First off, let me just start this off by mentioning that I've had the pleasure of meeting & befriending a handful of staff throughout the four years that I've been here, and I can tell you that every single one of them had and has the game's best intentions in mind. Those who are appointed to a staffing position aren't there for no reason at all; they're there because they've shown an interest in maintaining the game and are qualified to do so. I understand that some people have their qualms with this whole staffing issues and whatnot, and all that I can say is, yes, it's not perfect, but yes, it does work for a small game like so.
I understand that some of you out there think that you know who would make a good staffer. You see people around the community who help out and care for this game, and yes, you believe they would be a good staff member. You feel as if the system where a current staffer appoints a new staffer has the potential to be biased and power heavy. I can completely understand that. But let me point out that in a way, the community does have a say in who becomes a staff member. For example, MOTS, the praises board, the Floof-O-Meter. These are generally all ways in which the community can show their appreciation towards a member of the community. Am I saying that a mod should be appointed based on these alone? No. But what I am saying is that this isn't a complete hierarchy. There is a hint of democracy where we, as responsible community members, can voice our opinions about potential staffers and lead the current staffers in the right direction.
I do agree that more staff members would work in this game's favor. Not because the game necessarily needs more (I think what we have is sufficient as per staff to user ratio), but because two heads are always better than one. The more people on the staff team, the more ideas, opinions, and beliefs that are likely to be circulating around. Not only will this solve the issue of staff activity (Which I don't see any immediate problem with, by the way), but it will increase the chances of progress for this game.
We need ideas. Nothing in this world lasts for long without new ideas. Why do you think Apple keeps coming out with a new iPhone each year? Or why do you think Sony has to keep making PlayStations? All for the same reasons. We as humans are inclined to get board without change. So when the net loss of interest starts to override the net gain of interest, then it's time to change something. And that's what happened. The staff recognized the potential decrease and interest and released a wonderful new update for us all. It took a long time for the community to get used to, but it's working. The fact that there are people desperate to register means that there is a surge of new players who are now interested. Show a person a polished diamond, and they'll take it. Show them a raw diamond, and they're call it a rock.
We need a revolution of ideas, not so much better staff or better players.
We also need to shift our minds away from this whole staff obsession complexion. I understand it's natural to want power. There are some members out there who are and will always be fighting for power, recognition, and popularity with little to no actual care for the game. But this whole community has let it get to their heads. We need to stop craving power and become more genuine. We need to see the staff as people just like you and I. They are no greater than the rest of us just because they have the power to moderate. Revering them like gods and goddesses is a kind of ridiculous manner to go about things. If you want to be popular so bad, then work towards it in other means. I know plenty of people who became "popular" in this game by simply being talkative or friendly, or by running a successful group, etc. But really, popularity here is fabricated. There is no real gain besides perhaps a simple feel good. And if it is a feel good that you are seeking, why not cause that emotion through other means besides popularity, such as through a good role-play, making new friends, etc.
As far as the immaturity that is occurring in game: speak up. There is nothing wrong with telling someone to stop something that you think might be against the rules. When the staff aren't around to stop it, then you need to be a productive and responsible community member and work to stop it. And if they don't listen to you and continue, then so what? At least you tried, and at which point you can escalate the issue to a staffer. I think it was pointed out in a post above that escalating it to a staff member doesn't always seem to work. But how do you know that? How do you know that it gets overlooked? Just because you don't see action taken against the problem causer doesn't mean that your concern wasn't taken into consideration. The staff might have deemed the issue not a serious enough offense for action, or they are in the process of confronting the agitator in order to solve the issue.
I'd also like to point out that this game is meant for children. Although most of the users here seem to be in their teens or early 20s, this is in fact a game intended for a younger audience. The privacy policy even entails that it is a 13+ game. So if you are aware that this game has a younger audience, then be prepared for immaturity. Younger people don't always know better, but it doesn't give us older players a reason to get all frustrated and angry. Patience is of a virtue, and it can really come in handy when dealing with agitators, especially those who do not have the same sense of maturity that you possess.
I'd like to conclude with a simple statement: We are a community. We do things together, and we are responsible for where we want this game to go. In the end, it's up to us to decide the future for this game. We can decide if we want to strive as a community. To strive to be entrepreneurs, to be inventors, to be problem solvers, to be do-gooders. We can also decide if we want to strive to be immature, to be complainers, to be arguers, to be fighters. The choice is entirely up to us. The more we come to terms with this, the sooner we can put our heads together in order to do the ultimate good for this game. I hope I was coherent to all reading my argument here. Thank you for listening.
