I'm gonna do something that I probably shouldn't, since I was the main hand at work in the event, but I will post my own feedback, because I believe event quality doesn't depend only on the staff running it, but on the players too.
First, answering Karlhockey's point on being interrupted by RL and having to leave:
Having to leave in the middle of an event is pretty much the worse thing that can happen, because it entails so many different things. It opens up a massive can of worms.
We don't accuse anyone of doing it intentionally (so please don't take offense to this), but it's been done before. A LOT. People are at a spot they don't like, they say "
I have to go, RL interruption", so they puff out of the trouble their character is in, just to conveniently log in later when they believe trouble might have passed. Some do this without much fuss. Others make it their goal to inform everybody they can about how pissed off they are, and then log off. In the case of a 'ragequit' like that, don't expect to be welcome back into that event.
Of course, we're all victims to RL, so it's sure to happen without the intented malice mentioned above. But even if it does, it potentially gives a character an unfair advantage. Take this scenario for example:
- You're in battle! Being attacked! You're taking up a beating!
- Suddenly, wife comes in and says you must mow the lawn otherwise she's kicking you out or something.
- You say "sorry guys, I have to go!", and log off.
- The other folks keep on fighting, they fight on for hours, turn the tables on the enemy, but they are spent and exhausted, barely alive.
- You come in again all of sudden. The battlefield is a bunch of fallen comrades, hundreds of fallen enemies, and the boss is one punch away from being defeated!
- You walk up to the enemy, make a "hear me roar, bitch!" remark, and stab them in the face.
I believe the proper term for that is "stealing someone else's victory"?
That's just one of the many things that can happen when you have to leave in the middle of a scene and come back later. It's a really tricky situation. We don't want to deny anyone to have fun and to do their thing. It puts the staff in the position where they have to judge the situation on the spot and do something that has no good or easy choices no matter which ones we take.
What options a player is given vary so much, it's impossible to list them all and try to explain them. It all depends on the situation they're in. I can only apologize if what happened in your situation displeased you. We will try to do better next time.
Now my bit of feedback to the players!
There were two things that notably displeased me about player performance in this event. Take this as constructive criticism, please. Nobody is mad at anybody!
The first thing is the lack of trust some players showed on the staff. I had to repeat OOC multiple times that nobody was going to be killed off. Multiple multiple times! And still people were mad that we were "killing off their characters", which we totally weren't!
If a monster comes to you IC, and says, IC, "
I'm going to kill you now!" or something on those lines, it doesn't mean your character is automatically dead! First, the monster has to fight you or something. Second, we don't kill off characters unless they put thmselves in a situation at which death would be obvious! You might take a brutal beating from a massive monster, but the option to die or to just be injuried and afterwards need a few weeks to recover (or a visit to the Temple) is yours! ...also with how readily available they are, you have the option to be beaten into a pulp, then drink a healing potion and be back on your feet and beat the monster that attacked you into a pulp! There are options! There are alternatives. And if you don't like the options we present you with, be creative and present us with another option. I personally love player creativity, when it's feasible!
So I ask that people don't assume the worst when faced with a dire situation. Be creative, be immaginative, and trust the staff. We won't kill you off.
I'll post about my second gripe a bit later, if people don't object to the staff putting out feedback... and after I mow the grass! ...stupid RL!
