Timberpoes: Am I Too Old To Run Yet?

[Timberpoes]

Who?

Currently on mid-to-long-term medical leave from work having been discharged from hospital earlier this week with a gallbladder infection and gallstones, awaiting future surgery to remove it. Increased spare time means I'm back for another run.

Game Master. Trainer. Discord Jannie. Keyholder. Maintainer.

Feb 2022-Sep 2022 Host Vote Headmin ft. Mothblocks and Melbert
Mar 2023-Sep 2023 Admin Vote Headmin ft. Kieth4 and Misdoubful.

What have I accomplished in past terms?

• Rewrote MRP murderbone rules, opening the way for more antag freedom on MRP.
• Initial draft and heavily involved in rewrite of entire MRP ruleset, pushing for rules where players with good IC reasons for their actions are less restricted by the rules.
• Rewrote silicon policy, massively increasing silicon freedom to antagonise the crew, lawyer laws and generally act as a malevolent force - if they so wish.
• Plenty of housekeeping in policy and appeals both in the admin backchannels and in public.
• I did once-in-a-generation community poll to deicde whether to unban a shitter, which turned into a community event that was much enjoyed until they got unbanned and everyone realised why they were banned to begin with.
• Upheld conduct. I'm not afraid of pushing for removal of admins that breach conduct rules and have removed notes and bans placed by admins when they have breached conduct in the investigation.

What do I want to do this time?

Keep the tgstation vessel sailing good and true for another 6 months. No radical overhaul of the rules planned. No radical overhaul of policy planned. Just taking each appeal and policy post as they come.

But there are some little bugbears which popped up this term which have annoyed me and I want to address them:

• I commit to providing that omnipresent headmin shadow across appeals, policy and the community as a whole. These are areas I have been provably active in during both my previous terms and being publicly active as a headmin is something I can do in any headmin term.
• I strongly dislike when contested appeals are void of headmin input. I very strongly dislike when appeals with headmin review merit end up with radio silence while the Tip of the Ivory Tower trundle along in ineffective silence. I dislike it the most of all when a ban appeal is overturned after the ban itself has been fully served and expired. I plan to suggest our headmin charter around ban appeals be worded in a way to avoid this outcome as much as possible, as well as utilising the point below to expedite headmin reviews on contested appeals.
• I will use my experiences both from real life and from previous terms to push for better resource management within the headmin team this term. My first term utilised Trello to great effect tracking everything headmin. From policy and appeals to promotions and recruitment. This allowed more headmin decisions to be made within the same time period, or for less time to be spent making the same number of decisions. I want to bring this internal time and team management resource back.

What kind of rulings can you expect from me on policy and appeals?

I approach SS13 as if it was a tabletop game with dozens of players all running around and interacting with eachother in-character. I believe in the tabletop social contract between players where the objective is to make sure you're not ruining the fun of people around you, and if you stick to this social contract you should always have a seat at the table. Playing selfishly and removing all the spectacle and fun and joy and just core SS13 amazement for those around you are unlikely to net you any sympathy from me.

My history of headmin rulings and stances on appeals and policy would put me between LRP and MRP.

LRP's action focus is amazing. I strongly believe our LRP offers the rawest and more pure SS13 experience out there. I have absolutely no intent to change this and will foil any and all attempts to do so. However, I dislike any NRP trend that reduces the game from low roleplay to 4chan-with-avatars. So you may find admins having +1 headmin support when their goal is trying to maintain the low roleplay environment.

I absolutely adore MRP's character-to-character interaction focus but dislike strict application of the rules where it would deviate the game from medium roleplay to Habbo Hotel (but it's in space now). So you may find admins having -1 headmin support for over-enforcement of the RP rules when it comes to antags trying to do reasonable and normal antag stuff that ends up with players dying, as well as any admin enforcement that has the wiff of punishment for not playing optimally.

I support roleplayers to act as they please as long as they can appropriately back their actions based on in-character reasoning, on all our rulesets and servers.

