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Discord Discussion on Public Relations

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Leyoz:
Hi All

I considered about writing anything here, because I don't want to create more divide. This is only my experience, what I've heard etc.

I have played a lot of different servers, some very popular, some not. Because I love Netheril (for a lot of the reasons that Solomon said under "The Good"). The primary reason that many had tried and left, or things they heard about the playerbase (which of course includes me). I don't need to repeat what they said but the majority of the comments centered on the kind of behavior that a recent player was banned for. Behavior that was firmly against the rules and was allowed to continue.

One of the good things I find about the server is the team does listen. They are actively updating quests, loot, putting in new systems, playing with players, including open events and player specific plots. I see a team that clearly loves it players and wants them to have fun, sometimes to their own/server detriment.

They do make mistakes, some of which is trying to please everyone (I see an 'us and them' framing but some of the the 'us and them' is actually groups of players feeling jealous, complaining about other players) disparate vision leading to various inconsistencies, and not being the best at administration. But let's remember DMing is a volunteer labor of love. It strikes me as a pretty thankless task when you get a lot of complaining. Note not all feedback is like that at all, but something to keep in mind when giving feedback.

Stay safe and happy playing.

Gorga:

--- Quote from: Gmork on January 06, 2022, 01:07:55 am ---It seems that you are suggesting that we should be more lenient of stories that deal with inter-family sexual relations and that we were only using the fact that this was roleplayed in the server as an excuse to ban a player.

--- End quote ---

I am not suggesting this at all. This sort of thing does not interest me. From what I was told, it was only discussed OOC, then abandoned and not roleplayed IC in the server.

Gmork:
It is unfortunate that you have been told the wrong information and I am sorry for that. We were supplied with evidence from sources that wish to remain anonymous that say it was very much played out in-game.

Fiverine:
As did Leyoz above, I debated whether or not to post here because I don’t want to trigger division.  I’m newer to NWN (and even Netheril) than many here, starting in late 2018.  It’s fair to say it’s been a rollercoaster ride since then for both myself and my characters, other players and DMs and the server itself.  I’ve also played on other servers but by far most of my game time has been spent on Netheril.

The strong points of Netheril for me have been the fact I have made genuine friends here.  I’m a somewhat woeful gamer and unlike other servers I could name I don’t get mocked or sneered at on Netheril for that.  I have also had the opportunity to contribute a lot of lore, NPCs and in-game descriptions to the setting which is not something I have had the chance to do elsewhere.  The majority of DMs are and have been friendly and helpful and allowed me and other players to drive plots and events and tell our stories without hassle.  The DM team has put in immense personal hours on the content and systems and I think they have produced an excellent place to play in.  I don’t agree with every single decision they make and have voiced my concerns on occasion, but overall I feel they care about what they have created and the happiness of those who participate in it. 

The most unfortunate tendency I’ve found on Netheril is that players (along with the occasional DM) form cliques of sorts which become very tribal.  Then when a firm decision is made against a prominent player (such as a ban, denied plot or PC application etc) what has sometimes happened is they will quit the server in a fit of pique and their associated clique will go with them.  This has happened repeatedly, sometimes over serious matters and sometimes over ones that are almost comical.  Another issue I have noticed is that the DM team have not always communicated well with each other about what they are doing in game  This makes it very difficult when a player is working on something and the DM who has been handling it becomes absent and has taken no notes about previous events (difficult both for the player and for the DM who has to step in).  I have other minor gripes, such as accepted styles of role-playing, useable skills, playable races and classes and the different treatments afforded to different alignments, but these are entirely my personal preferences.  I don’t see much point whining about them when some players are quite happy with those respective current settings. 

There are some common criticisms of Netheril I would like to respond to.  Accusations of favouritism have come up at times, but I find these often aren’t convincing.  I’ve been accused of being a DM favourite by someone who themselves was widely considered a DM favourite.  Hell, in my self-pitying moments I’ve grumbled to myself that someone else is getting all the loot and attention I would like.  We players throw the accusation of favouritism around pretty liberally.  The best that can be done in my opinion is for DM team members who know a player IRL to abstain from voting on applications involving that player.  But this isn’t always possible and depends heavily on high DM numbers.  Then there is player vs player actions.  PVP is one of the most difficult elements of NWN in persistent world play.  I think it’s handled imperfectly on Netheril but is everywhere else too. 

I will add any further thoughts if they come to me.  But my hope is that Netheril can become consistently active.  It’s always experienced waxing and waning of numbers from big highs to harsh lows.  I would so much rather see us with 5-20 good players regularly online than with 20-50 but half of them being, well, jerks of some variety.  I strongly feel that the former situation is what the DM team and player base should be aspiring to rather than the latter. 

Gmork:

--- Quote from: Solomon on January 07, 2022, 10:34:28 pm ---Unfortunately, I received only a small amount of outreach and can provide my concerns only in relation to my own understandings ( i.e. what I have read in the server, screenshots, and stories, the reactions of those I have talked to, and my own personal reactions to both of the previous parts), but I hope that I can still provide a useful perspective. I have been accused of being wordy before, so I'll give a general overview of what I'm saying first. If you're worried about specifics, those will follow below.
.....................................................................................

--- End quote ---

I have started a response to this thread many times, going over it bit by bit and picking points out to answer and then deleting my work and starting again trying to get the right feel.
But that was before this post was splashed around on social media and nwn pages showing it for what it really is; not advice coming from a place looking to help us achieve a better server but an attack on our server coming from a place of bitterness. Nothing good could have come from polluting the minds of potential players, pointing out faults without saying that the team is actively trying to better the place.
We have already addressed each of the points here and are actively trying to better things and taken on board advice that has been given before.
Honestly, I am very disappointed as I thought you were trying to help us identify things we need to work on and not attempting to damage us and cause more discord in the community.
I hope you can find a place where you enjoy playing and a community that shares your vision, but it seems it is not here.

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