Server Outreach Changes: A New Challenger Approaches (Player Retention)

[Charybdis]

Server Outreach Changes​

Hey all,

I’m the new team lead for player retention. This is a newish position, intended to expand upon server outreach as a whole and incorporate more aspects of community management as well.

What's New
Server Outreach as a team now has three branches: spawn, forums, and player outreach. Spawn lead will remain Catalyst, and forums is yet to be filled. Ice will overlook this team for admin and whatever we need help with, and we’re going in a somewhat more free-form direction so we can get some stuff done.

What I'm Doing
Some of the things I will be doing include fostering player engagement, building relationships, maintaining the integrity of the community, and overall acting as a bridge between the playerbase and staff. This will involve a lot of feedback gathering, and I am overseeing suggestions at large.

I’m basically here, strategically, to make sure everyone is having a good time. I’m the guardian of the vibes and player loyalty. My top priority is keeping HollowWorld a positive and productive space, one where we can foster and encourage open communication, transparency, and a place that players can feel they can participate directly in the community.

Our new players are a fundamental part of our community and naturally they are an emphasis for this part of the team; both for server longevity, and for the unique perspectives and experiences they can bring to the community. Once I feel I have a good handle over basic player retention and community management I’ll be extending my focus to a lot more to new player retention.

Player Retention Team
You may remember mentors as a concept here, and we’re looking for people to join server outreach at large. On the retention-side of the team, imagine the prior mentor role now at a staff level, but with more freedom, and particular focus on helping new players integrate into the server both IC and OOC. This will involve direct outreach, as well as more oversight over suggestions and implementation, but I’ll detail more of that stuff in a later thread. In the meantime please feel free to contact me directly with any questions about it if you’re interested.

First Things I'm Doing
In the meantime, as my first official order of business, I’d like to gather initial feedback from the playerbase on what you would like to see from me, the future outreach team, and what this new position entails. While I have a lot of ideas of my own, I want to know what do you as players and members of this community want to see out of me, and this position both now and longer term? How can I best help you and your enjoyment in this social and creative hub of a community?

I’ll be posting a survey to gather information, but I highly encourage you to reply to this thread or contact me directly if you are at all comfortable. This survey will have the option to remain anonymous, but it would be of great value to me to know who you are so I can both understand your personal experience, and follow up with you to ask more questions.

How Things Will Work (Right Now)
For now as I’m the only guy doing this, in the interim, please feel free to just in general message me if you have questions, concerns, feedback, or whatever else. While I may not be able to handle all things directly (especially tech or in-game mechanics), in the least, I’ll be able to direct you to who you’d want to talk to, or otherwise pass things on to the team.

Tickets as a system will of course remain in place for easy direct communication with teams, and players are encouraged to go about the route that is the most efficient for their situation (which usually is tickets), but I will be here otherwise for anyone’s needs, including players who may not wish to make a direct ticket or are otherwise uncomfortable doing so for whatever reason.

That’s all for now, but keep an eye out for me starting to poke around and get some ideas from the community. Thanks for reading.

 

[LuxTop]

I would like to see the following:

1. The "Clear Rationale" Act
One of the most important things I believe that must be fixed is the communication in tickets, - it must flow more smoothly between players and staff. Greater transparency, - clear rationale in decision-making presented. This can be done through statement of rationale. Some set of principles, beliefs, that must be made known to both players and staff. It must be stated clearly, - and dialogue should circle around it when handling the tickets.

For example here is one rational for spell submissions:

<> What in essence the spell does? Is it broken, is it gamey?
<> Does it fit the guidelines, AKA the established consensus between staff and players?


The model above outlines a the essential scenarios:
top left quadrant - good spell is passed, --- top right -good spell is unnecessarily changed (due to bias, misunderstanding, - mistake)
bottom left -- bad spell is passed, -- bottom right -- bad spell is rejected

I believe model can be applied to the rest of the player submissions, - if we define what is good and what is bad, -and we should have these beliefs we operate on clearly stated so they can be discussed and formulated. Rationale defines the principle of how we judge, - and it embodies our values, which often get muddled or forgotten if not stated clearly, - hence I say bring it up and base your conversations on them. This will bring consistency and transparency to the interaction between staff and community, - and save time for all parties as communication becomes more efficient, - in tickets and beyond.

2. The "Book of Commitments"
On discord there had been many great discussions results of which often get forgotten as they are not logged. Some of these include rulings on minute things like " do exorcised individuals retain horns", - but some include larger plans that are forgotten about - for example the idea of introducing an Asian inspired content to Altera, - which was met with much player support. I think its better for players and staff if:
A. all the rulings are properly logged on forums
B. all major improvement ideas are written down and picked up by departments as per priority
C. departments publish their plans

We do have point C. partially realized through newsletter, - yet not in detail and only what's realized, - as oppose to what is planned.

=========================
Yes, - I am for the damned bureaucracy

 

[Charybdis]

I would like to see the following:

1. The "Clear Rationale" Act
One of the most important things I believe that must be fixed is the communication in tickets, - it must flow more smoothly between players and staff. Greater transparency, - clear rationale in decision-making presented. This can be done through statement of rationale. Some set of principles, beliefs, that must be made known to both players and staff. It must be stated clearly, - and dialogue should circle around it when handling the tickets.

For example here is one rational for spell submissions:

<> What in essence the spell does? Is it broken, is it gamey?
<> Does it fit the guidelines, AKA the established consensus between staff and players?
View attachment 141199

The model above outlines a the essential scenarios:
top left quadrant - good spell is passed, --- top right -good spell is unnecessarily changed (due to bias, misunderstanding, - mistake)
bottom left -- bad spell is passed, -- bottom right -- bad spell is rejected

I believe model can be applied to the rest of the player submissions, - if we define what is good and what is bad, -and we should have these beliefs we operate on clearly stated so they can be discussed and formulated. Rationale defines the principle of how we judge, - and it embodies our values, which often get muddled or forgotten if not stated clearly, - hence I say bring it up and base your conversations on them. This will bring consistency and transparency to the interaction between staff and community, - and save time for all parties as communication becomes more efficient, - in tickets and beyond.

2. The "Book of Commitments"
On discord there had been many great discussions results of which often get forgotten as they are not logged. Some of these include rulings on minute things like " do exorcised individuals retain horns", - but some include larger plans that are forgotten about - for example the idea of introducing an Asian inspired content to Altera, - which was met with much player support. I think its better for players and staff if:
A. all the rulings are properly logged on forums
B. all major improvement ideas are written down and picked up by departments as per priority
C. departments publish their plans

We do have point C. partially realized through newsletter, - yet not in detail and only what's realized, - as oppose to what is planned.

=========================
Yes, - I am for the damned bureaucracy

thanks for the response lux! this has been taken in and will be discussed. i like what you're cooking