Demi-Pharaoh/Bastet/DP Debates/June 2010 1

Final Ballot for Bastet Demi Pharaoh Election - June 2010

• Akiiki
• Bezurn
• Bryce
• Saledo
• Valerium

BASTET Demi Pharaoh Debate June 14, 2010

Draim: Goood Afternoon/Evening/Early Morning everyone and welcome to the June B! DP Debate Draim: As usual please submit questions directly into B!, if for some reason you are unable to or have a question about the debate process please /chat myself Draim: We will start off with candidate statements and then start off with questions. We will be going with the order that is in the DP Election Calandar statement and rotating through the starting person. For example the first order for statements will be Akiiki, Valerium, Bryce, Saledo, Bezurn Draim: for the first question it will begin with Valerium and end with Akiiki Draim: and we will continue in that way Draim: Without further ado we will begin with opening statements. Please feel free to submit questions at any time Akiiki: Hi folks, I'm Akiiki! This is my first telling, and I've been playing about 2 months. I'm excited to be in this election, because I think the role of DP is something I'm well-suited to: Despite the sense of humour you probably have run into on B!, I'm a deeply protective person. I see the DP role as being one that helps to shield players from unpleasantness, helping them to enjoy the game more fully. I hope to have the privilege of doing that for everyone. Valerium: Hello Egypt, I'm Valerium. I am running for DP and hope you will vote for me. I have played AtitD since the first telling, and have played at least some in each of the tellings since. I am really quite happy here on Bastet and do plan on sticking around for the duration. Bryce: Hello everyone, and good luck to all my fellow DP candidates. Am honored to be in the DP finals for this month. I have posted some of my qualifications on my /Info page. Any questions we don't have time for or that come up at a future date, please don't hesitate to ask. Saledo: Greetings fellow citizens and friends! For those I havent meet yet my name is Saledo and I hail from Saqqarah, you may also know my wife Mercille. I have been playing on the Bastet shard since day 2. This is the first tale I actually stayed past trial period, mostly because I was able to get in right at the beginning. I believe in doing whats right no matter if it is a popular choice and twice have proved that on my own by taking a stand. I feel I would be a good DP candidtate because I will not sway to popular opinion and will trust what I feel is right in a situation. I have also done my best to help with research throughout Egypt working with Corisa and SWRD to help all regions with their needs. I welcome any and all questions from anyone and I trust that you will vote what you fell is right. Bezurn: Hello I am Bezurn, local of Still Water and organizer of regular digs twice a week and glad to be part of this community. I hope you will vote with high opinon of me in the polls, thank you! Bezurn: Read my info to see my wall of text speach :P Draim: Just for info: Posting delays are usually 2 things 1. waiting for people to finish typeing their response or add to it or 2. waiting for me to read what has been said. I won't submit until I've read it since I don't want to flood others with text they didn't have a chance to read/process Draim: Our first question will be from Set Set: For All: Would you consider using DP powers available (i.e. Ban, Freeze) on a player for competitively participating in tests? Specifically for seizing a bureau, or for constantly outbuilding someone in Obelisk (ala Obelisk war) but feel free to comment on any other types of 'competitive' behavior that affect others' ability to pass a test in a negative way. Valerium: No Bryce: i would not. Saledo: Thanks for the question Set. I have actually thought on this quite a bit, such as I have been involved with both situations. In doing so I dealt with them in a way that did not require the use of DP powers and I would continue to deal with similar situations the same way without using Ban or Arrest powers. Bezurn: I don't believe it is the duty of the DP to police the tests. If they are meant to be competitive, then let them so be Akiiki: To Set's question: First off, if the player is acting within the rules and spirit of the game, I can't imagine for one second banning them. Many of the tests are specifically designed to allow or encourage the sorts of actions we saw, and we have to go into those tests knowing the risks. A ban is simply not appropriate. As we saw, social exile, or the threat of it, was extremely powerful in a case like that. Wise or not, that decision needs to be left to the players in general. Draim: the next one is a followup from Emmy specifically aimed at Saledo but others may respond if they would like. (I will try to get these specific questions in as time and space permits) Emmy: what was the situations and how have you dealt with them saledo? Saledo: The first being Yarnheim's obelisk jumping at the start of the tale, going from 7 to 15 over Azaton because he was upset he lost the first microphone auction. I would not let his Obelisk pass in Saqq and it did not. We eventually built to 36 before Sevym built to 100 because of Geodude. I also orchestrated a block to most regional activities of Yarnheim since he did not want to get along with the rest of us. Bryce: I do not feel it is in the best interests of the game, nor is it appropriate, for a DP to intervene in these cases. When my wife's bureau was siezed, we took steps to take it back, and if you notice, the person that siezed it has not