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May 4, 2010

How to run a Linkshell

I'm in a rut, once again.

I've been in Vana'diel for nearly two years now. I've done my unfortunate share of bouncing from a few shells. Most were social, but there were a couple of event shells that I was a part of. The ones that I left were due to me being gone for a month at one time, and another due to some drama. Not wanting to develop a bad reputation of shell hopping, I found one and have been sticking with that for quite some time.

However, the longer I play, the more things start to bother me. Maybe it's me, so I'm going to ask for your opinion here. Does your LS have a goal? If so, does your LS have a plan, and do you know it? Now, before you answer, this entire post is moot if you have a single-event LS. For the most part, I don't see any real difficulty in planning out something like that. This is for multi-event shells only.

We have a habit of not sticking to a particular event for an extended duration. I am both thankful and annoyed by this. I'm thankful because I get exposed to various things, but then I am frustrated because it's hard to plan out how to upgrade yourself when you don't know what event you're going into. Our Dynamis has gone from twice a week to only Fridays. I'm not a huge fan of the four-hour deathfest that is Dynamis, but it's the only place to get AFv2 and I'm not rich enough to buy gear from other shells. Considering that drop rates are already shitty, cutting that percentage in half doesn't really help matters.

We used to have a fairly set schedule of events. Between Limbus, Dynamis, Einherjar, and whatever extra event we did, my week was pretty full. I was always busy, and knew what to look forward to. I could look at those events and figure out what gear I wanted for whichever job and go from there. It's not the same now. We stopped doing Einherjar after reaching the third tier (which frustrates the hell out of me). We've been doing Apollyon for awhile without a single Omega fight, and are currently doing Temenos. Finally, we've started bouncing back and forth between SCNMs and ZNMs. Well not really. We collected Zeni for a day or so and haven't actually fought a ZNM. Tonight, we're supposed to do one of the SCNM boss fights, but I'm not certain I even want to look at items to lot because I have no clue how long we'll be doing this event. On the other hand, I could just be a "loot whore" and try to take everything I can use simply because of that.

I just wish we had a plan, or that I knew what it is. If we're going to shift events around all the time, then say so. Give some reassurance that we're going back to certain events, and say when. Holding upgrade items or being afraid to lot AF because you don't know if you're ever going to finish the set or get the other upgrade item is very stressful. I ended up joining SoV because my LS just stopped doing sky and showed no interest in going back. Sure enough, it was decided to go back to Sky not long after I was in SoV. This ended up putting me in a bad spot, and had to choose between shells. Thankfully, I was able to come up with a solution since SoV has one run during Epic's "off days." That stress turned out to be a non-issue later, because Epic stopped going to sky not longer after we started again. I was nearly about to leave SoV, and it would've been for absolutely nothing. See my frustration here?

Some people tell me to just leave. That sounds simple in theory, but there are reasons that I stay. First and foremost, I like them. I won't stay somewhere that I don't enjoy being, and I do like the people in the LS. Davik, Epic, Milliani, EP, Squishie, and a few others. Hell, even Brim and his overuse of the " -.- " expression. Another reason is that I don't want to start over. It takes a long ass time to get points and move up in the queue for gear. At the same time, starting over with SoV proved to be a great thing. In the few months of being with them, I've picked up W.hands, Genbu's Shield, and freaking Byakko's Haidate. That's with only being able to make it to half of the events. Can you say hell yeah?

I'm sure I can keep going on and on and on, but I want to sign on and do more leveling before this event. I'd like to get Dancer to 75 and get a new Mythic ws to play around with. Man, those weaponskills are just so pretty. I might even level PUP for Stringing Pummel.

11 comments:

Dizzmal said...

Aren't you glad you stuck with the crazy folks at SoV? lol

Anyway for being muti-event shell can be difficult. I have plans for SoV in the future for other events as the members see fit. I like to focus on one thing at a time to get certain stuff done then move on to another. I like to put KS99,Ouryu, Bahamut etc to make it not feel like just another sky shell.

