Global Perk Point System - Suggestions/Comments

[Gossamer]

For those of you who are familiar with the old perk point system, I'm looking to reinstate it today or tomorrow on a global scale. A lot of characters utilized in Riverfall and other cities utilized this system and gained in-character perks for out of character development. These were mostly magic items, gold, and even one individual earned themselves a house doing work for the site.

I released the program to other staffers to install in their cities after a test period in Riverfall with the understanding that the point values would stay the same and there wouldn't be sort of 'Come develop for MY city because I PAY MORE POINTS PER DEVELOPMENT'. Guess what? That's exactly what happened after two short months of being released into the game. This was especially bad in certain cities where the mods doubled the point values from other cities just for developing for them.

Ugh. So it got yanked.

Anyhow, I want to put the system back in and manage it under just one or two people and track everyone game wide with a submission system and a points system.

So, that's you being up to date here.

What I want to know is while I'm working on it tonight etc... does anyone have any suggestions or requests? Are there things you'd like to see rewardable? Development that's included? Any suggestions or grumbles about the previous Perk Point System? I don't see the global one being much different than the original version in Riverfall, but definitely geared towards global development.

And... the only way to get 'rewarded' is to get your development completely finished and installed into the game. That way no unfinished dangling development is going to earn you points. You have to see it through.

So.... let me know what you think?

[Anthere]

Personally, I haven't had much exposure to the perk point system. So this will be a little rant about thoughts and possibilities.

One thing I saw Neo point out in the Lhavit development thread is that "It encourages people to make random things that don't fit anywhere or make any sense for free items." Despite this, I feel like there could be a way for the system to work. I feel like there needs to be a better way to explain how the items were obtained. I feel like if there was a thread to describe and act out the PC obtaining the item, it could be more believable, and more realistic. At the same time, a lot of STs don't have the time to write out someone getting one little thing. Therefore, it could possibly be something for which we have established guest storytellers. Then again, I'm not sure if we have enough GSTs... There could always be a "Perk Points GST" sign up sheet. I would think they would have to be heavily regulated by the "one or two people."

I feel like not a lot of people would be willing to "develop for the sake of the location," but even I would be more motivated if I could get something out of it IC.

Another thing I'd like to see would be some sort of development thread or subform in all the active cities. I know Alvadas doesn't have one, and I'm sure other ones don't too.

[Gossamer]

Neo probably doesn't realize she doesn't have to APPROVE random things that were created for Lhavit nor put them in. That's a DS's domain anyhow, not really an AS duty. That would be up to the ST of the area (or the WD forge folks) to accept or decline say a location. Items that are 'prizes' aren't awarded to a pc and slapped into their inventory. Basically what happens is they are given permission to somehow acquire, through RP, the item (or say a house they purchased), in thread. So that should eliminate two of your concerns. I never accepted everything in RF, just the things that made sense and needed to be developed. Plus I ran little development contests - name this image - type things for rewards as well. I think its wholly STUPID for a staffer to feel they have to accept everything people throw at them. If we did that in the HD, Miz would be a mess and definitely not on theme. Unfortunately we have a lot of 'don't want to hurt their feelings' when people submit things like an expresso stand in a miz tech level society. I don't think, for example, coffee houses fit Miz's theme AT ALL and yet Mods still go 'omg cool' and let them get put in. That goes for other types of things too... tea houses, gourmet restaurants, etc. Any time we apply modern ideas to Miz it tends to kill something inside me. I mean for Gods Sake someone put in a Sushi Hut in one of the domains. Yea. Not kidding. So in order for them to be rewarded, they have to get their stuff accepted by their local storytellers and put in. If that storyteller puts something in that doesn't make sense, shame on them. But it is what it is and I can't control that or people trying to be nice or popular or whatever their motivations are.

[Ball]

Hmm I like the idea, they always seem to boost development and such, but as you Gossamer said, they didn't work well in regards to keeping fairness (between cities as it seems) or with canon (adding things that aren't necessarily part of the theme or realm), now don't get me wrong. I think this will work great though if there was a level of rules and maybe some idea of how it would extend to the cities themselves, or ICly.

I mean I wouldn't expect like "Gnosis Quest" or something by maybe something a bit more. I agree with there needs to be an incentive, and points systems do it, but how would you go about governing this?

Rewards aside, I am more curious as to how the overall idea would be governed, who is allowed to award points? Who is going to keep track?

[Azmere]

Everything seems to be really well thought out from this guy's viewpoint. Anthere and Ball mentioned some very valid concerns but it seems Goss has them covered.

I really like the GST idea as well. Nivel has already begun a GST test group (for lack of a better phrase). I have found Miz to be full of experienced RPers who simply lack the time to be a fulltime ST but enjoy doing a thread or two on occasion. I think with the proper advertising and a user-friendly interface the system will do well. Who doesn't want more loot, right?

It's you and me against the world.

[Gossamer]

As of right now, in lue of no Scribes, I'd be administering it. If the pace of development doesn't change, then that means ZERO extra work for me and I can keep it fair and even, awarding the same points globally and eliminating the 'my domain offers more points than your domain' bs that happened before.

I would not have a say in ST's accepting or rejecting development for domains... unless its another sushi hut idea then I might mention how inappropriate it was. WD would involve articles completed and placed into the Wiki which is easy to track.

I'd update once a week unless I got one responsible volunteer who wants to cover it or we got Scribes in place.

[Ball]

That works for me. Sorry I should've assumed you would be running it for the time being, but yeah totally fair though, hopefully you find someone suitable for Scribes?

[Sayana]

I was wondering if the would be any incentives for graders and peer reviewers. It would be unfortunate if we had all these wonderful articles with no one willing or interested in reviewing them. It would also be unfortunate if all (or most) of our graders stopped grading entirely to focus on WD articles instead. Perhaps a smaller form of reward for these sorts of tasks? I think that writing an article and seeing it through is much more challenging and should still be the focus of this reward system.

[Gossamer]

We had perk points in place and up and running during the grading program. It didn't influence the graders. I think WD article writers are in charge of gaining reviewers for their works. They simply need to ask their friends. There are some perks for lore editors and proof readers already.

[Nivel]

I don't think I would stop grading to make lore articles and I don't think the other active graders would ether, Grading is just too important. We could always add prizes to our grading parties although bragging rights are probably good enough.

I feel like most of the time you just need to do a thing that reminds people to do a thing. If rewards remind people to create lore than they probably will. I actually have a few ideas for development that I have just been too lazy/buzy to finish.