Welcome

A Crystalline Chamber
   This vast chamber is formed from some kind of translucent crystal. While
the ceiling, walls, and floor appear to form a rectangular room, it is hard
to tell the exact shape, due to the blurring effect of the pale white light
that penetrates the walls from outside. In plain view is a set of rules.
Daigon is flying here.
Tlaloc, the Quickie is standing here.
Savak, lord of mists is flying here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak is reclining here.
Sanvean the Enigmatic is flying here.
The figure in a flowing, hooded cloak of pure white silk is standing here.
The silhouette of Karianna is standing here.
The figure in a long, hooded aba of black sandcloth is standing here.
The figure in a purple, embroidered windcloak sits here quietly.
The figure in a hooded, brown military aba is standing here.
The figure in a loose black linen poncho is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, dun-colored dustcloak is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster is standing here.
The figure in a blue and white hooded aba is standing here.
The figure in a dark, hooded cloak is standing here.
The figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak is reclining here.
The figure in a long, dark-blue, green-edged greatcloak is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster is standing here.
The figure in a rock-grey, hooded sandcloth greatcloak is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, black sandcloth longcloak is reclining here.
Gleden, the disciple of Reed is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak is sitting here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak is reclining here.
The figure in a hooded, brown military aba is reclining here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster is reclining here.
The figure in a hooded, black sandcloth longcloak is reclining here.
The figure in a hooded, dun-colored dustcloak is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster is reclining here.
The figure in a hooded, dark brown cloak is sitting here.
Becklee, of the cloven feet, is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, brown military aba is standing here.
The figure in a hooded, obsidian black-silk cloak with silver trim is sitting here.
The figure in a hooded, black sandcloth windcloak is standing here.
The figure in a dark green, hooded sandcloth cloak is standing here.
The figure in a dark, hooded cloak is standing here, looking a bit winded.
The Shade of Nessalin is standing here.
Adah is standing here.
Arkon is standing here, wreathed in a cold aura.
Bhagharva the Purulent stands here, covered in roaches.
Krrx the Hunter is flying here.

It is dawn on Barani, the 98th day of the Descending Sun,
In the Year of King's Peace, year 30 of the 20th Age.

There are a few simple rules for this player-staff meeting:
(1) This meeting is held at the sole discretion of the staff; anyone who
    acts inappropriately in the staff's opinion will be removed.
(2) There is only one designated mortal speaker at any one time, and the
    moderator will clearly indicate who that is.
(3) The designated speaker must use the ooc command to communicate, and not
    any IC communication command.
(4) Performing visible actions when you are not the designated speaker will
    see you removed from the meeting.
(5) If you try to look at other people in any way, your character will be
    killed.
(6) If you want to speak, you must wish directly to the moderator and await
    your turn patiently.
(7) If you need to leave the meeting early, you must wish directly to the
    moderator. You will not be allowed to rejoin the meeting.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Welcome to the meeting. It's the first player-staff meeting we've had in a long time, and I hope you all get a lot out of it."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "There are a few simple rules for the meeting, and you can see them by doing 'look rules' here. A detailed list was posted earlier on the General Discussion Board. I'll introduce each topic, maybe say a few words on the topic, then turn it over to other staff or players to comment, in an orderly fashion. I will indicate clearly who is to speak next."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Please remember that only one player (via their mortal PC) is allowed to speak at a time. If you need to go early, please wish directly to the immortal who moved you if you know who it was."

Plots and Staff Assistance

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Viv has suggested that we discuss plots: how to get them moving, how staff can assist, and so on."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Let me start by saying that staff love to see players taking some initiative in starting up plots. In and of itself, it shows that you're taking an active interest in the game. You do have to note, however, that if the plot involves anything major (e.g., attacking a camp) then it must have staff approval first. Sometimes, there are things about the game that you just don't know about, so it needs a staff member to check it and say 'yes, that would be realistic,' for example."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you write in to the MUD account (or any staff member) and don't get a reply within three days to a week, don't assume that they're not replying. Instead, you should assume that the e-mail didn't get through to us, and you'll need to re-send it."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you do submit a plot or quest idea, don't necessarily expect it to be approved by staff. I've had some utterly ludicrous quest ideas suggested to me by players. And on the other hand, there have been some real gems."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you're planning to ask for staff assistance with a plot or quest, it's a good idea to send in a somewhat detailed proposal well before you want the plot to actually start. This gives the staff time to carefully consider your proposal, provide feedback, and so on. If the plot goes ahead, this will also give staff time to build NPCs, objects, or rooms that may be needed, or that might simply help flesh out the plot more."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, if you'd like to ask a question or make a short comment on this topic, please wish to me now. Thanks."

