Avicus Archive

Staff & Community Update 3/14/16 by Iron March 14, 2016 at 5:03 PM UTC

Without further ado, let me introduce the 3rd community update! As you may know, the goal of these updates is to inform both the staff and the community of recent events and plans, we also would like to introduce some recent changes and distribute some information.

Manager Rank Debrief!

           As you are all probably aware, the admins have decided to reinstate the Manager Rank. As there has been some confusion and uncertainty about the rank, both Michael and I are fully able and willing to listen to any questions/comments/concerns you may have. 

           Anyways, the rank itself has been created to fill the void in which admins have been floating in. Overall, the goal of Manager is to take up some of the more community related jobs that Admins once held. We are working towards gearing Admins towards more Staff and Developmental work. As you would then guess, we would handle community work. So far I have hosted a Megascrim, co-hosting the walls tournament (thanks to Seth's amazing work!), and have given away a gold rank to the winner of a Robo UHC. Personally, I feel like with time the rank will strengthen and grow more obvious in its goal. As I know a lot of you highly doubt the efficiency of the rank, trust me. It really has improved the senior team. It has allowed us to recruit fresh mods and overall increase our work ethic, and just in general clean up our acts. So I say this, cast away your uncertainties and look ahead. As the present may seem uncertain, but the future sure is promising.

Recent Bugs!

        Recently, the Dev team pushed out a new update. We are ALL aware of the implications it has had and the side-effects. Many game breaking issues have been resolved, so far I am pretty sure only scrim servers are really "broken." Anyways, we appreciate your patience. The whole Staff team feels your pains and completely understands your frustrations. Alas, with time and a bit of patience we hope to work out all the kinks that might be present. In the meantime, try and report all the glitches you come across on this website. http://avicus.net/issues


Reshuffle of Departments!

Department of Training

  • GrapeSmoothie            

  • Sessp

  • Demur      

Department of Feedback and Staff Consistency  

  • Demur

  • Fouled

  • Zeusy


Department of Policies and Rules

  • Peachy

  • Arigenn


Department of Appeals

  • Zeusy

  • TimaeusTestified

  • Sessp

Department of Staff Recruitment 

  • GrapeSmoothie

  • Fouled

  • TimaeusTestified


Department of Events

  • Sulorak

  • Iron

           As you can see, we removed a few departments but also added some. Note, the department of Events is basically just a Manager duty, however we think that a department might be a bit more beneficial. Again the same applies for the Department of Policies and Rules, we feel that only Admins should be allowed to handle such official and server-wide topics.

We have also introduced Manager and Admin Departments:

1. Staff Warn and Demotion Management: (Sulorak & Arigenn)
This person will essentially have to be strict on all staff members, and will be in-charge of organising staff warns on the staff team. They will have to keep up-to-date with what the moderator, and senior moderator team is doing in order to have a strong and valid opinion, in the event that a demotion may occur. One of the higher senior staff teams points , is to be more strict with demotions and staff warns, and to ensure that the proper people are being punished.


2. Transparency Management (Sulorak & Rinn)
This person would handle community updates, staff spotlight, and other events towards the community that will essentially push for transparency towards the community, and furthermore the entire staff team.

3. TeamSpeak 3: (Sulorak & Iron)

These managers will continue to do their normal jobs as the TeamSpeak Heads, fixing issues, complaints, and generally managing the progress of TeamSpeak.

4. Head of Senior Departments (Iron & Peachy)
This person will manage and regulate senior departments, and constantly encourage progression updates on the department's. They will ensure that the seniors are working to the best of their abilities, and they will have to work incredibly close to the senior moderators


Community Thank-You's!
               It has come to my attention that recently many community members have taken it upon themselves and have organised events. Actions such as these are truly inspiring and really do enhance the community feel that all of Avicus is prided for. Anyways I would like to give a huge shout out to:
-NovaLikesPVP
-Spookeh
-Edans
-Cyclops

Promotions and Demotions:

-Iron has been promoted to Manager!
-Newcleus
 has been promoted to Manager!

