[Community] Player Feedback

[G4RG0YLE]

is it just me or the latest 1.17a patch download is currently not accessible?

How so?

[Insoholic]

is it just me or the latest 1.17a patch download is currently not accessible?

How so?

Nothing seems to happen when you click the "FeralHeart.exe" download link.

[G4RG0YLE]

Hm, it's working for me. Not sure if it's happening for anyone else..

[SpicyDirt]

is it just me or the latest 1.17a patch download is currently not accessible?

How so?

Nothing seems to happen when you click the "FeralHeart.exe" download link.

Oh yes - that is an issue that we know about. Technically Raz has to be the one to fix that download link. In the meantime, using the Mediafire/Drive link from this post does work!

[DylanCheetah]

I'm liking a lot of these suggestions so far! Something that I would like to bring up is how the staff team actually goes about getting new staff members. I would like to propose an actual application.

It could be made as a Google Form, so that you have to be signed in (traced back to your gmail, even if you didn't use that to sign up for the game), all of the questions would be required to be answered so nothing can be skipped. This would help get rid of the likelihood of the applications getting spammed/trolled.

I've heard before that the staff team is usually chosen via helpful and active people on the forums. In my opinion that doesn't give enough opportunity to people that might make good moderators. Just because someone is active and helpful on the forums and helpful doesn’t mean they’re fit to be a mod. Some people that are active in game and would make good mods might not be as active on the forums.

The application could include questions such as:
- Feralheart Username
- How long you've been a part of the community
- Age
- Timezone
- How active you are
- Do you currently have a job/school/work for other games that might hinder your activity some? If you work for other games/wip games, what games?
- Scenario Questions, example: you see two people fighting in game/on the forum - what do you do?
- Why they want to be a mod?
- What they can bring to the team
- What languages do you speak?
- Do you have other forms of contact other than FH/The Forum such as Discord, Skype, would you be willing to give your phone number, etc? (idk how staff communicate LOL)

etc.

This can help show if they'll actually be qualified for the staff position depending on their answers, and also the time and effort put into the application shows that they care about the position and really do want to be part of the staff/help further the game.

Sorry for the late response on the staff application topic. I must've overlooked it. But I feel the need to point out some things.

Basically, I feel that such an application would get abused. Not everyone is honest and we really cannot just take people at their word these days. Especially concerning the questions like "Why do you want to be a mod?" While I can agree with community members recommending someone based on helpful things they have done for this game, I cannot agree with having an application for literally anyone to ask to work here. That seems like it would just lead to having a bunch of staff that are loyal to small groups of people in the community and biased against everyone else. Also, they may not even work well with the existing staff.

[toonanimals317]

I'm liking a lot of these suggestions so far! Something that I would like to bring up is how the staff team actually goes about getting new staff members. I would like to propose an actual application.

It could be made as a Google Form, so that you have to be signed in (traced back to your gmail, even if you didn't use that to sign up for the game), all of the questions would be required to be answered so nothing can be skipped. This would help get rid of the likelihood of the applications getting spammed/trolled.

I've heard before that the staff team is usually chosen via helpful and active people on the forums. In my opinion that doesn't give enough opportunity to people that might make good moderators. Just because someone is active and helpful on the forums and helpful doesn’t mean they’re fit to be a mod. Some people that are active in game and would make good mods might not be as active on the forums.

The application could include questions such as:
- Feralheart Username
- How long you've been a part of the community
- Age
- Timezone
- How active you are
- Do you currently have a job/school/work for other games that might hinder your activity some? If you work for other games/wip games, what games?
- Scenario Questions, example: you see two people fighting in game/on the forum - what do you do?
- Why they want to be a mod?
- What they can bring to the team
- What languages do you speak?
- Do you have other forms of contact other than FH/The Forum such as Discord, Skype, would you be willing to give your phone number, etc? (idk how staff communicate LOL)

etc.

This can help show if they'll actually be qualified for the staff position depending on their answers, and also the time and effort put into the application shows that they care about the position and really do want to be part of the staff/help further the game.

