Anything I say in this post is strictly my blunt opinion, and it should not be taken as an attack on anybody. It is hard to convey tone in text, so bare with me.
The RPG in general (CDBZ included) just isn't working like it used to back before the turnover and the loss of the stat system that allowed the members to do their stats themselves. I think that a good portion of the problem with activity could come from there not being any real incentive to do anything, let alone write.
The old stat system we had under Jeroen (however ghetto it was), gave everybody something to look forward to every week, and compare their stats to others and such. While the new system(s) offered something similar, they're tedious in upkeep, and with only one or two people really updating anything (I can think of one that busts their ass on this board and deserves some kind of award, and I say that without partiality and with no offense to anybody else), it is difficult to give interest when there is no interest from the people who are running it, and waiting long periods of time (even going into over a week or more before something is updated) is very discouraging.
This is going to sound like me being an asshole, and this is difficult for me to say, much less say in a manner that could be taken as something that perhaps should be given some consideration. It's not going to make me popular, but here goes: Being staff should not be a glorified Super Best Friends club. You can still be good friends and not have a special place in the Staff Club. Reserve that for people who do stuff to keep the place running. The very definition of staff (according to Dictionary.com) is
If you're not doing something to keep things going, or bring ideas in and get something productive going, then its time to cut dead weight and see if bringing new blood in who can. Right now, as it stands, it feels like the entire place is rather stagnant and it's just groundhog day, day after day. There's nothing NEW or anything to whet people's appetites to write. There's no TEASERS. There's no new items, no new features (however small they are). Not asking for a complete revamp, but what about patches to introduce a couple of new things a month or something and writing a teaser post to give something for everybody to look forward to. If there is a REASON to write, I can guarantee that activity all around will pick up, even if it is slow to start.
I've been staff before, so I know how both sides operate, however brief my tenure was. There used to be some action going on behind the scenes, but try to see it from the point of view of the member. If there's nothing going on over here, not even some kind of teaser, or newsbit, something to engage interest and anticipation, it's going to look like nobody cares. If the people who are supposed to care no longer appear to care, then why should anyone else? Anryia is your guys' vision, and I feel that at least giving people a lead in of some sort could stimulate interest.
I think the point Reb is trying to make is that we're at a point where we need someone to take a lead. Not asking for a massive post that people are just going to give up on a few paragraphs in, just something as an introduction to get people interested and anticipate writing for it.
A note here is that I brought up the stat system as an example, and not just an excuse to bitch about it.
Again, no disrespect intended with this post, and I really hope it helps.
The RPG in general (CDBZ included) just isn't working like it used to back before the turnover and the loss of the stat system that allowed the members to do their stats themselves. I think that a good portion of the problem with activity could come from there not being any real incentive to do anything, let alone write.
The old stat system we had under Jeroen (however ghetto it was), gave everybody something to look forward to every week, and compare their stats to others and such. While the new system(s) offered something similar, they're tedious in upkeep, and with only one or two people really updating anything (I can think of one that busts their ass on this board and deserves some kind of award, and I say that without partiality and with no offense to anybody else), it is difficult to give interest when there is no interest from the people who are running it, and waiting long periods of time (even going into over a week or more before something is updated) is very discouraging.
This is going to sound like me being an asshole, and this is difficult for me to say, much less say in a manner that could be taken as something that perhaps should be given some consideration. It's not going to make me popular, but here goes: Being staff should not be a glorified Super Best Friends club. You can still be good friends and not have a special place in the Staff Club. Reserve that for people who do stuff to keep the place running. The very definition of staff (according to Dictionary.com) is
Quote:staff [staf, stahf] noun, plural staffs for 1–5, 9; staves [steyv] or staffs adjective, verb
noun
1.
a group of persons, as employees, charged with carrying out the work of an establishment or executing some undertaking.
If you're not doing something to keep things going, or bring ideas in and get something productive going, then its time to cut dead weight and see if bringing new blood in who can. Right now, as it stands, it feels like the entire place is rather stagnant and it's just groundhog day, day after day. There's nothing NEW or anything to whet people's appetites to write. There's no TEASERS. There's no new items, no new features (however small they are). Not asking for a complete revamp, but what about patches to introduce a couple of new things a month or something and writing a teaser post to give something for everybody to look forward to. If there is a REASON to write, I can guarantee that activity all around will pick up, even if it is slow to start.
I've been staff before, so I know how both sides operate, however brief my tenure was. There used to be some action going on behind the scenes, but try to see it from the point of view of the member. If there's nothing going on over here, not even some kind of teaser, or newsbit, something to engage interest and anticipation, it's going to look like nobody cares. If the people who are supposed to care no longer appear to care, then why should anyone else? Anryia is your guys' vision, and I feel that at least giving people a lead in of some sort could stimulate interest.
I think the point Reb is trying to make is that we're at a point where we need someone to take a lead. Not asking for a massive post that people are just going to give up on a few paragraphs in, just something as an introduction to get people interested and anticipate writing for it.
A note here is that I brought up the stat system as an example, and not just an excuse to bitch about it.
Again, no disrespect intended with this post, and I really hope it helps.
Man alone measures time.
Man alone chimes the hour.
And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear no other creature endures.
A fear of time running out.
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper