[Suggestion] More Admins or Better Activity

[TheCZJ]

My suggestion is pretty simple, more admins or more active admins. Admins covering different time zones would be ideal. We're encouraged to use /report for any issues but most times we do, we get 0 response. Maybe they're busy but waiting over an hour to not even get a reply is wild. 

 

More time zones covered = around the clock admin support.

More admins hired = more chance of your report being handled.

 

It's so easy to say "Oh just do a forum report" but then what's the point of having a /report option in game? Even if you just have a question, you can almost guarantee it won't be answered. Am I meant to do a forum report just to ask a question?

 

So yeah, my suggestion is just to get more admins to support the server. I've never in my life seen such ridiculous wait times for the most simple requests. Either the admins aren't ever in game, they're not active, not bothering with responding or they just don't have enough support and are being swamped by reports which they have to handle alone. Either way, the admin support is poor and I think it could benefit from a revamp.

[Asbo]

3 minutes ago, TheCZJ said:

Either the admins aren't ever in game, they're not active, not bothering with responding

yeah because god forbid admins are roleplaying???????

[vGJake]

Just now, Asbo said:

yeah because god forbid admins are roleplaying???????

Get more admins then? The whole point of the suggestion. 

[Asbo]

1 minute ago, vGJake said:

Get more admins then?

apply to be support and work up your way up the ranks then! easy solution

[TheCZJ]

1 minute ago, Asbo said:

yeah because god forbid admins are roleplaying???????

Don't cut off the quote there, carry on... It goes on to say "or they don't have enough support". Clearly the case. More admins solves the issue. 

[Asbo]

4 minutes ago, TheCZJ said:

Don't cut off the quote there, carry on... It goes on to say "or they don't have enough support". Clearly the case. More admins solves the issue. 

Apply to be support, and work your way up the ranks!

[vGJake]

5 minutes ago, Asbo said:

Apply to be support, and work your way up the ranks!

*Applies* 

*Denied*

Then what?

[TheCZJ]

6 minutes ago, Asbo said:

Apply to be support, and work your way up the ranks!

Ok cool, great contribution. I'm glad you're satisfied with the level of support you get when you /report. Must be nice being you! 

[Alannn]

i agree with @Asbo

[zooke1]

That's why  you have the forum.
Most of the questions that people ask in /report 1 are already answered multiple times on the forum / you can ask on discord, plenty of staff there too.

Bug / glitch reports - require proof and sometimes needs to be looked into before action can be taken, hence, a forum post is more useful  than a /report anyway.

Rule breaker - Again, requires proof, requires a statement from all parties involved and needs to be looked into, sometimes even checking things such as logs.

URGENT Rule breaker - It's pretty much the only one that is better taken care of in game than on the forum, since it's faster and prevents further damage.

 

Just because you are lazy to make a forum report / bug report, it doesn't mean that we need admins in the middle of the night. Staff members have their own lives on top of roleplaying and doing staff work, and they do it out of their own free time, very rarely I actually needed an admin in game for something I couldn't sort out on the forum / discord and no staff was around. And I've been playing here since 2018.

You probably just joined the community so take some time to get adapted to it, I don't think you can find a better put together system than here anywhere else. 

[TheCZJ]

11 minutes ago, zooke1 said:

That's why  you have the forum.
Most of the questions that people ask in /report 1 are already answered multiple times on the forum / you can ask on discord, plenty of staff there too.

Bug / glitch reports - require proof and sometimes needs to be looked into before action can be taken, hence, a forum post is more useful  than a /report anyway.

Rule breaker - Again, requires proof, requires a statement from all parties involved and needs to be looked into, sometimes even checking things such as logs.

URGENT Rule breaker - It's pretty much the only one that is better taken care of in game than on the forum, since it's faster and prevents further damage.

