Saving Dasaria

[triangles]

Wow guys what happened?

[Arkalezth]

Good question. @#$% if I know.

I've changed the title to something more positive. I personally doubt it'll make a difference, but I guess we have to try everything.

[Wired]

I haven't been around for a few months -- For reasons that are entirely personal and have nothing to do with the game -- and I have no idea what's going on here.

As best as I can reconstruct, two groups of players went to war with each other, which made everybody feel like crap and not want to come around anymore because every time they did there was lame cliquish stuff going on.

Between you and me, that doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Usually when I log in here I like to pretend I'm somebody I'm not and maybe bash some goblins. Interpersonal politics I get enough of in my regular life.

The GOOD news is, this wouldn't be the first time.. I've been a DM here a little more than seven years (and a player a slightly longer than that)... and candidly I've seen several of these rises and falls of Dasaria along the way. When a number of RPers get to together for long periods of time, it's normal.

The folks that built this place and keep it running will keep doing so, and will continue to do so, bless you all. Dasaria is no more dead than it was the first time there was a population crash, which IIRC, was WELL within the first year of the server, and has happened a few times along the way.

If you want to go or you need to take a break, I get it. I've been there too. Dasaria will be here if you ever decide to come back.

As Wyvern says, It's just a game.

I'll leave you with a picture of Wired Jr. -- who wasn't even born when Dasaria2 started -- having a blast playing Kinectimals. He's already a Wizard at Minecraft as well... I'm sizing him up as a builder, if Rob is ever willing to have two Wireds around.

http://i.imgur.com/GnxW7j1.jpg



Dasaria is dead, Long Live Dasaria!

[Arkalezth]

So in short: "It's a phase." Well, yay.

Even if it technically exists and is online, a server that's been consistently empty for months (and I don't mean one or two here, nor just at certain hours) doesn't look too alive to me. Call me pessimist.

I keep hearing about those ups and downs and high and low seasons and things that have happened before, but the reality seems to contradict that in the time I've been playing here. I also happen to have seen servers die before, but I guess that doesn't count.

Hey, I hope you're right, and I agree about most of those problems between players being silly little things. However, silly or not, they're there, and I don't think that pretending that nothing's going on and everything's fine is going to help.

[Landrunner]

Dear dasarians,

This is not the first time for an empty Das and this will not be the last I guess.
Keep your problems away from forum and the game, if x person wants to kick x person ***, do it by PM´s, is really sad to read a quarrel between two or more players.
Have RP with new players, this is very important for a small server (I enjoy doing it, and they need us)
Sometimes DM´s are not required to get fun.
Indoor RP is a good way to spend time with others, Outdoor RP gives the posibility to anyone to be part of anything.
Take a break if you need it, come back when you think that it's the right moment to do it.

That's all I can say for now, live and let live . . . live and let die, Remember that a Phoenix dies to raise again, and again and again.

If you find me playing my chars, feel free to contact me to have RP, to do quests or anything.


Kind regards

[Wired]

So in short: "It's a phase." Well, yay.

It's also true that this is an old game, which is hard to even find anymore, so it's not like there's going to be a big influx of new players. All the more reason for folks to treat each other humanely. Nobody's going to come around if it's not fun.

[Iduna]

I'm going to touch on the main issue that I am having right now. This is the reason why I have completely stopped playing here, over the last week. The abusive behavior leveled at another player was never addressed by staff. I came from a highly toxic server where this type of behavior was allowed, and it literally left me traumatized. To see this happen again, and not see anything done about it, is far too much and just brings those rough times back up to the surface.

Abusive behavior sholuld not -ever- be tolerated. This is not a matter of neutrality, trying to maintain peace, or punishing "bad" people, this is matter of protecting the players from abuse. Period. I simply cannot bring myself to log back in when this issue is not being dealt with.

[Domina]

I see a few issues with the matter of “protecting the players” in this instance.
Besides the one that flamed openly here (from my perspective) there isn’t much to go on about who is harassing who. Only the players fighting know who the players who are fighting are. Maybe a person or two in their inner circle outside of the groups.

