A few bumpy weeks ahead

[Strong Bob]

Why everyone forgets about newbies? Sorry for interfering with the discussion (and sorry for any grammar errors) but I have a different opinion:

 

1- My point of view are quite different of your, Loonie. OK, surely a commander that can't make good sims are a very bad thing to a newbie, but it's not THAT bad. No one can make up his own mind agains anyone with only five or less sims (thats my case... I have just one sim in my "curriculum")

 

2- Just a sugestion (if anyone have not proposed it before): how about two or three commanders in XCAS? That way only if all three commanders gone "idea-less" the sim can't continues.

 

3- A planet/universe/timeline change are really a good idea for me! ^^

 

4- Why not making a entirely new X-Com universe? (Something after X-Com Apocalypse with two or more alien starcraft-style races)

 

By

--Omega2 (A.K.A. Private Robert Stax)

--

1. We haven't forgotten "Da New Guys" Omega. That's why we're not changing the atmosphere too much on you.

 

2. We've got that idea already. I believe Chrysalid Zombie proposed the Council style of command.

 

3. Planet change, I'm fine with. Universe, hmm... Depends on how that's done. Timeline change, no. I wouldn't back up that one. But then again, this whole situation is still in Mouse's hands.

 

4. Ah, no. I can't speak for anyone else here but I personally can't agree with that one. Sorry.

 

Besides, we've already got two 'new' species on the list recently. Now here's a side question you higher ups, when are we going to see what the deal was with the Phasers and Nephilim? I've almost forgotten about them, same with the standard Aliens. :dontgetit:

 

EDIT: Good goin' posting just seconds before me DH, now my post is meaningless!

[omega2]

Errrm... not exactly that... the "Universe change" option means a new warp travel, like that who was bring the X-Com to the Ascadian space!

 

New species? Where? I've fought only against raptors! Sorry for the joke...

 

By

Omega2)

[Saber Warrior]

Hey Bob, I might be digressing from the topic a bit but I'm wondering if you can give us some tips. In your previous simming experience, how did the GMs handle large numbers of simmers at the same time and did you have problems with short posts as well? These two problems has been prevalent in XCAS even before you joined so it would be useful to get some opinions.

[Strong Bob]

In the other sim I was with, things were a bit of a different style. The majority of the plays were in a forum, and worked similar to the XCAS Roleplay section, but a chatroom session was held once or twice a week whenever a "random event" occured. These sessions had a maximum of seven people in the time I spent there... (My support for multiple GMs for split squads comes from my AD&D experience, but I'll bring that up in a second. ) When it came to "short" posts, ala ::Shoots Sectoid::, they were often ignored or resulted in a failed action. Much like Loonie explained to me on my first day here, that rule is already enforced. In that sim an action was only legit when a body, weapon, and aiming style was added in. Example: ::Raises rifle and aims it at the second Sectoid from the right and fires off a single shot while in the kneeling position:: And bear in mind, actions like that were the minimum. It needed to be enough to know the position, posture, and angle of the said character. Otherwise the action was illegal and the player was reprimanded in some small way.

 

But then again, we never had GM actions like: ACTION The team manages to kill the Sectoid. And I guess that kinda takes away from the graphic feel of the sim as I've mentioned in another thread already.

 

As for large sims... I roleplay Dungeons and Dragons once every couple of weeks nowadays. (I used to do it every other day, but those were my geeky days. ) My standard game usually consists of about 6-14 people. Obviously a single GM cannot accomodate so many people, so what we do is 'co-GM'. Break the group up into two or more groups, each lead by a single Master. However, this is always planned a week or so in advance so things don't get confusing. Both GMs speak to one another about the plans for their game quite extensively and map the dungeons and cities and whatnot on graph paper. (Something that I think this sim's GMs would find pretty useful.) Once all that is mapped and crap, and the session has started, they tell one another where one group is during the session that they can properly play out any incidents happening with the other team. Ala, someone on one team screams out in anger, the other team way on the other side of the dungeon would hear a stifled noise and such.

 

This can be done much more easily in the sim however, all a GM has to do is look at one channel of the sim, the one he/she's not GMing, and remain hosting his/her own channel.

 

I kinda wrote this in a rush, so if some clarification is needed on some of this please say so. I hope this helps some...