signed in since. Emmy: as i recall actally it was built to 100 because of yarnheim before we realised geodude was doing what he was doing Akiiki: As an aside to Emmy's question considering taking action to correct a problem, I think the finest DP is the one who does not use their power. Let's face it the power of a ban lies in the threat, not the action. A DP's job as I see it is to Talk, Talk, Talk. In the case of established players having a conflict, it is *critical* to get all sides of a story. To ask for proof. To stall actors so they don't act rashly. To suggest alternative courses of action. Then to do it all again. If a DP uses a ban, he or she has to a large extent, failed. Bezurn: Having built a 102 cubit obelisk I rather enjoyed and am proud of the one one that I built. Building something that you can do in a a few hours gives me pride. If people want to build smaller obelisks, they could work on unlocking one of the 6 more advanced ones later on Saledo: The second being the seizing of Chet's Bureau just recently. It was seized very late in the period and there would be no real chance to build up the structure again. It was purely a seizure to pass and knock others out. I decided to seize it back and then return it to Bryce's wife. She was able to choose what to do with it at that point. While I don't think a DP should get involved in these a cases as a "DP", I think if you feel it is wrong you should take steps to rectify it no matter who you are. Saledo: To Emmy- Sevym built it to 100 because of the threat of Geodude I know this because I donated the mats to help he do it Saledo: also as a second aside I also built a 101 obelisk in the Saqq after that redoing a good amount of the materials I donated to Sevym Draim: While highly appreciating the conversation between candidates and others I'm going to move this on as we are getting a bit of a question back log now Draim: for the next question we will hear from Ari: Ari: What quality about you do you think makes you a better candidate than the others? Bryce: A DP's main task is to hear all sides of the issue at hand and help the various sides to the issue reach a amicible conclusion. I know that i have much more experience in this area, as In my R/L I am on a Mediation board with an attorney. We meet every 2 weeks to hear disputed medical claims from auto related injuries. We hear all sides of the issue, and enter into Binding Arbitration with the involved parties. Some of the cases are extremely complicated and difficult to settle, but I always try to make the disputes a win/win situation for all the parties. I would like to take my r/l experience and apply it to life here in ATITD, assisting in dispute setlements in a more formal way than i have previously. Saledo: I believe my best quality for DP will be standing up for what I feel is right and harnessing my production ability to help move Egypt forward. I think the conflict resolution part of being a DP is overstated. I would like to see our DPs start to coordinate and move research and joint construction forward throughout Egypt, and feel I have the qualities to do that. Bezurn: By not knowing all of the canidates on a deep level, just by general meetings I cannot really say I am better or worse than any of them. They all seem like nice and generous people in my dealings so on that front I am nueteral Akiiki: Ari I think my strongest quality is how resistant I am to provocation. I don't feel the need to act without consideration of the full consequences. I don't feel the need to be *seen* to be acting or saving the day. I don't even feel the need to act I would much rather talk someone into backing down, leaving, reconsidering. For hours if needed. Sometimes people are acting out because of pressures in their real lives perhaps they need to talk those out; who knows. Sure, the arrest is there to help curb excesses of trial account griefers, but for people who have invested time in the game? We don't need rash action; I'm not a rash actor :) Valerium: Well, I think that I am quite fair and not someone who rushes to judgement. I can also be quite impartial when needed even when it means disagreeing with a friend. I try to keep a fun mood about me and joke a lot, but can be serious when necessary. Draim: Thank you all, Our next question will be from Me :) Draim: For All: Does anyone other then yourself have access to your account (through password) and so would be able to use the powers of a DP, if you have one do you have an agreement with them or otherwise trust them no to use them (or perhaps to use them approrpriatly) Draim: *not to use Saledo: No one has access to my account via password except for myself Bezurn: My account is for my own personal use, and has a unique password that is used no where else by me. I am catious with internet security and have had few problems in 10 years with it Akiiki: No, I share my account with no one. Valerium: No one does other than myself. (Valerium likes short and sweet answers) :) Bryce: This is a very important question to ask, as those of us who are married here in the game have spouses that could also sign in as us and utilize our powers. There is not anyone else besides myself that has access to my account other than my wife here in the game, Chet. I believe that she has proven herself to be as trustworthy and a true protector of our way of life here as I have been. Draim: I "believe" that someone who spouse logs can not get access to DP powers. This has at least been the stated deal. I am a bad person to test that given that I own both my accounts but will verify it after this Akiiki: Bryce as a point of