No opinions?

[Calan Caitin]

First of all, i will lock this thread. And i will also reply to the questions when i get to it. I just can't take another "all the things that are wrong with everything".

So our opinions shouldn't be expressed? Or is there another post we should direct this to? Please do explain where the hurt and fault is in posting such things.

[+Colibri]

...........

[Calan Caitin]

What? We have no other way of communicating with you other than the forums. How long has it been for the last 2 patches? No word on either of them. You make the change on retrieving bios in the last 2 weeks without making mention of the change. You lock my post regarding these changes and expect me to just be quiet about it? You message to me via game was non-repliable and was vague on top of it... All I am asking for is to for us to be informed of what is going on. Is that really that big of a deal for you? Is it really too much to ask for?

[Kile Morgan]

I think stating that when you say you will post the update log then instead do another update there is reason to ask why.

Perhaps there would not be what you describe as everything is wrong if you did so.

I politely asked months ago that the codex be updated to include the unwritten rule that seem to be enforced, still waiting and the person who promised other then +Colibri is mia I see.

I appreciate it takes time, I have run out of the forums because I didn't want to get into any of this any more as I get tired of being hounded on other shards by gerks who think what I say in here or pm's makes me a target(by the way his name was Haraback not Harrasback so next time whoever you are spell it right before calling me the a s and f words before getting anned for doing the same to the owner)

I'd personally like to know the current cost for a vendor in tc and tok and be told before an increase in charge is made. Don't think it's too much to ask as I agreed to 10k not what 30k. I mean I don't even know if it's true or rumor.

I never said everything was wrecked or any of that. I did say things should be up front and stop making global rules if you just want to say affect Fel. The more up front you are(staff) the less appearance of impropriety there is.

There is something wrong if people are talking about it. Locking the thread is like making yourself almost completely uncontactable. It is looked at as you don't care. Just donate and leave me alone. While I think instead it's you are tired of some of it I don't think it's the way to go. Only builds resentment in some.

Last week you helped me with discovering my firebeetle problem. A problem that before a coupe of the same two staff members who seem to think being staff is not a duty but a perk and have never read the codex told me I was wrong about. I wanted to talk to you about some of the garbage but I didn't. Didn't want to bother the one staff member who seemed to actually care, was I wrong in this? (Edit:I.E. do you really want a discussion about any of it, no do you actually care)

I'm tired and on these stupid painkillers called Norico, I already said I didn't want to post in here any more or in the condition these stupid things put me in. I'm not excusing myself and useing them as such but I'm tired. If I'm wrong tell me, anyone. But I've tried to be respectful and not insulting. Do the same in response.

[Calan Caitin]

You know what? Never mind. People here are too cowed to voice their opinions on anything. I just had an argument with Azure and she told me to shut up because she was afraid Coli would ban not only me but her again. I guess this is the environment that has been established and is what to be expected. A rather Gestapo mentality... so be it...

Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny.
- Aeschylus

Of all human ills, greatest is fortune's wayward tyranny.
- Sophocles

I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
- Thomas Jefferson

[fingers]

I did get jailed 3 days for expressing myself here. So yah, I would say use theses boards with caution.

[Calan Caitin]

It doesn't matter to me anymore. You sheep can deal with it as you see fit.

Sic Semper Tyrannis

[Tael]

Too much drama. Take a break or something.

[Calan Caitin]

Too much drama. Take a break or something.

I would really like to tell you what to do with your opinion also, but what does it matter? Your thoughts on this matter as little as mine do, so I guess we are all living in a state of Zen in our own minds.

[Kile Morgan]

Please don't or at least try not to feel like that. Being morose and depressed, one step for the abyss, boring, or just plain tired is my job. Remember what you told me when I was last like that in the who cares area?

As for the other comment by the other poster, you don't want to talk drama. I could burn your soul with my real work real drama. This is nothing but game problems and perhaps some people feeling persecuted. On both sides perhaps. Not that I am belittling their problems or feelings, again on both sides.

[Kaiana]

While I think Calan is a bit angry at the moment and saying things he doesn't really mean, I agree with his reason for being angry.

Colibri, we all love this shard, as I have said to you in PMs. We all play here nearly every day and many of us give you money to keep it running, not only for the ED benefits but because we like it. Even getting kewl items wouldn't be enough for me to donate if I didn't like a server.