[DragonHawk]

It's pretty clear.

 

The reason things are done in a team fashion is because everyone is shooting at the sectoid. Do people want me to describe in detailed fashion where each and every one of their bullets go? That can be done.

 

The map thing is useful, whoever GMs Kappa Team usually has something in mind, for at least general direction. With multiple GMs... well, the real trick is that over the internet it's a bit harder to transmit that information.

 

Anyway, as GM, I'm here to do the style that you want, so let me know what it's going to be.

[Strong Bob]

Every individual shot... No, not if everyone's shooting at the same Sectoid. I think it's better to indicate who makes the kill shot and how, while everyone else is assumed to miss, thus resulting in "ACTION Jackson manages to land a shot in the Sectoids head. " rather than "ACTION The Sectoid gets shot in the head.", of course being more detailed than that, but you get the idea right? The kill shot would preferably be determined by the character with the best roleplayed reaction of course.

[Saber Warrior]

Hmmm....in my experience the simmers are posting too fast so by the time I finish responding to the particular shot, they're already posting about a different situation already. Bob, you seen how Kappa simmed; try comparing it with Alpha's pace and you'll see why Ghost and DH gets nuts.

[Loonie]

For me personnaly it isn't that much of a problem to GM a sim that I've planned in advance. However the main problem of course is reading all of the action posts that come from each simmer obviously. Not so much about intergrating them into the next ACTION, I'm actually pretty good at that. But the problem is just reading them fast enough. I've therefore developed a system where I already have a rough sketch of what my next ACTION will be, but I do my best to read every simmers response to the previous one and THEN modify the next ACTION based on what the simmers type. But the downsize of this is that it just stays in the contex which I had pre-planned - meaning that simmers do make a minor impact on how the missions progress but never a major one.

 

That's quite frankly something I'd like to change a lot but...still. I get the feeling XCAS wasn't set up like that originally either...

[Ghost]

Originally, no it wasn't, it was basically an interactive story, but the outcome was pretty much set. However how it was set up originally, doesn't mean we can't change it into becoming more interactive, with multiple possible mission endings etc. The players make the sim, and the sim must evolve over time or it will deteriorate.

There is a saying in dutch which I don't know if it also exists in english: "Stilstand is achteruitgang", which means if something remains still, as it is, that in fact it goes worse as time passes.

[Loonie]

Yes I know. But the problem is obvious. We can't make multiple mission results based on what simmers do with the current layout. Currently Mouse for instance has an idea of how the sim will progress. The moment we start thinking like that we can forget major impacts being done by the simmers.

[DragonHawk]

"We" cannot make multiple mission results? Why not? Just follow it to it's logical conclusion and deal with it.

 

At any rate, a reminder to get some votes in to me. At the time of writing this, I have votes in from Caster, Bob, Saber, Ghost, Loonie... and XCAS_Bot.

 

Remember that a 'no' vote does not keep the status quo active.

 

*EDIT*

 

Just a notation here. Loonie and I talked about his speculation referred previously. I don't believe it contains anything confidential.

 

He was very astute - he told me he thinks that I don't want to be an admin. I don't know how many other people picked this up from the text that has been written elsewhere in this thread, but it was commendable, and I do commend Loonie for it.

 

Is it true though? Partially yes, partially no. As I said, the status quo for admins will change - either I will be ejected or I will assume a larger set of responsibilities. I'm not particularly satisfied with how things are going now - pressure exists to get all sorts of things done, which I can't. As I told a couple of people, with my Kappa Team responsibilities, I don't need other people breathing down my back. Essentially, the vote comes down to either "I shut up, or you shut up" type of scenario. Either I or the sim as a whole will have to give - the middle ground is too dangerous right now.

 

I still love XCAS, still love working on it, but whether I can do it at the demanded pace is questionable. If you want the sim to continue as it is now, then you vote 'yes'. I will step back, I will not interfere. If you don't mind the slowdown in pace that will occur, then you can vote 'no'. But again, I emphasize that I don't want you to vote 'no' just because you don't mind having me in command. I have no intention of calling a vote the week after just because you folks get antsy.

 

So in summary, do I want to be here, as the primary admin? Not really, I can think of less stressful ways to spend my time, but I will respect the wishes of my comrades here in XCAS - if you want a leader, and so elect me, then I will lead, no complaining. I won't shirk my commitments.