-Fouled has been promoted to Senior Moderator!
-Theoretical 
has been promoted to Senior Moderator!
- Zeusy 
has been promoted to Senior Moderator!

-DeliciousShoesHD 
was promoted to Moderator!

-Auratixxx's 
trial was unsuccessful
-ViceWatercolor's
 trial was unsuccessful

Cheers,
Iron!

shahmi March 14, 2016 at 5:03 PM UTC

ShahFTW was promoted to Junior Moderator

:P

MissCarmel March 14, 2016 at 5:03 PM UTC

+1

Porkyyy March 14, 2016 at 5:03 PM UTC

Word

Spoookeh March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

Neato

Acceqted March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

Awesome!

PosteGamer March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

Nice job guys!

Crazy_ March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

Nice

Wahiz March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

You shouldn't have demotions, it kinda makes the person look bad. Imo

Porkyyy March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

You shouldn't have demotions, it kinda makes the person look bad. Imo
Then how do they tell the community that they have been demoted? o_O
And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol

SnowSX3 March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

Then how do they tell the community that they have been demoted? o_O
And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol
You shoudn't publicise a demotion without the person's concent.

_Mx_ March 14, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

Then how do they tell the community that they have been demoted? o_O
And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol
I somewhat disagree. I can guarantee they tried their hardest. Just because they applied and tried to receive a rank that helps out the community and failed doesn't mean that they deserve to be publicly shamed. I do understand what you mean, though. Perhaps not the best wording.

Besides, I for one want to know who passes and who doesn't.

ImNotYourTiger March 14, 2016 at 7:03 PM UTC

Congratulations!
Funkystudios has decided to make Tigger_The_Bear owner 
 All perms will be given instantly

gobernment March 14, 2016 at 7:03 PM UTC

You shoudn't publicise a demotion without the person's concent.
It's not publicly shaming if they're mentioned in a post.

It's publicly shaming if you state everything as to why they were demoted, throw all the evidence in the text, and say "there you go" to have the community go at them whenever they go onto TeamSpeak or in-game for humiliation. Stating the obvious (because it's not like they'll stay on the staff page) isn't public shaming. Pretty sure the intention of the thread is just to keep everything transparent, including (unfortunate) demotions, and not to just make people look bad. There's not even really a side-effect to it, it's there and it should just be acknowledged it happened. It's no different from not being on the staff page anymore.

EDIT: Think I quoted the wrong person.

Fabricating March 14, 2016 at 7:03 PM UTC

cool :D

Midnightstorm March 14, 2016 at 8:03 PM UTC

Woo

ElementalAssasin March 14, 2016 at 8:03 PM UTC

wait so i can apply right now i thought apps were closed?

Iron March 14, 2016 at 8:03 PM UTC

wait so i can apply right now i thought apps were closed?
Nah, these are all people who had decided to return from retirement/get a reassessment.

NovaLikesPvP March 14, 2016 at 9:03 PM UTC

Nova 4 oficial
A ke

hasl March 14, 2016 at 9:03 PM UTC

Para hit Skype...

I don't mind about you announcing my failed trial, not like you'd care about my consent. 

Thanks for this round-up I guess...

Crimson_Aught March 14, 2016 at 10:03 PM UTC

Congratulations and condolences.

Loo March 14, 2016 at 11:03 PM UTC

k

JJTheGuy March 15, 2016 at 12:03 AM UTC

Put some clothes on

Juanooo March 15, 2016 at 1:03 AM UTC

i pay for the uhc server and i'm not in this post f u

DaFrozenBlaze March 15, 2016 at 3:03 AM UTC

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
RIP AURA

Howsie March 15, 2016 at 5:03 AM UTC

Couple concerns.

The first is that you're taking four awfully specific aspects of the staff team and unnecessarily splitting them. Training is a role played by all senior staff members. Feedback and staff consistency is redundant. Policies and rules doesn't need to be specified, especially considering the people you've appointed are in the typical role of a policy and rules facilitator. Department of appeals I could almost let slide, except the thing is apparently moderators manage their own infractions now? So what exactly do you guys do? And staff recruitment is intertwined in training.

