The Facts

[Loonie]

Okay.

 

I feel very disheartened to make this topic right now as Mouse has just posted the celebration of birthday topic himself *but* I feel that it is time to get real about the whole situation at XCAS. :hmmm:

 

These past 6 months I have litterally turned my body inside out to bring XCAS:

 

-Tonnes of new pictures for the UFOpaedia

-Many mission alongside with GMing them

-A whole new Saga concocted by myself

-About 75% of the latest UFOpaedia entries

-Dozens of roleplay posts

-Constant mission de-breifs

 

In short I have been single-handedly running XCAS whilst Mouse was absent. Yet during this period I have noticed that the attendance rates were flimsy compared to what Mouse had when I first came into XCAS (there were regular attendances of 8 sometimes even 10 people then). Here I can feel happy if 6 people attend at a Sunday. Some people have said "Well, there aren't that many active simmers as there were back then."

 

WRONG!

 

The number is exactly as it used to be, in fact it has even gone up by one or two simmers. But what is the main difference? This...

 

People think of XCAS as a thing that they would like to do about once a month (as opposed to whenever they possibly can).

 

It's that simple :dontgetit:. Don't throw your excuses about "Lousy connections" and "tonnes of work to do". I get quite a bit of work on my hands too and I can organize my time so that I make it to Sunday evening every day!

 

I have personnaly tried everything short of killing myself to bring the attendance rates back up. I first got on some of the guys nerves, but soon saw that didn't work. I then kept producing new XCAS goodies all the time but the attendances went even LOWER! Now I don't know what else I can do since I've tried everything I can think of. Yet despite my efforts people still think of XCAS as something where they can attend just 1 week out of 4. Not good enough I'm afraid. Why? It's not really that much because of me, but because this Sunday I saw that the low attendance rates are seriously starting to affect those rare few people who are attending regulary. They say that with such low attendances they just won't sim because it isn't fun anymore (though only one person stated that openly I've got a feeling that the others are certainly not too hot about there only being 4 people in on a Sunday sim :hmmm:)

 

So why are the attendance rates not good enough? Not because of my expectations, but because of the expectations of those who regularly attend. And that is why I will demand better attendance at my sims from now on, period.

 

I have less then half-a-dozen sims left out to play before my saga ends. Every Sunday from this point forward sims will play. I don't care about the attendance as it can be just 3 people at a Sunday, but regardless the sim will go on. But when I have finished my Saga then I will simply decide wether or not XCAS is worth staying in. It's as simple as that.

 

And I kinda think I realize why Skonar left now as well. He didn't leave mainly because he was at a "higher level of simming" as is so commonly believed. I think he left because the people at XCAS simply aren't commited enough to keep the show running (I'm not certain about it but that's my interpretation of him leaving XCAS). In any event that is my opinion on this place. I have given out enormous energy into the sim and recieved in return practically SQUAT. Now try to put yourselves into my shoes. Do you want to keep persisting with such results? I for one don't. :hmmm:

 

So that's basically it. These next sims until the end of my Saga I will find out if XCAS is worth staying in or not purely by attendance rates (and I DON'T mean the kind of attendance where you drop out about 30 minutes into the sim :hmmm:). If the answer is no then I bid you farewell and it has been nice knowing you. - This is NOT a threat! I am simply stating a fact. Besides it isn't just me who would like to see better attendances as I had previously said. Without better attendances the few simmers who do come regularly will stop showing up and that is when I for one will proclaim XCAS to be dead.

 

Some months ago I remember when we were discussing the ranking problem there was the argument: "We need more serious simmers at the lower ranks". Forgive me for saying so but that is in my opinion BOLLOCKS. An organization of any kind is determined by how commited its LEADERSHIP is, not just the grunts! To me that sentence is like an excuse for the high rankers (of which I have a specific person in mind who has participated in only 3 sims during my presence despite his outrageously high rank) to lay their responsibilities on the lower ranked people. The high rankers who lead the sim must constantly be there for the sim, find time for it, make a schedule in order to do stuff for the sim, invent new plans,...ect. If they can't make it then they ask one of their buddy high-rankers to fill in for them. We've got 5 people who are currently leading the sim as it is, of which only 1 has been active the last 6 months (myself). I'm sure there are many Real Life obligations to fullfill but 4 people?! Around the globe?! I'm not buying that anytime soon. :hmmm:

 

So that's basically the jist of it. I may be throwing a fit here but FINE! So what?! If anyone can blame me after all this time then go right ahead and try leading a sim for 6 months without much sign of seriousness. See just how fun it can be. I'm not saying it wasn't (this Sunday was a terrific sim for example), but what is nasty is that it will never be this fun if people don't take XCAS more seriously. :hmmm:

 

"What's this guy want from me?" you ask yourselves. To devote 1 hour 30 minutes of your time in a week. How much is that to ask? Is it a lot? If so then I pity you because you must live like a slave if that is the case. So that's basically it. In the next month or so I'll see if it's worth it staying here. I've got other places to go so it won't be such a loss for me, but I do feel sorry for XCAS, because I honestly feel that it will have no one to care for it and nurture it throughout a year.

