February 2003
- Announcing Game Programming Gems 4 Andrew Kirmse
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Brian Hook
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Paul Schwanz
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Sasha Hart
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Brian Hook
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Koster, Raph
- Secondary characters as a mechanic adam
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Ted L. Chen
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Brian Hook
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Rayzam
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Sasha Hart
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Michael Tresca
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Serafina Pechan
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Damion Schubert
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Sasha Hart
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Secondary characters as a mechanic John Buehler
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Edward Glowacki
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Brian Hook
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Wes Connell
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Harrok
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Brian Hook
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Richard Aihoshi aka Jonric
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Brian Hook
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Sasha Hart
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Adam
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Russ Whiteman
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Valerio Santinelli
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Adam Burr
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Valerio Santinelli
- Secondary characters as a mechanic Adam Burr
- Limited character lifespans Dan Shiovitz
- Limited character lifespans Richard Krush
- Limited character lifespans Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
- Limited character lifespans Peter "Pietro" Rossmann
- Limited character lifespans shren
- Limited character lifespans Paul Cobb
- Limited character lifespans Rayzam
- Limited character lifespans Sasha Hart
- Limited character lifespans Paul Schwanz
- Limited character lifespans Damion Schubert
- Limited character lifespans David H. Loeser Jr.
- How to Find a VC Michael Tresca
- How to Find a VC Koster, Raph
- How to Find a VC Amanda Walker
- How to Find a VC Marc Fielding
- Re:Secondary characters as a mechanic Thiago Moraes
- AP Wire story on activism in MMOG games Marc Fielding
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Chris
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Paul Schwanz
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Dave Rickey
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? John Buehler
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Damion Schubert
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? John Buehler
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? ceo
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Marian Griffith
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Dave Rickey
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Lee Sheldon
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? J C Lawrence
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Paul Schwanz
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? J C Lawrence
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Lee Sheldon
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? J C Lawrence
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Ron Gabbard
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Damion Schubert
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Paul Schwanz
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Zach Collins {Siege}
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Amanda Walker
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Amanda Walker
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? J C Lawrence
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Chris Holko
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Dave Rickey
- MMORPG, buildings, is it bad to be just props? Koster, Raph
- Predictive models for churn in subscription based games Scott A. Farley
- Predictive models for churn in subscription based games Damion Schubert
- Mud Servers on RedHat Linux 7.2 Coyote
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Ron Gabbard
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Sasha Hart
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Paul Schwanz
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Damion Schubert
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Ron Gabbard
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Marc Fielding
- Protecting the Player's Suspension of Disbelief Serafina Pechan
- Asian markets research question Dr. Cat
- MUD-Dev conference J C Lawrence
- MUD-Dev conference J C Lawrence
- Re:Secondary characters as a mechanic Thiago Moraes
- Re:Secondary characters as a mechanic Sasha Hart
- Gaming 'is good for you' Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Gaming 'is good for you' Daniel
- Skill vs Knowledge (was: Brand Loyalty) ceo
- Skill vs Knowledge (was: Brand Loyalty) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- FW: Cultural impact on Muds (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Damion Schubert
- Cultural impact on Muds Matt Mihaly
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Rudy Fink
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Damion Schubert
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Matt Mihaly
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Marc Fielding
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Matt Mihaly
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? eric
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? J C Lawrence
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Matt Mihaly
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? eric
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Matt Mihaly
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Zach Collins {Siege}
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? eric
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Matt Mihaly
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? Steven J. Owens
- Justification for audit trails in guilds? chrep@hotmail.com
- New issue of the Daedalus Project Koster, Raph
- New issue of the Daedalus Project Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Movie-Making Games (Was Spam: Star Wars Galaxies: 1 character per server) Damion Schubert
- Movie-Making Games (Was Spam: Star Wars Galaxies: 1 character per server) Damion Schubert
- Threading and Queues (What Fun) Ben Chambers
- Threading and Queues (What Fun) Sean Miller
- Threading and Queues (What Fun) szii@sziisoft.com
- Threading and Queues (What Fun) lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Marian Griffith
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Scott Miller - Intelligent Life Games
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Thomas Tomiczek