I don't think it will be long before SoV members have all gear from sky and we will move to a different event. But we will have to see what the members want to do and where their heart lies for the next upgrades.

Jacinda said...

I'm very glad I stuck it out, to be honest.

I know it's got to be very difficult for a multi-event shell to operate, but it shouldn't have to feel like you're riding blind just because there is a lot to do.

I guess I'm frustrated because I don't know what's going on or why we're doing certain events. I mean, if we're doing events to gear particular jobs for a harder event later, then just say so.

It makes it even harder when you have multiple 75s, because it's difficult to choose which ones to focus on when you don't really know what events you're going to stick with. I suppose I could always go the route of gearing BLM since every LS wants one, but then I'd be setting myself up for the very typecasting that I want to avoid.

Dizzmal said...

Yea I understand that, no more than ever since I leveled Blm. I try to keep a good rotation of jobs as much as I can, but some times it can be hard.

Anonymous said...

This gonna be long and something that you might not like to hear...
I have read your blog many times and alot of the times i hold back on commenting. Most of the things i do read is how you complain about something the LS isnt doing or is doing that is not to your liking.
First off I cant please everyone no LS ever can.
"Try" to put yourself in my shoes
instead of just thinking about what irks you and no one else.
For a 7 year old LS im suprised we are still around and that says alot.
For anyone who knows me they will tell you i do nothing but make sure LS is my priority overall but its complaints like this that makes me so fraustrated that all people do is complain without thinking.
For ANY LS leader its hard to please anyone and keep things intact. Scheduling events and planning out what lies ahead.
WE ALL have real lives and some of us learn to deal with it and with the game.
Things change in game and real life which cant be helped.
If we dont have full roster we learn to deal.
I am gonna answer EVERYONE of your complaints as clear as i can but i do not see the need to explain myself to you because its all common sense.
I'll start by when you first join the shell then quit and came back.
You left first time because you thought your jobs, merits and skill was not up to par with the rest of us therefore you left.
Life in LS went on without you still doing events and such.
You came back at a time we started to do other events which meant sky was on hold because we have been doing it for 4yrs NON STOP prior to you joining. As we started to do events only 2 jobs you had were RDM and BLM.
So the events at the time we were doing had little or no relevance on items for you to lot.
We sold haidate and alot of sky gear during this time because no one wanted the items.
We were working on Sea, Limbus and Dynamis at the time finishing up the sky triggers we stocked.
For sea you joined us late in the time with JoL sets and most had points above you to lot so meaning you had to wait in line.
Then we jumped into SCNM, ZNM and Einherjar in the late stages in the game. Again still nothin for you to lot except for Dynamis and some other none esscential items aling the way.
Yet you stuck by us which i personally am happy with. As time went on peoples lives change and some quit game and some asshats joined us lot and left.
Nothing can be done so we had to change our events yet again.
These changes are out of my control.People with new jobs, new life, new school, new priorities and new persepective on how they want to play the game these are which i cannot do anything about yet we deal and i am still here.
I decided to give LS a break and lvl new jobs, merit and time off from the full scedule we had.
During this time either people found another shell or quit.
When i came back because i had real life things to take care of overseas half the roster was gone and some joined other shells.
Now when i came back you were glad to do things again and constantly say to me and in ls what you looking forward to do and items you wanted which is cool with me its only natural.
Now that we have a smaller roster
you know lots will play jobs they dont like or standing around waiting for people to show up.
#1 Complaint "Time waiting for people"
You do this as well Jaci some of the times you are the last to show up to Limbus and Dynamis.
#2 Complaint " Not enough people "
As i said cant do anything about it with people havinf REAL LIFE issues and you do this as well but we deal with it. You take off play FF13 for 2 weeks and guess what LS still doing events. Whne we stop the event you want to do you complain. Where were you when we did sky when we didnt have enough people? Playing FF13 maybe? Having a REAL LIFE?
We did events when you fell asleep and woke up just to lot. Did i say anything?

Anonymous said...