 

C ya (hopefully) at the sims

 

Loonie

[Strong Bob]

Wow... I didn't think the situation was this bad. I really love it here at XCAS, I'd hate to see it go after I've only simmed a few times. I personally don't mind simming with just 2 or 3 other guys, but if you want I could try to get some advertising for the place.

 

It's good to know your at least trying to hang in there though. I'll try to keep my attendance up as best as I can for this matter, and I will do my best to support XCAS in whatever way I can.

[DragonHawk]

I had a long post typed up... then my computer f***ed me. Lovely. Time to condense.

 

A couple of things to begin. Loonie, I told you at the beginning that you would have to be doing it for more than the praise of your peers. That's not the only driving force, I know, but it's still a large one. Nobody forced you to put the energy in - you chose to, and like Brain, you're burning out. Leadership is about teamwork, not YOUR control, but team control. Second, and related, is that permission was expressly given for YOU to control the sim, so blaming it on others is not particularily pertinent. You wished to replace me, and you got it.

 

Have you considered for a moment why people feel that they are no longer interested in simming? Have you ever asked? I see in your post that you have much speculation, but not a lot of questions. You may think you know it all, but I garauntee that you do not. None of us are invincible - see the phrase 'teamwork' above.

 

Despite the Loonie's opinion that we need serious simmers at high ranks only, it's quite apparent that this is not the case. CZ, Techno, Pickers, and Ion have dedicated their time to the sim for the long term, and I would definetly count them as serious. If they were just a bunch of twerpy kids, the sim would not have lasted long, under Mouse or Loonie's control.

 

Now, solutions. You post many problems, but few solutions. We, as a group, have a goal - improved attendance. How do we get it? You get it by catering to people, not by demanding their presence. What does CZ want? How can I fulfill it? WHat does Techno want? How do I fulfill that? Don't bulls*** yourself by thinking that you are the master - the officer supports the troops, not the other way around. The troops can get along without the officer, but the officer is nothing without his men and women.

 

You said yourself that the reason most people are not in is because it is not fun. Let us proceed on how to make it fun. I want everyone to post what they want out of the sim, what they want to develop, and what they would like to see, regardless of content. Anything goes. I want to know WHY you think the sim is no longer fun, or less fun than it used to be. Give it serious thought, I don't want to see a reply in a day or so. Real answers, not BS like "it is fun". Strong Bob is new, I'll accept that from him, but that's it. If you can't think of anything to improve, then you're not thinking hard enough. I too will think about it, and bring a list with me on Thursday. If you think the particular item too personal/private, email Loonie or myself.

 

That's all for now. Let's try to solve the problem, and not dance around with flowery comments and phrases. Let's CUT into the problem and find the solution.

[Strong Bob]

Strong Bob is new, I'll accept that from him, but that's it.

 

Uh, I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to mean. Is it that because I'm the new guy my opinion doesn't carry as much weight?

 

Well, I'll air my opinion anyway. I once managed a Roleplaying forum a couple of months ago. And it too suffered from the pain of inactive players. But this was due more to incompetance from people higher up in management than myself. I enforced a rule that people would have their characters deleted should they fail to remain active, and I included the other administrators. I ended up deleting everyone except myself.

 

The point of this? You people are lucky you've even got somebody willing to devote his time and creativity into this. I was in the exact same position as Loonie before so I'm sure I know how he feels, how he's probably having second thoughts of even coming to the next sim merely because it's not worth catering to just a few people. (Pure speculation on that.) He's right in the effect that people should take advantage of this instead of taking it for granted that there'll always be a sim when you're bored over the weekend. But Dragonhawk, you're also right that there should be measures taken to figure out what the deal is.

 

My "Peeves" with XCAS rules are minor. For example, it's a little frustrating that we've gotta wait weeks... Maybe even months... For certain research projects to finish. Why not shorten the duration? It's not too big a deal to me though, but it would probably be an improvement. Other than this, I think XCAS is just fine.

[DragonHawk]

It does not by any means that I consider your opinion less. I mean that I'll accept it if you have no comments, because you are very new, perhaps too new to have many opinions, that's all. By all means, if you have them, bring them up.

 

If he decides it's not worth catering to a few people, that would be his decision; it's a personal one. Some people like the smaller sims, myself included. I don't mind bigger ones, but it gets chaotic at times.

 

Interesting you mention the amount of time required to finish projects. I find it amusing that the time has almost stopped, in terms of game time, but people expect research faster. I'm not saying you're wrong, but quick advancement like that can be a one way ticket to destruction. It's a good observation though, and one that we may want to have a definitive answer for.

 

Anyway, I don't think it's fair to have everyone comment on everything, so I'll let everyone get their word in before rebuttals start.

[Ghost]

(of which I have a specific person in mind who has participated in only 3 sims during my presence despite his outrageously high rank)

 

You know, you could just use my name. Yes I know that I have not been around at all lately, despite my technically being ranked replacement Commander. I could fling things like my connection sucks or I have a busy life at you, but that's simply not that case at the moment. My connection was shaky, granted, but that has been fixed already.

