Alright, first off I want to apologize if I come off as harsh at times on certain topics. I can be quite protective when it comes to the DM and Dev for various reasons which maybe, hopefully will be explained in the coming lines.

What do the DMs do?
The DM-Team has a lot of different tasks. It begins with the most obvious one. We do try to make your world dynamic, bring in stories, personal plots, aswell as a general arc of the server (the later honestly being the hardest). This is what most of us enjoy most and what you probably dream of when thinking about DMing, as I see it is what people are most enthusiastic about when they join.

The reality looks a bit different. This is a small portion of what we do. What else do we do and consumes so much time?

1. We read the forums to try and reply to your IC and OOC needs.
This honestly takes the most time. The forums you see are maybe 60% of the forum. We additionally have to dig through the all faction forums, the DM forums, the Dev forums. This causes a lot of frustration to you, because sometimes you get very late responses. Please consider the 'mass' of posts we have to dig trough, every single day. Things get lost in that. Not because we hate it, not because we want to ignore it, merely because time and attention span of every human ends somewhere.
As a solution, pick a DM you think may have some connection to what you are interested in, send a PM to them with a link and ask for input if you feel something was not seen.


2. Your requests
While many of us enjoy this part, because it makes your world and character richer, it is also very time consuming. Many may think "hey what's reading a few lines". That is not where it ends though. For one, we get a lot of requests. The ones you see public are only half, we also a Request forum on the DM forum for people who are scared to post their requests public or simply for requests where the RP would be ruined if everyone already would know OOC.
We are not gods. We are still humans. Special Races, Rare PrC, special backgrounds, often leave us (just like you) having to first read up in the lorebooks, if there doesn't happen to currently be a DM on the team who happens do have specialized in that and know that stuff off hand.
While some are fairly well at item balance, we still often need to browse the forum if something similar was requested before and how that went, to not be unfair.

Additionally, this all then, once approved, also needs to be done IC. Some stuff takes little time, some a lot. A full rebuild can take a DM a good 15 minutes, more if the PC in question is not properly prepared and we have to wait with all their gear until they return 20 minutes later because "I just remembered I had to write a bio first".


3. Intervening in conflicts
Now this is also a huge one. People send complaints and we have to check which side may be right or wrong and then decide if one side was actually wrong in the sense of a rulebreak or if it was just a matter of "someone felt like being a dick today".

We do not take this lightly. We do not like to punish people unfairly, no matter how it may be felt by you as you often only know half the story if even. I know people have been crying for more "transparency" but unless it is something sever where we can safely say "this person must never return and please keep an eye out if they do" we rather not toss people who misstepped "to the angry mob".

I know it often feels like we take too long here and sometimes we do. There is no beautying that one up. Especially cases that are not "clear cut" with screenshots or imprinted on the forum by a post, it is often very hard to get to the "truth" of the matter as every side has their own truth. We do our best, sometimes our best is not good enough, likely.


4. We work with the Dev Team to bring new things to the server
We talk to them via chats and forum. Brainstorm ideas. Dig though the forum for old custom stuff we might feel could be re-used. Sometimes it can, sometimes it cannot. We number crunsh with them how and what could be changed.

This goes for anything, from classes that need some love, to new spells to be added, to new content to be added, new areas to be added, new monsters to be added, new items to be added. Lore idea for quests and areas and items.

We are not truly involved in the make of all that. That is the Dev-Team entirely and why we depend on them so heavily. Many of the DM do not even 'know' how to get half that stuff in game. Especially when it comes to scripts and codes.


5. We keep the forum-information updated
This is where we currently drag behind the most. I know and it frustrates me too. But if you read 1-4 you might understand a bit why. This is no excuse, we need to tackle that, especially when it comes to updating the deity page and even make a page for all our custom stuff.


What does the Dev-Team do?
http://www.amiaworld.net/phpBB3/viewtop ... &start=150

This huge thread is one of many. The Dev team does every single, tiny change to the game that is actually reflected in the game.

