Editorial - Jumpgate: Communication and the Lack Thereof
I've been playing Jumpgate since the beta back in late 2000, and in that time I've seen the game have its ups and downs. When the game initially hit retail, things initially looked promising, as we had a powerful (at the time) market presence with the now-defunct 3DO. Unfortunately, 3DO proved themselves unfit to run Jumpgate, and was therefore removed from the game entirely. This led to a certain period of uncertainty, but things cooled off.
Some time later, NetDevil hired Themis Group to help facilitate in-game Game Mastering, something NetDevil didn't seem to have as much time as they'd like in accomplishing. At first, we were pretty excited, as the thought of more in-game GM's would do nothing but help the game. For a while, this was the case, until even then, the TG GM's began to slowly disappear from the landscape, only to be seen in the occasional forum posting.
Now, I understand how busy the folks at ND are in order to keep their financial heads above water. They have some backing for their upcoming car combat game, as well as the revenue generated from JG pilots. I also understand that JG is not Themis Group's only game they support, and therefore are stretched a bit thin when it comes to manpower. I also know that as the result of a case in which several volunteers sued Electronic Arts regarding privileges in Ultima Online, U.S. companies are now either very reluctant to use volunteers, or have decided entirely against their use, which is why the European server usually has a greater GM presence, as they have no such legislation.
While I do indeed know and understand all these facts, I still cannot help but be disappointed in the way the GM's have turned towards a seemingly "hands-off" approach towards actual role playing and player-GM communications. The recent ISU blockade RP is an excellent example. While this RP was created and supported by the players, the GM's did little to support it, eventually bringing it down in an anticlimactic resolution that only served to annoy all those involved. There's also the fact that several players complain regularly about support emails and PM's going unanswered for days or weeks. This also added to the general feeling of unhappiness amongst several pilots.
Then recently, on the JOSSH forums, it came to a head when GM_Trogdor began to lock forums and ban users at a rate rarely witnessed before. The pilots felt that if this was the best way that the GM's would communicate with them, it was time they made their voices heard. They began posting, en-mass, regarding their complaints with JG, the GM's, ND, TG, and so on.
I can understand this side of the coin as well. Pilots don't feel as if we're given enough to do in JG from the GM's. Sure, we get a little Faction Mission or TRI Mission here or there, but that isn't enough anymore. It's not enough to simply do cargo or transport missions anymore. Several pilots are getting bored with the lack of real content, content that makes the game matter, that you can tell stories about later. I can't say that I blame them. While several games such as Asheron's Call and others provide regular content updates, we're given occasional patches with a new piece of equipment or a bug fix. It's therefore easy to see why pilots are so agitated by all this.
Unfortunately, from what I've seen on both sides of this verbal conflict, it doesn't look like its going to get any better. While the pilots complain, the GM's rarely respond directly to complaints, which is a shame. The biggest current complaint from pilots is that the GM's don't listen, and the GM's aren't doing much to dissuade this popular opinion.
What do I think of all this, or more abruptly, what the heck is my point? My point is that things have to change on both sides for JG to succeed and have more longevity. GM's need to listen to the complaints and constructive criticisms of all pilots when appropriate, and the pilots need to understand that the GM's are stretched fairly thin at the moment. While this isn't much of a consolation for either side, the words "tough love" seem to have a particular meaning here. We all love this game, and want to see it succeed, but right now, the two sides seem to have different ideas on how this will be accomplished.
Personally, I feel that we all need to listen to each other and try to build something positive and constructive out lf all of this. The GM's need to listen to pilot suggestions and if not act on them, explain why they won't be acted upon, rather than just giving silence. The Pilots need to understand that the GM's are really on their side, but they have a business to run, which presents its own challenges and foibles. If we all eventually undetstand and accept each other's point of view, things will work out, but we won't get there without a constant stream of communication from both sides.