In my opinion…this makes defending players rather difficult since a lot of people just end up fighting and then…nothing. Players vanish/quit suddenly with little notice of who was actually string up animosity. Maybe DMs don’t get informed of these players and they can’t maintain peace or give out punishment just from the sudden He said-She said.

Proper reporting of players to the DM staff is one way to bring down players who create such unneeded OOC rage. I can imagine the pressure to keep names out of DM “you in trouble” list under the guise of maturity, but it must be done. Staff aren’t only responsible for player protection…players are responsible for player protection. The staff can only address the general situation if they don’t know what’s going on and who's involved.

I hope that makes sense
I would be sad to see you not playing Das because of the skirmishes some groups have!

((reporting viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11428 ))

[Ashalley]

I am temporarily back to say that if you would like to ban me for posterity, because a few people would like to think the problems are just 'nobody's logging in' without addressing the real core root of the thing - a garbage attitude from some of your long-standing players - I am fine with that. Nobody likes to admit fault openly, fine.

My issue is simply that this server is not being run correctly, that the DM team is ineffective and powerless, and that in order to promote a more humane server population the rules need not only be stated, but also consistently enforced. This has not been happening. The result is chaos, and in this case, server death.

I reiterate that the only reason I am here and check the forum every once in a while is because I was asked to; I've been part of several successful roleplaying servers, one of which is still ongoing. Yes, I flamed, but my flame should not be necessary to ignite actual input from the DM team. Wired, you're patently useless. If you know you are going to be gone for a long time, appoint a trustworthy adjuctant DM - someone who is actually empowered to make decisions without waiting on your absent rear end - and allow the server to continue on about its business.

I was asked to give input. Well, there it is. The leadership has invited this sort of tomfoolery, and a lax hand will continue to invite this sort of tomfoolery where players disrespect the few, and I repeat -few- DMs who actually log in here to run things for players.

There -was- a chance to sit down and talk to the bad apples. To the people who were poisonous to the server. To the people who gave me this elitist impression of Dasaria that made me stay for only around a month. The one time I came back, I was excluded quite openly by someone more mechanically powerful. Fine. I understand from a roleplay perspective. But shouldn't the senior members of this place encourage new roleplayers? They don't.

And the time for fixing it is long, long passed, unless you'd like to come back and start actually taking a moderate interest in this forum.

That's what they're asking for, really, you know - interest. Why is nobody logging in? The answer is simple; it's not worth it. They're waiting for their friends to log in. They're probably, without even realizing it, also waiting for a DM to move a plot along, or someone else to play what is otherwise a sad and solitary game with.

Your server isn't dead, yet. You could repair it if you wanted to. But all indications point to a lack of give-a-****.

Give a ****.

You, specifically.

[Wyvern]

I think a lot of people in this thread need to take a look at themselves and their own actions. It's a shame that finger pointing is always easier.

[DM Sabre]

Because Wyvern is always good at getting to the gist of the matter, I am making my last post in this thread.

I offer my apologies to those who are still trying to swim upstream in this sea of negativity. I said this in irc and I will say it again here. The issue with finger pointing is when you point your own you will have three pointing back at you.

The issues that have exploded here are issues that were long in the making. We can call it personality conflicts, we can call it people being people, we can call it people being fed up or allowing emotion to rule. I do know that I saw this happening and I did try to politely and diplomatically get people to get along. And...there are a few of you whom I saw could not get along, and I made the suggestion that if you cannot play nicely together then avoid each other.

We are not children here. I am not going to make grown people link hands and sing "Why Can't We Be Friends?" If I cannot get along with someone by my own free will...I will not get along with someone if forced.

But I will point out that a few of us could look at it and say "I contributed to the issues and I am sorry"

Each time a player's RP is spoken badly of or judged, it is a cut.
Each time a player is made to feel ignored or unimportant, it leaves an impression.