1. They custom script
Here they either create existing spells/feats/shapes/summons from the scratch or tweak and alter what we have. Not only for you also for the DM Team. A lot of DM widgets that make the DMs life easier have been made, but also amazing widgets that serve you. Like the ability to reskin your summons into basically whatever you want. To give you RP custom summons for those who have no summon ability (generic summoner for pets). Widgets to allow you to cast a few RP related spells as either that or racial abilities. A widget that allows you to shift your character and either leave it at that or lay it over another skin (for shifters and druids). A widget that allows you disguises or alterations to your character (alter self) and many many more. Like the whole new warlock class, several other RPC oevrhauls (Master Scout, Knight Commander) that have been done in the past.


2. They change the server concept to make it less crashy
A big project they have been working on for a while now, making all the "not key areas" dynamic so the heavy crashes we used to have are reduced.A is done by now and currently B is in the works.

Not to mention that about a year ago all devs worked hours upon hours to find some heavy bugs in the system that made the server so instable it was almost unplayable (as some of you may remember) and all who helped with that definately have my eternal gratitude. They spent countless hours for no RL payment whatsoever to find those issues. And we speak of professional scripters and coders here who in their real life would earn a shit load of money for bug fixing a system like that.


3. They create the world
Quite literally. Every area change, be it even so little, that is them. Every area update, every new area, every overhauled area, every new NPC in the game, every new shrub, every new hunting zone, is all hours of their work.

4. Bug fixes
Speaks for itself I guess and how many they are, with one look at the specific forum.



The Dark Side of the Coin

I am very certain almost non is truly malicious in their acts. However, I see time and time again how DM and Devs get disheartned, frustrated, sad and leave or simply start quietly hiding in a corner until we have to remove them from the team.

Why is that so?

Many answers can be given here. In some cases RL just is a bitch and they have no more time. In many other cases, they get burnt out.

Why?


The ugly side of the job

It mostly just sums up. Everyone tries hard to make everyone happy. A task that is and will always be impossible. We will never be able to make all of equally happy. I am not sugarcoating that.

I know many of you are very greatful for every bit that is done. Unfortunately, just as in real life, the "hey well done" gets across much more than "hey you fucked up". Do we scew up? Yes, sure. Daily. Who doesn't. And I am not truly blaming you that part comes across more than the other. It is how our world and our nature is. Noone calls customer service to say "Hey bro, awsome product. Just wanted to say that. Cheeri-o"

Now over time, this can be very disheartening though. You keep doing stuff, spend all your free time to make things better and the result is "this is not good enough" "this is not fast enough" "this isn't working flawlessly".

Especially new DMs get bashed a lot. I see this with every new DM and few make it past the first 2 months without drawing back or becoming bitter. No mistake is forgiven, you have to be perfect from day 1.

Let me tell you I am up there longest now from the team and even I am far from perfect. It is hard. It is incredibly hard to work with huge groups and keep track of all that is going on. To not miss someone, to not make someone wait. I try to usually have 2 DM on a bigger plot because of that but that does not always work. Mostly because you never know what is a big plot at times. You can plan making a tiny side plot, and suddenly so many PC take interest that something tiny becomes something huge within the blink of an eye.

Monsters are also incredibly hard to balance for this. One tiny wrong placed stat can decide between "the players will just walz over it" and "complete party whipe". There are measures that can prevent the later, like posessing some opponents and guide their actions and so on, but let me tell you that takes a hell lot of practise.

Things do not get easier either when you havea group with all level ranges from the "I can solo abyss lvl 30" to "I troll just killed me "level 5".

This isn't PnP where ideally, the group is well balanced, all around the same level and ideally, you know the players or at the very least, the characters to a degree.

It is a lot of let's fish in the dark and hope for the best.

A reason why I prefer my plots more investigation/thinking/riddle heavy. But people do love their fights too and they are an integral part of D&D. Fight the monsters is a lot of fun. But it takes an immense amount of practise to get the fine tuning.

I know it can be frustrating if plots go weired or if accidents happen. But cut the newbies some slack. They are not out there to ruin your day.

