Sarge Potteiger
Emotional Damage
I've never seen a wrestling gif with this much fear in itDraco Vereen said:
Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos
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Discussion: Why Did You Leave The Galactic Republic?
- Thread starter Darth Ayra
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Hey guys, the Sith are still recruiting!
[member="Ella Nova"] ;D
[member="Ella Nova"] ;D
Laira Darkhold
Well-Known Member
[member="Sarge Potteiger"]
I felt it fit the topic at hand and my feelings on it perfectly.
I felt it fit the topic at hand and my feelings on it perfectly.
Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
When I first joined and was looking at factions, I considered joining the Republic. After all, my characters tend to be either neutral or Sith hating, and it seemed like a natural choice.
What drove me away was the toxicity, especially coming from a certain admin that pretty much said I was too new to understand what new players look for in a faction when I tried to point out that the environment was hostile. The condescension was especially grating seeing as how I spent years as an admin on my former RP site, and spent pretty much the entire time trying to keep the place from collapsing under the weight of the very things that are currently dragging the Republic into the mud.
Since then I've seen nothing that made me reevaluate my position. That's not to say that the Republic is made up entirely of misanthropes; to the contrary. I've got some lovely RP going with some folks, and it's going swimmingly. And I'm not saying it's entirely your fault either. I've been around the block enough times to know how factions end up this way, and it's rarely the result of purely internal pressure. Factions that are run by and for assholes tend not to survive. They either implode or everyone gangs up to wipe them off the map.
You've got some great writers. There's still plenty of potential for awesome stories. But the hostility, especially towards your own writers, has to go.
What drove me away was the toxicity, especially coming from a certain admin that pretty much said I was too new to understand what new players look for in a faction when I tried to point out that the environment was hostile. The condescension was especially grating seeing as how I spent years as an admin on my former RP site, and spent pretty much the entire time trying to keep the place from collapsing under the weight of the very things that are currently dragging the Republic into the mud.
Since then I've seen nothing that made me reevaluate my position. That's not to say that the Republic is made up entirely of misanthropes; to the contrary. I've got some lovely RP going with some folks, and it's going swimmingly. And I'm not saying it's entirely your fault either. I've been around the block enough times to know how factions end up this way, and it's rarely the result of purely internal pressure. Factions that are run by and for assholes tend not to survive. They either implode or everyone gangs up to wipe them off the map.
You've got some great writers. There's still plenty of potential for awesome stories. But the hostility, especially towards your own writers, has to go.
B E A C O N
^Rusty said:
Keepin Corellia Weird
I suppose, the other thing I could mention, that really turned me off was, as a Padawan, I was told directly by a member of GR staff that if I was caught learning from other Jedi Orders or such, I would be disciplined OOCly. Not cool/
Varus Shatterstar
Finding Purpose
A lot of this is due to inactivity spurred by infighting, trolling, badmouthing on NOT JUST the GR's part which lead to a decay in member numbers and desire to be active. I'm not saying the Galactic Republic hasn't done things wrong, but there really hasn't been a lot of outside help either. 90% of the time when someone get's fed up with their faction they just leave instead of doing something proactive. Unfortunately a combination of inactivity and bad public relations has lead the GR down a bad path that has created disinterest among the ranks.Kyber Salurra said:
Varus Shatterstar
Finding Purpose
And for the record, I've been a part of the GR since this character was created, and he's had a good run. I've mad some good decisions, some bad, and I've even left for a short stint with things got a little over the top. I came back, though, and my love for the GR of old has, for a long time, kept me striving to return it to previous glory. I wouldn't say I've had much success, and I wouldn't count becoming an administrator as any form of accomplishment, but I've tried. I haven't been perfect, and I've been a part of that frustration that we've all felt while taking part in these difficult times, but I'll admit my faults. I've been a source of frustration for some when trying to voice my opinion and I've gone as far as to snip and nit pick at people when I know I shouldn't have. I'm not proud of falling prey to the same old trolling and bothersome flame fanning I've preached against before, but no one's perfect. One thing about me hasn't changed, however, and that is this.
My inbox is and has always been wide open to any and all who would have a word with me, and if you'd like to correspond with me directly my Skype ID is in my profile. If there's an issue, I'd prefer to squash it while it's little and between the two of us rather than plaster it all over a thread for everyone on the board to see, which is where a majority of this crap blows up anyway.
