I think Zen is doing a fine job. There might be a small amount of room for expansion in the overall quality of the department, but I don't think that is worth firing Zen for.

Lordzen is having personal problems (financial included I believe) and rarely has access to the internet and Graal at the moment.

I have not been as active as I quit GK and have O and A level exams aswell as a modelling career and I'm on this reality show in Trinidad and crap...really busy x_x

There is a need for the GGT:

-Zen and I moderate the forums.
-We assist "official" servers (gk for example) - mainly Galdor but I've done my fair share.
-We answer questions/help the public.
-I used to keep all playerworlds (public and private) pretty damn clean of illegal content - I haven't had as much time to do this recently but I pop in now and then.

Most of what is done is in the GGT forum which isn't accessible to the public. Whenever I get reports I still deal with them. I also intend on writing a new Gani FAQ some time in the near future. Don't fear, Zen and I would have more freedom soon =P

Kawaii your back! We need a GGT!

Heh, Chris I just tried calling you to see if you've read this thread or not when I was half way through it.

• Galdor has a tag, otherwise he wouldnt even show up as being in that admin global guild. I didnt opt for granting him a global RC right off because thats simply a bad rule of thumb, Garel didnt get his right off either.

• About the GK comment, when is the last time you saw that? Last I heard, it was either Redwizard or somebody else using the tag for a long time after being told by me that he was no longer to use it, but at the time there was no way to edit members from the global guild (Because the newest website guild system didnt have that functionality at the time, for a long time). Redwizard if that wasnt you then I appologize, it was either you or another kid that I'm getting you confused with.
  
  But eitherway, that shouldnt be happening period on GK within the last year because of Stefan's maxim about the issue sometime back in the Global Link and earlier statements on debug.

• Garel has done most of Zone's gfx, and Galdor has done work on GK and I think helped on G3d? I cant remember if I hired him partly on the basis that he could do 3d work or not. Although I realize they are/was paying some guy at the office to work on G3D.
  
  Garel has never been very public, but every time I've needed him or inquired about his whereabouts on ICQ he has always gotten back to me within a few days. Hes a good worker though and I support whatever his issues are, Zone would almost not even be here without him. I even paid for his VIP subscription the last time his account ran out so I would not lose him.

To Lyndzey + Darlene:

That has not been the case ever since the theme of the website was changed from Classic to Graal Kingdoms. They never re-added that function to the website, despite mine having destinctly remembered being told on a few seperate occasions that the function was being worked on and would be accessable soon -- but I guess they were depending on Ibonic to code that? Thus people have not been able to submit new global heads/shields/swords, and I have not been able to update and maintain the existing files in the website's FTP. I am not happy about the pot leaf and such either, Darlene, but that is why they are still there.

To Spark:

We used to use the tag "Graphics Administration", but too often we got flooded with server specific gfx FAQ questions, or asking us to upload something locally on whatever server we were on. Avoiding getting confused with local staff is the same reason GST has their tag, and well PWA is obvious enough. But all servers [should] have their own GAT and LAT teams, and have the option of calling them whatever they want -- except implying that they have jurisdiction over other servers. I had KA fix it when he was still the Guilds Admin.

There are two very drastic changes to the landscape which happened after your leave -- well, three:

1) It is no longer possible to submit global heads/shields/swords and it is no longer possible to manage the existing ones. Which you said yourself was 80% of your workload at one time. So at least I know you are aware of how time consuming that used to be, lol it sucked.

2) Graal became P2P. and...

3) There are now about 135 servers instead of like 12, with roughly 130 of those ran by players.

---

When you started having to pay for subscriptions, legal issues start to arise with gfx. Generally its ok to use copyrighted content for whatever, as long as your not making money off of it. When Graal starts collecting money for subscriptions, they start making money off of the game, because people are paying to play that game. Now we have over 100 servers being generally managed by kids or young adults who can break US copyright laws with a couple clicks of a mouse, and I guess other countries' copyright laws, too.

Era committed Trademark infringement a while back and I had had to really push the issue and produce written evidence just to get them to believe me. They didnt directly copy anything, but that old Core Cola machine's design was infact illegal. Not everybody even realizes when they are doing something wrong, so it would be irresponsible to not have a body dedicated to keeping GraalOnline out of the court room. And thats really what you have to be about nowadays.

Ah but whatever, you guys can continue your discussion. Oh, and --

:frown: The way I remember all that, was that you were taking a vacation for the summer to the USA, to see Zorro? I sent you emails to keep you posted until you returned, and you responded to them. The fiirst time that I personally heard about your resignation, you posted it. I did think it was strange that you told me you were gonna have Galen or whoever add me as a GFX forum mod if you were gonna be back eventually...but well I guess maybe you did have it arranged, but I remember feeling very overwhelmed when I first found out about it.

YOU'RE NOT RETARDED I SWEAR!

