Let reason guide your votes, not just prominent names.

[Drakkart]

Hello there,
i was scrolling through the council applications and i was seeing lots of names some of them so prominent that i was wondering like "you want to run for council?".
So i started reading applications but at the back of my head something was nagging me like maybe you should write something about the duties of a council member.

Hanging around in the forums day by day reading up suggestions and compressing the wishes of the community into a form the devs can handle.
Now this requires time, devotion, and a very well portion of knowledge of the game, it's mechanics, strategies, design and system aspects.
The number one reason i did not apply was lacking the time and the patience, so i would prefer someone able to devote more time into this matter instead someone preferably even with some programming background.

I just would like to remind everyone that we are electing people here which have a role to fulfill and this role is to help the devs making good decisions. The game development is at an interesting stage right now, way to well made for an alpha but it is still holding back. I sense loads of potential here and i would like to be ensured that the devs are not misguided.

So please try not to vote on names just because you read them often enough. Instead try really to read all the applications and think about who would be a good pick for the council member slots to ensure they got the required knowledge of the game and enough time to make well thought through suggestions to the devs.

Thanks for reading this far, now happy electing.

 

[FullMetalFox]

Well written, this is the reason ill wont vote on youtubers, like our master builders and such. Sadly, they will most likely "win" these elections due to their fans, but i personally dont trust them in actually taking on this challange, especially with the lack of knowledge about the game i see in most of them. There are exceptions, but most of them just build pretty stuff and never actually bother to concern themself with bugs, ballance issues, lacking gameplay mechanics, early/mid/endgame content, faction dynamics or player interaction with the universe.

But yeah, thats the sad truth about popularity based elections...

Inb4 someone ask me why i dont apply for council:

1: Im not popular, im not a youtuber nor do i upload my ships.
2: I want to finish all my experiments before i make any real suggestions on changes.

 

[CyberTao]

Even if we get a lot of "popular kids", there are still a lot of proper "cool kids". The actual size of the council is not yet determined, but with the amount of applications compared to those that are youtubers, the majority of it should be competent.

Probably the best way to fight the popularity contest to to talk to friends/server buddies/faction mates about who they are voting for and why (I say talking and not threads, because threads will snowball and go out of control, as the last 2 council advertising threads did). Ripple out discussions like that, and more people will make informed decisions, and lowers the risk of the council being a flop.

 

[Azurite]

Finally, others that know what the council is actually for. Thanks for this thread. One would assume this goes without saying. But not here I guess xD

 

[Lidren]

I agreed before even reading the full post. Well said, and true. We need the council to work for its purpose, not look pretty.

 

[Viridis00]

Absolutely OP.

Above all, vote for someone who represents what parts of the game that you like well, and are focused on the game and THIS community, not with their interests elsewhere on other sites.

 

[garthrs]

Exactly OP! Nailed it imho.

I'm still not 100% sure we even need a council. I think having a developer interact directly with their customers is one HUGE reason that Starmade remains one of my favorite games. Throwing a middle man in there to filter what the community says may make sense for time constraints, but that customer interaction will suffer.

This is why your council choices will matter so much. Instead of getting their vector checks from the horse's mouth, they'll be getting a council's opinion on what needs brought to their attention. So choose your "voice" carefully.

 

[kupu]

I'm still not 100% sure we even need a council. I think having a developer interact directly with their customers is one HUGE reason that Starmade remains one of my favorite games. Throwing a middle man in there to filter what the community says may make sense for time constraints, but that customer interaction will suffer.

The council is not to take the place of developer interaction, but to supplement it.

 

[FullMetalFox]

The council is not to take the place of developer interaction, but to supplement it.

Honest questions, wouldnt it have been a better course of action to just ask induviduals, that showed a remarkable engagement and care towards the state and balance of the game in the past, if they would like to become more as in terms of a council member, instead of ending up with a popularity based voting?
Or was there just not the time at hand to pick those and/or no person familiar with such induviduals?

 

[Azurite]

Honest questions, wouldnt it have been a better course of action to just ask induviduals, that showed a remarkable engagement and care towards the state and balance of the game in the past, if they would like to become more as in terms of a council member, instead of ending up with a popularity based voting?
Or was there just not the time at hand to pick those and/or no person familiar with such induviduals?