I implore you all. If you have a problem with me personally, if you disagree with or dislike something that I have said or done, or of you just want to call me an idiot, go for it. You have multiple venues of communication by which you can reach out to me. I've got tough skin and I've said more than once that, "I may be a Jedi, but I don't mind being the bad guy."
My inbox is and has always been wide open to any and all who would have a word with me, and if you'd like to correspond with me directly my Skype ID is in my profile. If there's an issue, I'd prefer to squash it while it's little and between the two of us rather than plaster it all over a thread for everyone on the board to see, which is where a majority of this crap blows up anyway.
I implore you all. If you have a problem with me personally, if you disagree with or dislike something that I have said or done, or of you just want to call me an idiot, go for it. You have multiple venues of communication by which you can reach out to me. I've got tough skin and I've said more than once that, "I may be a Jedi, but I don't mind being the bad guy."
Failure Is Not Fatal
The faction forums are/were a mess making it hard to get at the information new member needed.
I didn't feel welcomes as a new member and had a hard time joining in on threads
It seemed like the Republic were worrying about other factions and becoming increasingly paranoid about other factions instead of looking to themselves and what THEY wanted to be.
This is before I left.
Recently you've had faction Admins and other members blaming the membership for not getting involved. Now you have members blaming the people who left the faction.
Stop blaming other people, stop thinking to the past.
Think about what you want to the faction to be, focus on what 'good' looks like to you. You need people at the top with the drive, right ideas and positive attitude to rejuvenate the faction. Or you could break it right down to minor, streamline the whole operation and try again. Either way from the outside it now appears like a negative cesspit that isn't getting any better.
I didn't feel welcomes as a new member and had a hard time joining in on threads
It seemed like the Republic were worrying about other factions and becoming increasingly paranoid about other factions instead of looking to themselves and what THEY wanted to be.
This is before I left.
Recently you've had faction Admins and other members blaming the membership for not getting involved. Now you have members blaming the people who left the faction.
Stop blaming other people, stop thinking to the past.
Think about what you want to the faction to be, focus on what 'good' looks like to you. You need people at the top with the drive, right ideas and positive attitude to rejuvenate the faction. Or you could break it right down to minor, streamline the whole operation and try again. Either way from the outside it now appears like a negative cesspit that isn't getting any better.
Antoir Setrrin
I've Met My End
Joined the GR because the story fit.
Left the GR because the story fit.
Came back because the GR needed help.
Tried to make the story fit.
Mostly managed to make the story fit.
Considered leaving because of draaammmaaa.
Stayed because the story mostly fit.
Also stayed because of love for what the GR was/was supposed to be IC.
Also stayed because of memories of the Protectorate.
Left the GR because the story fit.
Came back because the GR needed help.
Tried to make the story fit.
Mostly managed to make the story fit.
Considered leaving because of draaammmaaa.
Stayed because the story mostly fit.
Also stayed because of love for what the GR was/was supposed to be IC.
Also stayed because of memories of the Protectorate.
Theophenes
Stark raving silly
Full disclosure: I've never been part of the Republic. I had one character join that area to get contact info during a war with the Black Suns, but I've never actively participated in the faction.
Okay, I've seen a lot of factions on this site, I've seen them rise and fall, and to be frank, I've been in enough skype sessions with <NAMES REDACTED FOR SECURITY REASONS. CONTINUE ON, CITIZEN.> to keep up on scuttlebutt even when I'm posting so little it doesn't matter.
First off, let's address the issue of toxic culture and paranoia that many people have brought up in this thread. Of all the horror stories I've heard about the GR in gossip, the words "suspicious" and "accused" made it into a quite a few. Here's the thing: We are all on this site together. We are all collaborators. Yes there's a game-board with colored blobs, but if you think purely in "Us vs. Them" and refuse to acknowledge your IC enemies are OOC people who deserve to get something out of the process of writing with you, you have a problem. You've let the game beat the fun. Because frankly, if you fight on every point and lose amicability, eventually people just stop caring what you think. File that under "Stuff Theo learned the Hard Way three websites before Chaos."
Secondly, let's talk about the newbie issue. You're a major faction, one with more name recognition than any other on the site, save for maybe the One Sith. New blood is easy to recruit in your position, but in this thread we get multiple accounts of new guys feeling like no one wanted to do anything with them. And even worse, we have a person stating that if he got training from other factions, he'd be punish OOC for it. If you want to be a faction people stay in, you have to learn to accommodate new people, not scare them off with isolation. Yes, there are people on this site I avoid on principle. I do not, however, force that position on others, even when I led a faction.