GGL would be nice to have so they could check for stolen levels. 100 something worlds could just drive the PWAs mad!

Egads, I can't believe I've not been mentioned.

PWA's should give the work of finding stolen graphics control work back to the GGT. If they don't have this job, what would be their purpose other than to make GFX for Graal? This would also make the PWA Team job easier a little bit in my opinion.

I would really, really, really like to see the global graphic uploads thing worked out, the global graphics are horribly outdated, and lots need to be removed/improved in my opinion. I personally, would also like to see some new global graphics.

I also dont think PWA should be handling stolen graphics issues (isnt dealing with all the other PW problems enough to deal with?), isnt that part of the GGT's job? I thought it was....

Everyone gets really confused as to who does what, because the globals seem to have their hand in everything these days.

I have also noticed that when you download Graal now, there are next to no graphics that come with it, are there even any global graphics for classic servers anymore asided from shields/swords/heads?

I'd just like to state the PWA just takes bloody credit for the content we remove. To my knowledge, all of them combined hasn't done 1/10th (if any at all) I have in that department. If I'm wrong - show me :P I got a bit of my removals in the solved issues thread in the ggt forum.

Again, Zen, what about the concept of the GGT having more than just a moderation purpose? Sure, you're a resource for the "Gold" servers, but not for the playerworlds that are up and in development. Do you plan on expanding at all, or just to keep in riding your current train? :X

Mmm. Garel and Zone. Again, I'll bring up the whole quality factor thing. Garel was amazing a few years ago, but alot of people have progressed. Though I suppose it's quantity of quality with Zone, right?

And ZH, I don't think this thread is really some sort of "Hey pick me!" or "Hey add him!" type.

People just assume, it's not as if they take the credit and say they did it.
When I was PWA/Working that area I remember doing some graphic things, although most of it was the obvious Era tileset rips, not other things. So they do some, but also at times I'd see the GGT doing a few investigations / or I'd pass them onto them.

Although (not that it is a judgement of activity) I haven't seen that much forum activity within the GGT forum. Which is maybe a good thing, or a bad thing.

Houdini as a PWA should not claim that they have taken over our department if what I say is correct (and it is as you also partially showed.)

Like I said earlier - Zen and I are having problems (my last post was like a month ago ;x) I've done a few things upon requests but haven't posted.

Oh, and I'm still waiting on view player attributes which I was told I'd get MONTHS ago (hell, last year?) - With it I can /open <account name> and view the file name of illegal heads and such which is a lot more timely + efficient than warping to a player and taking a screenshot using alt+5 then opening it with the level editor. This kinda co-operation isn't exactly motivational, you know?

Why do people even sit here and listen to this garbage? If I tried a desperate power grab (which is all this is) to get my Accounts Admin position back everyone would go "What the hell? NO!"

This is just a way for Kawaii to try and get her powers back and it should not happen. If the graphics team needs to start actually making graphics then tell them to do so, a new admin will do nothing to help as the graphics team is in the exact same position as before Kawaii left.

That's my 2 cents, so feh to you all.

We cant even do that anymore.....

We cant even do that anymore..... - Mooneh

God help us.

Believe me, I have no doubt that you could collect a suitable global graphics team -- I just don't think it is necessary.

With the establishment of private playerworlds, people ALWAYS have the required graphics; secondly, from previously seeing the team at work, they rarely help in the creation of graphics; thirdly, the checking of illegal graphics should belong to the PWA. Not trying to add more to their plate, but that should be their jurisdiction.

lol.

Well I didnt post the Rudora-Oasis resolution, either, which was just last week.

Those 2 stickies in the GGT forum are more for my own reference than anything else. They are to keep me updated on what the other guys are doing, and also so they can tell me directly when they are having problems resolving a particular issue and need me to step in and help or do it for them (like uncooperative PW staff, etc).

I'm obviously not going to ask myself for help.

And I dont always think to go to the forum and post every time I jump on a server ask somebody to change something. lol I honestly think Chris has been a bit excessive with his Head reporting.

And also, I havent caught you on AIM since a few days ago, and I meant to ask you what you and Growlz were looking into on Era?

I got a complaint about Aeon for Era tiles sometime after I was aware that you 2 had been on Era for whatever reason -- so I wanted to make sure before I started a redundant search + destroy mission.

----

About me, well, I've been in limbo with the US Military since February. Drove to Richmond, made 92 on the ASVAP, and everything was fine on my physical except I had +1 protein in my urinalysis. Ended up failing the physical because of it and getting banned from Military service. I was really counting on getting in, too.

This coupled with the typical coming-of-age delimas has really been hurting me: I'm a young (now 19) male who has been out of High School for a year now, living on my own with no help from my parents. One lives in California, one lives in Texas. I drive whatever peice of crap car I can get, now on my 2nd and it'll cost near $1000 to get it street legal in Virginia (wont pass the inspection). My rejection sticker lasts another 10 days or so and then I cant drive it.