I cannot ask players to all like each other. I have asked repeatedly for players to respect each other. However said respect does have to go both ways. I have been dealing with hurt feelings from all sides for the bulk of 2014. And I have to say that some of us need to grow a thicker skin. We are all human and prone to various faults. I do not claim to be perfect. I will admit that there were many things I wish I had handled differently. I could offer the defense that for a while, I was driving myself insane trying to please everyone...but that was my choice.

I will ask that people take the time to look at ourselves. To examine our own actions to try an understand why some of this got as bad as it did. I made myself do it...hence my first post here. I asked a few other players to do so as well.

I love Dasaria. I have seen this place rise and fall many times. I have been logged in as the only player for hours while people would watch in irc and wait for some magic number to log in. At one point I was spending 18 hours a day logged in as player and DM combined. Most people do not put that kind of time into their jobs. So...I HAD to reduce time and step back. I will not apologize for that.

I will apologize however to those who did feel ignored, unseen and unheard. I tried to do what I could, the best I could. But I do know a few of you slipped through the cracks while I tried to tend to the squeakier wheels. I will apologize to anyone who may have felt slighted or injured by careless words when I was feeling frustrated or annoyed by the weight. As I said in my last post...we sometimes can be completely unaware how words said in anger, frustration ...or in jest can hurt another.

What I will not apologize for is finally stepping up and taking care of myself and speaking up for myself after working my rear end off for a year to try and keep everyone happy. I gave it my best effort and when my batteries recharge, I will likely be jumping back into it again. If there is to be any type of healing, then people have to have the courage to step up and say..."I may have contributed to the negativity." Because it is a disease, it does breed...and when too many catch it...this is the result.

[Wired]

Don't feed the trolls.

Kill them with fire!

[Wired]

Whatever the initial intent of this thread was, I don't think it's ended up being very constructive.

I'm not going to lock it but I do think it's run it's course. I'd rather see people posting stories and being creative.

[Arkalezth]

Agreed. I'm sorry it didn't turn out to be constructive (a couple of the few active players that were left quit after all the flaming) and perhaps I didn't approach things from the best of angles. I can't say I regret addressing the issue, though; I still think someone had to break the ice and say something.

Anyway, even after all the shitstorm, I hope people start getting IG again.

[Kell]

I'm sorry it didn't turn out to be constructive (a couple of the few active players that were left quit after all the flaming) and perhaps I didn't approach things from the best of angles.

NONE of this, is your fault. None. Please do not feel responsible for any of it. You started this with the best of intents, and we cannot control how others respond to those intents. You approached it, things were said, stuff happened, and personally I am very glad that it did. Because nights always are darkest right before dawn.

Whatever happened; I think that there were some very valuable lessons to be learned also. And that's what matters. The lessons we learn, and what we take from them.

Yes, people are taking a break. Including me. But Wired said it, and a few others too; Dasaria has always been coming and going. I've been here for 13 years now, as a player and as a DM, for both Dasaria 1 and 2. This isn't the first time things exploded and it might not be the last time either.

I told my other half about all of what was written here, and know what he said? "F*cking roleplayers..." hahaha. I think that summed it up for me pretty well, to be honest. RP communities = drama, regardless of the game. I've not seen 1 RP community yet without issues. And that's not because I'm always in them either, lol. That's just because roleplayers are sensitive, creative people, who sometimes can get very emotional about what they do. Not all, but a whole lot of them are damaged, too. Take into account cultural differences because we come from all corners of the world, and the fact that we're working with -written language- instead of F2F communication. SO many issues stem from this.. Miscommunication.

You know what you do when sh*t blows up in your face? You wipe it off and take a breath. And then you begin cleaning up said sh*t. And then you begin anew, with the lessons learned, and a clean slate. Free of grudges, free of the past, and with renewed courage to make new mistakes. Rinse and repeat.

*shrug* One day, we'll all look back, and smirk.