Third up? Organizational structure. The Senate and Chancellor should wield some power, but if you're going to have the Jedi Order maintain itself as part of the Republic, it deserves some representation as well. OOC, if not IC, the Jedi are a large constituency in your faction, and need to be acknowledged as such, in a fashion. I don't know what your current set-up for power is, so i"m not certain what specifics to give you, only that NFU's, FU's and politicians all need to have measure of say in what's happening. A faction needs its members, and should be getting its marching orders from the membership. The leadership of a Major Faction should be constantly talking with the member base to determine what direction to take.
Fourth on my list of issues is drama. Drama happens. It sucks, but any large groups will have drama. Such is the nature of the beast. What is important is learning to suck it up and move on. I've got some grudges on this site, but you know what I do? Keep them civil, play nice, and keep my mouth shut if I'm speaking from a position of leadership. Some of the small poodoo we get worked up over isn't stuff we bring to our faction leader job.
Fifth, the discussion of rebranding/reforming/going minor to sort things out. Not an easy decision. To some extent, some problems can be fixed simply or dramatically. I've been part of multiple factions as they've gone through this process (most notably the CIS/ASA/Techno Union/Trade Union and the Black Suns). Here's what needs to be done to determine what's up:
In one case (The Suns), we had a faction go minor by majority vote. In another one (The Techno Union), we spent time talking with site staff and faction staff, then had a vote, then rebranded multiple times as we eventually evolved into what the majority of our members wanted. It's worth noting, in both of these instances, several characters and players left for OOC and IC reasons before and after these decisions were made. That's okay. You can't save, or please, everyone.
Finally, I just want to say that a lot of what makes a faction sink or swim is an attitude thing. From what's being said in this thread, it feels like you guys are very, very concerned with winning. Frankly, there is no win. There is only the story. So ask yourself what kind of story is it. Who are the champions of the Galactic Republic? What do they defend? What do they do? Talk to your IC enemies, your IC allies, your IC champions, and do a little soul searching. When you stop competing and start showing them how great a story it is, you'll be back on top of the faction heap.
Okay, that's it. You can now resume posting gifs filled with innuendo, or whatever it is you do when I'm not looking.
Okay, I've seen a lot of factions on this site, I've seen them rise and fall, and to be frank, I've been in enough skype sessions with <NAMES REDACTED FOR SECURITY REASONS. CONTINUE ON, CITIZEN.> to keep up on scuttlebutt even when I'm posting so little it doesn't matter.
First off, let's address the issue of toxic culture and paranoia that many people have brought up in this thread. Of all the horror stories I've heard about the GR in gossip, the words "suspicious" and "accused" made it into a quite a few. Here's the thing: We are all on this site together. We are all collaborators. Yes there's a game-board with colored blobs, but if you think purely in "Us vs. Them" and refuse to acknowledge your IC enemies are OOC people who deserve to get something out of the process of writing with you, you have a problem. You've let the game beat the fun. Because frankly, if you fight on every point and lose amicability, eventually people just stop caring what you think. File that under "Stuff Theo learned the Hard Way three websites before Chaos."
Secondly, let's talk about the newbie issue. You're a major faction, one with more name recognition than any other on the site, save for maybe the One Sith. New blood is easy to recruit in your position, but in this thread we get multiple accounts of new guys feeling like no one wanted to do anything with them. And even worse, we have a person stating that if he got training from other factions, he'd be punish OOC for it. If you want to be a faction people stay in, you have to learn to accommodate new people, not scare them off with isolation. Yes, there are people on this site I avoid on principle. I do not, however, force that position on others, even when I led a faction.
Third up? Organizational structure. The Senate and Chancellor should wield some power, but if you're going to have the Jedi Order maintain itself as part of the Republic, it deserves some representation as well. OOC, if not IC, the Jedi are a large constituency in your faction, and need to be acknowledged as such, in a fashion. I don't know what your current set-up for power is, so i"m not certain what specifics to give you, only that NFU's, FU's and politicians all need to have measure of say in what's happening. A faction needs its members, and should be getting its marching orders from the membership. The leadership of a Major Faction should be constantly talking with the member base to determine what direction to take.