And I have seen a lot of truly mean things tossed towards new DM and often also to the Devs in my time. I work with them a lot and I hate to see them become disheartned because they receive a bashing almost every day. It is something they need to be made aware of if something went wrong, no doubt. Else they do not know. But the tune makes the music.


Okay... this got far longer than I wanted. I hope this all does give some insight why the goose is not only laying golden eggs and why I am sometimes a bit momma lion when it comes to the team and general "you suck" posts.

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It is a huge responsibility and it does take up quite a bit of time to sort through things on the forums. It can feel like you are being overwhelmed when people are looking for answers and you have yet to get down to the crux of what is being discussed.

As for updated info I really appreciated the lore additive for the Fey stuff. FR is a HUGE campaign setting and Amia's take on some things could use some clarification on some matters. This was beautiful done. Thank you for that. I would like to see more things like that done. I understand undertaking such task are time consuming and take effort to be clear and well written as well, even aesthetically pleasing in the case of finding decent images to help make things look a bit more interesting and entice player to read.

If Amarice you have some time to talk one on one I'd like to talk with you about some things I have experienced / seen going on in the past that has to do with treatment of dm's and devs but I do not believe it is best suited for the forums.

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I love you all. It really might not seem to come across, and I have to say, while I kind of knew this was all stuff that is going on, more or less "behind the scenes", I sometimes find it hard to think of that when I complain about things. Abd it really is complaining. So, sorry to everyone. Also, especially to Kamina. I love you. I had a bad day, and it hit you.

To everyone else on the Amia team (devs+DMs): I think it really is awesome that everything is going on. Hell, I remember this server from ages ago, like 10 years ago. When I finally played on here (before, I only watched) I was really surprised that the server was still going on. I mean, it's 12 years now? Something like that, at least the website, so something has to be done correctly, or it would have died as quickly as every other online game. I mean, I know a few games that were pretty hyped and are barely played or even shut down now.

I have one more question, which, in context with the question in General Questions might seem a bit strange... I'm partly curious about things I in particular could do to help, without actually being one of those professionals you mentioned. And, maybe someone else might see it and think "hey, that sounds nice".
Point 5 for DMs. The forum upkeep. I know we used to have Forum Moderators, like Davis (I love him, he did some nice stuff to the build forum), but I'm less curious about that, since I know the "moderator" part... You know how I post, and that it would be a bad idea. However, I've been wondering if players could help with certain things there. Like commie, who wrote up an updated list of the deity list. Or some general error-correcting, updating and throwing things together. The spell list could be updated, and I'm pretty confident I could do that, since it is a more tedious than skill-requiring job. (As long as it only has things to do with writing things on the forums, that is) And more updates like that, if they are updated as soon as they are announced, they usually are not too difficult to handle as they usually were a batch of 5-10 spells.
So, for things like that, would you consider relegating some of those jobs to players who would be willing to do that?

Having been on that side of the Curtain before, I can attest that what Amarice says is true.. admittedly I even still at times get frustrated , and can get a bit snippy about things, though I do my absolute best if I am addressing issues with the DM to do so with some time having been taken to regain my clarity and calm the hell down.

Not always good at this but I work on it .. and yes, unlike balancing a PnP campaign, balancing an event on Amia is not easy to say the least. I can offer some suggestions which might help the DM team in future event development to help ensure that frustrations are lowered. It's impossible to guarantee everyone'll be pleased but some thoughts I can share might help the DM end, if interested I can pass them along via PM.

It also helps if as a player you are frustrated to take a second, and run everything through a filter of the following statement: "What is likely the actual case here?"

I say this because there might be perceptions in many things that the DM is simply trying to jerk you around on a chain whereas, more often than not I would bet to the contrary.

Anyway.. being a DM, is not an easy job folks.. even just for PnP since players are an unknown variable (All the moreso, on Amia).

I appreciate any attempt to clear up lines of communication and give people a better idea of what's going on; the issues of time management have created frustration on both sides and sometimes we're ready to antagonize and be antagonized.

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Gerald Edmund
Discord: Metal Viking Guy #5433

DC taxation is theft!