The end of zodiac is upon us.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by zokemon

Managers of a classic server should Manage, not script.

Oh please, like being a manager really takes up so much time. Calani has nothing to manage, he/she apparentely fired all the staff remember?

Originally Posted by Pimmeh

QFT!
Really....why is UN still living?

If you stay inside the spar building, UN is pretty cool. Once you step out, well, you're on your own.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by zokemon

Well, she obviously has no time to even Manage so why should she have time to script? Her managing should come first and foremost to her scripting the server. I don't see why someone thought she is a one women team in terms of scripting.

How do you know she has no time? Also you can easily manage/script a server at the same time, I believe Warcaptain did so in 2001 on Enigma and Jesse did the same back when Valikorlia was doing great.

In short: She does have stuff to Manage, an empty server (staff-wise). The fact that she fired all the staff and aren't hiring new ones to take their place just shows just how much she is managing.

Do you even know about Zodaic's staff?

I don't mean to be such an ass towards her but I don't like it when people make lies when I offer help.

:[ i stil luv u

[MKxTortoise]

Originally Posted by Pimmeh

QFT!
Really....why is UN still living?

Because they have a knowledgeable, active, experienced management that communicates with players and gives them what they want?

Seriously, why would you rip on a server so clearly successful? They catered to the disgruntled Bravo Online/G3k audience when those servers went down, expanded to an RP audience, and added more from there. You can point, laugh, and go OLOLDOLDOL UN HAS TILE ERORS N THEIR ALL NUBS HAHA SUX 4 U but in reality it is you who is the newbie because you fail to realize why UN experiences the fundamental success that it does.

Managing a server is easy as hell. Here is how it goes:
*Players want something.
*Give it to them.

Even a "complex" server like Zodiac can be managed easily so long as you carefully gloss over the principles within Tenarius's Mudwimping Guide and understand them.

Things that keep all of these servers under hosted are stupid things that don't make a difference at all beyond the first impression. Elite custom tilesets? Minute tile errors? Meticulously crafted GUIs? Economies? Items? Classes? These things are LIABILITIES and NOT ASSETS because once you craft them, you must perpetually debug them and balance them. How long, then, before someone quits and a new manager with different plans and a different vision, screws with the old creation and modifies it to his vision? I'll tell you: strain happens. Players cry out for balance and the managers can't define it anymore and then yes, people bail. That's how it works, because you broke rule number two (Give it to them). Often, we don't even get that far and people break rule number one (Give them what they want).

Unholy Nation is a GREAT server and possibly an IMMORTAL server because it is rigidly defined, narrow in scope, and caters to an impossibly large (200+) base of players. These are players who have learned staff positions are given to those who do work, the managers are your friend, and that good things come to those who wait. They are well-mannered and, while the median IQ is probably low, they are smart enough to realize they've latched on to an administration that can and will take care of them. This is why I find your post so woefully ironic: if this happened on UN, UN would weather the storm and survive. Management changes don't even phase UN; I rarely hear about them because you can't dent the server. Either Zodiac will fall or Zodiac wont, but my point remains because we've got doomsayers. Faith in the administration is dropping like a rock. Should a new server come along and do what Zodiac does but better, the server's going down. With Unholy Nation this isn't the case; the management wont let itself be outdone.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by MKxTortoise

expanded to an RP audience

Care to elaborate on this?

If you've ever been a manager, you know what a hard job it is. You have to keep all the players happily, and even harder--keeping all the staff on task.

Refer to Tortoise's comment about managers.

[ArushenP2P]

Did UN have any Manager changes?

I think it's popular and easy to manage thats why, I could be wrong undoubtfully but yeah you get my point.

[foxboi]

Wasn't Jerret the Owner of the server originally?

Elk wrote:

they used to change the managers as often as underwear

That's not a precise statement. Half the graal population doesn't wear underwear.

(I do, if you wanted to know )

[coreys]

Originally Posted by foxboi

Wasn't Jerret the Owner of the server originally?

No, that would be Zeus...I was one of the first staff ever, and yet the server was way better back then, when it was a crappy noob classic-style server with like 4 levels...which is pretty sad.

Zodiac was meant to die down soon enough from the start.