[Loonie]

You got a vote from the freaking Bot?!?! I can already guess that insensitive swine's answer heh heh.

[Saber Warrior]

Yes it answered "Loonie's bi! I got the logs! Mwahahahaha!"

[Strong Bob]

DH, I may have said this already but I'd like to put this in stone right here in the forum, I am perfectly free to shift some of the weight off of you any time you need it. Granted, there are some things I CAN'T do, (W/o access to editing the site for example.) whether you need a co-GM or someone to write up something, (ala briefings, UFOpedia thingers) I'll be right here. I just got an ICQ #, despite my utter hatred of Mirabalis, so contact me there if the PM system is too slow.

[Ghost]

Mirabilis doesn't own ICQ anymore, AOL does. Does that make ICQ even more scary? It probably does If you hate ICQ that badly though, I recommend gettingTrillian, which is also a good program, which is a ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, AIM and IRC client in one

[Ego Terrorist]

Okay, I've been following this topic for a while now and I havn't commented mainly due to the fact that my computer crashed twice while writing a post, bah, and the fact that I was quite unsure of what to say with the continuing developments.

 

So for once I will get to the point very quickly.

 

What is the current situation?

 

Is Mouse staying on as Commander?

 

If Mouse is/is not staying as Commander what will happen?

 

With regard to the sims future what is happening?

 

GM's and Admin's I am more confused than ever before (Which is *very* *very* confused, equivalent to the size and proportion to the confusion of the God's as they discuss which is the true God, but in fact as they are all atheist's they don't believe in God's as they know and have proof that they exist and as faith is required for belief in God then none of them exist as proof deny's faith...in other words "Damn I'm confused") As to what the hells going on, is Mouse GMing or will DH be doing more GMing plus any other issue related to the GM's or Admins?

 

Basically I think it should be cleared up for my own sanity and the 'moral' of the simmers as the new members who have joined won't be sure of what's going on, and the rest of us 'plebs' arn't sure as to what's going on. So please can these questions be answered!! Thanks!

[Loonie]

I *think* I can answer those questions though DH, Ghost and Mouse are free to correct me at any point of course:

 

-Current situation is as of yet undetermined as a whole. However some things are certain. I myself have resigned from admin duties and will now only roleplay my character in the forums and in sim and also write a UFOpaedia entry every now and then if I feel like it. GMing is also out for me except when it becomes EXTREMELY urgent. Ghost continues doing what he has always been doing and DH's fate is as of yet undetermined since there was a vote recently so as to see if people want him to keep doing administrative duties or not since he feels it is his fault that things have gone as sour as they have.

 

-Mouse is still Commander of the sim yes. I had proposed that he would step down from that position as I felt that he was no longer fit to hold that title but as it is the majority of the simmers do not feel that would be necessary apparently and therefore in order not to damage his image any MORE than I already have I will not mention this ever again whilst I am in XCAS publically.

 

-Since he is staying as Commander things will not change that much really. Things will stay the same except of course as I've mentioned that as a result I will cease to preform administrative duties since I do not find it enjoyable now and DH will too if he is voted out. However DH will I believe still GM occasionally and help out Ghost and Mouse with sims in that respect but when it comes to planning out the sim or administrative duties or organising he would be out (if he is voted that way of course). So the things that will change is that XCAS is basically one Admin down with another one also perhaps down, otherwise things are the same.

 

-With this last point I cannot say for sure since I've retreated from active administrative duties already. I believe that Howardson is planning a plot for his own saga in XCAS soon but other than that I'm not sure. I think planning however will remain as it always had been though. When it comes to execution of sims those will primarily be done by Mouse and Ghost and perhaps DH. I won't do it anymore unless I really feel the urge (not too likely except perhaps on Saturdays) or if it's a really BAD emergency.

 

::awaits for the corrections from the others heh::

[DragonHawk]

Good questions and good answers. Loonie is pretty much correct. I just wanted to clarify a couple of things.

 

You guys know my position on the relationship between 'player status' and IC rank. Even if Mouse decided to leave, right now, nobody would be promoted to Commander. If someone has a good logical reason for it, then of course it can be done, but unless the logic is indisputable, there will be no changes there. Other ranks are a possibility, but that's all I'm going to say about that. As for the 'why' of mentioning this, this has always been the marker used in the sim prior, which is why I address this change in policy.