[britgrenadier1]

During this current term, you opened a policy thread (viewtopic.php?f=85&t=36462) on the tgstation streaming rules. In that thread, you asked a few questions on policy, but never stated your opinion on them anywhere that I could find. So...

What is your take on the ruling given by the current term regarding streaming tg in a discord server?
If you were going to overhaul the streaming rules, what might you permit and forbid?
If you're not going to overhaul them, where do you land on the idea that your co-headmins may overhaul them? Opposed? Neutral? Supportive?

[Timberpoes]

During this current term, you opened a policy thread (viewtopic.php?f=85&t=36462) on the tgstation streaming rules. In that thread, you asked a few questions on policy, but never stated your opinion on them anywhere that I could find. So...

What is your take on the ruling given by the current term regarding streaming tg in a discord server?
If you were going to overhaul the streaming rules, what might you permit and forbid?
If you're not going to overhaul them, where do you land on the idea that your co-headmins may overhaul them? Opposed? Neutral? Supportive?

That policy thread was opened to solve an adminbus argument. I basically back Dreary's words 1:1.

I dislike private streaming to your friends. That kind of take is going to be headmin-lopsided. We're the ones that ultimately have to deal with the fallout of metacomms, screen sharing with friends and anything else. It all intersects with opening the Shrodinger's box of secret murder mystery games we have brewing here and sharing what's inside with other people.

In reality, do whatever you want in private. Nobody will find out if you just pick your friends well. Just know that if someone does find out, you'll end up banned. Weigh the risk and use it as motivation to keep it all secret and do nothing to rouse suspicion in-game.

Just like the 18+ rule, we don't go looking for it and just having the rule lets the lesser minds sleep well at night thinking we have no underage people in the community, when we do but the fear of being banned keeps most of them in line.

It's the same with private streaming to friends. Don't give us reason to think you're metacomming and we won't care, happy to truck on in blissful ignorance.

I don't care about the streaming programme/rules in general as long as they don't generate headmin work and drama. In both my terms I've been happy to let Rave and the others deal with it.

I like the fact there's a whitelist in place because it gives people that want to stream here something to lose if they abuse that privilege. Keeps them operating in good faith. Any rule change should keep this.

I don't think private streaming to your in group should ever be covered by the streaming programme. That's not its goal or intent.

As far as changes to it, I actually dislike the streaming programme in general as a concept. Audiences are too small and niche. I don't think we provide the right environment for streaming to thrive. I don't think the benefits outweigh the downsides. But so far those downsides haven't been my problem to deal with, so I'm happy to live and let live as long as that remains.

[iansdoor]

I am in the mood to ask, simply because I didn't see that much of headmin support this term. Following that, I was alone on Sybil for a long time, about 3 months, trying to sow and cultivate the reasonable outlook that everyones actions even in a sandbox, eye for eye hurts the community.

Not much of a promise, but would you keep in mind to talk with admins more and the players more about stuff like that? There is a great need of a culture change whether by policy, demands or chatting. The folks that want to RP or do their job, on that server, cannot and go to somewhere that is safer to explore the sandbox.

[Timberpoes]

My DMs have always been open as headmin and I respond to pings as promptly as possible (usually within 12 hrs, depending on sleep and other schedules). Those difficult conversations about roleplay and player expectations honestly get to the core of what I personally like to see from SS13 as a whole. I want to hold LRP to that low roleplay standard, and I want to prevent MRP from drifting to a HRP standard.

I have always wanted all our servers to be interchangable. For players that prioritise action to feel happy on LRP, players that prioritise interaction to feel happy on MRP, and players that enjoy both to be able to jump between the two servers.

This is very different from wanting a single unified ruleset or to kill LRP/MRP. I want different spaces that different people can enjoy, but that are close enough to appeal to everyone in at least some way.

And whether it's asking the admin team to address certain emergent issues on a more informal basis, policy changes, rules changes or just conversations with people - I'm comfortable with all of the above.