 

My reasons for not attending are something else, and maybe or maybe not amusing. I currently play a game called the Sims Online, in which I own a rather top ranking property. This means however that I and my 'roommates' need to keep the property opened up by being present as many hours as is possible. With the game not being out yet in Europe, most players are Americans, so it is hard to find people that could cover for me during the hours of XCAS. However it seems that I finally found one a few days ago, so I will be back to attending sims again, and being active on the boards as best I can.

 

As for what I think could be better... well my honest opinion that there isn't *that* much that needs improvement, however in sims it still often happens that people communicate right past eachother, both thinking they know what the other is talking about, but eventually it turns out that there's big confusion. This especially happens during battle often, as the need to type fast arises too, if you still want to be able to get good posts in.

A second thing of concern, at least for me, is the need for some people to be funny or witty. At times it is funny, however it often severely derails the sim, or can be an annoyance at times. I'd like people to try and be a little more serious. I'm not saying all fun should be banned, but just don't try to score a witty remark at each and every thing that happens.

 

I think that's about all for my gripes with the sim. I hope to see everyone again sunday

[Loonie]

Nobody forced you to put the energy in - you chose to, and like Brain, you're burning out.

 

There is a difference here. I have given a lot of energy into this, but I have made sure that XCAS is not the only simming, RPG thing I have, nor do I consider it holy or divine. That is why I will never take Brain's path. When I say that I don't want to continue I will say so and not drop in and out on occasions.

 

Leadership is about teamwork, not YOUR control, but team control. Second, and related, is that permission was expressly given for YOU to control the sim, so blaming it on others is not particularily pertinent. You wished to replace me, and you got it.

 

*WRONG*

 

I have NEVER ever said I want to replace you or Ghost for that matter. I merely voulnteered to take on some of the work. But I can see right away about how this evolved. As I took on more and more work you and Ghost must've presumed, without asking me about it at all, that I want to lead the whole thing myself. That is not so! I merely had an idea for a continuation and I was willing to hear your ideas too. But as it was I was seeing you and Ghost slowly but gradually less and less frequently until by the beginning of the Saga I practically did not see either of you anywhere at all, not at the sims and not sending PMs over this forum or any other way. I guess you both must've presumed that my drive to help was a statement "I want to have total power" - LIKE BRAIN DID. Wrong. I can see how that mistake could've happened though and I want to make it perfectly clear that when this Saga ends so too does it end that I will regularly update the site and other things like that.

 

But have you ever wondered as to why I was doing all those projects and stuff almost single-handedly? Because I had learned that quite a few others simply did not bring the stuff in on time and when I had relied on someone else to GM instead of me that person did not make it until 2 weeks after or so. That is why I started to work on this thing by myself. But I tell you this I had never enjoyed it that way. I always wished that either you or Ghost would show up and just play a few sims instead of me. Lately however without my ICQ and my mailbox however we've almost stopped communicating so that is definately part of the cause for this.

 

So. You want constructive solutions yes? Here's the first one. That people from higher up start showing up more frequently so as we can have that teamwork that you had described. For some reason you automatically assumed that I want total power within XCAS. Alas that was a big mistake. I had never said that. In fact I really wanted all this time for someone to help me out, but always when I asked the response was either that the person was late with whatever task I had given and coordinated with him, or that it wasn't done at all. So that's what I want. Teamwork determines the sim? You bet. Mouse is coming back any moment now so DH you and Ghost can too.

 

Despite the Loonie's opinion that we need serious simmers at high ranks only

 

Wrong again! I'm NOT saying that low ranked people shouldn't be serious, but what I am saying is that high-ranked people are those that the low ranked look up to! I mean try to put yourself in this situation.

 

You come into a sim you think it'll be fun. At the first session however you find out that only one out of all the other high-rankers is present constantly and that only his presence can be felt. How does that make you feel? I for one would think that this isn't a really serious place if not so many of them attend.

 

But again the reason for only me being present is because you and Ghost mistakenly thought I want total control. Pity

 

I also agree about those that you had just mentioned that they are serious - I never said they weren't. But what I also say is that those aren't the only ones in the sim.

 

Now, solutions. You post many problems, but few solutions. We, as a group, have a goal - improved attendance. How do we get it? You get it by catering to people, not by demanding their presence. What does CZ want? How can I fulfill it? WHat does Techno want? How do I fulfill that? Don't bulls*** yourself by thinking that you are the master - the officer supports the troops, not the other way around. The troops can get along without the officer, but the officer is nothing without his men and women.

 

Once again. I have never said I am the master for christ's sake! You or Ghost never asked if I wanted to lead the thing by myself or not and so you just presumed!

 

But now I see how this entire problem has really started. Mis-communication. How typical. Apparently me voulnteering to do most of the work was translated by others as "I want to lead the sim", whereas I myself had never really wanted that or wanted to say so.

 

But OK. I agree to stop whining in any event and onto what DH proposed.

 

The research? Well the main reasons as to why it is so slow I would say must be that with the lack of a lot of people sims have to be postponed and therefore the research does not progress. This has happened so many times over the last few months that I guess it's really lenghtened the time it takes to research something.

