Shattered Kingdoms

Well said.

My game was stepped up for the first five years of my staff experience. I would have to say that its slipped and the result is directly visible to you all. If I felt that I owed anyone any more than zero, I would feel guilty for being tired. Really, I'm sorry I don't seem as interested as I once was. I'm sure my interest will eventually return. I have put in no less than thirty hours a month for the past 62 months. One hour a day at least on the game. Plus another hour or so a day in forums and emails. I've enjoyed the heck out of it. If you all had to spend one to two hours a day doing what I've done, I am certain you would all have lost interest or gotten blown out along the way. I've wanted a break for a while. I was hoping some other administrator would be able to carry the burden, since I've been doing so for about the last three years. I'm not the sole Immortal or the best or anything other than the most stubborn. Dulrik has acknowledged that the game would already be gone had I not maintained it. Would I want anything from anyone on the staff? Nothing more than they have time and energy to give. I am only allowing myself now, at this point, to admit that I don't want to give as much as I used to. Should I do so deceptively or in the same honest and forthright method I've attempted to maintain in my interactions with players before and after my joining the staff? I believe its better I was honest with the players about my waning interest instead of fading into some background role and simply hoping nobody notices I'm less than the Achernar I once was.

Out of curiosity, what is the method through which new IMMs/Lead IMMs are chosen? Everyone needs a break every now and then, is there nothing that can be done to that end?

I know I personally would have/still would enjoy the chance to be an IMM, but it seems that the impetus is not on players to apply, but on IMMs to choose. Is there no sort of application process to ease the burden for those IMMs who would like some help? Or perhaps is it just because all new IMMs must be passed through Dulrik first?

The new IMMs must be approved by Dulrik for sure.

They have a habit of taking the games best players and making them IMMs which robs the games of those rich players and they in turn get burnt out on IMMing and quit the game all together. It's a vicious endless cycle which has seen the end of the likes of Eur0, Will, Sklz, Wert, and many others who were excellent players who I still wish played.

Well, there's no rule saying that IMMs can't have characters.

Perhaps what the game needs is a whole new continent with a few cities and areas loaded with player submitted content. Let the players (or just some) have access to the building commands (Not literally in game, but the help files or something like that) so they can make it as easy as possible for any IMM willing to humor them.

Not asking for any new races/calasses/starting cities etc, just a small continent largely based on player submitted content. (oooh, floating island way off in the sky somewhere would be neat. Or the moon.)

And people naturally enjoy contests, even more so when their work is recognized in game I'm sure. There are pleanty in game, how about a few OOC ones like, for example, design an island in notepad that is 30x30 character max to be the template for the player-content island. Then do cities, or a street with a general theme, or just a building.

Also, if it hasn't been done already, surely there is a way to expand the available vnums to a near unlimited extent. If they are in such high demand and so limited, then maybe that is the only real thing that needs a big change so more content can be added?

Blah blah blah, I'm done for now.

I stopped promoting IMMs when we recognized that there were not enough players to justify having them. Many IMMs do play characters as well, so the playerbase does not get totally robbed. Were I of the opinion that the game needed more Immortals, I'd totally have more. I'm not sure what help files or information we could share that would make it easier to help us. Want to help us? Spend time inside the game. Attract new players to the game.

2 of the 4 you listed beside the words "Excellent Players." made me [REDACTED] myself laughing.

Hugs all around.