Loading ...An Admins Prespective
I have several games that I run. All of them take a little bit of my free time when I am home from work. Sometimes that time is only an hour or so before bed and other times it is several hours or the entire weekend that I can dedicate towards working on the websites and games.
Many times people do not think about the time and effort that goes into creating the website they visit. The administration comes off as detached and unknowing. Not a real person. Just someone who you have to deal with if you think something is wrong. This is often quite far from the truth in the case of the smaller games. Though, I do have to admit, that participating daily is a task that is difficult for me. Especially since I work a full time job which requires quite a bit of overtime on my part.
I know I try to stay out of the games I create. I will even go to other games to play just so I can remain above the politics of the games I run. It is also a good way to get ideas on what could be incorporated into the games I play.
Probably the biggest reason for me not to actually play the games I administer or code is to be able to maintain that objectivity when it comes to complaints and improvements. Quite a few times improvements will affect some people more than others. This can be seen as favoritism in some cases. It is important that you keep this in mind when you are actully making those improvements. Other times the complaints can affect someone you know or who has played for a very long time and is an ardent supporter. Someone you can count on to be there all the time. If you can’t be objective then you risk alienating players.
I am fairly certain that I have done a realtively good job of remaining above those politics on my sites. I can’t say I am perfect but I do believe that I have done a good job. Players asking my opinion and praising the sites I run are probably a good indication of that. I just hope I can continue to do so.
Player squabbles are probably the hardest to deal with. You will have a player who believes that they or someone they know has been slighted in some manner by another player. It can snowball into a harrassment issue rather quickly. Especially when several players become involved in the belittling of the targeted player. This is a mob behavior that is rather common and difficult to stop without the loss of one or more players.
The best thing to do in cases such as this is to impose martial law in essence. Issue directives to the players involved that you will make their rp lives difficult if they do not chill out. Force a cessation of hostilities by refusing to let them ravage each other verbally. Either by removing harrassing posts or disabling their ability to harm to each other.
Quite often the situation will eventually resolve itself. There may still be some hostility between the players but the tone of the game in general will return to something that is not a hostile environment to those who are not involved in the dispute. This is the important part. Bring back the calm to your game. Guide the Role Playing to a more constructive avenue.
Having players who are harrassed just isn’t fun. Not for the administrators, not for the victim and not for those who feel that they need to do something to the victim. It doesn’t promote a healthy environment for play. So nip it in the bud when you first get a chance. Establish rules to help prevent it in the first place.
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