 

Overall I think the original research time was not so badly planned (at least when I first came into XCAS) because as sims were regularly carried out every week the research time was not too long to be stale and throw people off, but not too quick so that we would gulp more and more research. You see the main reason as to why it takes quite a bit of time is because I suspect that Mouse does not want it to go out of control like it did once, which is why he had made it stretch like that. But it is worth to reconsider though, since right now XCAS has existed for so long that I'd quite frankly find rifles still being used kind of.....antique, heh. Not to say that they're lousy or anything, it's just that being trapped in this part of the galaxy for what....1.5 years would've most likely allowed us to have at least laser weapons as a standard.

 

In any event this is worth considering. Cutting down the research time. If we can get together on a Sunday (or Saturday) we can discuss this thing some more for sure.

 

P.S. I am not ready to quit yet. If I sense that there is a chance for XCAS to continue in an OK manner I will always be here and work on it. But as I have said I can't do it alone. It never was my intention to single-handedly lead this thing, though people obviously thought otherwise.

 

EDIT: P.P.S. After noticing Ghost's post (which was done simutalneously) I really wasn't thinking of you. Honest.

 

And the improvements you proposed? Yes we've been dealing with your first one before. And I assure you we will be getting back to it as soon as I manage to actually get a good attendance again. Until then the conflicting posts won't really be that much of a problem because of the lack of people.

 

The second one? Agreed. Here I happen to have a certain Private in mind so....if he knows about this post he should try to reconsider a bit. It might be that he plays that kind of character, but still it can get annoying.

[Loonie]

I think that we should meet in #XCAS soon enough to discuss about how to run the sim, what actions to take in order to get attendance rates back up and how to make the sim more fun based on the suggestions that come up in this forum.

 

I propose that we meet at about 18:00 GMT this Saturday if that is at all possible. If not then state which times do you think we could meet and we'll work it out. But we have to meet, because now that this Saga is coming to an end we really have to straighten some things out.

[Ghost]

6 pm GMT is dinner time for me, so if you could make it one hour later I'd appreciate that. Also I would like to point out: I am *not* DH, and my opinions are most certainly not his all the time. You keep referring to things DH said, and then say 'you and Ghost', automatically assuming my opinion is the same. I don't really appreciate that to be honest. Just thought I'd let that out

[DragonHawk]

If you do not ask anyone, you do not get help. I don't recall being asked for anything, except to stay away from the webpage. Have you asked anyone for anything? Yorke, I think you had writing something or another... did he not complete that? I think, from your statement about people being late, that you take what you do far too seriously, and this is in part the reason you are getting disgruntled.

 

With regards to power, I'm not saying you want it - I am saying you HAVE it, and you need to know how to wield it properly. If you'd like to draw comparisions to Brain, he consulted people about what to do, how people wanted things. Again, at this moment, you are the ultimate power in XCAS.

 

Trust me Loonie, Ghost and I didn't want command, we didn't ask for it. We were promoted to lead teams in sims, not to run things. We are NOT the command level, not for Alpha. The only commander for Alpha is you, you're far beyond our position now. It's time for you to understand that, and it's time for you to think of yourself in that position. Stop thinking that you're the bottom of the command totem pole, and do what you have to do to get things rolling. Contact me by PM, since your email and ICQ is down, and we can talk about how to manage things. I still do not want XCAS, I'd rather help you to get things going. You are mistaken if you think I want it - I'd rather be bitten by a rabid dog.

[Loonie]

Okay Ghost, I agree. I did a mistake with that sentance and I won't do it again.

 

And if you don't want this then.....well. To be frank I'm screwed.

 

Leading XCAS is a thing that I can't do alone. It is also a thing that Mouse cannot do alone or Brain for that matter. In any kind of thing like this there must be a small number of people that share their work equally. That's what stops totalitarism and also ensures that the sim doesn't fade out from time to time.

 

But in any case as far as leading the sim is considered I noticed you said that you could make it on Saturday. Very well then. 7 o'clock GMT (when the sim would have to start) we meet up and discuss this thing as I've proposed. If you are reading this Mouse then I would really like you to participate as well.

 

Other than the four of us other simmers can participate and give their opinion of course. Just so you know that this Saturday we most likely won't have a sim and this meeting instead (though we may do one just for the fun of it after we're done).

[Chrysalid_zombie]

Honestly, I leave the board for a while with the downtime and when I come back, 10 posts to read through! Long ones too I'm glad to see, this is good, it means people are thinking, fighting and doing all of the other things necessary for evolution and erm... lots of other stuff with ideas and fighting and what not... Civilization! That was what I was thinking of! Anyhow, now that I've started with the 'civilization' metophor, I'm going with it, so this might get wierd...

 

The issue of control, in many nations it is decided with a democracy, monarchy or other system. Here it's a much nicer system 'Who wants to be a helpful leader!?!', no need to stab each other, assasinate, or bitch constantly about the other's gun policy etc. Thankfully, Loonie picked up the baton last 'who wants it' election to become the major player. However, just like any government, one priminster doesn't have that much power, they need help in many places, like the autopsy reports, finding pictures, ideas for stories and so on. To be honest, I think we haven't been as helpful as would have been best, as Loonie has shouldered a lot by himself when to be frank, we all should have mucked in. I place my apology here for not doing that. << apology >> - There it is. Right next to the roller.