Calan is upset because there was a long-standing rule here that was changed without our knowledge, and because of that rule being changed, a member of his guild, a young guy who everyone pretty much has heard in global, lost a bio that was a birthday present for him. Being that the change was not informed upon us in any way anywhere on the forums or ingame, I don't think it is unreasonable for him to ask for the service for free for this time, and have to pay should it ever happen again. That was what set Calan off. Based on the way it happened, I think the staff member responding (no idea who it was but I'd imagine it was Hina since she was the only one I've seen in global in the last few hours) should have had the authority to look at the situation and say "Yes, this rule wasn't really publicly changed, so for this time we will allow you to get the bio back in the old way which was common knowledge, and in the future you will have to pay the fee, now that you know the rule."

One could say "ignorance of the rules is not an excuse," but since the rules update was never posted, this shouldn't have been an issue, and yet it was.

Then Calan came here to ask about it, and while his post was a bit...emotional, he made some good points, and then everyone else who chimed in started talking about the things that they had issues with as well. We have no forum for such a thing. As Calan said, it is no longer possible to PM you directly. I'm sure that's because you used to have inboxes full of PMs that would go on for miles, but what you really need is help dealing with that load, not to ignore us, or to lock the post that was being created. We're not trying to hate on you personally or trash talk the server...we're voicing our opinions for the betterment of the server. We all would love to help you with this stuff I'm sure, but some of us don't have the knack for programming required to program modifications to the server code. I don't know what I expect of you from this post, just that you read the things people are saying and take them into conscience. What you really need though, as I said, is more help. I don't know if you pay your GMs but I'm sure that plenty of us here who do have programming skills would gladly help with the server. I certainly would if I knew C#. And now that I'm unemployed for the most part, maybe I will learn it.

I also understand why you locked the thread....long day, lots of problems to come home to. But maybe what you should have done was let the topic run its course as it's now doing, THEN locked it and read it. You told me that you didn't want to have to read the whole thing only to read ten more posts that were made while you were reading it, and that's reasonable. So leave it be and come back later All of us will still be here and the thread will have calmed down.

I think the main reason people are upset is because they feel their voices are not being heard. If I'm wrong, well...people, tell me. And I think on Coli's end the problem is that he's only one man and there is a LOT to respond to here. Coli, you need some more staffers. Volunteers.

And you should designate a staffer that is in charge of posting regular updates on rule changes and server modifications so that in the future this doesn't happen. I'm sure if Calan's guildie had simply been allowed the return of his pet under old rules and informed of the change, none of these feelings would have arisen. Am I wrong?

Anyway....I love you guys, the server, and everything. Calan, Coli, everyone :p So let's all calm down and discuss it like civilized people

[Tahris Nayloc]

As someone who takes breaks from gaming when I get too invested, I'm looking at this from an outside perspective.

This whole thing has gotten totally out of hand. I understand being frustrated about changes being made and I understand being frustrated when it seems that staff aren't responding to "your needs." Honestly though, it seems that every person who makes a comment about what's wrong on this shard ultimately feels that the ONLY correct answer is whatever spews from their mouth.

Calan, view it from +Coli's perspective. You have a thread going that is blatantly rude and outspoken over a "lack of communication issue". This also inspires other players to make similar posts of that nature. Whether you realize it or not, there is a difference between making a suggestion and demanding change because you don't like how it is being handled. The lack of respect, the blatant arrogance in that last thread...honestly no wonder he locked it. If I were a shard owner, I'd have locked it as well. +Coli posted that he'd respond to your questions, but that he was locking it because all of the negativity was not helping him to process your queries. Then you follow it up with a second thread calling him out. Your "tyranny" tirade is petty and immature. I have played on shards where you could call it a "tyranny." This is not one.

+Coli is an INDIVIDUAL who is making choices over the shard in an effort to help the community as a whole. He also has a life outside of the game, which I can only assume is very busy. As I understand it, he doesn't even play UO anymore, he just comes on as admin to help run things. Maybe he's overlooked updating a few things. Give the man a break already! I don't really know what motivates him to continue keeping Excelsior running, but I can guarantee you the tirades of players are not part of it.

Leaving him time to respond to your previous post was the very least you could have done.

[Melkor]

I thought about posting this in another thread, but I don't want to start another thread even if its only loosely related.