Krrx the Hunter gestures for the figure in a hooded, brown military aba to speak.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "General note: remember to use OOC everyone. Thanks."

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba says, out of character:
       "Alright, I just wanted to briefly address the subject of the types of quests that I think are the easiest to work with, both for staff and players alike. As someone who has started many clans that were later coded in the game, I tried to get lots of plots going for those I employed."

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba says, out of character:
       "Most people think they need to start HUGE, right off with an end result. So they mail the account asking for NPC guards, a fortress out in the sands ... These are the types of things that should stand as the long-term goals of the character, not the beginning. The small things should first be addressed and I think that you'll have much more luck attracting staff members."

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba says, out of character:
       "Examples of shorter-term things would be gathering support of a few PCs in town that share your ideal. Find out what that ideal is and let the game dynamic recognize your presence in the game and the world. Once you're a bit more established, the imms will see you aren't going to die off in two days. Then they will put a LOT more effort into seeing you follow your wet dream of leading the second 'naki invasion. I plan to have a doc finished on this and how to place your char into the game world for any interested, will send it to the account. Just start small, work your way up. That's it."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Thanks. I think there's some good advice there. One thing people should note is that it takes time to make things, and this is on top of a huge workload that staff have already. The more you plan things out beforehand, the better, in general. OK, Tlaloc would like to say something ..."

Krrx the Hunter nods to Tlaloc, the Quickie.

Tlaloc, the Quickie says, out of character:
       "Well, regarding this, I'd like to say that not every player-run quest needs to be huge ... Many quests I've seen from the player side have been small deals, involving a few people. Generally, those are the easiest to run, for us, too, as it involves little building on our part ... just plot. Now, that's not to say that we're against building, either ... in any case, the best way to do it, either big or small, is to think out your ideas, and then email them to an appropriate immortal/the mud."

Tlaloc, the Quickie nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Sanvean the Enigmatic says, out of character:
       "Just to add to that, I look for a few things in such plots, or anything that's going to involve a significant amount of work on my part. If it's a choice between something that will affect a lot of players, or even a few, versus one person, I'll go for the former. If it involves a lot of tedious work on my already overloaded plate, I'll shy away from it. If it's something that's entertaining and that I think will be fun to be involved in, I'm much more inclined to help out."

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "And, another quick note: The small things are Good (tm). A lot of people seem a little timid, not wanting to step on staff toes by trying to do something; in that case, it's best to just pass it by one of us, even if it's something we don't have to build for or otherwise 'do' -- but it may give you some confidence that the idea itself has merit. I'd actually rather have to step in and slow people down if they go crazy trying to make things happen, instead of sit back trying to push people along in doing things."

The silhouette of Karianna nods to Savak, lord of mists.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "It's just easier on us, and leaves whatever happens a lot more 'open ended,' which is usually a lot more interesting all around. So, in a lot of cases ... start the ride, and we'll hop on to help."

Savak, lord of mists wiggles his eyebrows.

Krrx the Hunter smiles.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "One thing to add here ... While we do like to hear from players regarding plots, one thing you should remember is that you're not the only player sending in things, wishing up, etc. So, anything you can do to help us will improve your chances of getting staff assistance. Now, Adah will speak, to finish off this point."

Adah says, out of character:
       "Just something quick to add ... Some people think 'quests' means something terribly official, and of course it's awful nice if you've thought things through. But especially for those of you in clans, when you have a specific Imm watching over you, it is sometimes nice to give 'unofficial' updates on your progress."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Adah says, out of character:
       "Because we can't be watching everyone always. You could send a quick email like 'My char saw such and such, and he thinks X, he's going to try to do Y. Take care.'"

Savak, lord of mists nods.