Further more, in respect to the comments about research speed, it is spot on now. I don't think we should get a new gun every sim, new tech should be a glorious treat as well as a story advancement. I've got used to my X-com issue Sniper Rifle over the 2 years and I'm looking forwards to a laser model (maybe), but I'm not ready to get angry over it. Two years is a long time to wait for a laser rifle, but that just means when it arrives I'll love it like a son/daughter and not take it for granted. But that's more a matter of opinion than a problem with the sim.

The issue of not turning up is an unusual one, as everyone has different reasons. For instance many people needed to revise for tests etc. And XCAS can not compare to that. I therefore have no idea what to do about it, curse my brain!

 

To throw in something new to get violent about *holds club behind back for getaway * I think we could stand to get some more FFRP into the sim somehow. I try and develop the Jackson character whenever possible for instance, as seen in the last sim (by 4 people) when he went a bit flash-backy, but I feel I don't get as much chance as I'd like to. This may be because most posts are action posts about shooting or dodging, with little time to talk to other players or go into detail about what characters are thinking. I'm not sure about how to fit this in exactly, as it's more of a player preference than a Sim structure issue, but perhaps the CO of the mission could give less detailed orders so characters can act on their own initiatives and make up their own wierd plans... Or failing that just dive sideways .

I also encourage players to get more character development into their posts, as I know I want to learn more about Necro's past, or Weindhoven's dreams of youth etc. I was almost killing myself waiting for the next installment of the Ghost and friend saga that was going on in the forums a while back, I'd like to see more of that in-sim.

 

So to summarise: Tech speed is good, we need to do our bits in the running of the sim more, I have no idea how to get more attendance and do more RP and FFRP in-sim.

 

In addition, I'd like to try and make up for my not-very-helpfulness by officially unofficially volunteering for any jobs that need doing on the site, forums or anywhere else. I've just finished my exams (1 to go, tommorow!) and I've got a week of holiday next week, but after that I'll be free forever more... or for a few weeks anyway.

[Ghost]

Loonie I am more than willing to help but I need to know what to help with. I am not a person that is good at organising things, but give me a goal or a task and I'll do my best to complete it. I know that I am a very high ranking officer sim wise, and that I should organise things, but I am not that good at being in charge. However I'll help out where-ever you need me, just let me know *that* you need me.

[Loonie]

Granted I didn't give you many tasks towards this end, but okay...I won't go into the details as to why this is so. It can be my fault, it can be nobody's but that hardly matters right now.

 

Okay. Some time back I had already posted that we need more stories and roleplay posts in the forum. That I did need and apparently no one noticed it. So, I hope now someone will.

 

I need at least one story (prefferably about the Commander and the Colonel's stay away from NAO - contact me to find out exactly what they are supposedly doing whilst we are taking back the Arkunis system. A story about one of our missions (like that terror mission on Ascadia some time back would also be good so as to have some continuity in the Saga's storyline.

 

Apart from that are Roleplay posts which right now have plenty of material for writing. I've killed off our Intelligence Agent (without consulting anyone which is the LAST time I will do something like that, but was a product of me being singlehandedly in charge of the sim. I did do it for a valid reason though that if he stayed new recruits could've been thinking that the spot is taken. ). Not only that but Jacko did another blunder and alongside with that there were also previous mission (check the De-briefs if you need any info).

 

Right now that is all that I would need. Unfortunately I have already written up the technology report for the Laser Pistol so.....that's not available. But the next few technologies however I will leave to XCAS members.

[Ion Mage]

School is out, and I can sim again, with no threat of major homework. Im free, the only thing that could stop me is me getting up late (and for gods sake ive only done that once ) or if my parents have plans. Im sorry myself for not attending too much, but i do try, honestly i do.

[Mouse Nightshirt]

Loonie, you may be best to leave to story to explain Brain and my absense to me. I have a few new storyline things to bring in, in preparation for a saga that will be coming up soon. No spoilers being given to anyone at this point

 

I also hope that there are no hard feeling between anyone in the sim at the moment. I've been closely monitoring this thread, and I decided it was best for me to stay out of it for the sole reason that I haven't been around, and I really can't comment on anything as it stands.

 

Jacko, I hope you haven't been attending XCAS, same goes for Necro, because I really don't want people flunking their exams for XCAS' sake. XCAS should be generally low on anyone's priority list apart from mine.

 

I will be returning not this Sunday, but most probably the next. I'm going away for two weeks starting this Saturday, but I'll be here regularly, and next Sunday should be the date of my return.

 

I'll probably pop in this Sunday to say hi, if I can.

[Loonie]

No problem as to where you and Brain were. But if there aren't going to be any spoilers I presume that there also aren't going to be any stories about where you were. Oh well...

 

And could you try and make it this Saturday instead of Sunday - if at all possible. We really would need your presence since we will after all be deciding how your sim will be led in the future.

