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Most muds are screaming for builders because while builders are willing to work for free they don't want to work somewhere where their efforts are hamstrung by "that idiot running the place". Unfortunately, far too many muds fit into that scenario very well.
It's not just a question of just knowing OLC but for many people it IS a question of simply having to learn OLC to put their existing imagination, writing skills, and understanding of how players experience text muds to work.
Molly, there's no need to get defensive. Nobody is suggesting that builders lack skills. But there's no arguing with the fact that not things require the same amount of experience, knowledge, and skill to do. There's also no arguing with the fact that some activities are worth more than others. Coding, for instance, is just worth more than building. You can rail against it but it doesn't change the fact.
I most certainly value our Builders, consider most of them my friends and would consider them so regardless of whether they continued building or not. I'm dropping a few thousand dollars on a bunch of rooms for us in Vegas next month. Did the same last year. Got a big condo in Beaver Creek, Colorado for us the year before. (Well, not just builders, but immortal volunteers and staff generally.) I've given them jobs, helped one get financing for a new house, helped them start their own entreprenurial ventures, bought them Amazon certificates, and more.
Of course, those bonuses are not why they build for us. They build because they enjoy it which, presumably, is the reason you also build (you're not getting paid if I recall). The hotel rooms and everything else is just a little extra something on top of that.
Really, builders want, I think, three main things:
1. Players to appreciate their work. Empty muds are not gratifying to build for for most people.
2. Stability. They want to know their work isn't going to go to waste when the mud shuts down tomorrow.
3. Support. They want tools and permissions that allow them to create as freely as possible.
You attract and keep good builders by providing those. Anything on top of that only helps. We give them all three, in spades, plus the little extras, which is probably why we can turn down 95% of people who apply to build.
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The_logos 2:
Now Molly, I know you're not dumb. I know you cannot possibly believe that it's possible to maintain 100% of relationships (in anything) 100% of the time. Over half of marriages in this country break up. No company manages 0 turnover. People leave the Army. People leave muds.
It's not really about fault. I mean, of course it's the mud owner's fault sometimes but how does that impact on what I said? If a staff member is disgruntled and causing problems and doesn't seem likely to stop, and you as the mud owner find out it's your problem, what do you do, say "Oh, well, it's my fault he's acting this way so I'll just continue to let him." No. You kick him out and hope you can do better next time. The good of the mud must come before the good of any single volunteer, employee, or player.
Well, if you define "quality builder" as "someone who will not work with Matt" then I have never worked with a quality builder, by definition.
On the other hand, considering we do more for our builders than virtually all muds do (and yes, it's because we're commercial but that doesn't change the fact that we do) it's probably unsurprising that in Achaea's 6 year history it has had exactly one builder leave in a fit of disgruntlement. Others have been asked to leave and others drift away after getting bored of course but that's a pretty good record. I strongly suspect those team vacations we take helps though I'm not able to quantify it.
Why don't you tell me what you would do besides kick him out and ban him in this real situation:
Last year right after we got back from our group vacation I found out that our head builder (who had undergone a really drastic personality change after a nasty divorce. He decided he was bisexual suddenly, etc) was playing with himself on webcams while members of his religious Order (he was a God), including minors, watched.
The solution was obvious: Kick his ass out and ban him. We tried being nice and letting him have his old mortal back to log in with now and then but too many players knew who he was as a mortal and it made them uncomfortable to have him around. So we banned him from his old character as well.
Do I feel any regret over kicking his ass out and banning his IP? Not even a smidgen. I just regret he made it necessary. Perhaps you would have kept him on but I sure hope not.
--matt
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