What I'm appalled by however is the 'Staff warn and demotion management'. What the fuck?

So from an outside perspective I'm seeing a staff members progression something like this:-
Department of Staff Recruitment (Three people) manage the staff applications and any questions relating to it
Department of Training (Three people, inc one from recruitment apparently) will run the Junior moderator trials
Department of Staff Warn and demotion (Two people) - Now you have to timidly tred carefully through your moderator career carefully following the rules and policies laid out, making sure you don't anger this department.

Where is the Staff support department? Where is a centralised person or persons you can discuss issues with? Minus getting a fellow member of staff demoted OBVIOUSLY >:c

Not to mention the messiness of the organisation of this but come on guys. Try plotting this out on a graph or something. Or try asking a moderator what they'd do if they were suffering symptoms of depression, or they had a community member who needed assistance with a donation issue. 

You guys attempt to be so specific with your delegating, which I understand and appreciate, but you just end up leaving out so many crucial aspects of running this community.

DaFrozenBlaze March 15, 2016 at 5:03 AM UTC

Howsie is at it againnnn

lactify March 15, 2016 at 9:03 AM UTC

Awesome! Thanks for the update! Sorry to those that failed their trials, you gave it a go and tried your best!

FrozenSolstice March 15, 2016 at 9:03 AM UTC

Couple concerns.

The first is that you're taking four awfully specific aspects of the staff team and unnecessarily splitting them. Training is a role played by all senior staff members. Feedback and staff consistency is redundant. Policies and rules doesn't need to be specified, especially considering the people you've appointed are in the typical role of a policy and rules facilitator. Department of appeals I could almost let slide, except the thing is apparently moderators manage their own infractions now? So what exactly do you guys do? And staff recruitment is intertwined in training.

What I'm appalled by however is the 'Staff warn and demotion management'. What the fuck?

So from an outside perspective I'm seeing a staff members progression something like this:-
Department of Staff Recruitment (Three people) manage the staff applications and any questions relating to it
Department of Training (Three people, inc one from recruitment apparently) will run the Junior moderator trials
Department of Staff Warn and demotion (Two people) - Now you have to timidly tred carefully through your moderator career carefully following the rules and policies laid out, making sure you don't anger this department.

Where is the Staff support department? Where is a centralised person or persons you can discuss issues with? Minus getting a fellow member of staff demoted OBVIOUSLY >:c

Not to mention the messiness of the organisation of this but come on guys. Try plotting this out on a graph or something. Or try asking a moderator what they'd do if they were suffering symptoms of depression, or they had a community member who needed assistance with a donation issue. 

You guys attempt to be so specific with your delegating, which I understand and appreciate, but you just end up leaving out so many crucial aspects of running this community.
I love this. These problems or "holes" should be addressed.

Iron March 15, 2016 at 10:03 AM UTC

Couple concerns.

The first is that you're taking four awfully specific aspects of the staff team and unnecessarily splitting them. Training is a role played by all senior staff members. Feedback and staff consistency is redundant. Policies and rules doesn't need to be specified, especially considering the people you've appointed are in the typical role of a policy and rules facilitator. Department of appeals I could almost let slide, except the thing is apparently moderators manage their own infractions now? So what exactly do you guys do? And staff recruitment is intertwined in training.

What I'm appalled by however is the 'Staff warn and demotion management'. What the fuck?

So from an outside perspective I'm seeing a staff members progression something like this:-
Department of Staff Recruitment (Three people) manage the staff applications and any questions relating to it
Department of Training (Three people, inc one from recruitment apparently) will run the Junior moderator trials
Department of Staff Warn and demotion (Two people) - Now you have to timidly tred carefully through your moderator career carefully following the rules and policies laid out, making sure you don't anger this department.