[iansdoor]

My DMs have always been open as headmin and I respond to pings as promptly as possible (usually within 12 hrs, depending on sleep and other schedules). Those difficult conversations about roleplay and player expectations honestly get to the core of what I personally like to see from SS13 as a whole. I want to hold LRP to that low roleplay standard, and I want to prevent MRP from drifting to a HRP standard.

I have always wanted all our servers to be interchangable. For players that prioritise action to feel happy on LRP, players that prioritise interaction to feel happy on MRP, and players that enjoy both to be able to jump between the two servers.

This is very different from wanting a single unified ruleset or to kill LRP/MRP. I want different spaces that different people can enjoy, but that are close enough to appeal to everyone in at least some way.

Fair enough, those times were rough and still are. I am not asking or looking for unified ruleset other than the main rules that everyone can understand. The culture change to lean the advantage of someone that has 48 hours vs someone that has 1800 hours plus. Bystander and giving up is just been big issue I have noticed. I am not sure how to empower those situations more.

[Timberpoes]

My view has always been to empower admins, as long as they're acting in good faith. Nothing is sacred when it comes to gameplay loops that kill population or prevent it growing. We have a lowpop no murderbone rule even on LRP for example, because lowpop murderbone can stop a server moving to midpop.

Sybil has issues, and I don't yet have solutions. However, to spin that as a positive - it means I'm also a blank slate and I'm more open to ideas than usual. I want all our servers to succeed.

[GamerAndYeahMick]

Hi timber I think out of all the mrp admins running me and you may have the best shot at getting along well and making significant progress, I think that our communication and way we view each other has shifted dramatically from my last stint at tgstation, how do you think you would deal with a situation in which we have completely opposing ideas on a policy or rule change?

[Timberpoes]

Hi timber I think out of all the mrp admins running me and you may have the best shot at getting along well and making significant progress, I think that our communication and way we view each other has shifted dramatically from my last stint at tgstation, how do you think you would deal with a situation in which we have completely opposing ideas on a policy or rule change?

Figure out a compromise solution that makes the disagreement topic workable, or just agree to disagree, do whatever vote is necessary to reach a decision and move on. I've had two terms of not always getting my way, and as long as I'm happy the other two headmins have listened to and considered my views I'm gucci.

[Timberpoes]

Contentless post begging votes goes here. Like, comment, subscribe, don't forget to click the bell icon, install Opera GX, play Raid Shadow Legends, buy a Displate with your favourite anime catgirl in lewd attire, send me an Xcretion on Xhitter, did you know only 4% of the people that read this thread are subscribed to vote Timberpoes?

[TheRex9001]

I would vote for timber but they dont have a sponsorship from one of those companies offering lordship so they dont seem very legit

[Timberpoes]

I tell people to buy a knighthood from Sealand since its less of a scam than Established Titles.

[RaveRadbury]

Timberpoes, at it again! I've always wanted to be in a Timber Term headminbus and I hope that this election will be my chance.

What was easier about your second term? What was harder about it?

What of your achievements are you most proud of, as a headmin and also otherwise (maint, admin, player)?

[Timberpoes]

The second term really didn't have anything easier per se, just different challenges. The hardest part of my last term was definitely internal affairs. Our term had a lot of secret headmin stuff I can't talk about, except to say that the duty of care that I believe comes with community leadership is something I take very seriously. Investigations aiming to identify and protect the community from bad actors ended up being a particularly challenging and often unseen and thankless task.

The easiest part was just re-adjusting to the role. Many headmins will tell us most of their first term is spent just figuring out how to headmin. During the second term it meant I already had a ton of experience and I could empower my co-headmins more effectively. I already know what headmins can and can't do plus all the textbook procedures. It really maximises time efficiency especially early in the term before everyone burns out.

Proudest achievement was rewriting Silicon Policy. I found it a very tricky undertaking to capture a new vision for silicons, get community buy-in and support for it, get admin buy-in and support for it and then turn that vision into a workable policy that has so far survived the test of two headmin terms with only a change to the "Is It Human?" section, a minor modification to the section on prisoners and an extra line being added about silicons asking for law changes.

