HMD: May

[empevents]

— HMD: MAY—

All right guys, time fora nother gamewide HMD. Exact same as last time, so here are a few things you should know as well as the rules and guidelines to how to participate in this HMD.

• Optional. This is not a mandatory HMD. You do not have to participate, however we highly encourage those who have questions or want tips to comment.
  
• Public + Optional Anon + IP Logging On. This is open to the public, so those outside of the game can give critique. There is no requirement to join the community. Anonymous commenting is turned on however IP logging remains on and players can say whether they want anonymous comments or not. If a player has requested only logged-in critique, please respect their wishes. Not everyone is comfortable with anonymous.
  
• Those giving crit: be polite and constructive. This HMD is to help players improve their playing and thereby improve the experience of everyone. It is also to help players point out things that might be questionable. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for it, and sometimes it's a misinterpretation or clear mistake. Regardless, your crit should be helping the other player see their mistake and/or offer ways to help improve. You can be frank, you can be blunt, but you should not be disrespectful. Crit can be a hard pill to swallow, and while you shouldn't have to sugarcoat it, you can try to make it more palatable. In addition, try to provide actual examples of what you're talking about. It will help facilitate the discussion and give a better idea of your point.
  
• Those receiving crit: be open-minded and receptive. Receiving critique can be very difficult, but if you're participating in this HMD, then that must mean you are prepared for that possibility. If you receive critique that doesn't make sense, do not be defensive. Instead ask questions and try to clear up misunderstandings. In addition, be open to what people have to say. Sometimes we have blinders on when playing our characters and may not see problems that others do. Be willing to compromise as well. Maybe you don't agree with everything that is said, but there could be helpful nuggets in there. If there are things you are specifically worried about, you should include it in your comment. This could help others help you.
  
• Going Anon. If a player has opted for anonymous critique, it should be written no different than if you were giving it while logged in. All of the above rules apply. Basically think of it this way: if you wouldn't say it while logged in, then don't say it anon. The only real reason to allow anonymous here is to help those who want to give meaningful crit, but are shy or afraid for whatever reason. It is not to be abused.
  
• Monitoring. We will be monitoring this post, and if any harassment is found, it will be immediately screened and frozen. Any repeat offenders will be banned. Any anonymous abuse will result in anonymous turned off. If there is anything to report, contact us.

If you understand how this HMD works, fill out the appropriate form and comment to this post. The questions should help players have some structure and formulate how and what to write what they want.


RECEIVING CRIT:
Player:
Character(s):
Personal HMD? If you have a personal HMD, you can link to that as well.
Anon allowed? Yes or No
Concerns: Any concerns you have that you'd like others to try and help you with. Is there something about your characterization that you feel off? Do you wish to improve your writing? Do you need tips how to be more engaging?
Anything else: Anything else you'd like to mention, such as any notes about the character or canon material that you feel others should be aware of. For example, if your character is from one version and not another and how that might affect characterization.

<b>Player:</b> <b>Character(s):</b> <b>Personal HMD?</b> If you have a personal HMD, you can link to that as well. <b>Anon allowed?</b> Yes or No <b>Concerns:</b> <b>Anything else:</b>


The mod/game critique thread can be found here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Sometimes I feel like the mods bite off more than they can chew when it comes to events.

I can understand trying to make the best events, and offering a lot of options. And I can appreciate that. But the follow-through needed doesn't always happen.

My best example would be the Arehtei representative event. I know that event was meant to be a good experience, and of course you don't mean to leave people out. But the representatives being chosen before the IC trials left some people feeling like their thread in the trials would be pointless. And a few of the trials were never completed. Some players are still waiting for IC responses from the Arehtei.

Endings to other events feel rushed, and often very scripted. A good example of this was the entire Thras event, his city (who's name I honestly can't remember, because it has barely been mentioned since it suddenly appeared) and the nature of Dunamis. I still don't know what any of that was supposed to accomplish.

And sometimes, there's just plain too much going on at once. I understand wanting to create a grand narrative, but too many hanging plot threads just make things confusing. I check the main comms every day, and I usually have no clue whatever latest revelation is supposed to mean for the game.

For example: What's going on with the Crystal, and the runic language that surrounded it that one time? Why are there underground tunnels, and how did we discover them? What about the puzzle with the crystals north to the city? Why is Arete suddenly so important? Why was Thras upset about the end of the Flower Festival? What about this latest earthquake?

I expect there are answers to several of these questions, but I just wasn't in the right place at the right time to know or hear about them. It's honestly hard to keep track of it all, even just as a player. Maybe I'm not meant for this game, but all of these concerns combined honestly make me feel very estranged from the game as a whole.