 

Just because you are lazy to make a forum report / bug report, it doesn't mean that we need admins in the middle of the night. Staff members have their own lives on top of roleplaying and doing staff work, and they do it out of their own free time, very rarely I actually needed an admin in game for something I couldn't sort out on the forum / discord and no staff was around. And I've been playing here since 2018.

You probably just joined the community so take some time to get adapted to it, I don't think you can find a better put together system than here anywhere else. 

Okay so accept the report and tell them where to look rather than just ignore it? If your response to this is "use the forum" then what's the point of having an in game system? 

 

Don't call me lazy. I'm not new to the community either nor am I new to RP in general. Been RPing since SAMP days and never seen a more disjointed admin system. Even on SAMP...

As expected, your response is "use the forum". Predictable. 

Also, if you "very rarely needed an admin in game for something" then I don't really think you have much to base your opinion on. There's plenty of people in game who need help and need to use the /report system that's in place. Just because you personally don't need or use it, doesn't mean others don't.

[Osborn]

Staff in this community, including me, are all volunteers. Judging from monthly activity reviews from both support and admin staff, nearly everyone is doing a great job.

There are probably many players out there who have the potential to become staff, including our Support Staff. However, we must always maintain a focus on quality. Otherwise, your next thread (not referring to you specifically) will be about poor quality. The process to join the administration team is quite rigorous, as it ensures that we recruit for quality rather than quantity. For the quantity aspect, we frequently recruit new Moderators from the Support Staff and occasionally reinstate former staff members.

We will continue to ensure that our team is staffed in all time zones as needed. However, as others have pointed out, we have a reporting system on the forums for situations where it is impossible for a staff member to assist you in-game. There can be various reasons why you are not receiving help in-game: 1) There may be a high number of reports, 2) All staff members could be occupied with other reports, 3) There might be a limited number of staff members in-game who are engaged in an ongoing role-playing scenario, or 4) There could be a Conflict of Interest preventing the in-game staff members from addressing your report. Regardless of the reason(s), the forum report system serves as a solution to address issue 1 and beyond.

I was also part of managing a community on SA-MP, among others, within the current staff team. It was not an experience that we want our staff members to go through. We had literal shifts and required staff to sign up for specific hours, being on constant admin duty while also being volunteers and not being paid. The result was a poor-quality staff team, as good staff members overworked themselves, eventually leaving. Consequently, we had to constantly recruit new admins to meet the quantity requirements. But even then, on SA-MP, we had a forum report system on both NG-RP and LS-RP, as not all situations could be resolved in-game. Nearly if not all other role-play communities, adopt a forum report system in addition to the in-game report system. 

I also feel it is unfair for you to call our system "disjointed" not having been a part of it. We have an extensive recruitment system, vetting, and training process that starts from the day that you join and becomes Support Staff. Just because you can't always get the help you deserve in-game, it does not mean that we're lacking staff, or that our staff team is somehow of poor quality. Perhaps if we had not offered other solutions to get your issue(s) addressed, then your assessment would've been fair, but in this case, it isn't. 

Hopefully, that answers your concerns! 

 

[TheCZJ]

1 hour ago, Osborn said:

Staff in this community, including me, are all volunteers. Judging from monthly activity reviews from both support and admin staff, nearly everyone is doing a great job.

There are probably many players out there who have the potential to become staff, including our Support Staff. However, we must always maintain a focus on quality. Otherwise, your next thread (not referring to you specifically) will be about poor quality. The process to join the administration team is quite rigorous, as it ensures that we recruit for quality rather than quantity. For the quantity aspect, we frequently recruit new Moderators from the Support Staff and occasionally reinstate former staff members.

We will continue to ensure that our team is staffed in all time zones as needed. However, as others have pointed out, we have a reporting system on the forums for situations where it is impossible for a staff member to assist you in-game. There can be various reasons why you are not receiving help in-game: 1) There may be a high number of reports, 2) All staff members could be occupied with other reports, 3) There might be a limited number of staff members in-game who are engaged in an ongoing role-playing scenario, or 4) There could be a Conflict of Interest preventing the in-game staff members from addressing your report. Regardless of the reason(s), the forum report system serves as a solution to address issue 1 and beyond.