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) J C Lawrence
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Scott Miller - Intelligent Life Games
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Travis Casey
- A new game paradigm (was: Star Wars Galaxies) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Weston Fryatt
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Edward Glowacki
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Edward Glowacki
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Thomas Tomiczek
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Bruce Mitchener
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Thomas Tomiczek
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design ceo
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Damion Schubert
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Jeremy Noetzelman
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Weston Fryatt
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Jeremy Noetzelman
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Weston Fryatt
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Weston Fryatt
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Damion Schubert
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Derek Licciardi
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design ceo
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Sean Kelly
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design John Buehler
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Sean Kelly
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Thomas Tomiczek
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Keith Brewer
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design J C Lawrence
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Mike Shaver
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Keith Brewer
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Mike Shaver
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design Ted L. Chen
- Movie-Making Games (Was Spam: Star Wars Scott Jennings
- Movie-Making Games (Was Spam: Star Wars ceo
- Multithreading: AI, Sockets, Brains, Bodies, and Storage Brian Lindahl
- Multithreading: AI, Sockets, Brains, Bodies, and Storage J C Lawrence
- Multithreading: AI, Sockets, Brains, Bodies, and Storage J C Lawrence
- Multithreading: AI, Sockets, Brains, Bodies, and Storage Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? Tom Sullivan
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? J C Lawrence
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? Tom Sullivan
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? J C Lawrence
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? Mark Cheverton
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? Stephane Boisjoli
- Perl - SOAP/XML - Slow? Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Hourly usage Peter Tyson
- Hourly usage lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- Hourly usage Michael Tresca
- In this corner.representing SCS.The Tyrant! F. Randall Farmer
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Mike Shaver
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Felix A. Croes
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Travis Nixon
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Felix A. Croes
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Felix A. Croes
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Felix A. Croes
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Amanda Walker
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Ted L. Chen
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Ben Hoyt
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Derek Licciardi
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Ben Hoyt
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Felix A. Croes
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Ben Hoyt
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Ben Hoyt
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design lynx@lynx.purrsia.com
- MMORPG/MMOG P2P design Crosbie Fitch
- workload simulation (was: MMORPG/MMOG Server design) Mike Shaver
- MMORPG/MMOG Server design - intel-ligent choices of hardware ; ) ceo
- workload simulation (was: MMORPG/MMOG Server design) ceo
- Team management Peter Harkins
- Team management Tom Sullivan
- Team management Sanvean
<EdNote: Do not top post>
On Tue, 25 Feb 2003, Peter Harkins wrote:
> I'm the admin of a small mud in alpha (described in more detail in
> a mud-dev post on 2002-12-11) and I'm interested in how other
> non-commercial muds out there manage their wizards and such. I'll
> describe our situation and then how we're handling workflow, and
> I'd hope to hear what other folks are doing.
Some things we do on Armageddon:
1) People have specific areas of the world or code that they
"own". They are responsible for answering player questions/issues
regarding that area, for keeping the rest of the staff updated,
for letting the coders know about issues affecting that area,
etc. We keep a list on the staff website that people can consult
if they want to see who's doing what.
2) We take the mud down on Saturdays and work on it then. I post a
thread on our discussion board that people can use to post what
they've done both that day and throughout the week. This gives me
information I need when sending out a weekly mailing to the
players, as well as tracking who's doing what (and how much).
3) Junior staff members are assigned a mentor: a senior staff
member who can help them acclimate, handle issues, let me know if
there are problems, etc. Some senior staff members are better
suited to being mentors than others, and they tend to bear most of
the work of this.
4) Staff members cc the main mud account when emailing players and
each other. One person handles that mail account (me) and while
most of the time I don't do anything with those emails other than
file them in the appropriate folder, it does give me a sense of
who's putting in time and who's not. It also lets me step in if I
see a player who is draining too much time or trying to take
advantage of an inexperienced staff member.
5) Ideas, plot proposals, proposed code changes, etc, all get
posted to our discussion board and discussed at length. We
maintain archives of past posts that can be referred to see how
problems were handled in the past. Again, looking to see who's
posting provides a good idea of who's putting time and thought
into the game and who's not.
6) Similarly, various game clans have their own discussion boards,
and we can look to those to see who's taking care of their clan by
posting news, answering questions, etc.
7) Our hierarchy is relatively flat - we have three levels of
staff members. I've worked on muds with 10 levels and (imo) that's
too much and you end up getting so worried about the granularity
that it's a waste of time. Here's a doc I wrote a couple of years
ago that explains our hierarchy (storyteller, highlord, overlord)
a little better:
--<cut>--
Highlords are, to use a corporate analogy, the middle management of
the mud. As such, they have responsibilities that differ
significantly from those of the Storytellers and Overlords. The
following is an attempt to clarify some of those responsibilities.