Where is the Staff support department? Where is a centralised person or persons you can discuss issues with? Minus getting a fellow member of staff demoted OBVIOUSLY >:c

Not to mention the messiness of the organisation of this but come on guys. Try plotting this out on a graph or something. Or try asking a moderator what they'd do if they were suffering symptoms of depression, or they had a community member who needed assistance with a donation issue. 

You guys attempt to be so specific with your delegating, which I understand and appreciate, but you just end up leaving out so many crucial aspects of running this community.
The first is that you're taking four awfully specific aspects of the staff team and unnecessarily splitting them. Training is a role played by all senior staff members. Feedback and staff consistency is redundant. Policies and rules doesn't need to be specified, especially considering the people you've appointed are in the typical role of a policy and rules facilitator. Department of appeals I could almost let slide, except the thing is apparently moderators manage their own infractions now? So what exactly do you guys do? And staff recruitment is intertwined in training.

-Training is still handled by ALL Seniors AND Mentors. The department is simply in charge of organising documents, and just issuing training sessions and such. So far no mods have complained and it has been working great. The mentors are doing quite a swell job and have been providing somewhat frequent and useful feedback. We plan on making junior moderator trials 3 weeks from now so that we have a full week to give Juniors some more time to reflect upon their feedback.  The policies and rules department is only so that we can modify and edit rules if need be. Also, this point is completely invalid. We need a set group of people who can change and edit rules (admins) so that when people find loopholes and such we can actually fix them officially. Again, this department was only listed to clarify who makes and edits rules. Just so you guys know who to suggest rule based ideas too. The department of appeals is in charge of Escalated Appeals, they are the main people who address appeals that have been escalated. Alas, you probably haven't looked up your facts and do not know what an escalated appeal is. (Correct me if I am wrong) Anyways, the department of staff recruitment consists of organizing and making sure that the next set of applications is solid and is up to current standards. They are currently improving and looking at the flaws in our staff application system.

What I'm appalled by however is the 'Staff warn and demotion management'. What the fuck? 
-The department is in charge of organising and managing staff warns and such. Without this the whole staff warn system is highly unorganised. Personally, this is really needed. Prior to this, people would get warned and we would not record it. This led to a huge gap in our efficiency. Thanks.

Department of Staff Recruitment (Three people) manage the staff applications and any questions relating to it: See first paragraph.

Department of Training (Three people, inc one from recruitment apparently) will run the Junior moderator trials: No, see first paragraph.

Department of Staff Warn and demotion (Two people) - Now you have to timidly tred carefully through your moderator career carefully following the rules and policies laid out, making sure you don't anger this department. No, and yes you have to follow policy. I mean if you want moderators insulting players 24/7 and hacking on other servers then yes. Lets not follow the policy. 

Finally, NONE OF THESE DEPARTMENTS are solely responsible for their tasks. They are simply HEADS or ORGANISERS of the tasks.

Where is the Staff support department? Where is a centralised person or persons you can discuss issues with? Minus getting a fellow member of staff demoted OBVIOUSLY >:c

Since you are so focused on making sure that "All seniors do everything." The point of senior moderators is to deal with issues like this. If a moderator doesn't approach us about issues its not our problem. Again, the point of a senior moderator/manager/admin is for you to discuss your issues.

Not to mention the messiness of the organisation of this but come on guys. Try plotting this out on a graph or something. Or try asking a moderator what they'd do if they were suffering symptoms of depression, or they had a community member who needed assistance with a donation issue. 
This isn't even slightly messy, this has increased our efficiency by around 50%. Please, just try and look up your facts first. Also, I myself have talked with a lot of mods about their issues before. So have many other senior moderators, whats your point. Furthermore, ALL SENIORS AND MODS assist players when they might have issues such as a "donation issue."

