@Myne I see it as a 2-way street. The Archmage is expected to deliver the group experience players signed up for as much as the players are expected to meet minimums they too signed up for. The Archmage has an obligation to the team to enforce minimums or why have them at all? People didn't sign up for an A experience only to be given a C experience. I've seen a few FS implosions bc AMs won't cull deadwood. It led to a mass exodus of the best players. In the end, they kept deadwood at the cost of really good players. Bad math! As an AM, I am sure not going to repeat those mistakes! Hence, I'll pull the trebuchet as many times I need to until I only have like-minded players left. I'll generally give them a grace period to change course after I've privately contacted them about their subpar performance and then it's over the walls they go if I continue to see no change with no futher communications. Cause guess what? Their aversion to meeting their minimums matches my aversion to babysit grown adults! Of the two, only one is in my control. I am also not concerned about placing them in a new FS because 98% of the FS on the server will fall under less demanding and more casual. If they can’t find a more casual home under those conditions, then they’re really not trying.
To me, it's not about losing out on some points. I do enough tourney to cover for 4 other player's fair share of a blueprint. It's about good attitude and being a good teammate. They've agreed to the terms before coming aboard and either lack the self-awareness that they're not meeting minimums or worse, that they are aware, but don't care and think that’s acceptable. Their words are no good here then, and that's not someone I'd trust to have my back, let alone carry on mine and I don't think my team should be expected to either. On the other hand, I have someone that told me a month ago that he's got a month long trip to another country coming up in Sept and will not have access to the game. I told him to enjoy the trip and I'm not even going to boot him. He's earned his teammate stripes and that's someone we don't mind carrying on our backs for a whole month. If I make a decision like this though, then it's on me and my obligation to the rest of the team that we can still deliver Gold with one man down. Otherwise, I'm not doing my job as AM. They trust me to do my job and I trust them to do theirs. Our excess production allows for people to go on vacations, RL leaves, or give new baby cities time to grow. It’s not for people who want to claim the same rewards while doing half the work.
A couple of your advanced players can create leadership alts, and with a bit of luck the new cities will end up on their explored map (rinse and repeat), and you can fair trade to cover any shortages.
*squints* So
I have to do even
more work on
their behalf because
they don't want to do their fair share? Errr...nope. Hard pass.