GM Compensation?

Started by morishka, Jul 06, 2007, 10:57 AM

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morishka

Hi there. Sorry, I don't know if this is the right place to be posting... I'm currently GMing Enchanted RO, which is a free server run by volunteers. We've had a suggestion by one of the GM Team that as GMs we should be getting compensation for the time we spend working on the game instead of playing. Thoughts included a "GM Point System", where one hour of programming, scripting, meetings, running events, PR, etc would equal one GM Point, and we could "buy" things for our legit characters, like free resets, experience, name changes etc depending on the cost we set for each.

What do other servers do? I'm really not comfortable with GMs getting in-game compensation for their volunteer time (besides the obvious compensation like knowing the ins and outs of the quests and events you plan, being the ultimate authority on the direction the server is going, etc). But maybe I'm totally off in my thinking. I knew that when I took on the position of Event GM that I wouldn't get to play in events, nor have as much time to play. But I considered it worth it because I could then plan the happenin's on the server.

Any thoughts???

Prodinterios

Well You Volunteered for it so its not the server bosses fault for not giving you any compensation because he didnt force you to become a GM am I right?

So why ask for a compensation when you wanna help and isnt the GM Character already enough?

Well in most servers the admins would give the GMs
1Headgear of Choice or 1 Special Donates

yC

think about the player reaction, they might smell corruption easily.  Players are extremely sensitive to these things.  It depend on what you can buy also ...

Pandora

Maybe you should suggest that the idea be run by your players. There's nothing like an open discussion ^_^ Perhaps they'll agree that their gm's work should be rewarded with some items. If you're honest it has less chance of being labeled "corruption".
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Pow

Well I don't know about this, considering you volunteered to take that position so you shouldn't really be rewarded.

However, involving players into an open discussion into the matter would probably be your best bet. I wouldn't expect it to go your way though unfortunately. Maybe you could (I'm not sure how your server works with levels and stuff) be promoted after a certain amount of "points" - but make it so you could only "get" 1 point every week or something, to avoid people just doing a whole day worth of whatever it requires and then get promoted and just sit around doin' nothing.
Divided we stand, together we fall.
There isn't any god that can save us all
So don't pray on your knees, just beg on your hands
There is no belief in this promised land

ArcAngelArtemis

Quote from: Prodinterios on Jul 06, 2007, 12:51 PM

Well in most servers the admins would give the GMs
1Headgear of Choice or 1 Special Donates

your kidding right? Most servers dont do that. As someone else said, there would be posts about corruption, on the forums (if they had one). Seriously, no offense to anyone out there, but the servers who offer free items to the GM chars, cant Administrate the server. At least when they are LOOKING for GMs. I can see what you mean though, you cant play in events, you cant really level, etc. But you knew what you were getting in to I suppose.

bentheexo

Quote from: ArcAngelArtemis on Jul 06, 2007, 10:50 PM
Quote from: Prodinterios on Jul 06, 2007, 12:51 PM

Well in most servers the admins would give the GMs
1Headgear of Choice or 1 Special Donates

your kidding right? Most servers dont do that. As someone else said, there would be posts about corruption, on the forums (if they had one). Seriously, no offense to anyone out there, but the servers who offer free items to the GM chars, cant Administrate the server. At least when they are LOOKING for GMs. I can see what you mean though, you cant play in events, you cant really level, etc. But you knew what you were getting in to I suppose.

agreed. the only compensation that my gms get is the ability to govern and guide the ppl in the right direction. my gms cant drop, trade, storage, @item, #item, or @item2, #item2. its not that i dont trust ppl to tell me whats going on i just dont feel that a gm should do those things. now you think that what ive done might be harsh but conside the fact that i have created my gms by only giving one char on their account powers how you might ask well ill post it up in here i suppose.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////
//Single Char GM's for Multiply Map/Char Servers//
//made by BenTheExo            //
//Version 1.0               //
//////////////////////////////////////////////////

prontera.gat,0,0,0   script   OnPCLoginEvent   -1,{
//
//This one gives powers
//
if(getcharid(0)==charid#) atcommand "@adjgmlvl gmlvl charname";

close;
}

prontera.gat,0,0,0   script   OnPCLogoutEvent   -1,{
//
//this one takes away powers
//dont forget to make this one as well
//
if(getcharid(0)==charid#) atcommand "@adjgmlvl 0 charname";

close;
}

ArcAngelArtemis

Quote from: bentheexo on Jul 07, 2007, 12:06 PM
Quote from: ArcAngelArtemis on Jul 06, 2007, 10:50 PM
Quote from: Prodinterios on Jul 06, 2007, 12:51 PM

Well in most servers the admins would give the GMs
1Headgear of Choice or 1 Special Donates

your kidding right? Most servers dont do that. As someone else said, there would be posts about corruption, on the forums (if they had one). Seriously, no offense to anyone out there, but the servers who offer free items to the GM chars, cant Administrate the server. At least when they are LOOKING for GMs. I can see what you mean though, you cant play in events, you cant really level, etc. But you knew what you were getting in to I suppose.