Sorry for the late response on the staff application topic. I must've overlooked it. But I feel the need to point out some things.

Basically, I feel that such an application would get abused. Not everyone is honest and we really cannot just take people at their word these days. Especially concerning the questions like "Why do you want to be a mod?" While I can agree with community members recommending someone based on helpful things they have done for this game, I cannot agree with having an application for literally anyone to ask to work here. That seems like it would just lead to having a bunch of staff that are loyal to small groups of people in the community and biased against everyone else. Also, they may not even work well with the existing staff.

And yet, applications are how so many games get their moderators! So if it was really such an issue, why is it such a common practice? Think of it as a job application. You aren’t getting paid, sure, but if you apply for a job you need to apply, and you’d get similar questions! ‘Why do you want this job?’ ‘Why do you think you would be good at this job?’ it’s the same exact thing, only it’s volunteer work.

Also the application would probably be reviewed by current staff members! They could feel it out with the person through their application and feel like the member is either a good fit or not. This is just how most jobs work! Now I wouldn’t be surprised if FH doesn’t open moderator applications, just because I’d be shocked if they haven’t thought of that already and had it shot down, but I don’t see why you personally are so against it because, again, you’d apply to get a job, so applying to be a moderator isn’t so far out of the realm of possibility. I don’t think it would lead to bias among the staff team because they’d literally get vetted and go through the same training process as every single other moderator has. There’s no change except for how the mods get chosen if FH opened applications!

[BloodWinsAll]

Basically, I feel that such an application would get abused. Not everyone is honest and we really cannot just take people at their word these days. Especially concerning the questions like "Why do you want to be a mod?" While I can agree with community members recommending someone based on helpful things they have done for this game, I cannot agree with having an application for literally anyone to ask to work here. That seems like it would just lead to having a bunch of staff that are loyal to small groups of people in the community and biased against everyone else. Also, they may not even work well with the existing staff.

I'm not sure that the staff application was intended to be a "you apply you get hired" sort of process-- and if I'm misunderstanding what you mean, I'm sorry! That's just how I'm reading it, and I don't think that's what Toonanimals meant when they suggested it?

Wouldn't it just work as a generic job application? You apply and the person in charge (the staff) would take that application and discuss it before reaching out for further questions. If that's the case I love the idea tbh-- I would love to see people actually be able to let the community and staff know that they are interested in working on the game!

And yet, applications are how so many games get their moderators! So if it was really such an issue, why is it such a common practice? Think of it as a job application. You aren’t getting paid, sure, but if you apply for a job you need to apply, and you’d get similar questions! ‘Why do you want this job?’ ‘Why do you think you would be good at this job?’ it’s the same exact thing, only it’s volunteer work.

Yeah, so this was posted as I was writing my response and I think-- this is what was intended and this I can support!

[DylanCheetah]

If we had staff applications, it would increase the workload of the staff, because they would have to take the time to read them all. And while there would probably only be a few applications right now, what about in the future? As the game grows, so would the number of staff applications. It could very well grow to hundreds or even thousands of applications to review. Which will in turn take up more of the staff's time. Thereby hindering productivity and ultimately slowing down future updates and making it harder to moderate the game due to lack of time.

Furthermore, we already have a staff selection system that works. Most of the time new staff are former MOTS and the MOTS themselves are selected by the community. So technically the community already has influence on who gets considered for staff positions.

The current system works and if something is not broken, then there is no reason to fix it. Things that work for other games are not necessarily suitable for this game.

And I also think that staff applications could get spammed by trolls.

[Ame88]

I'm liking a lot of these suggestions so far! Something that I would like to bring up is how the staff team actually goes about getting new staff members. I would like to propose an actual application.

It could be made as a Google Form, so that you have to be signed in (traced back to your gmail, even if you didn't use that to sign up for the game), all of the questions would be required to be answered so nothing can be skipped. This would help get rid of the likelihood of the applications getting spammed/trolled.

I've heard before that the staff team is usually chosen via helpful and active people on the forums. In my opinion that doesn't give enough opportunity to people that might make good moderators. Just because someone is active and helpful on the forums and helpful doesn’t mean they’re fit to be a mod. Some people that are active in game and would make good mods might not be as active on the forums.