Looking at how some of our top sillymins have taken to applying the new Silipol with respect to expanding the freedom silicon players have and hearing some of the stories that have come from more antagonstic silicon freedoms made me very happy.

[Timberpoes]

Thanks for the votes of confidence from both the players and the admins. It is genuinely an honour to win both votes and shows that the priorities of players and the priorities of admins aren't all that different.

We all want to create and participate in the best SS13 experiences out there. I will continue to guide and support the admin team towards that ideal. I will continue to advocate for and represent the players who vibe with that goal.

I'll do you all proud. Or die trying? o7

[conrad]

I can't attest for the recent 3 months due to Scrubby being down, but I'll be bluntly honest here.

I placed you as 4th on my card. That means out of the many many people running only 2 people impressed me more (as Rex was #1 and I'm gutted he didn't win) and I did not make placements on #2 and #3 lightly. It was hard for me to shuffle the top votes. Admins I really like and players alike did not get to that spot.

The reason I didn't put you higher was because you don't touch the game. There's scarcely any adminning, and no playing at all for what looks like years. You were very active admin channels, and aside from my particular gripe of you as headmin saying "the admin team sucks at X" at times, you are very much in touch with the rules of the game. Plus you're witty and this is a videogame so your posts are scarcely not a spectacle to behold.

Unless something changed in the three months of Scrubby darkness, the only thing I ask is that you at least try to play the game you claim to love so much, rather than being locked away in the managerial office dispensing orders.

Is that something you'll have time and intent to do?

Thank you, and congrats on winning! First 3 win headmin I think?

[Timberpoes]

We've had some before. Coco was the last one in my memory, but he did the consecutive term thing which I actively avoid.

On playing more tl;dr - I cook better with a gas burner than over an open campfire flame.

I'm going to give your request a full-bodied reply. Because it's not the first time you've asked me to play and you're not the first to suggest I play more. And I don't think just saying "no, I don't intend to play more" would do any credit to what is a genuine and honest question that gets down to the core of why I'm even fit to be an Admin, let alone a Headmin.

I don't actually love SS13 the game. Certainly at one past point I did, but right now for a myriad of reasons I just don't care for it. I could take up a novella in why, but allow me to just tl;dr to playing is not what I find joy in now. What I do love is the community and everything else that has been built up around it. I love the people that love SS13.

I extra especially don't want to sound dismissive of your feedback to play more. I'm sure if I did play more, it would lead to me having a different perspective and insight into the game. These factors strongly influence what biases and perspectives someone has. But is different necessarily better? Sometimes it is, but I've stumbled on my own little niche.

I spend a lot of time on tgstation, it's just spent differently to playing and directly adminning. I've developed my own way of staying connected with what's going on that works for me and doesn't send me through cycles of burnout. It keeps me flexible and I easily adapt to changing times. Although a lot has changed since my first headmin term, I still manage to keep my takes relevant to [present day]. This approach is my own unique take on peak performance that is tailored to work by me, for me.

Plus this is a team environment. I don't have to do or know everything. In any discussion we have, I don't bring the insights of an active player or an active admin. But that's fine - everyone else provides that. I provide takes that come from an entirely different direction and set of experiences. Like good sushi, that's shrimply how I roll.

I consider it a genuine privilege to have the opportunities I have gotten at tgstation. It's a community I feel well worth volunteering my time in service, whether it's the hat I wear as a maintainer, admin, trainer, Discord mod, or headmin. I am eternally grateful that my life experiences in general put me in a position where the person that never admins and the person that never plays is able to run the ship in a way that generally makes admins and players content to not mutiny.

And I hope that you have a bit more insight into why I don't play or actively admin. I hope this also explains why I think it can bring its own unique set of benefits in having a someone in a leadership position whose approach to tgstation as a whole is so different to the expected norms and standards.

[conrad]

I appreciate this response and I think it adds a layer of versatility to different skillsets and levels of contribution. Thanks for the answer and insight, I feel I'm very satistifed with it.

I feel this is gonna be a good term.