agreed. the only compensation that my gms get is the ability to govern and guide the ppl in the right direction. my gms cant drop, trade, storage, @item, #item, or @item2, #item2. its not that i dont trust ppl to tell me whats going on i just dont feel that a gm should do those things. now you think that what ive done might be harsh but conside the fact that i have created my gms by only giving one char on their account powers how you might ask well ill post it up in here i suppose.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////
//Single Char GM's for Multiply Map/Char Servers//
//made by BenTheExo            //
//Version 1.0               //
//////////////////////////////////////////////////

prontera.gat,0,0,0   script   OnPCLoginEvent   -1,{
//
//This one gives powers
//
if(getcharid(0)==charid#) atcommand "@adjgmlvl gmlvl charname";

close;
}

prontera.gat,0,0,0   script   OnPCLogoutEvent   -1,{
//
//this one takes away powers
//dont forget to make this one as well
//
if(getcharid(0)==charid#) atcommand "@adjgmlvl 0 charname";

close;
}

Restricting gm powers is a good idea sometimes, but there are other times where the GM's think they feel like criminals, or something, and dont like the fact that they feel untrustworthy. But when the server is huge, and there are pages of logs you look at when you get the chance, I can see how the restriction can come in handy. Im sure its possible to miss a few @items, here and there, or @skills, and whatnot.

NikitaDarkstar

I'm a player support GM, I voulenteered for it so I don't expect any compensation. In fact I don't really think it's a good idea to give GM's stuff just cause they're GM's, if they voulenteered they don't really need it, don't like it? Well there's usually 168165816816816 other pepole thats moer than willing to fill that position, some of them might even be qualified.

AS for restricting powers, powers mean trust, and trust is something you earn, I don't mind not beeing able to drop items, stoer items etc., Why should I? I don't need them for the task I do, the only midly annoying thing is I can't give out items for events, but thats about it, and I do see the danger in giving a newly appointed GM trade powers to go with @item (we have that to be able to look up the customs in a speedy way.. but it's jsut really a fancy library+wardrobe when you can't trade or drop them :P).

Basiclly my opinion is, give the GM the powers they need to do their job, nothing more, nothing less. Then if the person earns your trust you might consider giving more (if needed).

But well all in all, it's a free server run by voulenteers, voulenteers generally shouldn't be compensated in my opnion, especially not with ingame stuff, and most defently not with something that gives them the upper hand over regular players. You're a GM, you help run the server, you get all the pro's and con's that go with it, if you think the con's outweigh the pro's resign your position.

ArcAngelArtemis

One thing that ticks me off though, is when they do get some compensation. I mean its alright if its a little something, but I mean when they do it behind the players backs. Whats up with that? I mean what could they be getting thats so important that we should know about? Thats when people start talking about corruption :P

Transcend

You choose to be a gm,for no compensation.So why would you have the right to get items?
Nope that s unfair,i used to be in a server where GM had the right to take 20EDP bottles each week.
Ok,20poison bottle each week on a 3x, yeha that s cool,i wanna be gm too :)

Mieu

There should never be any reward for GMship other than the satisfaction you derive for helping create, support, and nurture a server.

Even if you were to poll or ask the current players for their approval, new or prospective members might not understand, and since first impression is key well, server population growth may suffer.

BRabbit

Some servers give GMs some cash $$$ for doing their job. So far I've seen EuphRO and UnityRO announce that they do this.

EUPHRO DONATION PAGE
QuoteAnything above the monthly operating expenses will be used to compensate gamemasters based on how much work they perform and the complexity of the work. Those do not agree with this do not need to donate, but we assure you, it's fair.

UNITYRO DONATION PAGE
QuoteFundings above the defined threshold may be used to compensate the server administrators for their time and work spent on maintaining the servers. Please keep this in mind before you decide to donate.

There's probably other servers that do it too, but I have forgotten, never seen them or they don't announce it.

ArcAngelArtemis

Actually cash I would approve of, as long as that server didn have donations. You cant use the cash for ro, there fore you arent messing up the economy or anything, and you are doing a JOB, if they WANT to pay you, thats cool, if not thats alright, because you werent in it for the money now where you? :P

NikitaDarkstar

Only reason EuphRO and Unity announces that they do it is because the GM's of each server got caught doing it the first time (Unity is run by ZellKFF who orignally was on EuphRO).. but I don't think any server would announce it if they didn't "have to"..

Besides I don't think it's fair to use the players money that way either, save it for a month when there aren't much donations (like you know, december and xmas), invest it in server upgrades or whatever, but I don't really think it's ok to use donation money to compenaste GM's, if you want to compensate them do it out of your own pocket.