Admin coverage towards low/high population

[iansdoor]

Again, this is a subjective topic, that headmins can push for changes.

Topic: low population part 3 with the mix of high pop inclusion

For folks that aren't aware, Admin selection typically doesn't pull from folks that attract population, which puts a hold on admin selection for that specific time zone coverage. This does relate back to ahelps taken or given in the topic 2 of low population, most importantly, this general thought takes away the sense of protection or care that is otherwise be in those rounds. Admins are 100% volunteering their time towards the cause of fair and interesting rounds, and there is just a great lack of active admins over the past months. I know from my own experience, that I cannot keep up alone for so many weeks in a row and adminning tends to be in pairs to keep their interest going.

Something about this coverage and inclusion needs to change going forward, since admins is and were players as well. We need breaks to play, or things to do outside the ss13 and there is missed opportunity for folks to pick up the burden with the community itself.

Thoughts on this as well?

Sidenote: There is give or take ten 101 +ban individuals, this is the definition of an admin, and only 39 voted in the last election recently. I can only assume the real coverage is low and taxing on current admins for TG being 24/7 servers. I don't want to imagine that week or three, where iain0 is literally tied up and Terry, specifically, has no one to fill that gap.

[ekaterina]

What policy are you suggesting here?

[TheRex9001]

I do not really understand what you mean here, is this suggesting we get admin trainer to focus on training people covering a specific time?

[iansdoor]

I do not really understand what you mean here, is this suggesting we get admin trainer to focus on training people covering a specific time?

This will be part of the long-standing issue that you inherited in this term, from last year. I will plead, please do not let Manuel and Terry go without admins for too long, or they will end up in the same boat as Sybil, who still needs admins to attract interest. The first idea of getting more admin trainers is nice, since a good deal of Manuel trainers aren't as active as they were, but ultimately the decision still rests upon Headmin to promote or deny anyone that is willing to put in application and work. There is a problem with coverage during low and high population rounds and overworking the volunteer hours. I have zero idea, what the procedure is for inclusion to being selected is, and there is noticeable lack of admins in general rounds. we both know that admins like to work in pairs.

Tldr, Player and Admin relationship is a two-way street and this needs to be look at, cause one side is noticeable empty. I do not want admin list to be cut, I want more admins to be included from the community that wants to help offload the burden.

[iansdoor]

What policy are you suggesting here?

This isn't much of one policy that you and I know of. The only thing that we can know is our own feedback by that pressing ahelp, adminwho and get the sense of general vibes in the rounds we play. I can rephrase the meaning of this policy for players. Can you, ekat, think back to any of your issues being solves, or looked at, or just minor events that are ran within a round?

[MatrixOne]

I think Iansdoor is trying to imply that having admins attracts players, so having an 'admin coverage' of lowpop times would raise pop, help build a community and make people more invested. I haven't thought about this much, but it rings true to me when I think of Dunham running his cool events on lowpop and everyone gathering for those and then enthusing about them afterwards.

But not everyone's style is running events or being directly involved in a shift, or directly interacting and chatting with players in deadchat. There are many types and styles of adminning that each have their strengths that may be contributing in an "unseen" way that doesn't create an obvious circle of appreciation for a cool event that just took place. Someone like Xzero or Distri tend to make smaller fine-tuned changes in the shift that hold up people's enjoyment of the round in ways that are not immediately as obvious as a big admin announcement with a gateway event. I see it as "immersive adminning" that leaves the admin's hand invisible, but guides the round towards a more fun experience, and it's valuable but I'm not convinced that players would consciously gather up for such shifts and seek them out. Yet another style of adminning could be something like just being present to handle tickets and ahelps, which is also *very* important to shut down griffons and other round ruining stuff, but again not something that'd create an entire influx of players for that admin's shift.

I think not all admins can be these player magnets that Iansdoor would like them to be, and the many styles of adminning should get the respect they deserve. I'm not sure that encouraging admins to try to be more popular or "visible" or change their style or to talk to players more is going to work, because it can come off as dismissive of these other styles of adminning. I wish more admins would hang out with the community and chat about random stuff, but that drive has to come from within. You *could* try to recruit people into adminship who already seem to fit that ideal, but then you'll miss out on the other types of good admin I described above, and risk discouraging others.

This brings me to another point: You could recruit more admins. That alone would increase the overlap of players and admins, cuz more players would become admins. And that would help with "no admins on lowpop" issues. But it'd mean you'd have to actively look for people and make the offer like you do on Terry, rather than wait for applications. This seems good to me, but it'd create more work for admin trainers.

[conrad]

I do not really understand what you mean here, is this suggesting we get admin trainer to focus on training people covering a specific time?

tbh I recall back in my day that before I was adminned there talks that Sybilmins were necessary and Manuelmins weren't being sought after (this was 2021 IIRC).

I don't think it's strange to assume that admins are recruited based on demand/range as well as how good they are at being community leaders.

What policy are you suggesting here?

Feels this is more of a "Ok let's try this" than admoses coming from the cliffs of ivoria with a new commandarule.

[DeathHasForm]

I see part of what's goin on here. I can say from a player perspective having involved admins does, and did help in the past. I was Candy/Trial when Scriptis/Trexter/Nianjil were very present on Sybil, almost daily. Those were some of the peak-est population days, and I do feel they had a lot to do with that draw. Sybil still has a few GREAT admins that stop by, and generally they bring pop AND the quality of play way up. Marukas running old maps ALWAYS brings a noticeable bump.

I also second being proactive about simply asking long time, good faith players if they'd be interested in adminning. That is exactly how I got scooped up, and I am sure there are a few who would step up if asked. My last words to the headmin team before being retired were something to the effect of "If you ever need help again all you need to do is ask." There are plenty out there that are more than able and willing to help. I just hope the training and trainers would be as robust and willing.

[NecromancerAnne]

Unfortunately, adminning is volunteer, so there is nothing that compels people to keep a regular schedule or for the team to mandate periods of coverage. There is also as much possibility that people up at odd hours are Australian like me may even be playing the game themselves. Lowpop can get a bit boring at times, and usually it is easier on the team to rely on the relay bot to get ahelps from the server to the discord. Obviously, this does not help with the perception of coverage, but you'll be surprised how regularly tickets get responded too using that system. Sometimes admins will hop servers to help. (Though in the past this has resulted in animosity towards Manuel focused admins heading over to the other servers. It is what it is)

Sometimes coverage can also dip on higher pop, but that equally can be because admins actually do want to play the game as well. I would say there are fewer observer+ type admins than there are admins who mix playing and observing. There can definitely be long periods where not much actually happens, and seeing things happening can be what motivates an admin to join in for the next round. I think most people who stick around for a while find a healthy balance and stick too it.

[Timberpoes]

I have no clue what this policy post is proposing headmins do.

Headmins have absolute discretion to approve new admins. Trainers have absolute discretion to propose new admins to the headmins. Our requirements have always been fluid and flexible, and in the past we have modified them based on server need, timezone need and more.

Headmins also have the same absolute discretion to remove inactive admins in various forms and under various criteria.

'Tis up to each headmin term to curate a team that matches their vision. 'Tis up to each admin to remain malleable to changing times and views so they may become part of the headmin team's greater vision.

That's about it, really.