[Ego Terrorist]

*raises eyebrow*

 

I would like to say before anybody reads this I am not getting at anybody, this is for everyone to read, and here I am putting my views on XCAS, and that if anybody does take offence at this, then you are either feeling very strongly about what I've just commented on (guilt, anger, innocence) Or you need to lighten up. Anyway...

 

Okay, I've been simming with XCAS since it first started, and I've enjoyed every moment of it.

 

In my time simming with XCAS there have been periods of inactivity even lenghty ones, where absolutly no sims have occured, and in this time I've learned may things.

 

One: Real-Life is ALWAYS more important than the sim. You do have a family, you do have real-life friends and you do have responsabilities. If you can balance out you life to incorparte all of the above and the sim then my hat goes off to you.

 

HOWEVER. Not everyone can do that, real-life may prove to be throwing everything that it can at you, during the recent 6 month period I have missed sims repeatedly, this was due to coursework, revision and exams. All of those three things will be what defines my future. And because of this I do not apologise for my absenses, as thse are much more important.

 

BUT yet I have tried to show up, I will if chance provides, but others have not, shown up as of recent. I resent any remark that the simmers of XCAS are not commited. Jacko, Necro, Dragonhawk, Ionmage, myself and several others have been with XCAS for a long time and to say that because of important real-life responabilities we are not commited is well hurtful to say the least. But the rest of the team - and lets face it XCAS is, and always will be a team collaberation. (I shall come back to this point later.) And this team has done well, and I say that we all are commited, we are not signed to any contract saying that we must do this, and we must do that - XCAS has been built through volunteering our time and giving our effort for the team.

 

I noted that Loonie did comment on why Skonar left. Skonar and myself do talk and he has told me why he did leave XCAS, but Loonie, if you ask anyone that knows him well and whom are a part of XCAS you'll find that he didn't believe that we are not commited.

 

Okay, now my next point...

 

Two: XCAS to me is not about simming, it is not about X-Com, it is not about showing up, or not showing up. Nor is it something that should be viewed as something about commitment. MY opinion of XCAS and what XCAS has meant to me over the years is friendship.

 

I have, through XCAS, formed many friendships that I would not of otherwise made through XTC, or Xcommand, and it has allowed me to keep these friendships going, and I consider that everyone that sims either in mIRC, on the board, or have since left XCAS a friend.

 

Whether the feeling is mutual is I suppose unknown, as over the medium of the Internet the friends that I've made I've never seen the face of, and they have not seen the face of myself. (Though there have been some notable exceptions...)

 

Which suggests a level of trust, as we do not meet them in the flesh, only in text. The point I'm getting at here, is that to be a part of XCAS you have to...shall we say, take a leap in the dark. And not just the simmers but the leaders too. If they do not trust, those that sim with them then the sim will quickly fail. So leaders, trust those that sim with you, never criticise, never put down the sim, or the simmers. Why? Because it serves no purpose, other than to demoralise, and create tesion which is not needed. And in the end we all loose out to it. Instead. Lead not by example, but by support, by being pro-active by being positive. Yes there are some things which you cannot be positive about, but instead of damning everyone, talk about it, discuss it, and most of all hear *everyones* point of view and then from that you can do more good for the sim as you know 'why'.

 

Three: As I mentioned earlier. XCAS is a team effort. No one person, or two can make XCAS a sucess. They can only worsen things because they are overstretching theirself. Instead, rely on the team. Work alongside, instead of for or against us. Everyone has their strenghts and weaknesses and a good leader will take advantage of them.

 

Lets face it I am not leadership material. However there are others who are, in my opinion Dragonhawk and Ghost are excellent leadership material. And instead of having them as your subordinates, treat them as your equals, they have been simming for a long time with XCAS and know it's simmers and the sim better than almost anybody else. Active leadership and active roles are needed. Just remember that people do not like being told what to do. Orders are only ever given 'in sim' out of sim's we only ask, them to do it, and paitence is needed, because as I said, before, we still have real-life commitments.

 

In my opinion you shouldn't expect, to have...as Dragonhawk put it: 'praise of your peers' nor should this be your driving force. Because your fellow simmers do not sim for respect, or praise. I don't know what personal agenda's are but mine is, simiply that I enjoy simming with people from around the world.

 

Okay, I'm starting to run out of good points.

 

Four: Jacko need's to get shot, it has been ages!! since he drew bullets towards him...and I'm starting to feel a little useless As it's been ages since I had to patch him up!!

 

Five: Simming should be a fun time not serious time. Regardless of how many show up, or post on the forum. It's what you make of it that count, if you have even just two people present you can still have damned good sim, it's what you make of what you have.

 

Anyway I've ran out of things to say for now, I might comment on way's I see we could improve the sim later on but right now I'm going to go off and relax.

 

As for the meeting this saturday, I won't be coming, yes I've finshed my exams, but it is the 28th of June, hence I am 18. Also tommorow it's the prom night so I've got that to go to, and we're celebrating me birthday so I'm gonna be bloody well knackered at the end.

But if I get the chance I'll show up!

 

Anyway, lets not let this create some un-needed tension between us!

 

More to come later!

