Ever since I took the mantle of Queen and GM of the Shadowdancers (who we call the Night Coven), I've been implementing new ways to increase novice intake and member retention. On top of this, I've also implemented a yearly report system for those in Undersec, Sec, Champ, and Administrator positions. I'm basically running the guild like the way I do my job IRL.

The reports need the following:
For the Administrator:
1. A yearly agenda of what was accomplished. I asked that it be thorough and include everything that was done.
2. A yearly agenda of what was not accomplished but is still being worked on. This includes all steps taken to accomplish it and what state the project is currently in.
3. A yearly forecast of next year, including all personal development, professional development, what projects they will be implementing and what projects will be done. I also asked that they set themselves deadlines that I can hold them to.
4. Professional development and personal development that will increase the efficiency of the person in this position.

For the Champion:
1. A yearly agenda of what was accomplished. I asked that it be thorough and include everything that was done.
2. A yearly agenda of what was not accomplished but is still being worked on. This includes all steps taken to accomplish it and what state the project is currently in.
3. A yearly forecast of next year, including all personal development, professional development, what projects they will be implementing and what projects will be done. I also asked that they set themselves deadlines that I can hold them to.
4. An indepth summary of the current affairs of the Night Coven, in concern of defense and offense, weak points in our strategies, new and up coming fighters/protectors/security members, as well as their own personal statement of how this can be increased in efficiency and proficiency.
5. Professional development and personal development that will increase the efficiency of the person in this position.

For Secs:
1. A yearly agenda of what was accomplished. I asked that it be thorough and include everything that was done.
2. A yearly agenda of what was not accomplished but is still being worked on. This includes all steps taken to accomplish it and what state the project is currently in.
3. A yearly forecast of next year, including all personal development, professional development, what projects they will be implementing and what projects will be done. I also asked that they set themselves deadlines that I can hold them to.
4. A indepth description of their Circles (the advanced training systems for those beyond GR 2) are currently doing to promote themselves to the young and to promote the growth of the Night Coven.
5. Professional development and personal development that will increase the efficiency of the person in this position.

For Undersecs (our teachers and novice aides):
1. A yearly agenda of what was accomplished. I asked that it be thorough and include everything that was done.
2. A yearly agenda of what was not accomplished but is still being worked on. This includes all steps taken to accomplish it and what state the project is currently in.
3. A yearly forecast of next year, including all personal development, professional development, what projects they will be implementing and what projects will be done. I also asked that they set themselves deadlines that I can hold them to.
4. A yearly report of all that they taught (as far as novices are concerned or those who recently joined the Night Coven), any and all progress that each student has currently made, and a forecast for each student of what they should be finishing within the next year (as far as their novice training).
5. An indepth description of how they are promoting the Night Coven to the young, how this will help increase our novice retention and novice attraction, as well as increase our member retention.
6. Professional development and personal development that will increase the efficiency of the person in this position.

My question is:
Is this too authoritarian? I'm trying to increase novice intake, member retention, novice retention, and increase the efficiency of the overall guild. I'm also trying to make sure everything is run smoothly from day to day basis.

Any advise? Suggestions? Comments?

This is a tremendous disincentive to anyone stepping up and holding a position.

Ninja edit: how does Marina run a guild anyways? I remember a big ceremony and funeral. Tully never stopped trying to get people to show up for it.

Shadowdancers are evil! They're all bureaucrats!

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Aside from that silly statement, it's very efficient, and would make things run smoothly. Also adds a lot of RP tension. People may give up positions because they value their free time over the Night Coven, and likewise, people may be so dedicated that they feel that the Night Coven is their work and free time.

I likes it.

Thought the second: This really strikes me as hugely buzzwordy with emphasis on making it look like something's happening instead of actually doing anything.

This is corporate culture at its worst and doesn't really belong in Lusternia. What, precisely, is "professional and personal development"?

Have to agree. Lusternia for most people is escapism..away from 'work'. They don't want to be burdened with the same burocracy

Marina...

Ew.

If you have a ton of people fighting over each position, this would be a good way to discourage that...

As a person who has held all of the positions you listed, I can easily say I wouldn't have done any of them if I had to do all that.