Adah says, out of character:
       "So we can keep up to date, and if we feel the need, we can jump in and help you ... that's all. :)"

Adah nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you're in a clan, your first line of contact, normally, should always be your clan immortal. OK, we need to move along quickly. Now we have ..."

Krrx the Hunter gestures to the figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak to speak.

The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak says, out of character:
       "I'd just like to ask a question regarding taming a VNPC.. Was just wondering if it would be possible to tame a beast from the wilds."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Yes it is, how does this relate to this topic of quests?"

The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak says, out of character:
       "Well, perhaps taming animals and selling them as domesticated. Many people have brought up topics like are there any cats on Zalanthas, dogs, etc."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "You seem to be going off topic to me."

The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak says, out of character:
       "But since you have answered my question, I'll sit back down."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "I believe the answer is in the help files, too ... if you look under help skill_ride, I believe."

Racial Role-playing

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, moving on to the next topic ... Gigantic J has suggested that we discuss racial role-playing; for example, what is and isn't appropriate for certain races. I have little to say initially on this, since we already have fairly extensive documentation on this topic on the game's web site. If you have a question or comment, please wish to me now and I'll put you on the speaking queue. Thanks."

Krrx the Hunter gestures to the figure in a hooded, brown military aba to speak.

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba says, out of character:
       "I just want to have my beef with people who play muls. Muls are NOT, in my opinion, to be used as a scaled down HG that has awesome stats so you can kick ass as a ranger. It has been better in recent months than the past, but there were spurts when I would get infuriated by these 'free' muls running loose all over the northlands, even passing soldiers and militia. I was always perturbed at the power these PCs held and perhaps they ALL had good IC reasons to be free, but I should think that the 'free' mul is the exception, not the commonplace - even for PCs."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "To address that briefly, that is being looked at in character creation/approval."

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba says, out of character:
       "There have been VERY well played muls that I've seen and known, and some very poorly played ones and just feel they should be watched a bit more closely or placed at higher karma rate."

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods to Savak, lord of mists.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "I think it's safe to say that the staff feels pretty much the same way, and as Krrx says, part of that is being addressed in creation. However, it's fair to note that we're becoming more and more harsh on muls in the world.. free or not."

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "The ones that think they are 'free' may not remain so, as obvious targets of slaving. The ones that are already slaves, are likely to see an increase in bias against them, particularly against them carrying arms & armor -- a fair bit of this responsibility goes upon the owners, and other PCs in positions of relative power -- not just the players of the muls themselves. (But of course that's the obvious place to start.)"

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Savak, lord of mists nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, we have a few speakers queued up, but first a quick comment from me. Sometimes, we let people play special roles because we like to 'give them a chance,' so to speak. I daresay at least some of the poorly played muls fit into this category. If you have been sponsored for a role within this context, I think it's pretty silly to abuse the game then, since this shows you're not trustworthy. On to ..."

Krrx the Hunter nods to Tlaloc, the Quickie.

Tlaloc, the Quickie says, out of character:
       "Dwarves. Harking back to the topic before, I find that dwarves can be some of the most interesting characters to play ... the dwarven focus, in my opinion, is one of the best RP tools in the game, and sadly, one of the least played up ..."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Tlaloc, the Quickie says, out of character:
       "If you're thinking of playing a dwarven character, please take extra care in thinking up their focus before applying. And, while you're not required to do so, try to make it somewhat interesting. 'To be the greatest fighter on the face of Zalanthas,' while a great focus ... lacks a little ... umph."

Tlaloc, the Quickie says, out of character:
       "Instead, think on how he wants to be the greatest fighter in the world ... and why the character chose that particular focus to begin with. Also remember that a dwarf's focus is generally the only thing on their mind ... So almost everything they do ... from the jobs they pick up, to the people they hang out with, to maybe even the beer they drink.. should revolve around the focus."

Tlaloc, the Quickie nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "I think the key thing is to read the relevant documentation and make sure you put some thought into your character before submitting the application, regardless of race."

Krrx the Hunter gestures for the figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster to speak.

The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster says, out of character:
       "Another thing I am curious about the dwarven focus, is it all nature or also in part nurture? Would dwarves be taught as children to have a goal? Or if never knew parents somehow come up with this focus idea?"