You guys attempt to be so specific with your delegating, which I understand and appreciate, but you just end up leaving out so many crucial aspects of running this community. ----> MANAGERS, also Howsie you should try and become more active ingame and interact with the ingame community :o Which crucial aspects are we leaving out as well?

hasl March 15, 2016 at 11:03 AM UTC

The first is that you're taking four awfully specific aspects of the staff team and unnecessarily splitting them. Training is a role played by all senior staff members. Feedback and staff consistency is redundant. Policies and rules doesn't need to be specified, especially considering the people you've appointed are in the typical role of a policy and rules facilitator. Department of appeals I could almost let slide, except the thing is apparently moderators manage their own infractions now? So what exactly do you guys do? And staff recruitment is intertwined in training.

-Training is still handled by ALL Seniors AND Mentors. The department is simply in charge of organising documents, and just issuing training sessions and such. So far no mods have complained and it has been working great. The mentors are doing quite a swell job and have been providing somewhat frequent and useful feedback. We plan on making junior moderator trials 3 weeks from now so that we have a full week to give Juniors some more time to reflect upon their feedback.  The policies and rules department is only so that we can modify and edit rules if need be. Also, this point is completely invalid. We need a set group of people who can change and edit rules (admins) so that when people find loopholes and such we can actually fix them officially. Again, this department was only listed to clarify who makes and edits rules. Just so you guys know who to suggest rule based ideas too. The department of appeals is in charge of Escalated Appeals, they are the main people who address appeals that have been escalated. Alas, you probably haven't looked up your facts and do not know what an escalated appeal is. (Correct me if I am wrong) Anyways, the department of staff recruitment consists of organizing and making sure that the next set of applications is solid and is up to current standards. They are currently improving and looking at the flaws in our staff application system.

What I'm appalled by however is the 'Staff warn and demotion management'. What the fuck? 
-The department is in charge of organising and managing staff warns and such. Without this the whole staff warn system is highly unorganised. Personally, this is really needed. Prior to this, people would get warned and we would not record it. This led to a huge gap in our efficiency. Thanks.

Department of Staff Recruitment (Three people) manage the staff applications and any questions relating to it: See first paragraph.

Department of Training (Three people, inc one from recruitment apparently) will run the Junior moderator trials: No, see first paragraph.

Department of Staff Warn and demotion (Two people) - Now you have to timidly tred carefully through your moderator career carefully following the rules and policies laid out, making sure you don't anger this department. No, and yes you have to follow policy. I mean if you want moderators insulting players 24/7 and hacking on other servers then yes. Lets not follow the policy. 

Finally, NONE OF THESE DEPARTMENTS are solely responsible for their tasks. They are simply HEADS or ORGANISERS of the tasks.

Where is the Staff support department? Where is a centralised person or persons you can discuss issues with? Minus getting a fellow member of staff demoted OBVIOUSLY >:c

Since you are so focused on making sure that "All seniors do everything." The point of senior moderators is to deal with issues like this. If a moderator doesn't approach us about issues its not our problem. Again, the point of a senior moderator/manager/admin is for you to discuss your issues.

Not to mention the messiness of the organisation of this but come on guys. Try plotting this out on a graph or something. Or try asking a moderator what they'd do if they were suffering symptoms of depression, or they had a community member who needed assistance with a donation issue. 
This isn't even slightly messy, this has increased our efficiency by around 50%. Please, just try and look up your facts first. Also, I myself have talked with a lot of mods about their issues before. So have many other senior moderators, whats your point. Furthermore, ALL SENIORS AND MODS assist players when they might have issues such as a "donation issue."

You guys attempt to be so specific with your delegating, which I understand and appreciate, but you just end up leaving out so many crucial aspects of running this community. ----> MANAGERS, also Howsie you should try and become more active ingame and interact with the ingame community :o Which crucial aspects are we leaving out as well?
Yet I get demoted for making petty arguments over everything...

Iron March 15, 2016 at 11:03 AM UTC

Yet I get demoted for making petty arguments over everything...
And your point is?

steven5703 March 15, 2016 at 12:03 PM UTC

You guys (the staff team) are really blowing this out of proportion...