[(Anonymous)]

Likewise, the current event isn't bad or anything, but it's just... a lot. There's earthquakes, ghost possessions, five different locations to go to, a separate place for opting out... And the task that has to be done is really obscure, especially if the characters are only made aware of what to do through Aiada's sprites.

(I might have that last one wrong though, and that may just be me; it's hard to suss out so much text at once.)

I want to be active, to be part of the game, to be of some significance, and I've been trying for a long time, but I feel like I've never been able to break in. Like I'm not where I'm supposed to be, or I'm not understanding things correctly. It's just... difficult.

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry, these two comments were both by the same person, I should have specified.

[simpathis]

You are 100% correct that we are currently in a mad mess of plot threads. You are also correct that as a result we got more than we would normally handle!

However, this should all be rectified by the end of summer as we are pushing along every plot point you mentioned to either a resolution or to become the launch pad to the next major plot event. A lot of them are also connected to one another, so timing has been key a big issue. Things have settled down by ICly and OOCly, with the necessary foundations having been laid that we can continue forward without too much issue.

In addition, some of the plot threads mentioned are actually more player led in the sense that we're still monitoring and pushing things along, but the information is being dispensed ICly rather than through us. Those threads are also more background based and deliberately slower moving. For instance, the tunnels is actually under Enforcer (player side) control with some "cameo" connections brought in every now and then from other places. So most of the information has been with the Enforcers.

So just hold on for a little longer—we don't like those loose threads either, but that is why we have them all stuffed into at least two cannons ready to blast off! In fact, some of those points may be resolved/answered next month...

As for Aiada's event, there is definitely a lot however that is by design. Events of the past usually had only one or two main components but were kind of same old same old—protect the people, fight against monsters, etc. They were all very reactionary and not a lot of "unique" ways to participate. In this one, we are actually trying to diversify to accommodate the various types of characters we have. It's a lot, yes, but this is so the net is wider. It's also to help spread everyone out and give them more of a chance to actually be part of the plot. The key is that players should only focus on what their character will do and just be aware that there are other moving parts.

That said, we do realize our plots are very detailed and have a lot of text to them, but it's a Catch 22. If we put too little or even the right amount, we'll still have questions about details that we could have already put in before. If we put that much (or too much) detail, we'll have questions that were already answered in the text or need to be clarified. Even with the amount of detail, we still get more questions about things we decided to leave out for space. We just opt for the latter because we want to be thorough as possible. In terms of reception, we've had a lot of praises about the level of detail about events, but there are also those who feel just the opposite. If DW was more HTML/javascript friendly, I'd happily structure the posts so that the key points are visible with the details hidden under an expandable link so it's less "in your face" with all the text, but alas.

And all of that said, we do try to cater events and game activities to the players and character base to make them as engaging as possible. We realize that you feel comfortable as anonymous, but if you contact us in private (you can even use the Mod Contact where things are screened!) we can better figure out how to help you in particular. While we would still try to help everyone in general, this does seem like a more personal issue and it is more difficult if we do not know who we are helping specifically as each person has different needs and preferences.

So please, do not be afraid to talk to us! Knowing exactly where and how we can fix things for you will also help us apply it in a more general sense.

[(Anonymous)]

I totally understand and sympathize with your rebuttal, it is important to make a lot to do so everyone can participate, and it is also important to thoroughly explain your plots. And I'm glad you're planning to tie up most of these hanging threads soon, so I don't have to worry about keeping them all straight for too much longer. Your points are totally valid here. Not much else to say, lol.

The only thing I can think of, is maybe having things that are done IC by regular characters, to still be mentioned and explained in monthly and mid-monthly posts? So people who weren't involved can still understand what happened. You don't have to be in charge of the plots, just to review them after they've ended? If that makes sense.

Also, I do use anon to stay out of view from the game, and to make it easier for others to agree if they're having similar problems, but I have no problem with the moderation knowing who I am. I kind of figured you would have looked me up by IP address by now! But I'll certainly come to you when I have more time to discuss things if there's any way you could help me personally. I appreciate the offer.

[simpathis]

In regards to mentioning on the mod posts, we actually do from time to time and continue to plan on doing so! But we only do so when something of significance has occurred, for instance the mention of the puzzle having been solved. Other than that, there's not much else for us to comment on—for now.

While we can see the IP address, it's way too much hassle to actually try and look it up. Not to mention that is not the purpose of the IP address. IP address is on only for deterrent and monitoring purposes in case a troll or unnecessary anonymous comments occur.