[DragonHawk]

Well said Ego, very insightful. One comment I would like to make is that I did not say that Loonie should not expect his peers appreciation - far be it from that, he DOES deserve it. What I meant by that was that he should not be doing it FOR his peer's appreciation. Is it different? Yes, it is, on the basis of 'causality'. Cause and effect.*

 

And yes, I love swearing in French, it's like wiping your ass with silk*... er yeah.

 

Seriously though, Loonie has every right to be proud of his accomplishments here at XCAS, and should anybody be asked to give a reference for Loonie, I expect the comments to be both good and thoughtful.

 

Having said that, I'd like to thank Ego for his kind words, but I don't feel I have the leadership capacity at this time - leadership is not just about ability, but it's about time and commitment - I can't be sure of any such right now. Ghost and I have discussed this, but as junior officers (and former juniors) we decided that remaining in an advisory capacity was the better choice. We have considerable weekend commitments (well... Sims... ) that are interfering with XCAS.

 

I'm putting aside the next few Sundays to see what's going on... I'd like to talk with as many members as possible as well, either through email (Pickers, clean yours out ) or ICQ (Loonie, where are you??? ). Note that four thousand dollars will be essentially sitting on my floor, and Ghost's Sim house might drop to second. Oh, the stakes at hand...

 

*Copyright of the Merovingian in Matrix Reloaded... or not.

 

*EDIT* Ghost made me edit stuff.

[Mouse Nightshirt]

That brought a tear to my eye Ego :alien2:

 

But seriously, Ego said everything that could ever need to be said? You considering a career in diplomacy?

 

May I remind you that XCAS is here for you. Not me. I gain a HUGE sense of satisfaction knowing that friendships are being forged, links are being established, and I'm providing you all an entertaining hour and a half each week (well, a lot more for most of you hopefully )

 

I think we should all thank Loonie for all the work he has done in my absense, and I would also like to thank each and every one of you. XCAS is nothing without your continued voluntary membership, and you must also remember each and every one of you makes XCAS what it is. You should all give yourselves a huge pat on the back.

 

I'd also like to thank you all for the great work you have all put in when I was away. I never actually set the tasks to a certain person, but they were all picked up where they were left off, without any intervention from myself. I am very impressed with the out of sim teamwork to keep XCAS going. Without you, XCAS would have fumbled to a stop years ago.

 

XCAS is now two years old. Two years is a magnificent achievement for an active sim. I'm not even sure NAARO lasted that long. Of course, none of you but Skonar knew NAARO, but NAARO was the most magnificent X-Com sim that ever ran, and XCAS falls far short of what it was. However, XCAS runs on every basic principle they ever had, and that is working as a team. XCAS runs superbly out of sim, and apart from the odd jitter here and there, we are a merry band of fellows

 

I will reinforce what myself and Ego have already said. XCAS is not a priority, and should never be. Real life situations are always more important than anything you could do in XCAS. I hope that none of you are skimping out on anything in your own lives for XCAS' sake. However valiant that is, it is also bad.

 

I value XCAS very highly in my life. Not only have I forged friendships with all of you, I try to make you forge friendships between yourselves. That, to me, as Ego says, is one of the most valuable assets to XCAS. Friends are very important, whether real, or on a computer at the other end of a connection. That is one of the reasons I will try my hardest to keep XCAS running. As long as friendships are being forged, I will try to keep it going.

 

I would also like to apologise to you. I have been absent now for quite a while, and there have been other occasions as well. I feel I have come somewhat short of what a GM should be, as I feel that some of you have done more work than me. I apologise for that, and I seek to improve myself in this respect.

 

Loonie, you make me proud with your management of XCAS. DH is always offering advice, as do Ghost and Pickers. Jackson and Necro are always on hand to dispense amusement and laughter. Saber, Ion Mage, you are amazingly comitted, waking up in the middle of the night. The rest of XCAS also all make their individual contribution, and I appreciate it greatly. You are the reason XCAS is here. Every single one of you should be proud of whatever achievement you have made within XCAS, as each of you provide your own unique individualness to the sim.

 

And finally. Jacko, put on that kevlar vest. You're gonna need it

[Loonie]

Okay then. I think I can then set this thread as a feeling of hopelessness on my.....erm.....values on simming and Roleplaying.

 

It's just that for quite a lot of time I was feeling helpless to against trying to motivate people so that there was a consistent track of 4 people showing up on Sundays. And the last one when I heard CZ decide rather not to sim with so few people just told me that it hit the limit.

 

So.....heck. Hard as it was to find a way for motivation I guess I can let it go now. Not completely but still......

 

Okay. I hope I can work more towards running XCAS in the way it is supposed go and not in the way I think it should be.

 

So in any case to respond to people......DH, I can't get even the time for ICQ. Just pop by this Saturday okay? We should settle some of the issues then.

 

And on a side note I have done quite a bit to make Jacko's life miserable honest! Shooting him to tiny bits once and making him hypothermic another time,....though I plead guilty to the fact that he wasn't injured every sim at least mediocrily. That is something I should've improved.

[Chrysalid_zombie]

Don't worry, the mental scarring of last mission will be with me forever, and is it not the mind that is more important than the body? Okay, so maybe to athletes and models, but to me, mind is more vital than body. I'm very glad I took part last mission after all, real RP material right there!

