Category Talk to Simutronics (34)
Topic Complaints -- General (2)
Message Culture of Negativity (8797)
By DR-GAELORIC@PLAY.NET
On Jan 3, 2001 at 17:54

Constructive criticism--The way you are most likely to achieve the changes you desire. Will it always get you what you want? Probably not, but it certainly ups the odds a few thousand percent.

I have been meaning to address this issue for a while, I think now is a good time. Rather than replying to this as a thread, I would recommend you merely take a moment and think about it. In the time I have been on staff there has been a steady decline in productive posts on the boards. Instead I have seen a rise in the "I can complain because I PAY for this game!" types of attitudes. These types of posts I am certain you all have read, rarely contain more than a few sentences of value and often contain paragraphs of attacks and general abuse on whatever topic/system/gm/policy is hot for the day.

Can you complain? Yup, you sure can.

I would like you to consider however the insidious effects this type of posting has, not only on other players, but also upon yourself, and perhaps most importantly upon the staff of DragonRealms. Negative posts generally result in negative replies, random attacks on whatever subject because you are cranky affect everyone who reads them. Moments after an abusive negative post is made, attacks upon it pour onto the boards. These will range from well reasoned posts picking apart the silliness, to blatant flames on the original poster's intelligence (or lack thereof). GMs who feel in some way obligated to deal with the mess on the boards, normally can count on their replies being torn apart within minutes of their posting, often distorting what was written so horridly it is barely recognizable. GMs who have worked hard on a system/event/merchant will often read the "IT SUCKS" posts before it is done. Often in the case of systems, before players have any knowledge of the system. I am going to give you a hint about what a GM is not likely to do after reading posts like these, we probably will not go out to create more things for you. We probably will not hold another event as soon as we might have done otherwise. We probably will not do another merchant or alterer for a long time. We probably will not run out to immediately change DR to suit the complaining poster's preferences.

Most common cause of staff burnout or LOAs? Our superiors ask "Have you been reading the boards recently?" "Why....yes." replies Frazzled GM.

You can get away with a lot of subtle abuse on the boards. Remember, the only people you are cheating....are yourselves and each other.

Should you complain like this? Think about it.

GM Gaeloric, CE staff

ps Everyone have a chuckle with me at the people who will without doubt reply to this without getting the point.