Perhaps we should have an area in forums, maybe a sub-section of the Suggestions section. This area could be called something like "Complaints and Rants". In this area people could be free to make suggestions, complains and have rants. Then discuss it together.

I'm thinking, a big part of the process of complaints here is the medium. Sometimes you can get an email or a text and formulate an opinion of what the writer is either trying to express or what he/she is feeling, and it is completely different from the one that the writer has.

If we had this type of forum, it could be like a "here's what i think, no offense intended". Something along the mentality, the staff don't need to take offense to, because they created the forum, and people could speak their minds.

Posting a complaint in the General Discussion forums doesn't seem like the right place, but if there is no where else, where can people do it. In this manner it is easy for both sides, players and staff, to get into an unpleasant situation, when one really isn't needed or intended.

Obviously, personal attacks and such would not be tolerated.

Just an idea.

Melkor

[+Rayne]

I respectfully disagree with the notion of creating a thread for complaining, temper tantrums, rumors and the like. If you visit an ice cream shop and you do not like their prices, their services or any other number of things you wish to rant about, they will most certainly kick you out of the store if you begin to rant. More so, they do not have a complaint board, or a complaint section on their website, where people can discuss all of the things they hate. Why? Because there is no need to regard negativity with any esteem. If one wants to make rants, throw temper tantrums, associate in rumor discussion, rebel against the authority, then they may do so on their own time, in their own facility, not on the owners time or in the owners facility. Nor would such things be made available upon "entering" the owners property. Now in cases in life where there is injustice, people will seek a place of refuge somewhere else, where they can discuss and argue and rant, and that is their right. But they do not have the right to do it here.

This domain name, this forum module and the ability to speak within this module are the property of +Colibri. He may choose as he will what is and is not allowed at any given moment. Though he is very reasonable, (sometimes too reasonable) and chooses to be most considerate, beyond anything he is wished to do. For he doesn't have to do anything he does not want to do. And equally he may do as he pleases and rightfully so, as this is his property. As for the game, it is also his property, as in the equipment that enables him to offer the game to the public belongs to him. He could remove the ability to access it and it would no longer be. He could remove the ability to access this domain name, and it would no longer be available, as it is his property, and he may do with it as he pleases.

I believe this is an important lesson for everyone to understand. I expect to get many replies about "freedom of speech" and "I know my rights", etc, however when it comes to entering someone else's property, you no longer have those rights. When you are entering the "door" of someone's home, you no longer have those rights because that is private property. This domain and it's entirety is private property with an open door. We allow the majority to enter in, but we still have 100% rights to do as we please. Now again, we do not take advantage of that. +Colibri is very considerate and will only execute certain procedures when he deems it necessary. It is his right to inact any rule, cease any conversation and revoke any person's invitation to "enter this door" as he sees fit.

I do hope very soon that everyone will be able to finally get this. It is such a tiring subject, and I really hate explaining things that are in fact common sense.

Goodnight Excelsior and sleep well. Rest your minds and your eyes.

+Rayne

[Ceara]

I have played on shards where you could call it a "tyranny." This is not one.

Couldn't agree more. I've seen some whoppers out there...

I agree that any changes should have a change log, instead of surprises. That is... of course, if it's a GOOD surprise then it's totally different. hehe

I've played many many games in my time and I have not seen one (until now) that did not post a change log.

It kinda sucks to be a player and have the proverbial rug ripped out from underneath with unannounced changes. But I also understand the position of the staff. They just want to implement the changes and be done with it without hearing negativity. Who really likes negativity anyway?

If the staff is overworked and feels under appreciated, then it's time to appoint new helpers. And fast. Remember the shard is growing rapidly and it's only going to become more difficult for staff down the road without additional organization and planning.

You will need

Staff available from many time zones around the globe
Staff for answering help pages only
Staff just for special events
Staff for general world design
Forum helpers
Someone to handle typing change logs/update info
Trust that your chosen helpers will do well, which will reduce stress levels to current staff

You're never, ever going to please people 100%. But it's up to you to not allow negative comments to wear you down. After all it's just words on a computer screen.

Words, words, they're coming to get you! Letters and punctuation. Oh no! RUN AWAY!!

PS If you want more gold sinks, I have great ideas for the deco room. But no one listens to little 'ol me. *cough* white marble fireplace *cough* Oh and don't allow the raffle tables to be empty, ever.