I've wondered this, myself. But the community wants a choice in the matter. So they are giving us what we want I suppose. Let's hope in return, we get a council that can get the job done :D

 

[Comr4de]

Honest questions, wouldnt it have been a better course of action to just ask induviduals, that showed a remarkable engagement and care towards the state and balance of the game in the past, if they would like to become more as in terms of a council member, instead of ending up with a popularity based voting?

I think the reasoning here is that the community is choosing who they want to represent them, rather than having representatives pushed upon them.

 

[Bench]

Comr4de and the others have gotten it right. Schine has always talked with community members we know who are well versed and engaged in a particular area. I for one talk often to a couple community members I know are well versed in logic to run some new ideas by them as sometimes I miss things. So this is already happening, as is discussions in the forums. But for us as the team grows, the workload grows, there's some things that rather talking to an individual, you want to get the opinion of a wider cross-section of the community, without necessarily going into having a large public opinion on it just yet. This is another reason for the council, and in that instance we wanted a council that the community elected rather than us picking players.

 

[Azurite]

With that in mind then, Bench. Let's hope the elected are spread out in the many facets of the game/community so that the council can be the most of use. You probably don't want every council elect to be just ship builders.

 

[FullMetalFox]

Well thanks for the clarification, i just hope this doesnt end in a bunch of council members who favor cosmetic idea/issue or disregard pressing issue due to not understanding them, or worst case the whole council flopping because those induviduals rather keep focusing on their own youtube content.

 

[EtherEel]

Well, I'm glad this subject was brought-up by someone that the community likes/respects. (I considered making a similar thread, but figured I'd just catch Hell for it.)

I really hope voters get your message, Drakkart.

I wish I had more votes to give to counter-balance the "popularity-contest" tendency. (But just me -- not the rest of you rabble !! )

Additionally, when perusing the applications, look for a candidate who can form and articulate a coherent and appropriate concept/response to the question asked. And, more still, a candidate with an "agenda" likely missed the point of there being a council.

Lastly, I'm guessing we'll have to rely on word-of-mouth to assess whether an individual councilor (and the council as a whole) was effective in carrying-out his/her/their task. So you that get elected: be conscientious -- we're paying attention.
[DOUBLEPOST=1428915803,1428913592][/DOUBLEPOST]P.S. I would prefer that the "Like" tokens and "Views" count be disabled from the applications -- these only further indicate who is "popular" and who is not-so-much. The potential for voter influence is significant, and is highly likely to cause an "I'd better not waste my vote on that candidate then" effect. I'm surprised these features were allowed, frankly. (Some of the candidates I'm considering have "likes" and some do not...)

 

[Lidren]

I considered making a similar thread, but figured I'd just catch Hell for it.

It needed to be said, I would have responded the same to you Ether.

 

[Bench]

EtherEel I'll talk to Duke to see if shutting off those stats is possible in that forum section, though for views it's an unusual option to have so it may mean some tinkering before it happens.

 

[SkylordLuke]

I know and understand a lot of your concerns.
personally,i did nothing to promote myself to get more votes,even tho just my name might be enough. still.
If I get elected..and that is a big if. I will do my best to fulfil my role in the council.
I Wont pretend to know some areas of the game more than others,i will often speak with players who are actually great at those areas,and ask them what they think. But I do have experience with all areas of the game,people might not believe that.. because all they see are my ships,but I do.
Here is to hope the elections are fair and good. and the best people for it are elected!

 

[idiotplaysgames]

I know and understand a lot of your concerns.
personally,i did nothing to promote myself to get more votes,even tho just my name might be enough. still.
If I get elected..and that is a big if. I will do my best to fulfil my role in the council.
I Wont pretend to know some areas of the game more than others,i will often speak with players who are actually great at those areas,and ask them what they think. But I do have experience with all areas of the game,people might not believe that.. because all they see are my ships,but I do.
Here is to hope the elections are fair and good. and the best people for it are elected!

Amen brother

 

[FlyingDebris]

So please try not to vote on names just because you read them often enough. Instead try really to read all the applications and think about who would be a good pick for the council member slots to ensure they got the required knowledge

The same applies to real life, I believe.