How often do you release players from your fellowship?

[Nectar of the Gods]

I was thinking of partnering with a more casual fellowship to make this one less casual. It is just a thought. The other idea would be a sabbatical for me where I leave my fellowship to join a more active fellowship for awhile so that I can try that play style out. I am mainly missing increased rewards in spire but it would be nice to play with some players who try to rank well in tournaments and fellowship adventures. I really don't think I could muster the time to start my current fellowship over to be ultra competitive and not sure I would even want to long term. Burnout seems a real possibility.

There are benefits of partnering with another FS so you have a place to send people who are not able to meet your current goals. It gives a chance for those people to return if they become interested in going for Spire and Tourney at a greater pace, which saves some headaches over recruiting. Swapping members back and forth is an idea that has been tried and been successful in other FSs. Having a "training" FS is also a possibility. It works for others. I don't know why it would not work for you.

What do you consider "ultra competitive"? Getting Gold in the Spire is a worthwhile goal for any FS that is full or near full, as long as all fellows have the Spire available. You just have to get people over the idea that reaching the top is too hard or too expensive. And once your FS completes 10 chests in Tourney, they will know they can do it and will like the prizes they get. That is not to me being ultra competitive. You don't have to have a goal of being in the top 50. Just show your people the benefits of getting to the top of the Spire and taking 10 chests in Tourney. The rest will take care of itself. In addition, you now have Perks. Applying those points to the Spire and Tourney will give you points to play to get your FS over humps and attain those higher goals.

If you feel burnout is a real possibility then you might want to take a step back now. Give the AM hat to a mage and go join a 10 chest/Gold FS and just have some fun for a change without all the responsibilities of being an AM. I was AM in different worlds running full FSs and I went through burnout. It is not fun. I came very close to walking away from Elvenar permanently. What is fun is joining a 10 chest/Gold Spire FS and playing the game for a change, just for the fun of it. I've done that and it is wonderful. Just be a player for awhile. Relax. You can always pick up the AM cap again when you feel less stressed. It is a game. Enjoy it.

Good luck.

 

[Smooper]

@Nectar of the Gods Thanks for the message. There is good advice in there. My fellowship gets 10 or 11 chests weekly but we can't quite seem to get gold level rewards in spire. I have poured all our perk points into that and we will continue a monthly push to try to achieve gold. Most players are good with that. About half make the top when we push and we end up 30 to 40 points short after applying the bonus so we are very close. Ultra competitive is more about stringent goals that must be met weekly in the fellowship that I personally couldn't even keep up with for long term. I know my laid back fellows wouldn't want it either.

I have started a second account. I will play it for awhile and when it is ready will decide if I want to join a more driven fellowship. Problem with this plan is running two accounts at a high level while operating my fellowship. It would be a lot of work. If I was retired, I could do it but alas I have work that does not allow for phone time or game playing while I am there. Good luck to you in your play. I will keep your advice and mull over my future Elvenar adventures.

 

[Ashrem]

A good way to define that would be "Visit x number of times per week"
And of course when you add in things like '1500 point tourny' and 'toad in spire' then people know exactly what is expected.

Mucksterme! (Sorry for injecting into this thread, but until I saw your post I hadn't realized how much I've missed your acerbic humour (which has nothing to do with this post, but....)). I am glad to encounter you again.

 

[Ashrem]

I do not mean those players who have gone inactive. I am referring to those players who are active but maybe don't or can't fit in. Maybe they are more casual players than will work for your fellowship, or maybe they have decided they hate tournaments, or spire, or FAs.

Forgive me if this is a rehash of someone else, but I'm skimming a lot this week.

I suggest turning your question on it's head. Instead of asking when to remove people, ask what your goals are and what the fellowship's goals are. Either they fit the fellowship, or they don't, and if they do, maybe you don't. If it's one or the other of you, then one or the other of you belongs somewhere else. If it's several people, it might be time to split the fellowship. People can get caught up in preserving the value they've added to a fellowship's score, but we're playing game. If how it's being played is causing you any stress at all, then it's probably worth playing it a different way. I've been in top 20 fellowships before, and am currently in one with 16 inactive players.

You're here to enjoy yourself, probably not to herd cats, unless herding cats is what you enjoy.

 

[Myne]

Myne,
I would release any player whose efforts were dragging down the goals of the FS. I would send them a message first, and ask if everything was alright with them and mention their participation in tournament/spire/visits etc had fallen off recently. Often an initial message will give you the information you need to make a determination on whether to keep them or let them go. Sometimes life events come up and those aren't relayed to you. A message can get you that information. If someone was having trouble with their computer or had an illness in the family or was stressed over something else, I would give them additional time and just keep in contact with them. I have always told my players that "real life" comes first. I have also told them that if situations are arising then they need to let me know. If you have that expectation front and center, then usually there isn't a problem.

There has always been an expectation of communication in any FS I have ran. If a person doesn't respond to a message, that is a sure fire path to a second message that is more stern. If they don't respond to that second message, then I will send a third warning message that they are about to be removed from the FS. I give them a certain number of days in the message to respond. I don't hear back and they are gone.

There also should be a time limit on how long real life situations will be an issue with their participation. Set up the expectation and stick with it. I had a person who was abusing my understanding and I kept her too long on the rolls due to her continued issues. Finally I let her go. She was in another FS badmouthing me the next day. Oh. Make friends with other AMs in the world you are playing. It helps keep you abreast of problems as well as being able to gain players or send players that the other AM has in their invites or in their FS.

But before any changes, make sure your expectations are clearly spelled out in your overview, even if you haven't had it written down in the past. Make sure everyone in your FS reads it, so they know what you expect. And make sure anyone who applies to your FS has read and agrees with the overview.

YES...This is my playbook. lol

 

[Myne]

Forgive me if this is a rehash of someone else, but I'm skimming a lot this week.

I suggest turning your question on it's head. Instead of asking when to remove people, ask what your goals are and what the fellowship's goals are. Either they fit the fellowship, or they don't, and if they do, maybe you don't. If it's one or the other of you, then one or the other of you belongs somewhere else. If it's several people, it might be time to split the fellowship. People can get caught up in preserving the value they've added to a fellowship's score, but we're playing game. If how it's being played is causing you any stress at all, then it's probably worth playing it a different way. I've been in top 20 fellowships before, and am currently in one with 16 inactive players.

You're here to enjoy yourself, probably not to herd cats, unless herding cats is what you enjoy.

LOL I don't herd cats. See the post above this where I answered @Nectar of the Gods. That's how I do it. I will, if at all possible, place that player with another fellowship that better meets their needs.

 

[mephalia39]

Would love to find an alliance on Arendyll with a higher level fs that has people that don't quite make requirements or need a different pace for a bit, but actively play the game . Sometimes people need a break from gold spire for example ie elvenar chapter.Have slowly taken a fs that had a couple active members into a monthly ten chest, sometimes bi-monthly. Would like to see it become weekly, but it is so hard to find recruits that stay active.

 

[Smooper]

this game is contracting so I feel no qualms in pulling in players from dying fellowships. you either want to play or you don't. don't stick with people who have given up.

 

[mephalia39]

I don't either, however some of those people don't bother to answer messages, even if they have been on.

 

[Smooper]

I hear you. Its almost like they play games for relaxation and that when I message them, its annoying. There must be something wrong with them.