Fourth on my list of issues is drama. Drama happens. It sucks, but any large groups will have drama. Such is the nature of the beast. What is important is learning to suck it up and move on. I've got some grudges on this site, but you know what I do? Keep them civil, play nice, and keep my mouth shut if I'm speaking from a position of leadership. Some of the small poodoo we get worked up over isn't stuff we bring to our faction leader job.
Fifth, the discussion of rebranding/reforming/going minor to sort things out. Not an easy decision. To some extent, some problems can be fixed simply or dramatically. I've been part of multiple factions as they've gone through this process (most notably the CIS/ASA/Techno Union/Trade Union and the Black Suns). Here's what needs to be done to determine what's up:
- Talk with your members. Yes, I know I've mentioned it in an earlier point. Still, talk to your members. Make a poll discussing your options, make it sticky, and listen to what people have to say.
- Talk, as leaders, about the results of said discussion. Take the idea that matter, the overall votes, the theme of the discussion, and the general consensus of those present into account.
- Be entirely transparent and hold a second round of discussion if you're not certain. With the size of your faction, it's prudent to measure twice and cut once before any steps are taken.
- Announce your decision after a few weeks of this process.
- Follow through.
In one case (The Suns), we had a faction go minor by majority vote. In another one (The Techno Union), we spent time talking with site staff and faction staff, then had a vote, then rebranded multiple times as we eventually evolved into what the majority of our members wanted. It's worth noting, in both of these instances, several characters and players left for OOC and IC reasons before and after these decisions were made. That's okay. You can't save, or please, everyone.
Finally, I just want to say that a lot of what makes a faction sink or swim is an attitude thing. From what's being said in this thread, it feels like you guys are very, very concerned with winning. Frankly, there is no win. There is only the story. So ask yourself what kind of story is it. Who are the champions of the Galactic Republic? What do they defend? What do they do? Talk to your IC enemies, your IC allies, your IC champions, and do a little soul searching. When you stop competing and start showing them how great a story it is, you'll be back on top of the faction heap.
Okay, that's it. You can now resume posting gifs filled with innuendo, or whatever it is you do when I'm not looking.
Kamon's OOC
Well-Known Member
What? Who told you that? That's nonsense.Julius Sedaire said:
Velok the Younger
When I Was A Young Warthog
[member="Barrien Siegfried"] - I've heard that from multiple people who've experienced it at various points, mainly before my last LOA.
Kamon's OOC
Well-Known Member
[member="Zhol Kash Dinora"]
The very idea that someone would forbid such a thing is ridiculous. We are all Jedi, even if part of different orders. We all strive for the same goals. Why would it matter if we wanted to learn from multiple masters?
If someone tells you this, ever, please make sure people know about it so that it can be corrected. This isn't right, not by any means. Yes, loyalty to the faction is important, but so is loyalty to your character. And realistically, anyone that would punish you for wanting to write with people from other factions is a boob anyway.
The very idea that someone would forbid such a thing is ridiculous. We are all Jedi, even if part of different orders. We all strive for the same goals. Why would it matter if we wanted to learn from multiple masters?
If someone tells you this, ever, please make sure people know about it so that it can be corrected. This isn't right, not by any means. Yes, loyalty to the faction is important, but so is loyalty to your character. And realistically, anyone that would punish you for wanting to write with people from other factions is a boob anyway.
Garith Organa
Man of Steel
[member="Barrien Siegfried"]
Before my last loa I was told that when I was going to have Theodious Organa go and train with his old Master who was wiith the Silver Jedi.
Before my last loa I was told that when I was going to have Theodious Organa go and train with his old Master who was wiith the Silver Jedi.
Kamon's OOC
Well-Known Member
Alright, well, I will work on fixing that issue.
Garith Organa
Man of Steel
[member="Barrien Siegfried"]
Knowing you, yes I know you will do everthing you can to correct it. I just knew you would want to know it has happened...
typos...why do i even try to post with my phone! >.>
Knowing you, yes I know you will do everthing you can to correct it. I just knew you would want to know it has happened...
typos...why do i even try to post with my phone! >.>
Kamon's OOC
Well-Known Member
I didn't know about this so I'm glad it was brought up.
Seraphina Shel'tah
Kinky Darth Pinky
Let's just all be friends and write awesome stories 
Don't you feel better now? Of course.
Don't you feel better now? Of course.
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