In relation to Storytellers, Highlords serve as:
Facilitators. This involves, among other things, working with the
Storytellers on the plots they devise and run. Helping brainstorm
ideas, approving a plot, suggesting ways to fine-tune it or to fit
it in with plots other people are running, helping write scripts,
approving the items and NPCs necessary for it, etc. are all part
of this.
Mentors. Highlords generally have valuable experience to share
with Storytellers, whether it's knowledge of building commands or
types of components, or tips on how to animate three NPCs
simultaneously while running a plot. Highlords come from the ranks
of the Storytellers, and groom their own replacements, and as such
have a responsibility to outfit those upcoming Highlords with the
mental tools and knowledge they'll need later on. One excellent
way to share such experience is, of course, through producing
documentation.
Mediators. Whether it's interpersonal strife, or difficulties with
players, Highlords should work actively to keep the staff running
smoothly as a team. This includes stepping in to arbitrate
personal difficulties, and making sure that Storytellers get along
well (whether they like it or not).
Role models. Highlords should try to act in a way that provides a
reasonably good model for behavior. This doesn't mean be a goody
two shoes, since we all are human (or pretend to be), but civility
and courtesy are appreciated. Similarly, pointlessly griping on
the imm channel about various things such as player behavior is
not encouraged, unless you plan to do something about whatever the
gripe is. Similarly, don't ask a Storyteller to do something -you-
would not be willing to do, i.e. don't demand that someone post
everything they do on the board unless you yourself are providing
an example by doing so. Lead by example.
Recruiters. Highlords often act to recruit new builders, or to
suggest replacements for staff that are stepping down or
leaving. If you've found someone who you think is a good fit for
an empty slot, you should talk to an Overlord about it.
Builders. Don't underestimate the importance of getting
Storytellers to work together on a plotline or project. Part of
your job is to help come up with projects that enhance the MUD
overall, and then to see that a team capable of executing that
project gets assembled and actually does it. Encourage people who
are doing excellent work, and provide feedback that helps them
maintain that excellence and even surpass it. Make criticism
timely and constructive - clearly define what it is you think can
be improved, and how.
Highlords can interact with mortals in a way the Storytellers
cannot. This means answering player questions/concerns when they
wish up about them, or delegating a ST to do so. If a player is
abusing the game, then it is appropriate for you to speak to them
and administer whatever punishment is necessary, up to and including
site bans and freezing. Slaying players callously out of hand should
be left to the Overlords. A note on wishes: yes, you are expected to
answer them, even if someone else is online. Immcom a query to make
sure no one else is already doing it and then do it. Don't expect
that someone else will get it. Do expect that OLs forced to answer
wishes when there are three or four Highlords online at the same
time will get annoyed.
Overlords try to focus on the Big Picture, the overall game, while
Storytellers take care of specific details. As someone placed
between the two points of view, you should attempt to find your
balance somewhere between. For example, while a Storyteller may
oversee a specific clan, you might want to try to provide input on
an overall area into which that clan fits, such as the North, the
Luirs/Tablelands region, or the South. As always, changes should be
discussed with imms whose areas are affected, and major changes
should be cleared with an Overlord. All changes and developments
should be well documented, for the benefit of the entire staff.
--<cut>--
One last thing I'll note: I'm very, very choosy about who comes on
staff, and one of the qualities I look for is someone who's a team
player. I could find the best coder in the world and it's not going
to help me much if s/he doesn't work with the team but hares off on
her/his own projects. Our staff gets along - there's even a yearly
gathering where we rent a beachhouse for a week and go hang out
together - and a lot of it is because they respect each other's
abilities, treat each other with courtesy, and cooperate. A number
of large projects wouldn't have worked without that degree of
teamwork.
It's this, I think, that has led to a mud staff that I don't think
can be beat by any other on the net. They're great, they're awesome,
they rule. As with any group, there are roughnesses at times, but
people work hard at getting along, and there's a degree of honesty
and cooperation that I've never seen anywhere else. Okay, I love my
group, nuff said.
I hope some part of that is helpful.
Sanvean
Overlord of Armageddon
http://www.armageddon.org - Team management Michael Tresca
- Virtual worlds meet LARPs Richard A. Bartle
- Virtual worlds meet LARPs Mark Cheverton
- Virtual worlds meet LARPs Richard A. Bartle
- Virtual worlds meet LARPs Lee Sheldon
- Skotos Kicks Off Associate Program Shannon Appelcline
- Infrastructure kat-Zygfryd