I want to precede this note by stating that I happened upon this update to the game by chance. I watch the FH art group on DA, and noticed the announcement made in regards to this proposed idea.
First off, I’d like to recommend that other members of the game and forum not insult or draw any negativity towards Razmirz for this concept he introduced. In spite of personal emotions and opinions held towards this entire ordeal, please keep in mind that he is and has been the server master of the game for years upon years. Even before Feralheart began, his support has kept this community running for longer than most of anyone can even remember. I do not support this idea, but I hate to see petty insults and further aggression thrown around, those of which only perpetuate bad vibes and dramatic circumstances that can otherwise be avoided if this were regarded with level heads and thoughtful, respectful conversation. In other words, keep it mature and constructive if you can.
With that being said, I would like to request the same to be presented to the Feralheart community and the working moderation staff from Razmirz himself. I - along with the community I’m sure - am not yet aware of what instigated this decision. Everything I’ve picked up is from reading this announcement and studying the responses of the staff and the players. If I’m understanding this situation correctly, Razmirz wishes to rid the game of the moderation staff for a month as some sort of trial - a conclusion which he came to without consulting the rest of the staff. While the concept could be presented and judged externally on its own if this were an isolated predicament, the latter part of that observation is what concerns me. From the eyes of the outside community, Razmirz is a prevalent member of the staff team. Maybe not as social or interactive as others, but he is the reason this game is running. Therefore, having made such a drastic decision without consent from the rest of the staff team is a questionable move at best. As such, I can only imagine there’s some sort of personal rift that the rest of the community is suffering for, unbeknownst to them.
For a game such as Feralheart, communication between the staff and the players is key. Participation, activity, open-mindedness and open words -- that’s what keeps everything knit together. That is what has kept the game running for so long - or at least, that’s what I’ve perceived as an outsider looking in for the past several years. The lack of communication from arguably the most significant and relied upon member of the staff team is concerning, no matter how you look at it. The discourse brought on as the aftermath of this proposal has been handled rather well by the rest of the staff, and I’d like to give them my respect and commendation to every one of them, solely for the fact that they are reaching out to the players, expressing their feelings over this, and working for hours upon hours of well earned personal time to settle the panic that arose moments after this announcement dropped.
So with that, I’d like to ask Raz something that I’m certain is on everyone’s minds: why make this decision? Is there a legitimate reason? You cannot rely on an explanation such as, ‘It’s what LKD wanted’. After nearly 8 years of this game being live and him being absent, if LKD’s wishes were truly what motivated you, you would have done something much, much sooner. I also call this argument into question; as someone who became a mod at the beginning of Fearlheart, I’m certain LKD had other mods in mind at the time before things changed up. I cannot say for sure, but I’m not about to believe he was truly going to rely on no mods, period. Regardless, I can only assume there’s something more personal that’s driving you to do this. It's not a trial just to test the waters, either. You’re smart; surely you know how this was going to be perceived by everyone - players and staff alike. There’s no way this would be taken seriously or positively by anyone - not even yourself.
As for the decision to remove moderators, even for as little as a month: I don’t believe it’s a good OR interesting concept, no. I have no read on the community these days, but with anything on the internet you can’t actually expect self-moderation and bans dispensed with blocking to go over well. Perhaps with a new community comprised of fewer, trusted, more mature members, it could work. But Feralheart has been going for ages, and changing the moderation mechanic so drastically on a whim for an entire month would never, ever work out well. Sure, it’s functional, but barely. It shows disregard for the community itself to take away the very people working to provide a kind and open atmosphere and fighting to keep it safe. It shows disregard for your moderation staff to make this decision that affects the role that they have willfully volunteered for.
I no longer work for or play this game actively, so perhaps what I’m saying doesn’t have much weight. However, as the old co-administrator for this community, as well as a contributor to the creation of the game itself, I want the Feralheart moderation staff and the game community to know that I disagree with this. I believe this choice reflects badly on the server master and the game itself. I sympathize with the staff for having to clean up the mess dumped in front of them without warning. I apologize as a former administrator to the members who are caught in the crossfire.
Razmirz, I ask that you think about this further before actually taking action. I truly have no idea if my words - or anyone else's, player and staff aline - will actually reach you. This decision, if driven by personal feelings, is irrational. It’s not right, and I think you know that. I ask, before anything else, that you communicate with the staff - for the good of this game that you have worked so hard to maintain for years. Do you really want it all to end up being for nothing? If you wish to no longer run the server, could you not consider more mature and reasonable routes of action?
Feralheart moderation staff, I would recommend that you begin looking into alternatives. Feralheart’s community is strong and kind, and so are you. If this server becomes unreliable, try to find another server. Take this into your own hands if the time comes. I wouldn’t want anyone to give up hope on Razmirz completely, but the players of your game have made it clear that they do not like this decision, and they want to keep playing the game as it is. Be prepared to protect what’s at stake.
All in all, I truly hope that everything works out in the end. I don’t believe this will be the end of Feralheart. This is a huge bump in the road, but as I’ve said: this community is strong. It may take time to get things going more solidly again after such a scare, but hang in there.