[Darlene159]

Originally Posted by coreys

No, that would be Zeus...I was one of the first staff ever, and yet the server was way better back then, when it was a crappy noob classic-style server with like 4 levels...which is pretty sad.

Zodiac was meant to die down soon enough from the start.

I don't understand where this statement comes from. I really like Zodiac. I am a big fan of Classic-ness, but Zodiac is different without all the guns that Era and Zone have, which I hate.
I am finding it interesting to level and see what weapons and spells I can get next, and what they do, and am looking forward to when I can kill the ones who keep killing me when I try to level.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by Darlene159

I don't understand where this statement comes from. I really like Zodiac. I am a big fan of Classic-ness, but Zodiac is different without all the guns that Era and Zone have, which I hate.
I am finding it interesting to level and see what weapons and spells I can get next, and what they do, and am looking forward to when I can kill the ones who keep killing me when I try to level.

Gets very boring and grindish after level 35. If you're like me and have played other MMORPG's, you get bored of Zodiac quite quickly. That and I was already level 43 then they reset us .

Zodaic's successful gameplay comes from (Yen told me this himself) the fact that they ripped several games.

[coreys]

Originally Posted by Darlene159

I don't understand where this statement comes from. I really like Zodiac. I am a big fan of Classic-ness, but Zodiac is different without all the guns that Era and Zone have, which I hate.
I am finding it interesting to level and see what weapons and spells I can get next, and what they do, and am looking forward to when I can kill the ones who keep killing me when I try to level.

The problem is, like Crono said, it gets really boring. It's so much like Maloria and other RPG servers, and, to be fair, if it weren't for Maloria's great events, it would've had the same exact problem (although not quite as much, because at least Maloria had some decent GFX and things to do). Also, just the overall poor quality of Zodiac (not counting the main scripting Yen did) is a real put off, and makes me want to play it less and less, every time I see it.

[TheJames]

Originally Posted by foxboi

Wasn't Jerret the Owner of the server originally?

Elk wrote:



That's not a precise statement. Half the graal population doesn't wear underwear.

(I do, if you wanted to know )

Actually, I was staff on there while they were gold. And, it was some Chris kid on the Admin Account. He had no other account, except for the administration one.. Soo?

Also, Managing a succesful playerworld is rough. I've only got a taste of Classic status when Atrius hit hosted and had around 50 players for 5 days. It can be fun or terrible. Its for certain people, mature people. I still Manage my server and sometimes it takes it toal. I like to be the Manager I wish I could PM on a server. One who responds even though how dumb the question is.. "WUR TO GET CASH?" or I atleast relay the question, to a PR or something of the sort. A manager should be though provoking and kind, but yet strict so his staff dont override him, nor players. You know some of those nice teachers in school? They are nice but then the bad kids make it terrible for the WHOLE class because those bad kids, in this example (Bad Staff) make the Teacher/Manager go pass his threshold of tolerance, and tweak.

For a succesful playerworld, I do agree with what Tork posted 100%. Ecspecially about the economy, and everything. Changing owners don't usually make a playerworld the best. They all have different ideas. But it can be stresfull to manage a playerworld at times. While your working on stuff (If you develop, witch every Manager should have a special trait), reading/responding PM's, corresponding with staff. Sometimes you have to be on all day just to fullfill everyones needs for that day. It can be a great, fun job. But yet tedious and a "I need another ciggarette" job/responsbility. Responsibility= A great manager.

But yea, whoever takesover Zodiac? Even if a new Manager does or doesnt. They shouldn't try to change much. Just provide cool updates that the Zodiacians might vote on, or something? The players keep the server, but don't try to please everyone. You wont please anyone. Limit and re-strict their opponions to options that YOU know Zodiac/Your playerworld can handle or do, nothing that will ruin the economy or something of that sort.

But thats just my input from a Managers point of view . Take it or leave it.

[Elk]

they used to change the managers as often as underwear

[ArushenP2P]

Sounds like Era too me, if anyone remembers that in the old days..

[MrAnonymous_P2P]

Originally Posted by ArushenP2P

Sounds like Era too me, if anyone remembers that in the old days..

Ha ha. The good old days where everyone got every gun at the very beginning of the game. And we went through like 5 managers in about a year.

[ArushenP2P]

I remember that swinging chain. That was very abusive and lame