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pedalbike2020-12-09 10:34 pm
upcyclingmod) wrote in pedalbike2020-12-09 10:34 pm
Entry tags:
An important announcement
Hello, everyone.
This mod announcement is meant to address the many concerns that our players brought to us since the conclusion of the latest app round. We’ve received your feedback, and rest assured, it won’t go ignored. All of us want this game to thrive. For that to happen, we mods need to foster an environment in which our players feel comfortable enough to truly get creative.
Which is why we’d like to start off with an apology.
Our application review has been poorly handled. We received feedback on this in the past and have attempted to improve our process since, but the attempts have been haphazard and not always cohesive. This seems to have only made the inconsistencies in our review process worse. Though this was not our intention, it was the ultimate outcome, and we are truly sorry for the double standard we created. On top of that, the word choice in our rejections was unhelpful and at times accusatory. This was a failing on our part, and we make no excuses. Our potential players did not deserve this treatment, and they will not receive it in the future. This, we promise.
In light of this, we have re-reviewed this round’s rejected applications and decided to offer all rejected applicants a fair chance to revise.
Going forward, we will be doing our utmost to alleviate the aforementioned issues. The first step is to significantly change our application process. Instead of having one mod review applications, a team of mods will be taking on the task each round. Our hope is that this will not only ensure that our app mods are never forced to rush the process but also increase the odds that any given app will be reviewed by someone with canon knowledge. The more present and knowledgeable we are, the more likely we are to catch mistakes. In conjunction with this, we plan to establish a concrete grading system in order to make the process more consistent and fair in subsequent cycles. This system should ensure that every mod on the team uses the same evaluation criteria across the board.
Many of you have also come to us with concerns about favoritism. It was never our intent to keep plot information secluded to certain player circles, and we have never prevented players or characters from seeking it out. However, we readily acknowledge that not all of the information characters learn gets filtered to the game at large in a timely manner.
One of our players came to us with a brilliant suggestion, and we have been working with them to establish an official in-game document that will make it easier for characters to share information with each other. It will be an editable Google doc, linked in the game’s Full Navigation for easy accessibility. We had planned to ICly announce it during a network intro mingle this month, but our choice to hold off announcing it OOCly was a mistake.
To give us the time we need to kickstart these changes, this month’s OOC Meet n Greet has been delayed! It will go up Thursday. Please pay attention to these posts from now on as they have undergone important reconstruction. Information relevant to that month such as event timeframes, weather, and possible monster encounters will be displayed here. The plan is to announce player plots as well, so everyone can get in on the fun.
On Friday, we will be posting a network mingle for all characters to participate in. This is the mingle that will introduce the game’s information sharing document. It will also be the first in a long line of regular monthly network mingles.
Ending things on a more positive note, the game’s information pages have been under review for a while now, and we’re glad to announce that all of them have been officially updated! We would like to extend our thanks to Wind for taking on this project. Feel free to glance over the FAQ and other renovated pages, and please contact us if you have any further questions!
Edited to Add: We have locked this post to active game members. While we're willing to continue hearing suggestions and crit from members of the community, having dropped players or socks come in to argue with the playerbase was never the intent of this post. If anyone not in the game has additional commentary to make, they're welcome to direct it to the mod contact page.
Edit 2: Hi guys, we're unlocking this post again. The initial locking was a kneejerk reaction, and for that we're truly sorry. In becoming a little frazzled, we haven't been taking your comments to heart the way we should have been, and our replies may have come across as cold and uncaring. We're going to step back from this post for a day or so to cool off, but we're hoping to allow civil discussion here between both members of the community and onlookers alike.
This mod announcement is meant to address the many concerns that our players brought to us since the conclusion of the latest app round. We’ve received your feedback, and rest assured, it won’t go ignored. All of us want this game to thrive. For that to happen, we mods need to foster an environment in which our players feel comfortable enough to truly get creative.
Which is why we’d like to start off with an apology.
Our application review has been poorly handled. We received feedback on this in the past and have attempted to improve our process since, but the attempts have been haphazard and not always cohesive. This seems to have only made the inconsistencies in our review process worse. Though this was not our intention, it was the ultimate outcome, and we are truly sorry for the double standard we created. On top of that, the word choice in our rejections was unhelpful and at times accusatory. This was a failing on our part, and we make no excuses. Our potential players did not deserve this treatment, and they will not receive it in the future. This, we promise.
In light of this, we have re-reviewed this round’s rejected applications and decided to offer all rejected applicants a fair chance to revise.
Going forward, we will be doing our utmost to alleviate the aforementioned issues. The first step is to significantly change our application process. Instead of having one mod review applications, a team of mods will be taking on the task each round. Our hope is that this will not only ensure that our app mods are never forced to rush the process but also increase the odds that any given app will be reviewed by someone with canon knowledge. The more present and knowledgeable we are, the more likely we are to catch mistakes. In conjunction with this, we plan to establish a concrete grading system in order to make the process more consistent and fair in subsequent cycles. This system should ensure that every mod on the team uses the same evaluation criteria across the board.
Many of you have also come to us with concerns about favoritism. It was never our intent to keep plot information secluded to certain player circles, and we have never prevented players or characters from seeking it out. However, we readily acknowledge that not all of the information characters learn gets filtered to the game at large in a timely manner.
One of our players came to us with a brilliant suggestion, and we have been working with them to establish an official in-game document that will make it easier for characters to share information with each other. It will be an editable Google doc, linked in the game’s Full Navigation for easy accessibility. We had planned to ICly announce it during a network intro mingle this month, but our choice to hold off announcing it OOCly was a mistake.
To give us the time we need to kickstart these changes, this month’s OOC Meet n Greet has been delayed! It will go up Thursday. Please pay attention to these posts from now on as they have undergone important reconstruction. Information relevant to that month such as event timeframes, weather, and possible monster encounters will be displayed here. The plan is to announce player plots as well, so everyone can get in on the fun.
On Friday, we will be posting a network mingle for all characters to participate in. This is the mingle that will introduce the game’s information sharing document. It will also be the first in a long line of regular monthly network mingles.
Ending things on a more positive note, the game’s information pages have been under review for a while now, and we’re glad to announce that all of them have been officially updated! We would like to extend our thanks to Wind for taking on this project. Feel free to glance over the FAQ and other renovated pages, and please contact us if you have any further questions!
Edited to Add: We have locked this post to active game members. While we're willing to continue hearing suggestions and crit from members of the community, having dropped players or socks come in to argue with the playerbase was never the intent of this post. If anyone not in the game has additional commentary to make, they're welcome to direct it to the mod contact page.
Edit 2: Hi guys, we're unlocking this post again. The initial locking was a kneejerk reaction, and for that we're truly sorry. In becoming a little frazzled, we haven't been taking your comments to heart the way we should have been, and our replies may have come across as cold and uncaring. We're going to step back from this post for a day or so to cool off, but we're hoping to allow civil discussion here between both members of the community and onlookers alike.
no subject
Likewise, I appreciate your taking into consideration the feedback here. I think that the clarification will help a lot going forward, and the notes do make sense. I think sharing the responsibility is a great idea, it's a lot of pressure to put on one person for judgement and creativity! When I was modding a hundred years ago, it helped a lot since I could pester and talk with my teammates on it too, so - helping your players aside, I hope it helps you guys feel a little less stretched too.
I think these are good steps, and I'm happy to hear you're being proactive! You seem to have gotten some good feedback, and it seems like you're taking it in, so I hope the game continues to grow. Best wishes, and thanks for listening! Enjoy your weekend!