I was also part of managing a community on SA-MP, among others, within the current staff team. It was not an experience that we want our staff members to go through. We had literal shifts and required staff to sign up for specific hours, being on constant admin duty while also being volunteers and not being paid. The result was a poor-quality staff team, as good staff members overworked themselves, eventually leaving. Consequently, we had to constantly recruit new admins to meet the quantity requirements. But even then, on SA-MP, we had a forum report system on both NG-RP and LS-RP, as not all situations could be resolved in-game. Nearly if not all other role-play communities, adopt a forum report system in addition to the in-game report system. 

I also feel it is unfair for you to call our system "disjointed" not having been a part of it. We have an extensive recruitment system, vetting, and training process that starts from the day that you join and becomes Support Staff. Just because you can't always get the help you deserve in-game, it does not mean that we're lacking staff, or that our staff team is somehow of poor quality. Perhaps if we had not offered other solutions to get your issue(s) addressed, then your assessment would've been fair, but in this case, it isn't. 

Hopefully, that answers your concerns! 

 

I appreciate your point and what you're explaining.

Regardless of reasons, the in game report system is still poor for the player. Especially new players. I understand quality over quantity but in my experience I've not really received that quality you speak of hence the suggestion. Both quality and quantity shouldn't be too difficult to find for a thriving community. 

I don't think there should be an in game report system in place where you wait hours for a response and don't even get one(this is the case 9 times out of 10 for me personally). There's no excuse for that. If your answer is "use the forum" then why have an in game system in the first place? 

More admins = more cases handled. That's all I'm trying to suggest. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by TheCZJ
1

[vGJake]

An estimated wait time when you do a report would be nice. I've had to wait hours before lol. A general question about my property for example, had to wait 90 mins for a quick reply.

Edit: A queue system would be great

[Ash]

I can understand the idea behind that but what would it achieve other than frustration of "ive been waiting X time"?
Reports are always taken in order of priority and then the order they came in so if it's not taken it's just that there's others getting handled before you

[vGJake]

11 minutes ago, Ash said:

I can understand the idea behind that but what would it achieve other than frustration of "ive been waiting X time"?
Reports are always taken in order of priority and then the order they came in so if it's not taken it's just that there's others getting handled before you

I just think a queue would be nice. Saves me waiting hours. 

[Ash]

How would having a wait time increase the time it takes to get to your report? it does work as a queue system currently based on priority and time

[vGJake]

8 minutes ago, Ash said:

How would having a wait time increase the time it takes to get to your report? it does work as a queue system currently based on priority and time

Well, if I'm 30th in a queue I know to not bother waiting and logout if need be. 

[TheCZJ]

4 minutes ago, Ash said:

How would having a wait time increase the time it takes to get to your report? it does work as a queue system currently based on priority and time

Not just a wait time, a queue system. Keeps everybody informed and manages expectations. An admin deciding what's more important without actually taking the report doesn't seem too fair. Currently, you could wait hours for a response but someone else could place a report and be seen in 1 minute depending on what the admin considers important. A queue system is fair for everybody. I think it's a solid idea personally.

 

[pasha9]

these two @Harveyyy & @Chunderare the best for accepting reports fast ima be honest.

God bless you two

[Quietthecutie]

I agree having more admins on would be beneficial to everyone, but i also agree that its not a job just anyone can do:

-You need to have a very very good understanding of ECRP RP rules. 

-you need to have a good track record of adhering to those rules.

-you need to have a proven ability to be totally impartial in any situation.

-you need to be willing to basically work free of charge during your free time (this is the most common sticking point I see. committing to being an admin will impact your ability to have your own fun.)

Honestly finding someone that meets all that criteria, actually wants the job, and can pass the application process, its rare. so whilst I'm sure the server wants and would benefit from more admins its not surprising that its a slow process.

