[2/6/2016 9:11:17 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Hey guys, this is your bro Telanir, I’m clocking in to give you a briefing straight from adminland.

To begin, I must say I respect the work that this board has been putting into this task, that is: organizing a sustainable method for the return of Monks as a playable group and making sure the needs of our new players are met.

Before I continue any further, I believe you all deserve to know the direction that we envision for us today as executive staff.

The issue we are faced with and must solve can be summarized in the following:
https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/140116-lord-of-the-craft-new-player-list/

We’ve got atrocious player retention rate. The same players that went through the effort of writing up an entire application are turning away in less than three hours of playtime! These players are unable to find a settlement or a location to participate in meaningful roleplay, they’re in a disoriented state where they have no bearings, no job, and no friends!


Player retention has been south for us for quite some time, and with the rise of players lately it’s more important than ever that we get to work on solving this. New players need to have necessary resources available for them to get involved in our community in meaningful ways—but with each new player we’re pressured to deliver on this within the critical first hour of their playtime.

With this in mind, I declare all of this the Guide project. As a clarification, the staff group isn’t being reintroduced right now, this is just the theme.

This isn’t a program for existing players to get help, that’s what GM’s are for, this program should be designed to maximize playtime from incoming players. AKA their first hour or so should be with someone who knows their shit, getting them acquainted to our unique plugin and lore environment. By the end of the session–which should include a bit of RP–these players should be brought to a settlement or RP hub of some kind where they can settle and perhaps get a job.

As a part of this project I am also including content support as an extension of the original ideas included in the 2013 Mentor-esque plugin. This means official ways to work with and mentor new players.


With that comes news that might be a bit troubling for some of you—we are unfortunately not ready to have our server and staff represented for our incoming players by non-staff.

We are prepared to incorporate a monk system that adheres to the following basic principles:
 - Monks roleplay exclusively with new players and by extension those immediately involved with those players.
 - Players cannot engage in combat with a monk or their mentoree(s).
 - Online monks represent the face of staff for both incoming and existing players, and therefore must be actively participating in the [WS] chat.

I understand that the people here are serious about your line of work, and would like to be able to assist incoming players. Please apply for the AT to share your expertise and help get our new players acquainted, we will likely need an increased staffing to be able to manage this new responsibility.
[2/6/2016 9:11:32 PM | Edited 9:10:58 PM] Maxim (Telinir): ——
There we go! Please read through and direct all of your questions towards myself and Readicti. (:
[2/6/2016 9:13:36 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Is this monk concept-position exclusively for AT (At least, in this present moment?)
[2/6/2016 9:14:27 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:11 PM] Maxim (Telinir):

<<< someone who knows their shit
[2/6/2016 9:14:37 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): 10/10 very formal
[2/6/2016 9:16:46 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Landing this responsibility on the shoulders of the AT feels a bit demanding on top of their existing requirements. Notice that I very carefully specified ‘staff’ in many parts of that write up, I would like to possibly open this up to all staff groups where possible, but at the moment the AT are most relatable to this specific situation.
[2/6/2016 9:16:50 PM] Emwy (Read): [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:13 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]:

<<< Is this monk concept-position exclusively for AT (At least, in this present moment?)It'll be starting with AT but we will probably be inviting other members of teams as well for those that are interested in representing staff. but for now it'll be mostly AT
[2/6/2016 9:16:57 PM] Emwy (Read): xD
[2/6/2016 9:17:04 PM] Emwy (Read): I-I got sniped
[2/6/2016 9:17:07 PM] Maxim (Telinir): ;p
[2/6/2016 9:18:22 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Okay.
[2/6/2016 9:18:23 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: So
[2/6/2016 9:18:32 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: The only problem (Not really a problem) I see with this is the following
[2/6/2016 9:19:01 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Please apply for the AT to share your expertise and help get our new players acquainted, we will likely need an increased staffing to be able to manage this new responsibility.I don't want people applying to AT just to play a monk.
[2/6/2016 9:19:18 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: I'd like for them to also follow the rest of the AT duties, in-game, forums, wiki-editing, etc. etc.
[2/6/2016 9:19:27 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: The whole shebang.
[2/6/2016 9:19:44 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Aye it’s a bit complicated, the initial suggestion was to create a new staff dedicated to this line of work, but at the moment Administration has decided this concept first be put to use with the AT before we make such a decision.
[2/6/2016 9:20:16 PM] Maxim (Telinir): This does mean anyone applying for said position would need to adhere to all of those requirements, absolutely.
[2/6/2016 9:20:19 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:19 PM] Maxim (Telinir):

<<< Aye it’s a bit complicated, the initial suggestion was to create a new staff dedicated to this line of workI was just informed of this, and I dislike this idea.
[2/6/2016 9:20:28 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): I see this is focused on Staff and AT, what of the player-monks, like me :3
[2/6/2016 9:20:46 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I covered that, Spike, in my final few paragraphs.
[2/6/2016 9:21:00 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Make a TL;DR
[2/6/2016 9:21:03 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: and put it at the end
[2/6/2016 9:21:04 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Seems to me like we are trying to do the same thing twice..
[2/6/2016 9:21:08 PM | Edited 9:20:45 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: since some people don't like reading, except for things off the McDonald menu
[2/6/2016 9:21:29 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Lol, no, you’re all reading the entire thing—unless you’re not serious about your job.
[2/6/2016 9:21:42 PM] Maxim (Telinir): In which case I guess you’re excused but at the same time you wouldn’t be here. ;p
[2/6/2016 9:22:06 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): oh.. so u want us to join AT
[2/6/2016 9:22:15 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Well… not really.
[2/6/2016 9:22:32 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:21 PM] Maxim (Telinir):

<<< Lol, no, you’re all reading the entire thing—unless you’re not serious about your job.Oh. I thought you were posting this on the forums or somewhere
[2/6/2016 9:22:34 PM] Maxim (Telinir): This isn’t a big blurb to get everyone to sign up for the AT, this is a big description of what’s going on, and what you might be inclined to do to support the cause.
[2/6/2016 9:22:52 PM] Maxim (Telinir): no lol I literally wrote all of this up specifically for you guys in here right now
[2/6/2016 9:23:03 PM] Maxim (Telinir): took like 20 minutes specifically for y’all because ilu
[2/6/2016 9:23:45 PM] brandon [zane]: Yea we're going to need some clarification, from what I'm understanding is that you're re-opening the monks for only staff members and not the player-monk side?
[2/6/2016 9:23:53 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): I think player monks are needed for people to actually be cool with it. Otherwise you would need to change the name because that was a huge issue last time. People said that AT Monks were just swooping the positions and what not. It will be the same result if you try doing it again a second time.
[2/6/2016 9:24:45 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): We've been working on this far longer than the duration of your conference. And our plans were pretty damn good.
[2/6/2016 9:25:30 PM | Edited 9:25:16 PM] Maxim (Telinir): This is something being put together to resolve a core issue, namely:
«We’ve got atrocious player retention rate. The same players that went through the effort of writing up an entire application are turning away in less than three hours of playtime! These players are unable to find a settlement or a location to participate in meaningful roleplay, they’re in a disoriented state where they have no bearings, no job, and no friends!»

And the monk idea can help with this by adhering to the following principles:
«We are prepared to incorporate a monk system that adheres to the following basic principles:
 - Monks roleplay exclusively with new players and by extension those immediately involved with those players.
 - Players cannot engage in combat with a monk or their mentoree(s).
 - Online monks represent the face of staff for both incoming and existing players, and therefore must be actively participating in the [WS] chat.»
[2/6/2016 9:26:05 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Some people are more than qualified for such a position, and do not have time to do 20-30 apps a month.
[2/6/2016 9:26:36 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:26 PM] Seiya:

<<< Some people are more than qualified for such a position, and do not have time to do 20-30 apps a month.I feel as if AT, with this new addition shouldn't be limited
[2/6/2016 9:26:37 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Excluding many people who could potentially educate and guide new players.
[2/6/2016 9:26:41 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I agree, I feel the most proper implementation of this idea necessitates the creation of a new staff team.
[2/6/2016 9:26:45 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: to just doing apps.
[2/6/2016 9:27:01 PM] Maxim (Telinir): However, we’re currently limited by a decision that was made to hold that back, so currently we must use existing staff to solve this issue.
[2/6/2016 9:27:51 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I suppose it’s what the managers feel fit, if they bid the requirement to remain that you do apps, so be it. If it is changed and flexibility is given, that is another possibility.
[2/6/2016 9:28:30 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I personally feel that requiring the addition to the AT to be convenient here, as that requires knowledge of the core lore as well as knowing where to find a variety of resources.
[2/6/2016 9:29:05 PM] Maxim (Telinir): If you are able to accept/deny applications for whitelist, then you are definitely qualified to oversee mentorship for our new players! (:
[2/6/2016 9:31:19 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Yeah we tried this already
[2/6/2016 9:31:31 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Why didn't it work before?
[2/6/2016 9:31:38 PM] Maxim (Telinir): There’s never a better time than now to get something on the table.
[2/6/2016 9:31:48 PM] Maxim (Telinir): It didn’t work before because it was never put on the table, it was only announced.
[2/6/2016 9:32:22 PM] Maxim (Telinir): If you don’t give a project time to bloom, nor give it the effort it needs to do what it was built to do—it will ultimately fail, regardless of what it is.
[2/6/2016 9:33:21 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Mm, progress has come a long way and we had a product that I believe we were all confident about. But now it seems we are devolving back to the original idea that failed.
[2/6/2016 9:33:34 PM] Maxim (Telinir): This time Read and I are here with full executive backing to get a project worthy of LotC running.
[2/6/2016 9:33:44 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:25 PM] Maxim (Telinir):