 

I agree with the current assessment offered by Loonie though. Things ARE up in the air. With the questionable wording of the voting coming to bite me in the ass, it is quite possible that I will no longer be primary admin in Mouse' absence - however, on the other hand, all of the people I would have otherwise chosen are in support of me staying if I want the position. These no-shows are what is perplexing right now. The whole situation is somewhat distressing - the wording of the vote was structured to include a maximum of maybe four no-shows, not the 12 no-shows I have now. The vote percentage is starting to look like a Canadian municipal election.

 

With regards to future plans, there are quite a few. IonMage's big campaign is the major thing in the works for Alpha Squad. It's been pointed out to me that Loonie's resignation has made me Alpha Admin as well. There may be some restructuring for the more active members of Alpha, including incorporating Yorke more fully into the structure, as well as newer active members like Shadow and Snake Eye. In turn, some people deemed to be support elements will be moved out of the permanent fire teams. I will still be looking for an in-team admin though, because for things like the Alpha Squad plaque, I would prefer to see it kept up to date by someone who will be working with it on a more active basis. The last sim added complications to the storyline as I saw it, but Ghost, Saber, and myself are working on integrating the whole mess together. Regardless, storyline wise, we have plans for the next half year, with IonMage's campaign taking up the lion's share of that.

 

I also want to divorce the admin concept from the GM concept at this point. I will still serve as GM for sims regardless, unless the admins above me decide otherwise. Admin is the term I use to describe the active decision makers outside of the IRC channels. Key word is DECISION. Any admin has to listen to the players though - this is not a fascist governing body, where admnins tell you what to do and you follow to the letter.

 

As always, I appreciate the support shown to me, both in and out of sim, from folks like my preceding admins (Mouse, Brain, Loonie), XCAS old-timers (Ghost, Saber, Ego, CZ, Skonar, Techno, IonMage), and the newer batch of relatively active players (Caster, Bob, Atz, Shadow). I openly admit that I'm not even close to the calibre of my predecessors and with an uncertain future after graduation in April, I will likely be pursuing different focusses for the sim as well - some of you may already have guessed or been told what those are. I want to emphasize what I said in my earlier posts though. The difference between previous admins and myself is that I know my limits (I have no intention of burning out), and that I am here to support the players. What I want is not relevant; let me know what YOU want and I will do my best to make it happen. I'm here for you guys, and that's all. While I'm still around, we'll fight to make XCAS all that it can be.

[DragonHawk]

*poke*

 

It's dead Jim.

 

 

A 1/3 vote is hardly acceptable, considering how many players I'm missing. I'm actively waiting for votes from Mouse, IonMage, CZ, and Ego. Many others are inactive and thus are not going to be counted unless they speak up. This list includes Necro, Atz, Biohazard, Schizo, and Chung. Other votes that are not expected are from Bradly and Stax, due to the fact that they are somewhat new.

[Loonie]

Hahah, well good luck to you DH. Hopefully people will respond soon and stop this all too successfull imitation of Canadian municipal elections and Slovenian school president voting

[Ego Terrorist]

Ah, well I suppose I shall vote:

 

I am quite happy with you as admin as long as you're happy with the positon and responsability, and you have my full support.

 

So...um...yeah...

 

...well what else can I say...

 

...oh yeah, I'll try to remember to finish off the Phaser Corpse and I'll begin on the Aeron after that...

 

...but ...yeah... :alien2:

[DragonHawk]

lol, thanks guys.

[Strong Bob]

The Daedalus entry also needs doing, along with an update to the list of tech... Ahem... ::Gives DH a questioning look to see if he's gotten a response to the site access question::

[DragonHawk]

Mouse did the Daedalus entry two weeks ago to reflect the research of Utopia Weed and the release of new projects, Bob.

 

Site access, no, Pete apparently doesn't like me enough to respond to emails.

 

I will modify the Daedalus entry when I get the laser rifle confirmed.

[Loonie]

Mouse did the Daedalus entry two weeks ago to reflect the research of Utopia Weed and the release of new projects, Bob

 

!!!!!

 

*BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ* WRONG!!!

 

I did that. And I think it was 3 or 4 weeks ago not 2.