The application could include questions such as:
- Feralheart Username
- How long you've been a part of the community
- Age
- Timezone
- How active you are
- Do you currently have a job/school/work for other games that might hinder your activity some? If you work for other games/wip games, what games?
- Scenario Questions, example: you see two people fighting in game/on the forum - what do you do?
- Why they want to be a mod?
- What they can bring to the team
- What languages do you speak?
- Do you have other forms of contact other than FH/The Forum such as Discord, Skype, would you be willing to give your phone number, etc? (idk how staff communicate LOL)

etc.

This can help show if they'll actually be qualified for the staff position depending on their answers, and also the time and effort put into the application shows that they care about the position and really do want to be part of the staff/help further the game.

Sorry for the late response on the staff application topic. I must've overlooked it. But I feel the need to point out some things.

Basically, I feel that such an application would get abused. Not everyone is honest and we really cannot just take people at their word these days. Especially concerning the questions like "Why do you want to be a mod?" While I can agree with community members recommending someone based on helpful things they have done for this game, I cannot agree with having an application for literally anyone to ask to work here. That seems like it would just lead to having a bunch of staff that are loyal to small groups of people in the community and biased against everyone else. Also, they may not even work well with the existing staff.

And yet, applications are how so many games get their moderators! So if it was really such an issue, why is it such a common practice? Think of it as a job application. You aren’t getting paid, sure, but if you apply for a job you need to apply, and you’d get similar questions! ‘Why do you want this job?’ ‘Why do you think you would be good at this job?’ it’s the same exact thing, only it’s volunteer work.

Also the application would probably be reviewed by current staff members! They could feel it out with the person through their application and feel like the member is either a good fit or not. This is just how most jobs work! Now I wouldn’t be surprised if FH doesn’t open moderator applications, just because I’d be shocked if they haven’t thought of that already and had it shot down, but I don’t see why you personally are so against it because, again, you’d apply to get a job, so applying to be a moderator isn’t so far out of the realm of possibility. I don’t think it would lead to bias among the staff team because they’d literally get vetted and go through the same training process as every single other moderator has. There’s no change except for how the mods get chosen if FH opened applications!

When it comes to staff applications, there are definitely pros and cons. For years now staff have hand picked individuals based on the quality of their personality and traits rather than their skills on a particular thing, as skills can always be attained through training, which every staffer goes through. To quote our MOD FAQ + Information thread, these are things we commonly look for:

Here's a few things that's common for a MOD:
- Preferably active both within the game and on the forum.
- They've shown themselves as helpful towards the community and game and has a great interest.
- They're known to and have done positive actions in this community and game.
- Are well aware of the game/forum rules and has stayed rather clear from bans and other warnings in the past.
- Know their way around the game fairly well, both inside and outside.
- Is contactable online outside of the game
- Preferred if they are above or at 16 years of age.

Even though this list explains some of the things well, it still doesn't mean a user following these lines would become a mod. But if you behave well you might get offered a MOD position. If you work on your own accord and show you want to help without the soul reason of "being" a mod, then you most likely have good chances.

While applications can definitely help us in gaining staffers, one can easily lie on an application to "get the job". Mods have powers and responsibilities they need to be careful of and use well, so those who are trusted enough are offered a mod title. I would also like to note that this really isn't a "job" per se, more so we are simply volunteering our time here for the game and community.

I'm 100% certain most fluffs here that would apply if we did have an application system would only have their best intentions behind wanting to join as it's very clear that we all want what's best for this game, however we do need to be sure on who we are granting a mod title.

Being on MOTS also doesn't guarantee you becoming a staff member, either. While it can help highlight your actions as a community member and allow you to work more closely with the staff, members who have never received MOTS can also be picked to become a mod.

