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Gondor vs Mordor  |  Gondor vs Mordor 1  |  GvM1 Players Forum  |  Considering stepping down
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Author Topic: Considering stepping down  (Read 549 times)
-firecracker-
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« on: 25 November 2020, 23:24 »

Hey there

With regret I'm seriously considering stepping down as lead developer and DM of the module.

Firstly I want to say that it is excellent to see the increased activity in both the mod and forum with both old players finding their way back as well as new players joining.

However, I have come to realise that with this increased activity in player activity naturally also requires increased activity from the Dev/DM team, which the player base will and has come to expect. This is how bugs get fixed, players can seek help, new areas get added and players see things turn around in a timely manner to keep the mod up-to-date, alive and popular.

You - the players, need and deserve someone active to do this and unfortunately I am no longer in the position to be that person, as I just don't have the time any more (sadly). I feel it has come to the point where I need to pass the torch on. In the last 3 weeks I've probably been able to find just 1 evening to look at things which isn't enough time.

When I stepped forward (now 7-8 years ago) to get things back online after Turril stepped down and the server went offline for months, I had all the time in the world (in a manner of speaking), and with Grey volunteering to host we got things back on-line with a lot of bugs fixed with several updates to new areas, quests and items. There were also a couple of other dedicated and experienced devs back then.

But since the move to EE, I'm finding the sheer amount of things that need attention to be quite a challenge in terms of the time needed to address them being the only 'active' dev, and I don't think it is fair on you guys to not be aware of this.

For example the issue around the Wemic/Brownie races which keeps surfacing. On hindsight and to be blunt, these races should have been disabled from the start as they are OP, and now they are causing login issues and maybe other bugs that people have bought to my attention. I was not aware of these races when we made the switch to EE (due to not having the time to fully analyse the EE/CEP build of the mod) and they have been used by players for months/years, so just disabling them now will just cause a stir. This is understandable as people have invested the time in playing them. This issue now needs a proper analysis and a sensible approach.

The same goes for the PM Bone Skin issue to a lesser degree. I think not having access to the EE server compounds this one as well as needing time to look into NWSync, so it is a little frustrating.

I realise that not only am I the lead Dev but also the only official 'active' Dev. I'm not going to disappear or anything, but it does leave things a little open in terms of what happens next. I have had some offers of support from one active member of the community but I don't know whether they would consider leading the future of the mod.

I guess this is the opportunity for people to have a think and possibly volunteer or come up with ideas.

As I said, this decision comes from what the mod and community needs going forward - a fresh torch bearer to take move things forward and keep this awesome place alive.

-fc-
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Clevar0ne
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« Reply #1 on: 26 November 2020, 04:01 »

Hey fc,

Hope we don't lose you, but it's understandable given that you carry the load alone.  I wish I could help but I don't have the skill.  Last few weeks have seen a nice pop in player base, so your work has paid off. 

I don't know what the players 'deserve' as it's all been free, but we've all had a great time.  I'm happy leaving things with minimal changes so we have minimal risk of bugs and problems, and get to play. 

I hope that in the desire to make things 'perfect' we don't kill the module.  I didn't know that PM bone skin was a problem; I think my PM got the AC bonuses, so I'm not sure what this means.  And the wemic/brownie issue was discussed before and left in place including keeping enforce legal character off so they could be played, because there were rarely 2 players on at the same time.  Quickly switching this because of a player post, and before any thought was put in, was a bad idea.  But if there are more issues with them, I'm sure it's easier to make good to the players that invested time in them and just shut them off rather than try to program around them. 

Anyway I hope you choose to stay on, as you're the only one who's put the work in for quite some time.  I'd rather see smart decisions that minimize work and changes than lose the whole thing while chasing differing versions of what is right. 
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GreyDeth
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« Reply #2 on: 26 November 2020, 11:46 »

-fire- and Clevar
Great written explanation both!
I also totally understand youre point of view here -fire- ... I already expected this ... but good to see those expectations in words.
Also agree with Clevar .... rather a playable mod with known bugs than trying to repair everything we want and risking even more bugs or worse ...  losing -fire-
I'm not a real active player anymore (still play sometimes though) ... but I think discovering problems with Wemic/Brownie races by putting effort in those races as a player ... is a risk you willingly take and you alone.
Low player base looks to slowly fade away ... so issues will arise more often.
I think those issues should mentioned here on board ... but development expectations needs to be zero.

I only hope new updates on NWNEE will not occur often and do not cause too much mod changes ... as -fire- until now is the only one who seems to succeed in the sometimes needed version-upgrades for our mod.
Also hope you still can make the time for this if needed -fire-.
For what its worth: I will support you as much as I can of course
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