While I applaud the goal, and it is great to see a GM who is clearly passionate I would just like to echo the concern that this is too much busy work for a game.

From my past experience with these types of things I think you will see two outcomes. One group of people will fill out detailed reports mostly on time for a while but then suddenly stop logging in. This is because they have grown tired of filling them out but are not able to speak up about it and so it is easier to just take a break from the game. The other group will put a token effort in, if that, and you will constantly have to be checking in with them to see where their reports are. When you do get them they will be very generic ("I helped some novices").

The more I play IRE games the more I fall into the "less detail and tracking" camp. I think new players are retained by having a group that is active, involved, and generally publicly outspoken/friendly. The more requirements you place on people the more you limit their gameplay. In affect you are telling them how to spend their free time and most people only put up with that if they are getting paid.

I understand why you would want to track what people are up to, but baring some large time zone differences you should be seeing what they are doing without a report. The secs/admin should be talking to the novices publicly, the champion should be killing/training people, etc. Time spent writing a report is time spent not playing a game OR helping the guild improve.

If you have not seen a sec around for a while then send them a message asking for a quick report, don't just require them for everyone by default.

Uhh, I wasn't told of any of this... and you'd be met with blank stares if you tell Daem to do it. I come here to have fun, pal around with the people in the arena from time to time, give some advice, be around to rescue people, lead defences, train and teach and test when it's needed, and be around to immolate people when I know where they are. I don't come here to do work, I'll write a book or scroll when I feel it's needed and I'm not doing anything else, but not unless I really want too, or it's really needed.

Not sure if you can run a guild like a business, because work isn't fun for everyone and people come here to have fun with things.

A leader really needs to do a couple things to increase novices staying. Hang out with the novices personally, tell them about the mythos of the guild, and work on making sure they are having fun with it. Creating RP opportunities and dealing with enemying, unenemying, updating projects, and things like that are good. A lot of this report stuff just seems like busy work to overload someone in my opinion.

Agreed with the above statements. As someone who hates his job, I would be rather angry if I logged into a game that I enjoyed playing and they said, "All right, organize all of these by number then by author then put them in their appropriate place." Or even worse, "Could you show me how to make copies/use this computer/set up an email/etc./etc."

I think I would try and kill everyone and everything in game and then in real life if that happened. :|

You know what's missing? Essays. You need more essays. Probably should have to write an essay to get a guildfavor, or to give one. Make up a request form.

Also, I'm curious to know when I get to buy stock in the Night Coven.

EDIT:

In case you're curious where you went wrong, it was right here:

Oh, and because I forgot:

Even in the situation where someone could implement this, it would be the GA.

Is this a joke? Or do you WANT your leadership positions to be empty or something?

Just talk to them and say "hey what's up" every so often, if you feel so inclined.


^ This is the problem.

...Wow, just wow.

I have no idea you had to expend this much effort to play a game.

I agree with Veyda, you're just missing some essays (proofread, signed, and laminated in triplicate) and a bimonthly book-publishing requirement.

Scrap it, especially the one for Champion and Admin as your more or less saying they are below you by making them give you reports. Champion, Manager, and Admin should be the same level but with different roles. And as a question, would you write a report for yourself and give it to the guild?

You were kicked out for being overly aggressive to people who held positions. You don't yell at undersecs and tell them to be on prime all the time and constantly badger them until they quit.

And Kaalak comes out swinging.

Another episode of Dramadoring, coming up.

On topic: Really, don't do this.

I quit actually.

I held GM for about 80 in game years. No one ever did a report for me, and we had no trouble retaining novices. Novice retention isn't about busywork. Novice retention is about interaction with members of the guild. Very very simple.

Mrh. Too much bureaucracy Marina. The admin and the guild leader having a project where they set their agenda (done this, will do this) is sufficient I think.

It allows one to organize their thoughts and let the guild see what is going on with a minimum of effort.

'Personal growth' is too nebulous.


Overly detailed reports are a waste of time. Like others have said it will lead to people leaving.

She stepped down because of totally different reasons, she wasn't "kicked out".

As for Marina's gameplan, it sounds fine in theory. The problem is that as you can see from the forum response, taking ten or fifteen minutes to write a projection of goals for an IC year is too much to be bothered with