New Feature Changes In The Site

[Gossamer]

The Plan To Assist Mizahar's Current Situation

As some of you might be aware, there's been some issues lately on the game having major stalling problems due to staffing and the misuse of the help desk as a sort of surrogate game wide DS. In an attempt to correct these problems, recruit more staff, and smooth out operations to ensure the continuation of Mizahar the following policies are going to be put into effect immediately.

Feel free to weigh in your thoughts and let us know what you think or even give us any further suggestions. These new policies are the direct result of player and staff input. It is my hope that such new steps will jumpstart Mizahar in the right direction. Treat them as a course correction on this giant voyage we are all on as writers together.

Clearly Define The Purpose
and Scope Of The HD

We've never really clearly outlined what the Help Desk (HD) should and shouldn't be used for. Below is a firm list of what belongs in there. All other issues should be directed to Storytellers or the Question and Answer Forum.

• Special Permissions (races, abilities, backgrounds, konti gifts, talderian animals, lost disciplines etc)
• Complaints & Concerns (ToU violations, rules violations)
• Suggestions (Game Mechanics, Bugs, etc)
• Identification of OOC Problems (Conflicting Lore Entries, etc)
• NPCs
• Gnosis Permissions (any and all levels)

Close Domains That Have No Storytellers

The Following cities (i.e. Domains) will be closed (or remain closed if closed already) upon the next season change if storytellers aren’t found. There are several cities without storytellers currently that aren’t on the list because they have ST applications pending in the HD that look promising.

The Syliras Region:

• Ravok

The Taldera Region:

• Avanthal, The Spires

The Kalea Region:

• Denval, Kalinor

The Falyndar Region:

• Zinrah, Black Rock

The Cyphrus Region:

• Kenash, Xy

The Eyktol Region:

• Yahebah, Hai, Ahnatep, Eloab

Island Nations:

• Mura

Upon Closure, this is what will happen:

• Players will be asked to immediately move to a city that has a storyteller overseeing it. There will be no cost for this move and the players may assume Wind Eagles took their PCs to their intended destination within one to five days. From here on out we will call this ‘migrating’ and it needs to be added to a pc’s SS thread if it happens. PCs that have left a domain because a storyteller has left will be considered “Migrating Out”. This Migrating Out will only happen at season change, but will happen EVERY time a city looses storyteller representation.
  
• Domains will be noted as open or closed in their titles.
  
• Ongoing threads from previous seasons will be grandfathered (meaning no one else may join them) and should be role played out as quickly as possible, wrapping them up. No new threads can be posted in a now ‘closed’ domain, this includes Flashbacks.
  
• If a Storyteller agrees to take on a city, former players that have migrated out, will be allowed to migrate back in to their former city ANYTIME after the storyteller becomes active. This will be called “Migrating In” and it will also be free of charge and take anywhere from one to five days to complete timestamp wise. If a storyteller fails to remain active, “Migrating Out” will happen again at season change or no new migrating inward will be allowed. Players who were not at the city previously will not be allowed to Migrate In. They must move about the game as normal taking in travel costs and travel times per usual.

Clearly Defining The Scope and Range Of The Storyteller

• The result of this definition has been posted here.
• Feel free to weigh in and comment.

Ask Current Staff To AGREE to Staff Expectations

• All staff will be asked to ‘sign’ a Staff Expectations post that clearly outlines their duties.
• The thread for that is here.

Create an Ongoing Staff Training Program to help ensure Staff Success.

• This is underway via a Team that Balderdash is putting together and spearheading.
• Feel free to contact Balderdash if you'd like to assist with this.
• More will be heard on this topic in the near future.

[Otaia]

I think these policies would be quite beneficial, but I do have one question. If someone were to apply to ST in one of the closed regions, and got the position, would the region be re-opened?

[Gossamer]

Good Question.

They will be opened immediately and those PCs that might have had to 'Migrate Out' and have that noted in their SS thread will be IMMEDIATELY allowed to 'Migrate In' at the same free cost and rapid speed. However, if the new Storyteller washes out or doesn't follow through, the region will be closed again at the next season change and everyone who has returned or started under that new staffer's volunteer time will be asked to 'Migrate Out' again because the city will be closed.

[Rathe]

That's a great question Otaia. I was wondering the same thing.

Aside from that, I LOVE the new rules. I was excited to read them. I think it'll help out a lot with the activity issues, etc. Even having a PC in one of the domains that might be closing is kind of fun. It'll open up a whole new world of adventure that it wouldn't have otherwise and it'll allow me to thread with a whole new group of people. I'm liking that part very much!

Edit to add one more question.
If we do get migrated out, is the addition to the SS thread automatic or do we need to ask for it to be added?

[Gossamer]

One more question someone asked me on AIM was simply this. How do PC's explain away their Migrations? Can they be magical or god related?

The answer is simply we don't care so long as its NOT over the top. The assumption is that your pc hitched a ride on a Wind Eagle. However, if you want Dorthy's Aunts house to get picked up by a twister again and Dorthy lands in Oz.... that's fine with me. Just keep it IN THEME.

[Gossamer]

If you need something added to an SS thread, ALWAYS ASK because if you assume it will get added, odds are it won't. You just have you to worry about. We have dozens of yous to keep track of and we forget sometimes to make notes like we should.

[Achenar]

This sounds like it will help out a lot, but I also have a question!

Are flashback threads still alright to carry out in the closed cities if they were already posted there before the closing? Or can flashback threads be allowed anytime?

[Gossamer]

No new threads will be allowed in closed domains, this includes Flashbacks All ongoing threads will be allowed to finish out in domains that suddenly get closed, including Flashbacks.

[Elias Caldera]

While I am inspired by the latest surge of eager and talented prospects racing to help out, I don't need to remind anyone that many storytellers have an unfortunate habit of burning out and disappearing at the most inopportune times, usually just as they're getting started. It might not be the case for this latest batch, but in the future it could prove an issue.

What may be open one season could have its entire population abruptly relocated the very next, which could seriously be disastrous if it ever happens to one of the major cities. An ST may also go inactive towards the very end of a season, which might mean a sudden and taxing shift with little warning.

These are circumstances you could nip in the bud now by installing a grace period of a single season in between STs, so as to leave a more malleable amount of room for someone else to take up the mantle. I imagine this might prove less of a burden to both staff and the player base as well.

Edit: It wouldn't be enforced this time, obviously, just in the future.

[Gossamer]

I hope you can trust us to make wise decisions in regards to Storytellers. I assure you we are not letting just anyone join staff. We've never done that nor will we ever do that.

We haven't lowered our standards. If anything, we've raised them. At least two of the current applications we've gotten in the HD thus far have been some of the best we've ever seen. These are new storytellers, and in some of the applications that are coming in... utterly new players to the site who have been here the required time to apply and show no signs of having the burnout that some of the long time players have.