Backup AM

[ajqtrz]

Once the Archmage is gone a fellowship can often fade into nothing without recourse except to contact support-- which they might or might not know can be done. Why not avoid that and let the AM designate a "backup" AM. The backup AM kicks in after X amount of days the AM is gone and has all the rights of the AM at that point. In fact, why not just have the AM change to the backup AM automatically after the number of days the original AM is gone and then send a message to the new AM reminding them to pick a backup AM?

Here's how it might work.

In the pull down list positions: AM, Mage, Ambassador, Fellow, you add, "Backup AM" Once the AM designates that person you could then have a box pop asking how many days of absence before the switch is automatic? 30 - 60 perhaps would be a good range. Then the countdown starts.

Advantages:
No need to call support unless both the AM and the Backup AM since the fellowship knows when the AM will be automatically replaced and so on.
Coding of the interface should be easy, though the countdown might take some work.
Players stick around in fellowships that are mostly active rather than bolting because the AM has gone AWOL.

Disadvantages:
Just the coding to get it done.
Perhaps, some "jealousy" over who gets to be "backup AM?" (Yeah, I can imagine once in a blue moon somebody leaving in a huff over not being picked, sigh.)

AJ

 

[Deleted User - 1178646]

Once the Archmage is gone a fellowship can often fade into nothing without recourse except to contact support-- which they might or might not know can be done. Why not avoid that and let the AM designate a "backup" AM. The backup AM kicks in after X amount of days the AM is gone and has all the rights of the AM at that point. In fact, why not just have the AM change to the backup AM automatically after the number of days the original AM is gone and then send a message to the new AM reminding them to pick a backup AM?

Here's how it might work.

In the pull down list positions: AM, Mage, Ambassador, Fellow, you add, "Backup AM" Once the AM designates that person you could then have a box pop asking how many days of absence before the switch is automatic? 30 - 60 perhaps would be a good range. Then the countdown starts.

Advantages:
No need to call support unless both the AM and the Backup AM since the fellowship knows when the AM will be automatically replaced and so on.
Coding of the interface should be easy, though the countdown might take some work.
Players stick around in fellowships that are mostly active rather than bolting because the AM has gone AWOL.

Disadvantages:
Just the coding to get it done.
Perhaps, some "jealousy" over who gets to be "backup AM?" (Yeah, I can imagine once in a blue moon somebody leaving in a huff over not being picked, sigh.)

AJ

No need for it, if your Archmage goes AWOL you can create a support ticket and if he/she has been gone for 30+ days the highest ranked active player will be the next archmage. if there are multiple players with the same highest rank then it becomes the player who has been in the fellowship the longest time.

So that backup is already there you just need to take the effort to send support a message

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

A simpler solution exists in another game I play called Gems of War. In that game we have Guilds, and if the equivalent of the AM does not log in after a set number of days, all members with the rank that is equivalent to Mage automatically gain the ability to demote the leader and promote someone else to the top spot.

 

[Deleted User - 1178646]

A simpler solution exists in another game I play called Gems of War. In that game we have Guilds, and if the equivalent of the AM does not log in after a set number of days, all members with the rank that is equivalent to Mage automatically gain the ability to demote the leader and promote someone else to the top spot.

Why create something that ain't a problem, there is a mechanism in place.
And if that mechanism is used very fequently I am sure CM's will complain and something like this will be created.

But lets say the US supportteam gets 1 request per week or maybe 2.(I would not be suprised if it's only once a month) should they really invest the manpower to create a feature like this?
Would that not be the biggest waste of resources ever?

It's not up to us players so ask for a solution like this. it's up to the support team to ask for it if they are too often annoyed by it.
As long as they aren't to swamped by requests like this, there is no reason to waste time on it.

 

[helya]

But lets say the US supportteam gets 1 request per week or maybe 2.(I would not be suprised if it's only once a month)

10-15 for US, but likely less for other markets. During the FA it's actually a big problem.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Why create something that ain't a problem, there is a mechanism in place.
And if that mechanism is used very fequently I am sure CM's will complain and something like this will be created.

But lets say the US supportteam gets 1 request per week or maybe 2.(I would not be suprised if it's only once a month) should they really invest the manpower to create a feature like this?
Would that not be the biggest waste of resources ever?

It's not up to us players so ask for a solution like this. it's up to the support team to ask for it if they are too often annoyed by it.
As long as they aren't to swamped by requests like this, there is no reason to waste time on it.

However you want to view it, but it is disappointing every time something is lacking in Elvenar, while others games as old or older than Elvenar have had the feature for many years.

 

[ajqtrz]

@CrazyWizard It's not the people who know to send a report to support I worry about, it's the fs's that don't that might be a problem. Say you join a fs that is made of newer players. They are feeling their way around and after a few weeks their AM leaves. Now what? Most of them will probably continue but maybe not, especially if their leadership abandons the FS exactly because the AM is gone.

So why not circumvent the problem in the first place, reduce the load on support, and give all those "AMless" fs's some hope they can recover?

At least I'd do it, though I suspect it would take some not so small amount of coding.

AJ

 

[bkbajb]

So if the AM goes MIA then the BAM would take over.

 

[Darielle]

I can see an AM worry about something happening, not being able to log in for a certain number of days, and losing control of her/his fellowship with no recourse. Some AMs worked hard to build up their fellowship, and all it would take is a few weeks in the hospital to lose everything.

I would be more for a backup if the original AM could regain his/her spot just by returning within a certain time period, without having to worry if the 2nd in command refused to give up their new status. For example, an AM doesn't log in for X days, a temporary AM is assigned. The old AM has an additional 30-60 days to log back in and regain status before the temporary AM becomes permanent. Something like that.

I haven't really thought this through; I'm just throwing out ideas here.

 

[ajqtrz]

Yeah, I get that. But, frankly, since the AM chooses the backup you'd think it would be pretty rare that the backup didn't step aside when the AM returned. In fact, if that was a problem I suspect there would be some rebellion in the ranks and you can pretty much watch the drama from the side lines. Not fun, but so rare that the risks are worth the benefits, I think.

I'm in a fellowship in another game and am, what the AM is there. I regularly leave for a week or two to go visit other teams and when I do I just turn over the reigns to one of the "Mages." Never been a problem for me. Hopefully, it never will be either.

But I take your critique seriously. Perhaps the AM sets the days of absence before the backup steps in AND, there is a delay of X days before they become the full AM. Maybe the only think they can't do during that second set of days, is replace the AM with themselves (or anybody else, for that matter)?

I like the idea, but it would take a lot more coding and the coding for this is probably not going to happen any time soon, if ever...unless it really is a problem. That just gives me some hope. (Aren't I cool when I'm hopeful?)

AJ