information, the Spouse login does not confer DP powers. Saledo: The question was via password, but of course Mercille as in game wife can switch to my account. Bryce: My bad then. i was mis-informed. I am the only one w/ access to my account. Draim: thank you all, next question will be from Bann: Draim: (giggles) Bann: To All: Would you have banned Geodude and his crew if you were DP when he was up to all of his tricks? (taking stones at public digs, building 100 ft. obe's and tearing down, gleefully admiting he was trying to stir things up) Bezurn: Building large Obi's no. Taking stones, yes. One is stealing materials that cannot be secured, the other is a competitive test of architecture. Akiiki: Bann I wouldn't act without more specific information. All the hearsay in the world shouldn't make a DP act. But if a player admitted to me that they were stealing solely to disrupt others, I'd ask them to stop. Then I'd ask them again. If they persisted, the arrest power would seem to deal with the situation nicely, since it will remove their incentive to continue disrupting the activities of others. As for the Obelisks that's part of the test. Amethyst's resource reclamation act should make that more expensive to do in future. Valerium: To be honest I was not playing on Bastet when this went on so do not necessarily have all the details. For building tall obelisks, no. For stealing at digs possibly, but I would have to have been there and talked to him personally to make that determination. Bryce: His behavior was terrible at best, but not they were not offenses that I believe they should have been banned for. And, as it turns out, the Citizens of Egypt were able to self-police the situation. He and his crew left. Saledo: I would not have banned for the 100ft Obi, but I would have banned for taking stones at digs. That is a theft in my opinion. Draim: thank you all, Our next question is from Linden: Linden: TO ALL: I have a lot of friends who, over the years, have tried ATITD and then quit. This has mostly been due to a perception that the community is intensely stratified, cliquey and patronising. I have found the community on Bastet to be vastly superior to my previous experiences. I wonder how a prospective DP might get to keep it that way. Akiiki: Linden I think that's largely outside the role of DP. Bastet is, as far as I've heard, much more communal and sharing, and caring. That has nothing to do with DPs, and everything to do with how our community leaders and members choose to act every day. I think a DP who has his or her hand well off the trigger is the most appropriate choice :) Valerium: I honestly have not found the communtiy in ATitD to be that way myself. I am quite outgoing and generally am able to join the guilds I want and feel like a member of the communtiy very quickly after starting. As far as trying to make new players feel the same I already try to take the time to make them feel at home when I see someone that seems lost, and try to point them to guilds full of people that do the same. I also have been known to tell a joke or two to keep the 'fun' factor going. Bryce: I feel that this is one of my strengths, as I have an excellent grasp of the Traditions, morals, and societal ethics in the social aspect of the game, and work to preserve/improve them. I take time each day to help instill the good traditions in new players, and remind some of us veterans of them also.Being a DP would allow me to continue my work on a more formal basis. Saledo: I think that a DP can get involved and help with priorities for research and community building that can help even new players get involved in the larger part of the game. I feel Corisa's contest was good for this as it gave incentives for new players to try to contribute. I have seen a flood of new players into Saqq just the last few days and we have tried to help them as best we can. Saledo: To Akiiki I disagree, I feel a DP should be involved in the community building and shouldnt only be seen as some to turn to only in conflict situations Bezurn: Since my second week of playing this game, I noticed there was a lack of organized digs, so I took it upon myself to start doing them myself. For the last six weeks or so I have had two digs a week and continually invite new players I meet to join in to help them get started and meet new people. Draim: Note: Except for the 2 questions already submitted probably going to cut off submissions at that level though people are obviously welcome to continue discussion after the debate is over Draim: next question will be from DarkStar: DarkStar: whether or not you become DP, who amongst the candidates can see themselves going on to become an oracle and lead a monument a tthe end of this shard? Valerium: I honestly can not say for sure that would be me but I do strive to pass tests and think it quite possible that I will eventually reach Oracle, and I have led major projects in previous tellings and other games, but if I see someone that has a strong desire to lead a project and the ability to do so successfully I would probably take a backseat and help wherever I could, but be ready to step in if it looks like we may fall short of our goals. Bryce: Whether or not I become a DP, I WILL continue to be a community leader, helping to shape and organize our community to become as close and team oriented as possible. I see myself becoming an oracle and leading a monument at the end of this shard, as well as assisting in all of the other monuments and aspects of daily life here in Egypt. Saledo: While I cannot assume I will get to Oracle because it takes the support of