[Bala]

I don't know shit about shit for sure, because I could never stop giving my opinion and mouthing off at the wrong people when I was a senior support to make it to moderator, despite being overly qualified. But as nothing more than a long time player, I see a few fundamental flaws in this whole deck of cards that lead to inefficiency when it comes to moderation and administration.

Number one, is that you have to consider the obvious, the staff team are just chosen players to represent the community and their enthusiasm for staff duties is going to depend on their enthusiasm for playing Eclipse. The mods and admins have all been here a long time and from what I've observed of them, a growing number of them are still here out of nothing but sheer loyalty and an understandable stubbornness not to want to give up what they've worked for. Like it or not, the community doesn't need a staff member that just goes through the motions. But, I understand exactly why more and more staff get jaded and pull back on their activity/involvement but that's not for public consumption.

Number two, the reports themselves. I'm sorry but if an in-game report takes longer than five minutes to resolve, then it needs to go on the forums. The more time that a situation stays paused, the more frustrated the players get and it makes things then more difficult for the staff member to come to the right decision. I'd rather crack on with a situation to completion and then void it later than sit there paused for ten minutes twiddling my thumbs. During that time, that staff member could help a couple more people with issues. But having to navigate the he said, she said and review footage and things like that, na na. If it doesn't need instant resolution, take it to the forums.

Number three, I can't tell what the approach of the staff team is supposed to be half the time to be honest. You have those staff that are happy just to let things go and go with the flow on situations then you have those that feel this should be ultra realistic and any horsing around should be stomped out. I know, depending on which admin I get, how I'm going to be treated if I get into shit and while some of that is inevitable, it'd be really nice if every staff member handled things with the same expectations in mind.

Number four, either the developers fix some of the persistent bugs or make it so the situations that require admin intervention (like having to contact a mod to get a dead body despawned instead of the drop off working properly) are fixed.

Number five, consider offloading some of the responsibilities to senior supports. When I was a senior myself, the amount of reports that came in about wrong dimensions or players being stuck and needed a mod to fix them, it's time consuming. If you trust someone to decide whether someone plays here, if you trust someone to see the reports in the first place and if you trust someone to work with a staff member on player reports, they can unfreeze a player without blowing the server up.

That's all I got. For what it's worth, vast majority of staff do an admirable job in difficult circumstances and have to put up with some shitty attitudes from players. Personally speaking, an admin/mod is almost always there for me when I need something so I got no personal complaints really. These are just general observations.

[jason]

On 6/23/2023 at 9:24 PM, TheCZJ said:

Not just a wait time, a queue system. Keeps everybody informed and manages expectations. An admin deciding what's more important without actually taking the report doesn't seem too fair. Currently, you could wait hours for a response but someone else could place a report and be seen in 1 minute depending on what the admin considers important. A queue system is fair for everybody. I think it's a solid idea personally.

 

A queue system is not fair in several cases. Someone being DMed or having a severe rulebreak actively against them is seen as higher priority than simple bugs, questions, or non time sensitive rulebreaks.

We do our best to get to every report in a reasonable amount of time, but sometimes a lot of people are wrapped up in IC situations that they can't exactly just leave from, much like other players can't just log out from situations.

Your concern is very much valid as I've logged in several times to see many unanswered reports. If you have an urgent report, feel free to ping me in discord between 0900 and 1700 UTC+2 and most days I'm usually available to come help out.

[Tom Solar]

2 minutes ago, Apex said:

https://ttsreader.com/

 

Honestly I get a response whenever I need to, if they dont respond it means they are not available, simple as that, they will respond eventually.

You have the discord full of helpfull people for questions and the forum for reports n stuff.

Getting to admin is a whole process aswell, people have to apply for it, get accepted and then be trained step by step.

Its not that easy, I'm sure the server wants more admins, of course but quality over quantity.