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "I would be inclined to say largely nature, but also some nurture as well. If for some really important reason, someone were to want to play a dwarf without a focus, you would need to get it checked by staff beforehand. If you just sent an application like that (no focus) in through the normal process, it would be rejected outright."

The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown reinforced sandcloth duster says, out of character:
       "Also think rp around 'did your dwarf fail in his focus' as well, might be taken into consideration."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter nods to the silhouette of Karianna.

The silhouette of Karianna nods to Krrx the Hunter.

The silhouette of Karianna says, out of character:
       "Couple of quick comments about muls, then focus ... I have yet to find a pc mul in my personal experience who didn't fall into the category of 'I DO NOT HAVE A MASTER' (and gets HIGHLY mad if you ask) or someone who is made a slave who becomes free or is fixated on it.. now, I'm not saying being a slave wouldn't stink, but, really, it has gotten VERY old with people playing muls who just whine to get free eventually. Muls were bred TO BE SLAVES.. heh.. and SLAVES should be treated, overall, like 'lower people', heck, even really bad at times."

The silhouette of Karianna says, out of character:
       "So please, if you want to make a mul, I'm not saying that it doesn't make sense to wish to be free, but play the mul. heh. If you're a slave, play one, not like you're a noble who is in a mul's body.. and as for focus, just remember focus can change.. as people change as they get older. So the wild hunter in his 20s can end up being some gruff old stupid man in his 40s.. let your chars change. That is all. Thank you."

The silhouette of Karianna chuckles.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "(Re: slaving in general, if we have no time to get to it in this meeting later, if ppl have ideas on how to make that more playable & more fun for all involved, EMAIL me. savak@ginka.armageddon.org)"

Krrx the Hunter nods to Tlaloc, the Quickie.

Tlaloc, the Quickie says, out of character:
       "I had a question regarding foci- so here's my shot at an answer: I think the dwarven focus is a good excuse for roleplaying, and making your own, personalized quest ... so I think 'good' dwarven foci (in my opinion) are those that affect other players in some manner or another. When running a dwarf, I tried to make my dwarf's focus ... and sub-foci, involve as many people as I could ... It just makes things interesting. On those notes, try to keep your dwarf's focus interesting ... And that's it."

Tlaloc, the Quickie nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter gestures to the figure in a hooded, silver scorpion emblazoned ruby cloak wearing a crimson veil embroidered with white scorpions to speak next.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "As a general reminder, please try to pre-type your comments in another window. Thanks."

The figure in a hooded, silver scorpion emblazoned ruby cloak wearing a crimson veil embroidered with white scorpions says, out of character:
       "I would like to comment that I have seen a lot of situations in this game since I have begun, and a lot of people will quit out, or lose link, whatever to avoid it ... I have had the most fun rping a slave ... that's all, as unlikely as it may sound."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, thanks."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "We're starting to run a little tight on time. Please remember to keep comments short. Moving right along ..."

Karma and Staff Feedback

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Gigantic J has suggested that we discuss the issue of staff opinions of players, and the award (or lack thereof) of karma. This is something that has been discussed a lot already. We don't have a lot of time to spend on this, so I'd prefer it if the only comments are those that haven't already been heard ... e.g., mindless complaining."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Firstly, the staff are ordinary people. Of course we are going to like some players more than others. But this doesn't mean that we hand out huge favors to people just because we like them (or don't hand them out just because we don't like them)."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Also, karma is something that you should not be aiming for. The aim of the game is to have fun, within the rules and spirit of the game, not to gain karma."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you would like to comment on this, please wish to me now."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a hooded, brown military aba to speak.

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba says, out of character:
       "I was wondering if players would be allowed to see (some of) the notes and comments attached to their accounts?"

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "That's solely at staff discretion."

The figure in a hooded, brown military aba nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Generally speaking, I think we don't let people see, because people just complain about it. This game is not here so that players can have arguments with staff. The staff set the rules; players are free to play here if they stick to the rules, or they're free to go elsewhere."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "It sounds inflexible and unreasonable to some, perhaps, but if that weren't the case, this would be a hack-and-slash MUD, I think."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, we have a lot of people wanting to say something, so for now, I am not taking any more wishes; sorry about that."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a long, hooded aba of black sandcloth to speak next.