The military was a nice car, free college, and steady income to me (and internet...lol and maybe another computer :rolleyes: ).

Anyways I took a urinalysis locally in Abingdon and passed with nothing wrong, sent the results to my Air Guard and Army Reserve recruiters months and months ago -- and STILL neither of them have gotten their crap together to get me signed up, just because I've already initially been banned from the Military for having too much protein in my piss and I have to now deal with this lengthy Waiver process.

So I'm just waiting...and getting by until I get my break.

Not that I don't understand you can't be here all the time, but as far as my memory allows me to remember, I have always seen you posting reasons why you weren't doing things. That's been like a long time.

Yea I´m not very public, but I have made progress too :) you will see...

Heh, I'm just surprised my name hasn't come up.

While that's nice and all, and if anything I can relate to you. (We've
spoken before about our living arrangements and "coming of age"
difficulties.) Though, I don't think that's really professional
reasoning. If it's really that much of a task to be the head of GGT,
and not really opting to expand its purpose, why not leave it?
Seriously, if you're going through that much of a personal dilemma, is
it worth it? Not trying to sound cynical or pessemistic, but really.
If I came in once a week to work and gave some personal life excuse,
they'd say leave it at home or don't bother coming to work. You should
know this, you've worked in the restraint business. :\ Do or die, man.

Well, just going by what I've seen. <3

Weeeell. :X If it's worth anything, I think you deserve to be on. ;)

Dumb idea. Terrible idea. GGT isn't even needed any more. Fools who use "copy right material" should simply have their PWs removed. It should require a global graphics team.

However, I agree with Scott on one thing. The tutorials wouldn't be a bad idea. He says the overall graphics quality has been going down, but I say it is the same as it was 5 years ago, and he is simply better then he was before so the illusion of it going down has been produced. I think tutorials could help to bring the skill level slightly higher, though I doubt that would do much of anything.

Graal has always had crappy graphics people working on stuff because all the skilled ones don't have time to play these games any more. They don't have time to work for a company for free who in turn makes profits on their work. If this company paid for work, then it might be a different story. Why make anything for someone when there is no compensation? I would rather post graphics on a free forum for critique and comments where no one makes a profit off my work then give it to graal where people make a profit on the things I worked so hard on.

Side tracked a little, but I think my point has been given. Graal no longer needs a team like this - but it does need a group of skilled graphics people to teach them.

The overall graphic quality is defiantly better than it was 5 years ago.


Either way you are still not making money. Why does it matter?

You've displayed massive stupidity and lack of thought in that post, and that is all I need to say as a reply because your brain could not comprehend anything beyond that.

"You've displayed massive stupidity and lack of thought in that post, and that is all I need to say as a reply because your brain could not comprehend anything beyond that." - SB

I'd like to see sufficient evidence of this as I can provide one hell of a supportive arguement against your ignorant, flaming opposition.

Dude, what is your problem?

Lets keep on topic and stop arguing, can't we all just get along. ;)

And Trevor, I think Soul Blade meant that, he does'nt want playerworlds and the players to get credit for using his GFX.

I remember using that script a while ago that controlled which graphics we included on the main server. Brings back memories, heh.

Never thought I would see that account again.

You are my Hero.

Graal is mainly politics and how you play them, who you know or associate with and who can pull you up, even if you fall down (or leave).

Its that factor that made graal so exciting at first, and now that is simply ruining it.

Not the politics factor, but the fact that there was (supposed) to be an open chance for people to take positions if they were deemed worthy enough. Guess that system failed twice.

I had a long reply with many good points written out... and lost it.

Point in case being: Due to the notorious cloud of uncertainty around the GGT and the PWA already handling stolen levels and scripts, it was a natural progression that people came to us about graphics instead. It's not much more work anyway.

I've seen servers with a animated gif of stripper stolen from Doom. o.o'

Sooo old. I remember when they were right next to Graal 3000's online start local.

It's not much more work because I do most of it -_-

Damn. The constant amount of work you seem to do sucks.

I would think stolen GFX would be more efficiently detected if there was a team dedicated and had the ability to do it. Which is exactly what the GGT is/should be doing.

I agree, Playerworld Administration can't handle everything, i'm sure they can use the help anyway.

The graphics team's work has always been hit or miss for a long time.

Part of the reason the graphic team has never worked really is due to the fact that their work for so long was also done by PWA which underminded their power.

For the new team to be successful they will need the powers/abilities to be able to properly do their job. I'm glad to see Sarah back, since she is someone I know I can trust to do a good job as staff, since the past years have seen such a sharp decline in the...worthwhile of staff and their competncy. This does not include everyone. There are always good staff members and bad ones.

I'm intrested to see what will happen though with all of this, based on how this has gone in the past while I was still an active part of Graal.