Thoughts on Neighborly Help Preferences

[SoulsSilhouette]

All Archmages are people. Some like to tell you what AW's they feel their fellowship should build and which ones they shouldn't. How many manufacturies you should have etc, and so forth. I was booted from a fellowship (before I could leave) because I had no intention of not having a CL/BS, or a GA. The Archmage was of the opinion that only the martial AW's should be built. That all cities were to be given the same help order, culture first. Oh and there was also a directive of where to place your MA and builder's hut as well as the Main hall and how many armories to have. It was a little dictatorish for my liking. I was going to leave after the end of the tournament that was on, but because I refused to comply, I was unceremoniously and without even a message, booted. As well that ends well because I know now that I will never trust a fellowship description and will be quicker to evaluate if I can actually tolerate the rules.

 

[Kekune]

@SoulsSilhouette that's nuts.

 

[SoulsSilhouette]

@SoulsSilhouette that's nuts.

It was. But there is true statement made by someone who was wiser than most... John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902). ... "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.."

 

[ajqtrz]

Also @Maavra
I'm betting you are in a fairly young fs
because any AM who's been around a while isn't going to get a bug up his butt over something so stupid
a smart AM will save his threats for things like, a person who never visits, or someone who ignores a minimum tourny point rule, or a jerk who takes a guys sandwich out of the breakroom fridge WHEN I VERY CLEARLY HAD MY NAME ON IT, just as random examples

I was hungry. I mean really really hungry and when I get that hungry all writing gets smudged until it looks like my name. So I'm pretty sure the name was smudged and I really thought it was my sandwich even if I don't remember putting it there. Really I did. And while I'm at it, if you could leave off the mustard on the next sandwich with my name on it you leave in the frig, I'd really appreciate it.

AJ

 

[T6583]

As an AM I would never dictate that people put an order in their city name. We ask that if a player does dictate a preference to please try to hit that preference order. If a player doesn’t have a preference then they just get whatever I feel like doing that day. Usually culture. Prior to the visiting change of a player didn’t have a preference I would just hit their main hall. Also is the AM going to dictate which devices a player has to use as well? As Kekune mentioned mobile players can’t change their city name. It can only be changed on a PC. If your AM continues on this path they’re not gonna have an FS at some point as most members would have left over rules like that.

 

[Kekune]

It was. But there is true statement made by someone who was wiser than most... John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902). ... "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.."

Nothing binds a fellowship together except everyone's willingness to go along with whatever the expectations are. Sure, there's an "expel" button. But that's hardly absolute power. I think most of the time, if an AM gets too big for their britches they will eventually find themselves without much of a fellowship.

 

[Henroo]

Um, I had an AM who did exactly that!

I notice you said "had." I am hoping from your use of the past tense that you no longer have that Archmage.

 

[ajqtrz]

I was once in another city-building game. The alliance I joined had a lot of rules. Like where to put what buildings and what to produce and how often. It was as if we were a single player. Leadership had all kinds of formulas about being ranked #1 and if you built your city the way they told you, you too, became highly ranked/respected. It was a military style dictatorship but the guy running it was smart and had a great team of experienced players assisting. They were number 1 and pretty much undefeated across multiple servers. However, after a while I decided that I wanted to try a different style and left on good terms.

The "trick" to being a "dictator" is not appearing like one AND doing such a great job that nobody questions your judgement. When you start dictating things without a clear explanation of why you think it should be done the way you say, others may think you are just being "picky" or "micromanaging." The alliance I was in had rules but each one was shown to be needed and useful for maximum efficiency in the goals of the alliance. If a player didn't have the same goals he/she didn't join the alliance.

So, in the end, it is possible to be a "dictator" and do it well. You just can't be arbitrary, and you have to communicate extremely well so everybody knows the choices you make for them are really for everybody's good. The adage quoted above about power corrupting is probably true in a lot of peoples minds, but it's not an absolute. There are benevolent and pretty much (game) omniscient dictators who manage to dictate without offending.

