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  #1  
Old 01-02-2011, 09:10 PM
Rufus Rufus is offline
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Unholy Nation from a staff member's point of view.

I think will probably have a negative effect on my position, but still feel this needs to be said. My fellow staff members on Unholy Nation are possibly the laziest, disinterested, and self-centered people I have ever worked with. There's 40 people on the staff list, 1 of those is an Uploader, 4 of those are part of the FAQ team, 6 of them members of the Events Team, and 9 of them are GPs. That is the PR side, half of the team, but it's still only 20/40. What are the other 20 members of staff doing? The developers? The managers? The people in charge of the server and its content? This isn't exactly hot news, but they're doing nothing at all.

The server has boasted for a while that its holiday events are the things to be around for. When it came to December nothing was planned. When it came to mid-December, people were reasoning that there was a lack of developers on the server. Now I've just gone over the staff list again, and with 5 people having the title of "Developer" amongst the other members of the development team, you might wonder just how many developers it takes to get content out on this server. Days went by and nothing was done. In the end it came down to myself and Door, members of the PR team trying to get content released. Apparently trying to get help from the development team was like pulling teeth however, and a lot of help was sought from developers that we knew rather than people "working" on the server. Not everyone was above doing their jobs however, both GK and especially Jazz helped out a lot, but that's still only 2/20.

The quest didn't get finished in time, but the presents system did. Jazz rescripted it all and I spoke to a lot of the graphics community left on Graal, and got a lot of new content made to put in the presents. Players did enjoy the system, but in my eyes, it simply wasn't enough. Nothing big is usually done on New Years Eve, maybe a hat or two, but again those were made by people outside of the staff team and employed by Jazz. Now I don't expect everyone to drop all of their work in favor of holiday events. They're short term side-projects, and they're things that the players have came to expect. When nobody is working on anything however, you expect them to do something, but it's all left for a member of the Events Team to direct?

We have these deep-rooted staff who nobody will remove, because for some reason they are respected and treated like Gods of the server. That means they can get away with doing nothing, or rather, doing whatever they like whenever they feel like it. Other people who actually do their jobs are expected to *****foot around, struggling to get the rights to do their actual job. That also includes members of the PR Team.

Now it's January and there are no projects planned for the future. I'm sure someone will disagree with this and come up with things off the top of their head, but there really is none. Management here is terrible, both Manager and Admin, but because people think there's no one on the staff team that could "handle" the position it looks like it's going to be a struggle to replace. Someone really needs to cut this horrible cycle of UN MANAGERS WHO DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER and get someone from outside of the staff team with the right ideas, motivation, and support. Only then will the server start to see some positive changes.
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Originally Posted by Loriel View Post
Seriously, you have ****-all for content and you're not exactly pulling in new developer talent, angling for prestigious titles should be your last concern.
  #2  
Old 01-02-2011, 09:14 PM
RegretZ RegretZ is offline
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If I could +10 rep this I would.
It isn't just UN either. A lot of servers have those, "Original" staff that people only keep because they feel that since they have been there a long time they are somehow, "Untouchable". People need to realize that no staff is above work, as you said. Very well stated Rufus.
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Old 01-02-2011, 09:20 PM
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The PR team should jail the development team, erratic behavior is the only way to stir up the pot.
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Old 01-02-2011, 09:23 PM
DustyPorViva DustyPorViva is offline
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UN was a pain in the ass to "help" out. I kind of freelanced there for a while, but besides the pile of 10 year-old scripts clogging the server, most of the staff was no help and in fact hindered you more than anything. Even the head scripter wouldn't even bother to direct me to the right scripts, and in fact I was the one scripting stuff that needed to be done hastily for Halloween, while the head NAT screwed around on RC.

It's a joke, it really is.
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Old 01-02-2011, 09:45 PM
Crono Crono is offline
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too bad the PWA don't do their jobs
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Old 01-02-2011, 09:51 PM
taylor taylor is offline
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I got nothing more to say considering Rufus stated it all, it's a joke...
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Old 01-02-2011, 10:05 PM
MattKan MattKan is offline
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If Rufus gets fired, demoted, or even glared at for posting this, I am going to riot through the streets, and if I must, the jail, of UN.
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  #8  
Old 01-02-2011, 10:13 PM
RegretZ RegretZ is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MattKan View Post
If Rufus gets fired, demoted, or even glared at for posting this, I am going to riot through the streets, and if I must, the jail, of UN.
I second that motion.
  #9  
Old 01-02-2011, 11:14 PM
MysticX2X MysticX2X is offline
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I don't think you quite understand how hard it is to get the current scripters to focus on long-term projects at all. Yes this means GK and Jazz also. Why do I say this? Because I've tried to get both their help on long-term projects before I said **** it and quit.

I wouldn't completely blame the current depression on the manager since we've basically went through four different managers in 2010, though GK managed to get a couple releases going, not to mention **** after **** after **** placed on top of all the other problems through subsequent managements. It's more of lack of staff unity that serves the problem.

UN is in a spiral of failure, and another management change will do nothing to alleviate the problem. This thread is pointless.

This post is coming from a former staff members point of view who has been staff through said 4 managements.
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  #10  
Old 01-02-2011, 11:17 PM
Mark Sir Link Mark Sir Link is offline
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You're saying something about how it's a problem with getting "current scripters" to focus on projects, but then saying it isn't the manager's fault for enabling this behavior?
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Old 01-02-2011, 11:18 PM
Tigairius Tigairius is offline
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We are currently (and have been for a few days) looking into what has been happening lately on Unholy Nation. While we cannot promise any immediate change, we are reviewing what can be done to improve the situation and if a solution is found, we will execute it.