The figure in a long, hooded aba of black sandcloth says, out of character:
       "Does the staff ever step in and offer advice/critique a player when he/she may be making a bad move in their RP, or maybe stray from a plot or focus?"

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Definitely."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "This is balanced, however, by the fact that a lot of people seem not to like this (whether it be by comment, e-mail, or whatever). Speaking for myself, I will comment people, both positively and negatively. If they seem not to like it, after a few times, I will not bother commenting them any more. Though, obviously, if they are abusing the game, there are consequences."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the woman wearing a faded red and white veil to speak next.

The woman wearing a faded red and white veil says, out of character:
       "Well, I'm rather new here, and I agree completely with people not supposed to see how much karma they have. What I would like, however, is some way of knowing that what you roleplay is appreciated. I mean, if your roleplay is horrible atrocious, nobody will probably say anything to you, and it's not like you can ask, 'Is my roleplay only fun to me?'"

The woman wearing a faded red and white veil says, out of character:
       "Maybe some way, not so much to know if they've received karma or not, but for players to know that what they're doing is appreciated? Karma is a gauge of this, but maybe something visible? I'm sorry this is so long (and spammy), but, what I want is, I guess, just maybe something to guide your roleplay by, to know if you're doing well before you die and see race options."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you're in a clan, your clan immortal is the person you should ask for feedback. If you're not in a clan, you can try e-mailing mud@ginka.armageddon.org. Thanks for the question. :-)"

Krrx the Hunter nods to the silhouette of Karianna.

The silhouette of Karianna nods.

The silhouette of Karianna says, out of character:
       "Focus on roleplay, being trustworthy to the staff, and be open to suggestions. I am an imm and I didn't have a bunch of karma when I became one.. heh."

Krrx the Hunter chuckles.

The silhouette of Karianna says, out of character:
       "And as for your question.. a lot of times imms will interact with people and let you know in subtle ways ... we do watch, and try to step in and make things good for people who are doing well. If you aren't hearing anything bad, and you know you aren't deliberately trying to goof around, assume it's ok and have fun."

The silhouette of Karianna nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a deeply cowled, bright white robe to speak next.

The figure in a deeply cowled, bright white robe says, out of character:
       "The woman in the red and white veil kinda touched on my question, as did Karianna. It was mentioned at a past meeting that staff members were going to try to comment and mudmail both positive and negative feedback on RP more to players. Just curious if time constraints put the kibosh on that idea. I know I thought it was a neat one."

Krrx the Hunter smiles.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Yes, time is a major factor. I would love to be able to comment more people positively, but the fact is that means I'd have to spend more time watching people (so I could comment them fairly), and this is on top of my imm work, which is on top of real life."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "How you can help is by helping staff to minimize the time they have to spend on unnecessary things. This means they have more time to work on positive things, such as commenting people positively on their role-play."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "We really need to be quick, folks, so ..."

Krrx the Hunter nods to Savak, lord of mists.

Savak, lord of mists nods.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "The main reasons we don't allow you to see the same text we do is that we put things there that aren't meant for PC eyes -- such as room numbers, other PCs' 'real' names, and what other ppl think of that character. However, as noted, if ppl are curious and want to know, then you can email a staff member or MUD and ask -- personally I have no problem with summarizing the viewpoints ppl have presented, and adding my own comments to that."

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "A few ppl have taken advantage of that -- sometimes it takes a few days to not only read old comments on ppl's files, but to get fresher comments from staff. However, I think that's a good and fair way to find out how well you're fitting into the Zalanthan theme."

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "While it is highly encouraged for staff to send comments to players, it is indeed a lot of time to write out something thoughtful, critical, yet also helpful. It can also be a bit discouraging when some players write nasty things back in response."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "Which doesn't happen that often, but it does happen. Much like how some ppl get discouraged in writing on the GDB because of occasional naughtiness we don't delete fast enough. Policy is, however, to leave a comment if something is actually changed on your account. And we hope to continue making the leaving of comments a more and more common thing."

Savak, lord of mists nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter nods to the Shade of Nessalin.

