The staff system

[Barkles]

the issue here mist is that then people will act differently because they've applied, we'll see what people want to be like, not what they're actually like

[CommanderEcho]

I personaly think applications wouldnt work, yes with the dedicated and what not, but what about the power hungry and kind like that? The staff choosing helps bring us good new mods you may not like the system but it works quite well.

[dig]

Hand-choosing staff allows staff to see both sides of the quarter on a candidate, maybe when no one is around he breaks tons of rules but nobody is aware of this until the staff look into that.

Like Barkles said, it allows for staff to see who people actually are (or how they actually act) rather than what they portray themselves as on an application thread.

Another issue is the amount of applications we'll get would be insane, and rather uncanny, everyone would apply, which is not saying they shouldn't
just saying it'd be pretty hard to go through them all.

I can understand your point though, Mist.

[James_Gaff]

Demote barkles.
He spammed me with caps.

All jokes aside, I think the current staff roster should be more than enough to cover the servers at all times.

I appreciate staff have real lives, but this isn't an excuse 24/7. If someone doesn't have time to dedicate.

I've also heard admins say they don't need to do anything while mods are on, and I know for sure there are a number of people requesting staff.

[Burnett]

First of all: Thank you very much for your opinion. It's important for a community to get 'all' these aspects discussed.
There are some players that do not fit the position of a staff-member. As Barkles and Ikarous mentioned, there are many things that are taken care of before a player gets promoted. Trust me. There is much more 'behind' the scences as it might look like. However. I wouldn't mind some 'transparency' when it comes to those things, especially when it affects the WHOLE community - mainly the players.

[Von Tempski]

The problem with the current system (imo) is that it gives people who are friends with admins a huge advantage. I'm not saying that anyones being biased at all, its just a fact that you are much more likely to be noticed and put forward.

I'm not saying the current system is bad at all, it works well, I just think a hidden application system (only viewable by staff) would be a useful addition and would allow players to make themselves known.

[Mist]

the issue here mist is that then people will act differently because they've applied, we'll see what people want to be like, not what they're actually like

As I said before..
You would/will still be able to see what they're like.

1. Look at their application.
2. Think this is good stuff.
3. Focus on that player, and see if he can make up to what he said in the application.

By doing this, it would be so much easier for you guys to have somebody to look for when it comes to new moderators.

[Mist]

First of all: Thank you very much for your opinion. It's important for a community to get 'all' these aspects discussed.
There are some players that do not fit the position of a staff-member. As Barkles and Ikarous mentioned, there are many things that are taken care of before a player gets promoted. Trust me. There is much more 'behind' the scences as it might look like. However. I wouldn't mind some 'transparency' when it comes to those things, especially when it affects the WHOLE community - mainly the players.

Then instead of all this "He was very good roleplayer, know rules, friendly", then I'd like to know what really happens when a staff is being picked, because I'm questioning how player1 got selected when player2 is almost screaming to be picked, when selecting new people to operate on the servers. 
(I hope that you understood that  )

[Mist]

Hand-choosing staff allows staff to see both sides of the quarter on a candidate, maybe when no one is around he breaks tons of rules but nobody is aware of this until the staff look into that.

Like Barkles said, it allows for staff to see who people actually are (or how they actually act) rather than what they portray themselves as on an application thread.

Another issue is the amount of applications we'll get would be insane, and rather uncanny, everyone would apply, which is not saying they shouldn't
just saying it'd be pretty hard to go through them all.

I can understand your point though, Mist.

I'm not just speaking of breaking rules, because there's a lot of other stuff that could be taken care of, than just rule-breakers. For example yesterday I needed help with a lot, because there was so much new stuff. Funny enough nobody really wanted to help me, when I asked questions or asked for help  ..

This is why I'm saying that only people with maybe 500, 600 hours or more, with maybe 1000 posts? Only those kind of people would be able to make an application. Or maybe the date they joined the community could have an influenze? This would reduce the amount of people who would make an application.

[Nevy]

The problem isn't with the system, it is with the players who make their main goal here to be a staff member.

There isn't this desperate need for more server moderation, as you are saying throughout your thread. The only time there was a need for applications was in the past when there was a huge lack of administrators. Right now the team is the largest it has ever been and there is a limit to how many staff there can be for a number of internal reasons.

Not to mention, it is highly unlikely for someone to be promoted as there is a rigorous process that we take to ensure that the person is someone that is trustworthy, genuine and meets the many other expectations that we have. You say that being the friend of an administrator grants you the benefit and that is incorrect for the most part. While they may be recommended for a position, they still have to go through a review and in most cases turn out to not be fit for the position. It should be apparent that if you don't have any connection to an administrator, your chances of being promoted are close to none. Promotions aren't based solely off of your popularity, RP skills, or how many hours you have in total. 

All in all, don't be here because you want to have power and administrate. Be here because you are here to enjoy the game and roleplay. It's very easy to tell which one a person is here for.