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too bad the PWA don't do their jobs
It is not our job to motivate people to be active nor push releases on individual servers.
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  #12  
Old 01-02-2011, 11:21 PM
MysticX2X MysticX2X is offline
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You're saying something about how it's a problem with getting "current scripters" to focus on projects, but then saying it isn't the manager's fault for enabling this behavior?
I should have stressed the word "completely". I only said that because I've seen four managements where the same core problem is at hand.
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  #13  
Old 01-02-2011, 11:27 PM
Rufus Rufus is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticX2X View Post
I don't think you quite understand how hard it is to get the current scripters to focus on long-term projects at all. Yes this means GK and Jazz also. Why do I say this? Because I've tried to get both their help on long-term projects before I said **** it and quit.
What's the difference between a long-term and short-term project? It's projected usage? I don't see how that implies anything, considering the only two members of the development team that helped out during Christmas were scripting staff. Had this effort been placed into another project, it would have been just the same? I think it's more about motivation not being provided and not selling project so they seem attractive and important. That's what got the presents system done, it wasn't a requirement.

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Originally Posted by MysticX2X View Post
I wouldn't completely blame the current depression on the manager since we've basically went through four different managers in 2010, though GK managed to get a couple releases going, not to mention **** after **** after **** placed on top of all the other problems through subsequent managements. It's more of lack of staff unity that serves the problem.
I said in my opening post that it has been like this for a long time now, and nobody has done anything to stop it. In my opinion, it is the passing on to current members of staff that has continued the problem, because it's like they know no different.

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Originally Posted by MysticX2X View Post
UN is in a spiral of failure, and another management change will do nothing to alleviate the problem. This thread is pointless.
You may have given up on the server, but that doesn't mean my thread is pointless. There is still a playerbase, and there is still interest from both developers and players, but nobody is taking advantage of it. We've gone over this so many times now with the current guy, who doesn't seem to care at all. Don't need people like that.
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Seriously, you have ****-all for content and you're not exactly pulling in new developer talent, angling for prestigious titles should be your last concern.
  #14  
Old 01-03-2011, 12:01 AM
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I agree for the most part with Rufus.

Development is terrible on UN. I try to do the best I possibly can. Its hard when i'm literally one of two developers actually working on the server...

I have no scripting team, no matter how much i've tried to hire. People come to me expecting to just be automatically added to the staff team because they worked on the server 6 years ago, or possibly know Skyld.
Then when I ask for examples, they act as if i'm stabbing them in the neck, then run off and complain how I never hire, and how the scripting team sucks.

Currently, I am a one-man team. I try to do as much as I can, but I am still only one person.

As far as "long-term" projects go, I tend to avoid them, I admit that. Its hard to work on a project for a long time, when your the only one working on it, day after day.
I don't know where this 20 man dev team is tbh...we have no graphics team...I think we have 1 person who is ever on who is a levels team?
I just don't get it.

For the most part, I don't work on long term projects because I am forced to come up with projects I can do on my own. Since I have no graphics help, no level help, barely any gani help...and GK is the only other person who can help.
Currently, we have our uploader working as a temporary GAT for some projects. Its bad.
I mean, yes, we have had big help from shane, aeko, dusty, etc...people not on the staff team...-_-
But, they can only do so much, and I can't force them to work constantly on a huge project.

I have been coming up with ideas about what needs to be done in 2011.
But, once again, I have to come up with these ideas expecting to be the only one to work on them.

Now, let me talk about christmas...
I began work in late November on a project. I worked on it for a few weeks, the system was pretty much done. But, I had no graphic help. And this system was heavily reliant on looking good...so, last minute, I Had to cancel and postpone. I am hoping to release it next year, since its all there...all I need are graphics.

Once that was done, weeks went on...not a word was spoken about christmas. I had enough, and I went to Door about help on a quest.
I worked for about a week on the quest. It was almost finished, looking really good. But the players wanted the present system back....and that system was a mess from last year.

I had two choices...keep working on the quest, or give it up and work on the present system. Well, obviously you know what I did.
Players wanted the presents. =/
I got more pms a day asking when santa's grotto would open more than anything else. So, I thought my choice was obvious.

Once christmas was over, I was now left with a quest heavily based around Christmas themes...so, I had no choice but to cancel that too.
I could have spent a week redoing the quest, but then it would no longer be the same quest...I would essentially be making a brand new quest, and it would take some time.
However, I did learn some things from scripting that quest that I will be using in the future (on future quests, hopefully).

Along with the quest, me and Door were going to release something special that we both have worked very hard on.
This is still in the works, and is very close to being finished. It will be released as a winter system, rather than Christmas, since it is still winter, and will be for months to come.

Now, before I write a novel on the forums, I will end here.
I just want to re-iterate, I am working alone as far as scripting. I try my best, and I think i'm doing a pretty good job. Once again, like I always say, if you have any ideas, criticism, comments, anything. Please, pm me, forum mail me, in-game mail me.

Because, tbh, I am sick of seeing people talk about how nothing gets done, problems don't get fixed...well, i'm not able to see everything on the server. Things will not magically fix themselves...so, stop complainign about it, and actually tell me. Then maybe we can get some stuff done.

That is all. Oh wait, I have one more thing....if you want to apply for my team, just show me some examples of your scripting abilities, I have a small application that would take a decent scripter 2 seconds to do...but please, if you apply, don't expect to get full NC, unlimited rights, and get to do w/e you want. Its not going to happen.

Now, that is all.

tl;dr? Stop being lazy and read the post already.
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  #15  
Old 01-03-2011, 12:07 AM
RegretZ RegretZ is offline
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I want to learn, but if I try to do it on my own I'm not going to get anywhere...trust me, I've tried.
Maybe if there were people willing to show people how to do things hands-on more people would be interested in learning and working. 0.0
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