The Shade of Nessalin nods.

The Shade of Nessalin says, out of character:
       "There are a few things I would like players to keep in mind when it comes to seeing their comments from immortals about their character. Those comments are usually entered for the benefit of other staff members, and not for players. The notes & comments may (and usually do) contain in-character sensitive information that you should not know such as names of people you interacted with, or whatever."

The Shade of Nessalin says, out of character:
       "As far as getting more feedback about your RP, you can always request it as Krrx suggested. Be advised that we are all working on limited schedules, however, so the feedback may not be as much as you'd like."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

The Shade of Nessalin says, out of character:
       "And, finally, in relation to both of these, you need to keep in mind that whenever you get a note, e-mail, etc. ... from an Immortal that generally they're not inviting you to have a conversation about something."

The Shade of Nessalin says, out of character:
       "What they are doing is sending you information. A good way to look at this might be like a note written on a report you handed in to a professor. The note is FOR you, but it generally is not a point to be discussed, rather to be taken under advisement for future play. You are of course welcome to contest what you think might be comments that were written to you incorrectly (if you got the comment, 'You don't play your mul correctly' and you're playing a human, obviously there was a mistake), but please keep in mind that you are not the only player in the game. That is all."

The Shade of Nessalin nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a hooded, black sandcloth windcloak to speak next.

The figure in a hooded, black sandcloth windcloak says, out of character:
       "I have in the past asked for a staff member to evaluate my RP of a certain character and offer advice on what was done well, and what could be improved on. While I doubt the staff would want to do this all the time, I do think it is a good thing for all players who are serious about improving their RP to request. Just remember to take the suggestions for improvement with an open mind!! The staff can and will give very good (and valid!) feedback. Thanks to the staff for doing this ... it does help. That's all."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Thanks for the comments. To close off this topic before moving to the last planned topic ... Everyone, no doubt, has their own opinion on what 'role-playing' is, and what is 'good' role-playing. No one is saying people can't have their own opinions."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "But as far as this game is concerned, it's the staff's definition of role-playing or good role-playing that counts. So, if you ever receive a negative comment saying you didn't play something appropriately, it's only within the context of this game."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "There are many things that are acceptable on other games (and this is not to say they're worse) that are not acceptable here. If you want to play game X, you have to play by game X's rules, basically."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "We have one more topic, and then I'm hoping to have a few minutes for any impromptu topics."

Krrx the Hunter smiles.

Basics of the World

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Marko has suggested that we discuss a few basic things about the game world, like the color of the sky."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "As I said on the General Discussion Board, I think this is pretty well covered in the game documentation. For things like the color of the sky, remember that it is possible for atmospheric conditions to vary from place to place. Thus, it's not unreasonable that the sky is a different color; I think red (due to dust) and blue (as in real life) are the two main ones. If you really think it's a typo, feel free to use the typo command."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "One thing to bear in mind is that changes take time, not just to write up, but also to be checked, implemented, etc. If you have a question or comment, please wish to me now. The queue will have to be fairly short, I'm afraid."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak to speak next.

The figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak says, out of character:
       "Okay, I've always wondered about some things, like why there are no cows, and there is milk on Zalanthas, and a few others...."

Savak, lord of mists draws a short handled tazar gun.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "There are animals that produce milk on Zalanthas, even if they may not be cows."

The figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak says, out of character:
       "Really? Okay, well, besides that, I wondered why gold is so easily obtained by some, when you cannot forage for it."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "I'm not sure where you are getting your information from, since it doesn't seem to me to be at all accurate."

The figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak says, out of character:
       "Well I've seen golden items before (rare yes), if you cannot forage for gold, how does it exist?"

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "That's IC-sensitive information, I'm afraid."

The figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "And you seem to have just contradicted yourself, but anyway ... we'll move along."

Miscellaneous Points

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "We have about 10 minutes left for topics people might want to ask about that have not already been covered ... If this is you, please wish to me now what the topic is. We'll probably have a few, so I may not be able to fit you all into the queue."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the silhouette of Karianna.

The silhouette of Karianna says, out of character:
       "I just had a quick question for the players - what is one thing you think would help player/imm relations/interaction to be better? Something you think lacks that we can improve?"