A server witb less than 100 people doesn't need these fancy departments

voidloop March 15, 2016 at 12:03 PM UTC

You guys (the staff team) are really blowing this out of proportion...

A server witb less than 100 people doesn't need these fancy departments
It makes everything much more organized.

So, my conclusion is;
-If is there is a problem because departments were not correctly organized, you complain.
-If departments are correctly organized, you complain.

#Logic.

hasl March 15, 2016 at 1:03 PM UTC

It makes everything much more organized.

So, my conclusion is;
-If is there is a problem because departments were not correctly organized, you complain.
-If departments are correctly organized, you complain.

#Logic.
That sums up the majority of this community: always complaining.

JDKL March 15, 2016 at 4:03 PM UTC

That sums up the majority of this community: always complaining.
The community doesn't complain for no reason. Perhaps they could go in more depth and make it clearer but they wouldn't complain to be a nuisance.

ElementalAssasin March 15, 2016 at 4:03 PM UTC

i dont complain

Iron March 15, 2016 at 5:03 PM UTC

The community doesn't complain for no reason. Perhaps they could go in more depth and make it clearer but they wouldn't complain to be a nuisance.
Meh, a lot of things have reasons. Although people do complain for no reason quite a bit. Anywho, what do you need clearing up?

Spoookeh March 15, 2016 at 6:03 PM UTC

The community doesn't complain for no reason. Perhaps they could go in more depth and make it clearer but they wouldn't complain to be a nuisance.
I've seen both sides; the community and the staff team. When I was a member of the community I was always complaining and trying to make an atomic bomb out of nothing.

I would like the community to see what goes on behind the scenes just once. I can assure you it would change your opinion so much. How I see it these posts help this to happen a little. They increase transparency and actually show what the senior staff team is doing. 

Kinda quoting RinnJr here:
-We don't do these and people complain
-We do do these and people complain

However, this community complaining quite a bit does help the staff to push further and become better as a whole.

JDKL March 15, 2016 at 7:03 PM UTC

I've seen both sides; the community and the staff team. When I was a member of the community I was always complaining and trying to make an atomic bomb out of nothing.

I would like the community to see what goes on behind the scenes just once. I can assure you it would change your opinion so much. How I see it these posts help this to happen a little. They increase transparency and actually show what the senior staff team is doing. 

Kinda quoting RinnJr here:
-We don't do these and people complain
-We do do these and people complain

However, this community complaining quite a bit does help the staff to push further and become better as a whole.
I have been behind the scenes before.

steven5703 March 15, 2016 at 9:03 PM UTC

It makes everything much more organized.

So, my conclusion is;
-If is there is a problem because departments were not correctly organized, you complain.
-If departments are correctly organized, you complain.

#Logic.
good word pvp whered you find that

Riilo March 15, 2016 at 9:03 PM UTC

Then how do they tell the community that they have been demoted? o_O
And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol
"And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol"

Alright so is the new thing, if you fail your trial you should get shamed in this post. Perfect sense

imryaan March 15, 2016 at 9:03 PM UTC

Nova 4 oficial
A ke
+1.1

MidnightBeats March 15, 2016 at 10:03 PM UTC

"And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol"

Alright so is the new thing, if you fail your trial you should get shamed in this post. Perfect sense
Do you not understand that the information that is displayed about each candidate is to update the community on what happened to them? It's NOT to shame them.

Numberz_ March 15, 2016 at 10:03 PM UTC

"And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol"

Alright so is the new thing, if you fail your trial you should get shamed in this post. Perfect sense
It's updating players about what happened to staff members so fifty threads don't get posted asking what happened to a certain person. So far away from public shaming...

DaFrozenBlaze March 15, 2016 at 11:03 PM UTC

"And if they look bad it's their own fault that they didn't perform during the trial lol"

Alright so is the new thing, if you fail your trial you should get shamed in this post. Perfect sense
Instead of getting tons of questions like "What happened to ****?", just put it in a post like this. They are just informing. I guess if they ever feel ashamed or anything they could request for it to be removed.