Manifesto of a GM
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
As of recently, I have noticed a certain...lacking from some of the etiquette that revolves around being the GM of a guild...I believe this needs to be fixed, I believe we need to have community standards to which we set ALL of our GMs, not just hope everyone of them will accept and obey the rules simply because they are stated. This has caused a huge flaw in our community before and it will definitely happen again, if these problems are not checked and changed by each individual GM.
First, don't spam boards. Use other means of OOC communication to resolve the issue over a battle or a random RP situation that caused some drama. Yes the boards are a good platform to raise your point from...however, you should try your hardest to resolve all issues in ICQ with the leader of the conflicting guild.
Example: When MTC was reborn we allied with Sanctus, the guild gets set on a new course, things happen we ally with umbra, war soon ensues with Sanctus…OOC problem with the war; solution? the GMs of the guilds TALKED it out over ICQ, guildies were informed everyone was happy things ended...
Second, don't be bullheaded. YOU and YOUR guild are not the only ones in this little sandbox we play in, so don't think that you are.
Example: When reforming MTC I encountered resistance from a very small group that had been using Moonglow encountered, I completely ignored the OOC pleas and continued with my mission. This was wrong on my part, however I worked once I acquired the land to do more with it then the other guild could have possibly dreamed. I tried to work with the said guild but little other than bickering between communities followed, ( I was ARPC all the way, the other guild in question was more FAR)
Third, If there is a rule, it applies to you. Simply because a there was a 'miscommunication' doesn't mean the rules don't apply. Be the better man/woman, simple as that I don't think I need an example for this.
Fourth, be considerate of your fellow community members. From some of the posts I have read in the summit, and the ones I hear about from the senate are completely and totally childish. They are not cohesive of a community driven goal.
Example: MTC has patrolled nu'jelm for some time, even before the new regency we made it a point (even though no one is EVER on nu’jelm...) to patrol nightly, We were slowly working it into a plot, but when the new regency came along, we got kinda kicked in the nuts... Did we complain? no. Did we whine and moan? No, we took it, and continued to patrol, seeing no regency guards or armies we saw fit to continue with our RP.
Fifth, YOU ARE ALL GUILD MASTERS!! It still stuns me to this day the level of maturity that GMs show for one another...every single one of you knows what it takes to run a guild, it’s a lot of time and effort (for those of us who take time to, recruit, teach, train, and provide nightly activities for our guilds) You should all show the same respect to each other that you give to your guild mates...however I just don't see it happening.
Example: MTC has produced quite a few new RPers since we have returned, you cannot question the fact that the zoo events were crafted together by someone who hasn't been in the community an entire year...yet how many of your guildies have come and participated in these event?
Example showing maturity between leaders: Talon and Fong, perfect example...IC wise, Fong HATES talon with a passion, do I still show him respect for being a leader, yes, will I hesitate to oppose his position in a debate? You bet your ass I won't. However, as a character and a player, I still have an extreme respect for the man.
Sixth, you can change! Change, and evolution is essential in being a GM of this community, if you can't evolve and change, pass the guild to someone who can. Guilds are as living and breathing as any one of us, they are made up just like the human body, many parts working to sustain a whole....Are you as the GM, as the brains of the operation doing your best to ensure this? To keep your guild stable and long lasting?
Seventh: Don’t GM more then one guild! Seriously people…if your first guild is poor in members…than DON’T RP a new guild on an alt….This spreads the time between guilds and chances are….neither will grow. This project is about an actual community, not just a bunch of people playing in there own little areas of the sand box.
Eighth: Contribute! Your not just the leader of your guild, you lead the community by example, all eyes are on the GM of a guild (some of you can think back to your days as a recruit) When a different leader comes, your excited and you pay attention to their actions and their RP, this is because those in the community watch and imitate our actions.
Final comments, do the GMs of ARPC really want to end up as FAR did? Because we are on the proper track if that is the goal, we finally have the solid foundation for a proper community, and it’s slowly being wasted due to constant sniveling and fighting.
I will leave you with words from a great man who has helped this community more then it has helped itself.
After all, as you said, the foundation is set and the community is whole again, it's in everyone's hands now, and how they choose to take advantage of this rare state of affairs is up to them, this can be a rebirth of the greatest roleplay community in UO, or it could end up like the many scorched communities on other shards, stagnant and desolate.