The silhouette of Karianna nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, if you would like to answer that, please wish to me."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a hooded, black sandcloth windcloak to speak next.

The figure in a hooded, black sandcloth windcloak says, out of character:
       "In one word ... communication. Like this meeting, or comments/feedback. This is something that has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Thanks. But it still is probably the largest gap (going BOTH ways)."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Please remember to pre-type your comments where possible, thanks."

The silhouette of Karianna nods to the figure in a hooded, black sandcloth windcloak.

Krrx the Hunter gestures to the figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak to speak next.

The figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak says, out of character:
       "Well, I think giving people who screwed up in the past, a chance and trusting them can be a start of something."

The silhouette of Karianna nods to the figure in a hooded brown sandcloth cloak.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "To address that point: sometimes, we like to give players 'a chance,' as I mentioned before. There comes a time, however, when someone has abused the game so many times that staff have no desire to have their good faith abused any further."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "If you get given chances and then blatantly abuse them, then in my opinion, you're shooting yourself in the foot. Enough said on that, I think. And I'm glad to say there are only a very few people in that category."

The silhouette of Karianna nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, we have time for only a few more, please keep the comments short. Thanks."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak to speak next.

The figure in a hooded, sandy-brown dustcloak says, out of character:
       "Visibility; yes I know this means more wishes or personal wishes at times, but sometimes just see an imm on who is enough to deter a twinker from being goofy, or makes people feel ... hmm secure so to speak, that if there's a great need someone is there. Yes, most times someone is there invis and to me doesn't make too much a difference if vis or not in who, but to some, they need that assurance or threat per se. *grins* Just something I have noted."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "The major point with that is that some people play very differently when there's an immortal visible than when there's not. Sometimes, people feel under pressure if they see an immortal in 'who'; sometimes, they feel free to abuse the game just because there's no visible immortal."

Krrx the Hunter shrugs.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "In general, you'll find staff tend to stay invisible because they want people to play as they would if no one was watching."

Krrx the Hunter nods to the figure in a dark green, hooded sandcloth cloak to speak next.

The figure in a dark green, hooded sandcloth cloak says, out of character:
       "I'd like to see more of a visible presence of the tribes from the documentation in the actual game. So far, most of the tribes seem to be difficult to spot, if they have a presence in the game at all. There are also a small amount of tribes/villages that seem to be undocumented. In other words, more definition of the world. More of the same thing."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Hmmm, the problem with that is that then there is less scope for exploration. Remember that while there is some documentation provided OOCly (or in fact, quite a lot, heh), the main aim of the game is to have fun ICly."

Krrx the Hunter nods to Savak, lord of mists.

Savak, lord of mists nods.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "The joy of the unknown! That's one reason we don't make available all of the documentation, and don't have everything clearly defined for everyone. On the other hand, I think the idea itself is certainly valid -- that clarification in documentation gives ppl a better idea of the world as a whole."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "And while it can drown a newbie in megabytes of text, it's great to look at over time. What should be kept in mind is that those clans with little snippets on the web page are available to be played, but, you're right, because they are not fully defined, etc., playing them can be confusing. And b/c they're not fully supported, similar problem. However -- if ppl have ideas regarding SPECIFIC documentation to flesh out, then email them to us."

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Savak, lord of mists says, out of character:
       "I've just put on the list a mini document to write up on animals, for player consumption, much like we have on plants."

Savak, lord of mists nods to Krrx the Hunter.

Krrx the Hunter nods.

Farewell

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "OK, we've gone just over two hours of actual meeting time. Before we all go away, thanks to everyone here for behaving well."

Savak, lord of mists sheathes a short handled tazar gun.

The silhouette of Karianna nods.

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Disciplining yourself to stay still and not emote, think, etc., really helps us because it eradicates spam. If there are some quick closing comments I'd have, it would be these: when dealing with staff, bear in mind that they are the ones who actually do work here, and even pay out of their own (real life) pockets to keep this game running. They are all also very busy, so anything you can do to help them will, ultimately, help you."

Krrx the Hunter says, out of character:
       "Thanks for coming to the meeting, and I hope you all got a lot out of it. Please wait quietly while we move you back into the game."