<<< These players are unable to find a settlement or a location to participate in meaningful roleplay, they’re in a disoriented state where they have no bearings, no job, and no friends!»>somethingsomething circlejerks stopping newplayers

Problem is, the server doesn't have free-build, which turns some new players off [Not saying we should remove the system we have now.]
[2/6/2016 9:33:56 PM] Maxim (Telinir): With the addition of the lovely people in here, this key difference is what will make this work this time around.
[2/6/2016 9:34:08 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: And each new-player has the same idea everyone else has, start some sort of guild with friends and build a nice cabin
[2/6/2016 9:34:34 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Then, when they learn that, they move to Plan B
[2/6/2016 9:35:03 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I feel that the responsibility to explain to them the best way to interact with LotC falls on our shoulders. We can convince them there’s a lot more to us than, well, ‘guild w/ friends & cabin'
[2/6/2016 9:36:26 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Hm.. I feel personally reaching out to the community, to guilds/settlements that
[2/6/2016 9:36:31 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: that are open to recruitment
[2/6/2016 9:36:35 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: will help everryone
[2/6/2016 9:36:55 PM] Maxim (Telinir): yeah, at one point I’ve entertained an idea that guides/monks can act like brokers for new players rofl
[2/6/2016 9:37:16 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Aka imagine this, A few factions advertise that they are willing to provide housing/food and etc. to new players joining their settlement
[2/6/2016 9:37:16 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Have you been over our current plan?
[2/6/2016 9:37:36 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): Could we not have like a Monk Mentor system we can incorporate into the Player (not staff) Monks in which we learn they key necessities - like lore, resources, etc - that the AT carry out? Teach the elder monks and then we will pass it down to other monks, that way you continue the role of AT, Monks, and the like?
[2/6/2016 9:37:56 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Monks would read over this information and know about it when it mattered, AKA, new player describes what kind of experience they’re looking for, you can weigh in their race and etc. as well and then recommend to them a settlement
[2/6/2016 9:38:34 PM] Maxim (Telinir): After that just bring them there and let the rest of the magic happen, most players want to belong, they want to have a purpose.
[2/6/2016 9:39:08 PM] Maxim (Telinir): If after finding players to roleplay with they still aren’t ready to stick around, then we can be sure that they just aren’t quite ready yet for this experience.
[2/6/2016 9:39:48 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): And when you know they aren't ready then what
[2/6/2016 9:39:59 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Then they leave.
[2/6/2016 9:40:17 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): I would give examples, but I will just say sometimes they do not leave.
[2/6/2016 9:40:20 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Mitto for instance, he left his first time around, but he returned years later and look at where the man is now! ^.^
[2/6/2016 9:41:00 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Then cause trouble and get banned etc etc you've seen it 1000 times
[2/6/2016 9:41:16 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Well, remember, our purpose is to get people from joining the server to the settlement, our job ends there as part of the guide program.
[2/6/2016 9:41:24 PM] Maxim (Telinir): What happens afterwards is up for the moderating team to oversee.
[2/6/2016 9:41:34 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Remember, with every player we whitelist we are accepting the risk that they will break rules.
[2/6/2016 9:42:34 PM] Maxim (Telinir): We accept this fact, and we are fine by it. If we were scared of every potential issue, we’d be a very different staff. On the flip side, we’ve got a system that we’ve developed over many years to handle people who cause trouble. (AKA, the GM team)
[2/6/2016 9:43:10 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I have a feeling that many times the way a player is introduced to LotC will also strongly affect their perception of us and how they fit in.
[2/6/2016 9:43:42 PM] Maxim (Telinir): If a players first experience is joining and trolling w/ friends, that is the way they will see us. If their first experience is getting to work in a settlement, getting a place to live and developing their character, they will take us seriously.
[2/6/2016 9:53:20 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): AT and the old Elder Monks have been working on this together actively for at least the last month, maybe more? Either way, it is our two teams that came together so we could make a truly genuine experience for the player and the AT who is helping. And what we originally planned I feel would do the trick. A large part of this is getting the AT to be engaged, while providing a fun and enjoyable experience for the newbie. With our experience with everyday new players before our removal, and AT's experience with applications I think we were more than certain it would work, so I think we should definitely either rethink our strategy or have a better meeting about it, because sudden changes are discouraging. You don't want a bunch of AT robots walking around just waiting for someone to pop up, you want them to at least like the character the play and you want to give them a reason to do so. With the lore and the extensive changes we've made this product is more than worthy as is for this server.
[2/6/2016 9:55:35 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: [Saturday, February 06, 2016 9:53 PM] Seiya:

<<< AT robots walking around just waiting for someone to pop upCan't speak for Will [Tau], or any of the managers
[2/6/2016 9:55:50 PM | Edited 9:55:24 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: But I doubt they will 'force' this upon us. I imagine they'll try to select 2-3 people starting off, thbat actually wish to do the job
[2/6/2016 9:55:53 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): If the project fails or is not to your liking, I say feel free to make whatever changes you see fit but I'm confident it wont fail.
[2/6/2016 9:55:55 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I agree, it is definitely important for the AT to both be engaged in, and to enjoy their position and added responsibility. However, this is keeping in mind that every monk represents the face of staff, and the LotC experience, that of course means that they must be staff as well.
[2/6/2016 9:56:39 PM] Maxim (Telinir): The general jist is as a staff we’ve got to get our game up and make sure every incoming player is taken seriously and that their experience in the first few hours is top-notch.
[2/6/2016 9:57:42 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): And because someone isn't staff does not mean they cant do a hell of a good job at representing the server. I feel the Monks gave this sense of enlightenment, and it was nice to see regular players doing the jobs we did so well.
[2/6/2016 9:57:43 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Will we be ‘forcing’ this added responsibility over every AT? Absolutely not, but we expect staff to keep this in mind that this is also part of their job. It doesn’t mean that now you automatically play exclusively as a monk.
[2/6/2016 9:58:35 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Theoretically, you could find anyone and get them to represent the server, but as an official source, literally the official representatives of the server, is in fact, the staff.
[2/6/2016 9:58:59 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): And why must the Monks only represent staff?
[2/6/2016 9:59:30 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I would have liked a way to get all of you into (if not the AT) a separate part of staff in some shape way or form that you would be able to practice this principle in, but at the moment our restriction is that we must implement this in the existing staff groups we have.
[2/6/2016 9:59:41 PM] Maxim (Telinir): AKA no additions, and that is unfortunate.
[2/6/2016 10:00:04 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): can i at least get a secret learnable recipe for monk bread
[2/6/2016 10:01:17 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Think about it, historically the Cloud Temple (as always) is the location where all new players originate, if the monks inhabit this area this means they are always the first point of contact for new players (unless they’re vacant like right now). This means as a staff it is our duty to make sure that this position is handled correctly.
[2/6/2016 10:01:42 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Do you think there will always be an AT there when a new player joins?
[2/6/2016 10:02:09 PM] Maxim (Telinir): If you decide to create a group of isolated monks on some island somewhere, you no longer hold this exclusive position of being the first point of contact, per say. In that case well… you can be whatever you want, but by that point there’s nothing that separates you from any other faction.
[2/6/2016 10:03:09 PM | Edited 10:02:45 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I honestly doubt you could collect a team large enough to span over a 24/7 period that wouldn’t be a nightmare to manage. We’ve got existing infrastructure setup (the app team) however, and a reasonable number of AT are online at any given time, I think we’re on a good track.
[2/6/2016 10:06:19 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: [Saturday, February 06, 2016 10:01 PM] Seiya:

<<< Do you think there will always be an AT there when a new player joins?This isn't the point. The AT are here to prove that this Monk Concept is viable.
[2/6/2016 10:06:37 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: If so, motions will be taken to decide whether or not an entirely separate team is viable.
[2/6/2016 10:07:40 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Or- So i'm lead to believe.
[2/6/2016 10:07:53 PM] Maxim (Telinir): That is correct, thank you. In the most sensible situation by the time this works out we will be able to get you on-board w/ a team that is dedicated to this task.
[2/6/2016 10:09:12 PM] Maxim (Telinir): At the end of the day, for those that decide to not apply for a staff position until then, these unfortunate set of circumstances essentially mean you may have to wait. This doesn’t mean you are suddenly seized by evil spirits and can’t help players. In reality, every one of you right now is in the right to go out there right now and find players declared by the welcome message and give them your best shot.
[2/6/2016 10:09:32 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I promise that those of you that do this and show this kind of dedication will be highly respected for your work.
[2/6/2016 10:09:35 PM] Seiya星矢 (Obtitan): Alright well to me I think we had a perfectly good Idea that seemed functional in all the ways it was supposed to be, and now we are taking the completed puzzle apart and restarting with a new plan that may or may not work. With all this time wasted I can't say I want a part in this anymore, so I wish you all good luck and I do hope that the Monks I came to love come back in a meaningful way. Good Luck~
[2/6/2016 10:09:41 PM] *** Seiya星矢 (Obtitan) has left ***
[2/6/2016 10:10:03 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): welp
[2/6/2016 10:10:46 PM] Maxim (Telinir): Let his will be done then! (:
We’ve got a meaningful way to get this project running, though it is unfortunate he is unwilling to participate.
[2/6/2016 10:11:02 PM | Edited 10:10:26 PM] Maxim (Telinir): I am sure Obtitan will be proud of what will come.
[2/6/2016 10:11:29 PM] Aireus [Finalhazard]: Can't say I didn't see that coming. shrug
[2/6/2016 10:23:11 PM] Emwy (Read): im waiting for spikes book lol
[2/6/2016 10:23:55 PM] Spike Vondar (Spike823): seriously why are we focusing on the new players when u had a group of already devoted players ripped away from what they loved to do on this server. The monks ran the cloud temple for 3 ish years without little complications (with other players that is, not with the staff).  This server's specifically states in its mission statement:

“The Lord of the Craft is about providing a place for people to roleplay and interact together from all over the world -regardless of age, ability or experience- in a way that is easily understandable and caters to as many styles of roleplay as possible.”
“Our goal as a community, staff team, and Minecraft Role-Playing entity altogether, is simply your enjoyment and that of others. We strive to be the leading and prime example of a worry-free and welcoming server for you to enjoy yourself and entertain others in cooperative fantasy Roleplay.”
“To preserve and promote a friendly and cooperative environment for everyone..”

Clearly we have avoided those rules. I am so confused and baffled right now. The staff were once players too. The Monks, before removal, were quite strict in how we roleplayed and made it our duty to help players. I dont see what went wrong with the AT working with the old monks. It all seemed to be leading to a great new beginning. I dont get why we are resolving back to staff-only monks. Why couldnt the player monks be taught, helped, and nurtured to a reliable and mature order that can help players? As in the mission statement, the staff is to help the players. Right now, it seems that they are only diminishing them and playing their own Game of Thrones. We are simply the pawns, and when something is not liked by the "mature, reliable, #1 source of information and knowledge" staff team, then we are removed. Forgotten as we are trampled over. It was a sick game to play with us, to toy with us for two months as we worked to get monks back. i can only hope you made the right decision this time.

Humans make mistakes, we all do, that is why we are called humans. If you guys decide to pretend this convo never happened, from the beginning of when Telanir entered this room, then maybe i will be able to luv u again. For now, i shall remain away from helping the new players, and do my own shit.
[2/6/2016 10:25:04 PM] brandon [zane]: Forgive me for being so mute whilst this conversation had carried through by I had been at a literal loss of words. It is unfortunate that I've had over a month of my time wasted in effort of bringing the Monks back, assisting with everything I could only to be stabbed In the back, and more unfortunate that I called this would happen weeks ago. I am disappointed that through weeks of effort history has repeated itself with backwards logic in order to justify plunging a third knife into the player Monks backs. Thank you for giving us hope and taking it away once more, I am sorely disappointed in you. With that, I will be taking my leave from LoTC for now, so long and enjoy picking at the Monks like vultures once more, I would appreciate you not using my work.
[2/6/2016 10:25:24 PM] *** brandon [zane] has left ***