Asking for advice (DM events requests)

[DM Boo]

There are two points that have already been mentioned in previous posts that are the most crucial to remember when you send a request to the DM team (for any request really, not just for DM events), IMO:

Poke the DM team every week about your request. There's a lot of stuff being processed on the DM forums all at once, and often a particular request can get forgotten about or buried. Sending in regular reminders not only refreshes your request in the minds of the DM's, but if, by chance, it got buried, it'll make sure that your request is not missed.

Be patient and keep on trying: At any given time there are usually a handful of DM's handling requests. Given the sheer volume of requests the DM team receives, there often isn't enough manpower to action a request as soon as it comes in, particularly if it is relatively complicated or falls outside the available DM's areas of expertise. It can take a week, sometimes even longer, for a suitable DM to make room in their schedules and to pick up your event. If you keep on trying, it will pay off.

[Winterborne]

I was in the midst of something once that involved scheduling something between a DM and a group of players and the DM mentioned how they'd just gotten back from a week of holiday and their inbox had 200 unread messages when they got back.

Not sure if it's typical or not but hearing that really reinforced to me how busy staff can be and made me feel less bad about sending subsequent reminder pokes. In my head it was always "I just sent them a message a few days ago, they probably read it and simply didn't reply yet, I don't want to be annoying".

The reality after hearing that seemed more like "I wrote them just a few days ago but so did probably 20 other people, when you have that much going on it's easy to get distracted so a nudge that I am still interested is probably okay."

It was hard for me to get past feeling like I'd be bothering staff with reminder PMs but I can say that when I started doing that it was hugely helpful in feeling like I wasn't lost in a hypothetical pile of messages that got knocked off the corner of a desk, and it let me get involved in more things as a result.

[DM Arrakeen]

Proper subject line
Use tags [Request], [Complaint], [LoreQuestion], [TechnicalIssue] or something similar.

Do not type in something that doesn't indicate what this message is about. In all honesty, I ignore messages with ambiguous, random subject lines. Messages that are connected to the PM-RP chains, requests, complaints gain priority. My time is not unlimited, and I have to prioritize.

Clear, comprehensively written message
Write clearly. Be concise.
Do not send a text-wall.
If you really need to send a text-wall, format it properly so that the essential parts are easily located within the text.
Spellcheck. Don't be lazy.

I don't have the time to read a text-wall, I have a dozen of PMs that wait in my inbox, and I need to divide my time as fairly and as efficiently as I can to them depending on their priority.
If you send a message that is confusing, unclear or convoluted, the DM Team will spend more time reviewing it and engaging in the back-and-forth exchange with you.
If you write a sloppy, poorly-spelled message, I will disregard it because you clearly didn't care about your request and you didn't care about my time. Free spellcheck soft is out there.

Realistic expectations vs Patience
If you are asking for a substantial gain to your PA, we will need time to process and assess this. Then we will need to find a DM interested in the plotline. Sometimes no one will have time or interest in helping you rob this noble, save this damsel in distress or sell a dozen of very rare culinary books from Damara so that your PC could make a fortune.
If you are asking for something that requires a lore check, it will take time. For example, I know little about surface elves, so I don't touch these requests and ask DM Soulcatcher or DM Ghost for help.
If you are experiencing technical issues that can only be solved by an admin intervention, be patient. We just have two of them.
If you are asking for something that puts your PC in conflict with another, it will take time for such a request to be processed. We need to make sure the other side is willing to engage in such RP, and we need to find DM willing to supervise and facilitate it. Sometimes Guild B will say no to having Guild A attempt to burn Guild's B guildhouse to the ground.
If you are asking to gain allies, resources, access to something or someone, we need time to investigate it, discuss the way to approach it and draft responses. We need to check if you recently received any similar support, if your request is feasible, and so forth.

Bottom line is, be patient. Be understanding.
DMs are just people. We miss things. We forget. We get distracted mid-writing to you because our mother just called, our kid got stung by a bee, our cat puked, our spouse forgot to take the trash out, or we spilled coffee on our keyboard, and thus we ended up never sending that PM. We get overwhelmed and buried in paperwork, like in any other job.

If you didn't receive a confirmation that your message has been received and posted within 3 days, send it again.
There is a huge probability we did not see it.

The DM Inbox is always full. DMs who DM a lot through forums, such as myself, get a lot of PMs. There are days I have only 8 PMs, but there are days I log, and 15 PMs are waiting. If a day happens that RL work and familial obligations make it impossible for me to log in, the next day it will be 16 PMs on top of the daily dosage of DM-forum posts that I need to go through.