many to help pass the harder tests, I can tell you that I will be there supporting those who try to get to Oracle and needs help in any way I can. Bezurn: Having only played a month in Tale 1, I am new to the game. Therefore I do not have the desire to be the best of the best, but to enjoy learning about the game and making strong ties with the friends I have here. I don't think a DP needs to be the best achiever on the server, but one who can handle complex social issues without having a bais Akiiki: Since this is my first telling, I think it would be hubris to claim I'll make oracle but that's not going to stop me from trying! I am enjoying this game in ways I haven't enjoyed others for a long time, and I have every intention of seeing the tale through to the end, regardless of how far I get in the tests. Draim: thank you all, our next question is going to come from Ruan: ruan: I would like to ask the candidates their opinion regarding trading mentoring decrees. If they were the moderator of a trading chat channel would they ban such transactions? And why or why not. Bryce: Trading mentoring decrees has been discussed extensively in the moderator's guild, and any and all trades regarding tests have been banned from postings. This is my thought. The trading or bartering of decrees violates integrity of the test. If we encourage the trading of decrees by allowing them to be posted on the moderated channels, then we are only encouraging bad behavior. The test is designed for us experienced players to assist new players w/o having it implied or stated that we expect a reward for our help. The new players should feel NO obligation to pay for help, which is what happens if you barter/trade the decrees. Do I know that this sort of thing goes on, yes it does. However, I do not feel that we should encourage this sort of behavior. Bryce: Again, I feel this violates not only the intregrity of the test, but also the historic tradition that this sort of behavior is not encouraged. Saledo: I choose to not ban the WTS transactions. I feel that it is their decrees and if they feel the need to trade them for materials, it is their choice to do so. I would ban WTB, because I feel those might be taking advantage of new players that don't know the true value of the mentor decrees. I also would send a tell to those doing WTS transactions to make sure they know what they are doing. Remember some of those doing the trades are just alts and the player is not in need of a mentor. Saledo: Actually Bryce that is incorrect it has NOT been banned at least according to the last debate it was up to the moderator at the time. Bezurn: I do not think mentorship decrees should be trading for simply a bulk load of items. Trading them with other new members who need 3 for a level is alright, but using them as a trade chip could have been used to give to people who answered complex questions to the game or showed you how to get started. However, people are free to use them in any way they see fit, but if they want to use them for material goods I think they should seek those trades on a 1 by 1 basis Akiiki: My instinct would be to ban the discussion of trades on the bazaar channel. I'm not a diehard about this, and I'd be willing to listen to arguments, but it seems to me that the spirit of the game is to grant decrees to those who have helped you ease into a difficult game. Contrast this with octec crystals, where the design and spirit of the test is clearly trading. If you disagree, I'd ask if you qould be comfortable adding to the new player guide a section recommending you to clutch your decrees to your chest, and only give them up for valuable trades? Valerium: Though I do not feel that it is in the spirit of the game to do so, I know that it is done and I would not block it. Its not going to stop it from happening, its not against the rules of the game and if that is how someone wants to play the game to each his own. Valerium: That's not correct Bryce. The only thing the moderators have agreed to block completely is cicada cage locations. Nothing about test materials. Bryce: It was banned on the original Bazaar Moderator trades, and it was agreed to continue that tradition after the 3 mic's were considalated, Saledo Saledo: By who? Valerium: And the B! Moderators channel erupts! Draim: it appears people have decided to bring this to the mod channel, I would recomend that we bring it out of it if possible later but since we are almost done am going to chug along until the end of this Bryce: Ari, and he posted that in both the moderator guild and the Bazaar chat channel Draim: The last question will be from Amethyst, no order of responses first come first serve from candidates Draim: comments on this part will be held until after ;) Amethyst: To all the contestants: Tell us a joke. Akiiki: Oh dear. I'm hurriedly rejecting all my sheep and camel jokes....that leaves, "what's brown and sticky?" Draim: I don't know Akiiki what? Akiiki: A stick. Draim: omai Valerium: What do you get if you cross a cow and a camel? Lumpy milkshakes. Bezurn: Why did Toyota ask for the rights to use the DP chat log? To use for crashing cars into Saledo: There are 2 cowboys in the kitchen. Which one is the real cowboy? Akiiki: Wow a clean camel joke well done! Valerium: tyty Saledo: The one on the range. Draim: wow, /me votes down all candidates for bad jokes Draim: Thank you again everyone for coming, Thank you to all the candidates for putting up with everything and lending us your time and offering up even more of that time Draim: Further discussion is obviously always welcome! Logs will be posted shortly

15px