 

On an unrelated news item; I confirmed it's spelt Sirius, not Sirus. I'll be busy hacking into all your sim logs to edit that little mistake out all night...

[Skonar]

Okay. Lets just get a couple of things straight from my end, and this is from entirely outside of the XCAS pool. ENTIRELY.

 

I am not part of XCAS, nor have I been for a very long time - I merely hang out with you weirdos.

 

Now. Why did I leave?

 

I left because you guys SUCK.

 

Well, not really, but almost. I mean one half of you approach roleplaying as something you know everything about and the other half approach it as something you'd love to learn about but have no real oppertunities for it.

 

Basically I left because what I was getting out of the sim - relaxation - was being steadily eaten up by the great big badger, 'people who can't stand me' and 'people who misunderstand me'.

 

Some of you may recall me running weird minisims after the usual XCAS sim, or if it had been canceled, more or less for the fun of it.

 

Basically, from my perspective, Loonie's trying to make all of this a science before he's observed gravity, the regular RPers are still trying to stretch their legs and experiment with various styles and settings and all that without any oppertunity for growth, and real life is picking you all off one by one.

 

The real life situation is a common one to afflict roleplaying groups and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

 

As for the attendance issues...

 

Well. One thing I have learned is that trying to judge a sim or roleplay by the number of people who show up is mad. It makes about as much sense as keeping Jackson behind a brick wall - It doesn't matter where the poor sap hides, his mere presence will cause destruction to rain down on him. You cannot change that any more than you can change the fact that people showing up gauges something that is not success nor quality.

 

It gauges interest.

 

How do you grow interest?..

 

You do not dictate every little thing to a person, you give them options, you tailor yourself to them.

 

It is not like writing a static piece of fiction where you can plan out 'Sagas' and dictate events. Roleplaying is interactive, and it's social.

 

Roleplaying rooms will live and disappear, but that doesn't matter. What does is community and getting to know the other guys.

 

As a GM who runs some of these things, you cannot derive 'Value' from how many people play or why or what happens. You derive value from fun and making friends.

 

REALIZE THAT YOU SILLY PEOPLE!

 

And don't take things so seriously. Honestly I really enjoy XCAS as something with almost a comedic flair to it.

 

If you want seriousness, go out, join the army. If you want fun, do something else.

 

Also. Leadership. For the team leaders out there, and there are a couple of you, learn how to give the members of your team direction. Not instructions.

 

Nobody wants to be told exactly how to defuse a bomb, or be told exactly how to walk.

 

"Cover the corridor, Player 1, pay attention to those grates" is infinitely better than "Point your guns down the corridor and shoot anything alien in that direction, and check the grates in the roof every thirty seconds. Oh, and don't forget to pull the trigger, and Player3, don't screw around with the bloody rocket launcher! Just pull the damn trigger."

 

Do not play dictator, do not play ego maniac.

 

Then for the players. You poor, poor players. EXPERIMENT. Cooperate. While the GMs should be tailoring themselves to you, do not take this as an excuse to walk all over them. GMs are soft and squishy animals at heart.

 

Instead consider them fellow players who just happen to be playing the rest of the world around you. Cooperate. Mould yourself to the GM in turn. Don't whine for a plasmatic cannon-hypershock-blaster.

 

Honestly the calibre of some of the XCAS group is now at a level where I am, in fact, almost certain I could drag you along to some of my FFRP things and you would not be out of water.

 

(For reference, most of the FFRP things are run by/for serious writer types with a hard-on for psychological accuracy. It's a hobby. It's not better, but it is a lot more developed and difficult to come to grips with. It's like comparing comic books to heavy junk like lord of the rings. Frankly, I at times prefer the comic books. For 'Really free form' FFRP, check out the Blk Dragon Inn, on the same server XCAS is run on, by going /list. There are many flavours of the FFRP beast. The one you guys tend to associate with me is one that is carefully refined by years and months of 'I could do a lot better than this'.)

 

Remember, all of you. Repeat after me, 'I could do better than this.' Repeat it day after day. Experiment with this 'better' thing. NEVER be satisfied with settling into some kind of rut, never accept that you are somehow intrinsically better than the next guy. (Given things more thought, yes, magically superior, no.)

 

As for the research and plotlines and sagas and characters... XCAS is at its heart going 'Bang bang! I shot you!' just like you did when you were a kid pretending to be a cowboy/interstellar explorer/guy just like rambo.

 

That's all any form of roleplaying is.

 

(And if you want to get sober, start thinking about how much XCAS resembles X-Com nowadays. Some more resources on how Alliance was set to progress have been filtered out, and in my opinion, XCAS only remains even vaugely X-com like due to the things you're shooting at and what you're shooting with.)

 

This has been a RANT BY THE SKONAR. (TM, Patent Pending.)

[Brainiacus]

[Brainiacus]

Just had to do that. I'm not going to read all this stuff. I'm sure my personal god, Skonar, has said all that needs to be said. :angel:

 

Oh, and someone hug Loonie for me.