AJ

 

[Kekune]

If a player didn't have the same goals he/she didn't join the alliance.

That's not a dictatorship. That's a carefully chosen and finely honed team. When everyone wants the same outcomes and agrees on the approach, the leader isn't dictating, they're just holding the steering wheel of the ship that everyone else gladly climbed onto.

 

[SoulsSilhouette]

I was spoiled by my first world and fellowship..... they were helpful and supportive. Always offering advice and not offended if someone didn't take it. They offered opinions and options. So, when I came across this, I was actually stunned that anyone, for any reason, would take it to that level.

 

[Lelanya]

I notice you said "had." I am hoping from your use of the past tense that you no longer have that Archmage.

Yep, thanks to both who asked, I left the control freak and joined a high level FS where I gained the contacts I needed to open my own, one I had longed for. I created a home for tourneyers that became the first 10 chest FS. I took to social media and taught others how to repeat what we were doing.
All hail the control freak! For I turned his spleen into a great good

 

[Captain Asgard]

So, in the end, it is possible to be a "dictator" and do it well.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

 

[ajqtrz]

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

I do believe it. Benevolent is benevolent and one could hardly say that man was benevolent.

 

[BrinDarby]

Ash, what about FS hopping in the beginning to find the right one ?
You play the week like probation, both the fellowship and the player
need time to see if its a good fit, is this also frowned on ??

 

[Ashrem]

Ash, what about FS hopping in the beginning to find the right one ?
You play the week like probation, both the fellowship and the player
need time to see if its a good fit, is this also frowned on ??

I didn't and wouldn't say FS hopping is frowned upon, though I'm sure many do. My only comment was that lots of people (not all) look at the FS as a collection of friends at some point. A bad archmage taking over forces us to make decisions that are not quite as simple as ajtqrz painted. It's almost certainly true for some, just not all. That's in no way a judgement on whether FS hopping is frowned upon.

 

[Kekune]

Ash, what about FS hopping in the beginning to find the right one ?
You play the week like probation, both the fellowship and the player
need time to see if its a good fit, is this also frowned on ??

An active and engaged AM/mage should be willing to have a pretty robust conversation before you even join so you can both get a feel for each other. If they're not willing to do that, or if they object to the type of trial you're suggesting, you'd know that you and they have different ideas of "fit" and its importance.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

An active and engaged AM/mage should be willing to have a pretty robust conversation before you even join so you can both get a feel for each other. If they're not willing to do that, or if they object to the type of trial you're suggesting, you'd know that you and they have different ideas of "fit" and its importance.

Nope, I have never had that happen with any fellowship before and I have been in my current one for about two years now.

 

[Ashrem]

Nope, I have never had that happen with any fellowship before and I have been in my current one for about two years now.

That's unfortunate. Your group's method may be common, but I don't think it invalidate's Kekune's statement that the AM ought to be willing to have that conversation. I never (and our current AM does the same) took in a new player without an acknowledgement of our stated rules, an exchange about hour goals, and both sides knowing that it was a test-run which either side could end without any hard feelings or prejudice in the first week or two. We also have at least two or three people other than the AM look the city over in-game and on Elvenstats. I'd rather miss a prospect than lose them a month in because they are a bad fit.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I tend to either laugh or shake my head at the people who do not know that not all the characters you can use for a name will show fully except when in the city, so they use every space they can and maybe two-thirds of the name shows to anyone looking at them on the map, which sometimes makes no sense that way. This can also cut off the CMB combo that people stick on the end and people think you are fine with anything.

 

[mucksterme]

I tend to either laugh or shake my head at the people who do not know that not all the characters you can use for a name will show fully except when in the city, so they use every space they can and maybe two-thirds of the name shows to anyone looking at them on the map, which sometimes makes no sense that way. This can also cut off the CMB combo that people stick on the end and people think you are fine with anything.

See now I thought you were going to shake your head because he has been around long enough to know that if the mods see " tr*ck " they will still read "truck" or possibly "trick" now that I think of it. But lucky for me neither of those words will get you a stern look from x*****ia