my role in this? What could I have done differently here? Are things to be set in unalterable granite? Is my way not always the best? Am I truly in my heart of hearts, open to critique? When your most visible and most talented are shown the door, while by the letter of the law, you may be correct, perhaps the spirit of the law isn't really as concrete as you imagined?

The rules are constantly debated, only a few are that concrete.

The number three point is critically important and as I mentioned a few times before right around the time I more or less walked off into the sunset, I'm a consultant IRL(ERP, BPM, etc) I'm brought into situations like this and they pay me for it! Imagine that? So this scenario is rather old hat for me. Intractable unyielding upper management has torpedoed many companies. I've even been in the room prior to the implosion in some cases.

Conflict in or with the upper echelon isn't an indication of being intractable, especially where approaches and replacement suggestions aren't correct fits. (Former director roles held here). An upset status quo but still moving in a positive direction is better than an unknown, untested replacement.

So all that being said, the server will actually go on without a hitch or a hiccup because unlike RL where there is healthy competition, you've cornered the market. You have a niche product and NWScry tells that tale. So you can proceed as you have and will with no remediation or want to peer into that mirror in a very honest way. Enjoy that, it is exceptionally rare in the real world, but it doesn't make it the correct path.

We have a high player turnover for a myriad of reasons, none of which is claimed the correct path.

I'm just going to leave this here as I'm feel like it won't survive long, but in a very unexpected turn with these events the Memory Hole and the Ministry of Truth seem to be on vacation at the moment. That is a promising sign at least!


p.s. Since we have "new openings" my app to the DM team is still out there, so have a look! I feel certain I'll be considered after the above.

[chad878262]

QC isn't that bad.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, AoS...

In all seriousness, a lot of these posts seem to indicate that this group or that group holds fault and when you point a finger, there are three pointed right back at you. Would certainly be nice if individuals looked internally at what they could do better/differently rather than telling everyone else to do so, you know...lead by example or something.


See, I can post a statement telling everyone else what to do without any indication that I am in any way required to do the same too!

[K'yon Oblodra]

Strange way this topic is headed.

Darkwind you say you have been here very short term?

How long have you been here?

Also I wonder what people you're talking about, cause I haven't seen anything like what you describe.

[aaron22]

I have been here just a short time as well. About 1.25 years. And the people here are great. This is just what I see though. What people look like to the admin may be a whole other story. This is what I am getting from the recent developments. This bothers me some. Darkwind may not be 100% wrong here. I may be 100% wrong too. I have alot of respect for aos and chad because tbey are closer to the source. What they say carries some weight here. But I cannot discount what creo said either. And what I have spoken with outside of the forums. And what I see from hera. Everyone inside is beating around the bush while the offended have put all their cards on the table from what it seems. Sure some of this is to protect the offended here, but it leads to questions. If it was me. I would want to be outed. But then again. I am not good enough to exploit or important enough to think I sway favor.

[Darkwind]

Strange way this topic is headed.

Darkwind you say you have been here very short term?

How long have you been here?

Also I wonder what people you're talking about, cause I haven't seen anything like what you describe.

Since January, about 5 months. Again, you'd have to be purposefully obtuse to not see this. It is writ large here in the forums and form follows function so also in game as well in some cases that I've seen and more that I've heard about. (which I'd chalk up to hearsay except as I said, there is no confirmation bias since the words written in a forum tend to match).

And I don't intend to point fingers at anyone because as I said the examples are manifold. I could pull a few posts from a topic of a few weeks ago and it would be glaringly obvious in the sense of "this is the way I play, so you play this way too" or "this is just how things are, so stop talking". That sort of nonsense that paralyzes and destroys corporations on the regular. Thankfully here, you can vote with your feet w/o too much fanfare. I think the issue is the frustration of seeing something glorious (the server, players, staff) being tarnished in a way that really may not be necessary if there was a bit more give and take.

AoS: Projection? I don't have time to get into my bio here but suffice to say I've seen things that would have your average person pissing down their leg so I stand by my assessment of most modern people as a generalization; and their inability to summon courage and need to run to the nearest 911 call when even a hint of something they don't like arises. Internet bravado and tough guy talk though I'm sure, so don't pay it too much mind... the point of that wasn't to just thump my chest it was that I'm reading things like "so and so didn't respond to my tells!" Which means you are calling the police on the police for lack of a better example. That is the pinnacle of entitlement and this mindset.

QC: I think part of what is being said here rather loudly is that people have offered other ideas / solutions but when you are in an echo chamber rather little sound gets through, innit? And players have rather quite limited power at the end of the day so we can offer helpful suggestions but actual world-altering change is not in our purview.

[Deathgrowl]

Since January, about 5 months. Again, you'd have to be purposefully obtuse to not see this.

As if no one ever makes new, "secret" accounts.

QC: I think part of what is being said here rather loudly is that people have offered other ideas / solutions but when you are in an echo chamber rather little sound gets through, innit? And players have rather quite limited power at the end of the day so we can offer helpful suggestions but actual world-altering change is not in our purview.

Can always apply to QC. We don't get a lot of applicants as far as I know.

You should hear the echo! It is glorious! Lasts for many seconds!

[Akroma666]

QC: I think part of what is being said here rather loudly is that people have offered other ideas / solutions but when you are in an echo chamber rather little sound gets through, innit? And players have rather quite limited power at the end of the day so we can offer helpful suggestions but actual world-altering change is not in our purview.

6 months of banging on the door to the echo chamber to finally get bear warrior up to par where it should be. Still trying to get the bugs fixed. I cannot agree more with this..

My wardrobe save feature is still on the shelf.. how hard is it to save your whole entire gear load out on the appearance changer? I'm no coder.. but it can't be too terribly time consuming or difficult.

Can always apply to QC. We don't get a lot of applicants as far as I know.

Tried, and i didn't get "invited" to the exclusive club. Was told i would pushing my own agenda too much. Shoot I'm not even allowed to develop.. and i offered. No idea why you wouldn't want more help? So what if i push my own agenda sometimes, i think most can agree an appearance changer save button, bear warrior action bar update, bear warrior bug fix, and universal spell Mark rune (instead of divination), are all good ideas. It adds another voice to the echo.. that should not be a disqualification to QC.

[Endelyon]

This thread seems to have run its course. If anyone actually has any more well wishes for Creo feel free to let me know and I'll unlock this thread again.