#3 Complaint " Why we dont camp KV anymore "
WE? Try me 99% of the time getting ToD while you guys XP and doing things you want to do.
Out of 15 Kills you were there for maybe 2-3?
Did i say anything?
Before you didnt have many jobs but now that you do i can understand the need for new items but you complaining about it doesnt help just gets me upset now that you need it you wantto go ballsout and get it.
#4 Complaint " People doing other things on event time"
You tell me to kick them or take points off but i cut people slack just like you when you do it.
So i dont know why you can complain about this.
#5 Complaint " why we stockpiling triggers"
Before the merge i told LS that we would stock pile why? because as i thought when we got to cerb it is and will be a orgy at camps.
Im glad i think 10 steps ahead so we dont have to be so fraustrated at camps and that when we did have people online we would use triggers. As for Limbus yea we have a few omega why no omega?
Look at your attendance for Limbus
and look at the people who dont need shit from omega attendance.
WE FARMING for you guys and what do we get? 0! We do this all for you guys but yet the people who need homan stuff dont show up or help farm the sets. Ill be damned to do omega just for people only to show up to Omega and the people who dont even lot do all the work.
Look i can go on and on explain why this is and why that happened but i wont.
I only replied because for people reading this blog they think we the assholes and you are the victim telling you to quit and stuff.
I dont need to explain what we do and how we do things to anyone but if someone is slammin my shell i think that i should speak up.
Yea we lost alot of people and yea things change but guess what we still here 7 years going on 8 and WE have done some amazing things with our numbers that most smaller shells arent able to do. So if you are that unhappy with us and have so many complaints about how the LS runs you are free to go anytime you like from the looks of things i think you already have a shell that you are able to get things faster. Im so tired of people whining without thinking from a leader or sacks point of view but it comes with the territory.

Whatever descision you make either to stay or go im happy with either.

Best of Luck,

Brim

Anonymous said...

Also i dont need anyone in the LS to speak about this because i dont want any drama between the members.
I just wanted to post here because all faults are pointed at the LS but no one really thinks before they write stuff.

Brim

Jacinda said...

Glad you responded. Yes, I do a lot of complaining on this blog. That's what it's here for. My place to vent about things that frustrate me. I realize that you or anyone else can't always please everyone in a shell, and it would be asinine for me to think otherwise. Before I respond to the things you listed, I'll start off by stating the point of this recent post.

I am the type who operates on reason. Everything I do has a purpose behind it, and I will explain that reason to anyone who asks. This latest post is because I feel like I have no understanding of our event schedule and what its for. To put myself in your shoes is no simple task, and I recognize that. But, just because I don't run an LS does not mean that I will not express my dissatisfaction about various aspects of the one I am in.

I commend you on running a shell for seven years. It's impressive, but it's also a responsibility that you choose to maintain. For every new person who enters your shell, you have to keep their individual wishes in mind just as much as the entire LS. This doesn't go for just me, but for anyone. When I first joined, with my two little jobs and practically no access to endgame areas, you gave me some guidance and let me know the things I needed to do. You needed me to have CoP finished. Done. ToAU. Done. Zilart. Done. I knew I would have to wait "my turn" to get things, and I wait even now. I'm fine with waiting, as long as I am kept informed.

You're right about me joining the LS late in the game. I joined this entire game late. So does that mean that I should just forget about getting any type of useful gear that isn't on the AH because it inconvenieces other people who have already done these events? I would imagine not. Most of the stuff that dropped when I first started had no application to me, and I had neither the points or the jobs to use it anyway. That has quite obviously changed.

I don't expect this shell to do events solely based on my needs and wishes alone. If that's what I wanted, then I'd make my own shell and go from there. However, I do expect some type of communication for when we're doing various events. Some type of schedule. We have a website that's more or less dead except for the entries in the joke forum. All of those subforums that could be used for information is completely overlooked. The general section that had the updates for the events we do hasn't been touched in months with anything remotely relevant. Our events have no predictable pattern because it's always changing. I don't make these posts to call you or the leadership assholes or however you want to put it. I make them because I get frustrated with the way that things are carried out.