[Moltrazahn]

...our spouse forgot to take the trash out...

ps: Forumshaming?! ... I should go... do a ... thing. Before she notices. >.>

[chad878262]

In a perfect scenario there would likely be some kind of database where you could submit requests which would then be tracked with response so you know if your request is denied (perhaps with a reason) or has been accepted by X DM who will be in contact to schedule. Same database could then be used DM side so they would know what requests are outstanding, which ones are approved and which ones have been picked up by a DM/which ones still need a DM to pick them up. This would benefit staff because DMs wouldn't have 20+ PMs per day to sift through and wouldn't need constant pokes nor would there be the potential for misunderstandings where a player feels they're not getting responses when in reality it was likely a simple error caused by too many PMs and very little tracking. It's too manual.

All this said, it would require a system to exist to do this where players could go to input submission and DMs could go to communicate, rule on which are acceptable and not, assign plots by having DMs accept them and assign themselves and then track the plot through completion. An added bonus is that such a system would allow for more traceable history of events. So if a specific guild or individual is requesting events every week they can be gently told that their request is being backlogged to support others who have not had an event in a longer period of time.

Like I said, not sure it's helpful since this requires some database system which requires money (or time for a developer skilled with such things). Likely not viable for this server.

[Fury_US]

Proper subject line
Use tags [Request], [Complaint], [LoreQuestion], [TechnicalIssue] or something similar.

Do not type in something that doesn't indicate what this message is about. In all honesty, I ignore messages with ambiguous, random subject lines. Messages that are connected to the PM-RP chains, requests, complaints gain priority. My time is not unlimited, and I have to prioritize.

Clear, comprehensively written message
Write clearly. Be concise.
Do not send a text-wall.
If you really need to send a text-wall, format it properly so that the essential parts are easily located within the text.
Spellcheck. Don't be lazy.

I don't have the time to read a text-wall, I have a dozen of PMs that wait in my inbox, and I need to divide my time as fairly and as efficiently as I can to them depending on their priority.
If you send a message that is confusing, unclear or convoluted, the DM Team will spend more time reviewing it and engaging in the back-and-forth exchange with you.
If you write a sloppy, poorly-spelled message, I will disregard it because you clearly didn't care about your request and you didn't care about my time. Free spellcheck soft is out there.

This is by far some of the most sound advice I've seen, especially given how much the DM team likely groans when they see one of my PMs hit their in box. I readily admit being a text waller, and learning the sheer amount of stuff received is really making me rethink how I communicate. A little extra time spent on brevity and composition will pay off in faster response, and is totally worth it.

[Maecius]

If you really want to write a wall of text, you can write one; but I'd recommend taking the "BLUF" approach if you want your message understood readily and quickly by as many DMs as possible.

"BLUF" stands for "Bottom Line Up Front."

Example:

BLUF: (My character) is trying to learn more about the "cat burglar" who's stealing cats from the noble families of Baldur's Gate.

RP: (My character) made their way into the Helm and Cloak Inn, dressed in a fine rented outfit to look the part of a foppish courtier. (She/he) slapped a solid gold coin onto the counter, grinning from ear to ear. "Barkeep, keep the drinks coming until this coin runs out! Oh, and hey, by the way, what's all this nonsense I've been hearing about ..."

Then you get the best of both worlds. You get to advance your story with the DMs, but you also make it really obvious how the DMs should mentally frame your PM -- while simultaneously giving cues as to which DM needs to pay attention (probably whoever's running that event line) and which DM forum the DMs should "file" it under.

[Charraj]

My own personal approach is to not involve DMs if I can help it. I assume they're inundated with requests, questions, technical support, etc. And I've found that a LOT of RP can be done between players, with minimal NPC response needed.

If a ruling or NPC response is required, then maybe go ahead and poke the DMs. On the rare occasions I poke the DMs, I make it simple and sweet. "Here is my character's situation, can you tell me what my character knows?" Or "Here is the RP so far, can you let me know what [insert NPC] says or does?" At this point, hopefully enough RP has already been done so that 1) the DMs will see that you're serious about your request, and 2) the DMs don't need to do much work to resolve the RP.

I also try to be neutral about any requests. In other words, I don't try to advocate for an outcome that would benefit my character. I just present the situation and ask the DMs what happens.

[Balthomer]

The best events I had were not asked by me but I think that DMs monitor everything we do within reason... so sometimes getting into character and doing roleplay towards a goal with others (maybe a romance story, a quest, friendship, business, etc.) And rp towards this goal, sooner or later things will happen.