I would like to note, however, we do have a google form where anyone can suggest members for a MIT role. We do keep our eyes peeled for potential future MITS, and this does help us in who we can keep a look out for: Linkie

[toonanimals317]

If we had staff applications, it would increase the workload of the staff, because they would have to take the time to read them all. And while there would probably only be a few applications right now, what about in the future? As the game grows, so would the number of staff applications. It could very well grow to hundreds or even thousands of applications to review. Which will in turn take up more of the staff's time. Thereby hindering productivity and ultimately slowing down future updates and making it harder to moderate the game due to lack of time.

Furthermore, we already have a staff selection system that works. Most of the time new staff are former MOTS and the MOTS themselves are selected by the community. So technically the community already has influence on who gets considered for staff positions.

The current system works and if something is not broken, then there is no reason to fix it. Things that work for other games are not necessarily suitable for this game.

And I also think that staff applications could get spammed by trolls.

Yes it would increase the workload of the staff. So does bringing on staff members in the first place. Bringing on new staff for anything takes time and effort. It’s hard work to find the right fit. “As the game grows, so would the number of staff applications” — No. They can be CLOSED when Feralheart isn’t looking for more staff members. And you know what, having a ton of people apply wouldn’t be such a bad thing! It would mean there’s a lot of interest!

Staff selection system does work, I’m not saying it doesn’t, I just believe this would provide more people with more opportunities to potentially become staff if they are a little more shy/less active in the community. Someone who is shy and doesn’t talk on the forums a lot could make a great mod! As I said in my previous post, I wouldn’t be surprised if FH didn’t implement this, it was just a suggestion after all, there’s no reason for you to continue to shoot holes in the idea. It’s an idea. There’s nothing wrong with ideas or making suggestions. Also there is literally nothing about the community choosing staff when it comes to staff applications. The STAFF would choose the future staff on their own. Which is how most things go!

Also really? You think it could get spammed by trolls? The whole forum could be spammed by trolls. The game could be spammed by trolls. What’s your point? How is that different? The troll applications could easily be deleted if it was a Google form, and it would probably be obvious when they’re troll apps so staff wouldn’t have to waste their time reading them fully. I addressed this in my FIRST post.

While applications can definitely help us in gaining staffers, one can easily lie on an application to "get the job". Mods have powers and responsibilities they need to be careful of and use well, so those who are trusted enough are offered a mod title. I would also like to note that this really isn't a "job" per se, more so we are simply volunteering our time here for the game and community.

I'm 100% certain most fluffs here that would apply if we did have an application system would only have their best intentions behind wanting to join as it's very clear that we all want what's best for this game, however we do need to be sure on who we are granting a mod title.

Being on MOTS also doesn't guarantee you becoming a staff member, either. While it can help highlight your actions as a community member and allow you to work more closely with the staff, members who have never received MOTS can also be picked to become a mod.

I would like to note, however, we do have a google form where anyone can suggest members for a MIT role. We do keep our eyes peeled for potential future MITS, and this does help us in who we can keep a look out for: Linkie

I totally get the concern with people lying to get the job like you said. However that’s why the MIT position exists in my opinion! Not every MIT will get the privilege to be promoted to a full moderator, it’s a time where they can train and learn the ropes and current staff can make sure that they fit in with the rest of the staff members and the culture of the staff. If you want to go a step further, potential new staff members after being chosen could be on a probationary period before they even make it to being a MIT. During this probationary period they could get to know the staff team and you could get to know them, make sure that they actually have the qualities that they said they possess, and are ready to take on the job! Then they can move into the actual training process and earn the MIT title. I know how important it is to make sure staff members are up to snuff.

I think one of the main reasons an application would be so nice is because like I said, how much opportunity it gives to people. There are people I can think of that aren’t super active on the forum but are super active (and helpful) in game, and have been staff for things like role plays which I know isn’t the same but it’s still some moderation experience. If you bring in people with experience, less time has to be spent on training!

Also because even though yes, it is a volunteer position, in most places you do still have to apply to volunteer your time and energy into something! I know for example that ToonTown Rewritten (a quote on quote “kid’s game”) has a fully volunteer staff. Yet there are applications for every single staff role that they have, not just game moderators.

I didn’t know about that form for potential MITs, thank you for sharing that Ame! I think that’s something that should be better known about, since I’ve never seen it before!