Perhaps you have this grand plan in the works, and that's great. Share it. Put some light on things that's going on so everyone knows. Have the website updated again so most of this complaining can be silenced. If you can't update the site, make it so I can or someone you trust if not me. You see I'm obviously on the web a lot with my blog, so I have no problem going to our site and keeping it updated.

As far as people having real lives and all that? Of course they do, and they should. This game should always take a back seat to reality, even though it usually doesn't. That shouldn't stop the shell from communicating it's plans or goals. If people knew them and could access them at a glance, then maybe they would also shift around things they had planned outside of the game to fit. Just as you mention me leaving to play FFXIII for awhile. Damn right. I waited on that game for years, and I was going to play it when it came out. On top of that, we weren't really doing anything in particular that would cause me to worry about missing events.

Jacinda said...

You mention me missing events or being late, and I'm sure I've done that plenty of times. I don't make an excuse for it and, just like I mentioned to you before about penalizing people, I would expect to be bound by those same rules that I am lobbying for.

I have more to say, but it's 25 minutes until Limbus. Unless I've been kicked out of the shell in the time that I've been posting this, I plan to be there for the event.

Anonymous said...

I think you are the ONLY one who doesnt know the schedule or what we doing with LS, but i think there was one time you were at a meeting before the merger about what was gonna happen on Cerb.
Guess you forgot it like most of the stuff i say in LS.
Regardless, as for ls site no one uses as much as we did before because its a smaller shell now and most people know what is going on but looks like except for you and people make effort to find out instead of asking me or me having to tell each and every single one of you guys.
When you play FF13 have it ever occured to you that maybe that we needed you for something like gods and what not?
I dont think you even bothered to ask or find out because you waited a year to play the game but i think some people in ls have been waiting for doing gods for awhile as well since we dont do it often already. Also when you playing FF13 how many of us farm limbus for your item or farmed sky for your haidate? You think thats fair when we do all the work and your playing another game? ( look at the wish list you are the ONLY one )Shit theres alot of stuff i want to do but i dont have that luxury.Yea you can say focus one one event and what not but what about the core vets? am i suppose to drag them along for another year of sky?
I keep things balanced somethin for everyone.
Yea you got items from your sky LS faster because they focused sky and not taking anything away from them they are in the same position we were. Sky LS only but now evolving into other events. When people say yea lets get everything from sky and end it. Be realalistic once you get new people that shit goes out the door.
Sky and all other events will never end as long as there are new people will probably do less but never end as long as people lvl new jobs or new people join your shell. Your current Sky will face problems we are down the road when members decide hey i wanna do HNM's and other things this game has to offer that they dont currently do. We at the games end and most will quit or play ff14.Im not gonna deal with this shit coz i wanna enjoy the rest of the time with my mates whom ive come to love and know. I dont think you will ever get what im trying to say so ima save my breath. Its really simple if your unhappy, fraustrated and cant wait anymore then you know what you should do.
I dont wanna keep anyone whos miserable. Maybe you will have better luck and be more happy with SoV coz clearly Epic cant give you those things.I got nothing to gain from you or the shell so i dont care what you choose. Suck it up or leave shell, do what makes "YOU" happy.

Good luck,

Brim

Jacinda said...

This is starting to become a pointing match, and that's not the intent of my post.

My initial response was one that was considerably more emotional and expressive, but I realize that will only continue to fuel the flame.

I stay in the shell because I want to be here. Sure, I can gain things a lot faster in other shells, and that's been proven. However, I'm not just in this for the gear. I've said it countless times: I enjoy the people. I could be like some and shell hop all over the place to get myself nice and pimped out, but that's not what I am after.

I won't compare Epic to SoV because they are not a multi-event LS like Epic is.

If people need to reach me, they can. My email address is public, and I'm usually signed on to MSN whenever I'm not on the game.

If you don't know it, here it is:

jacinda_ryder@hotmail.com

What makes me happy is not just getting gear; but having a sense of purpose. When I don't feel that sense, you see the result. I get frustrated.

While I do want to remain a part of this shell, don't think for a moment that I will not express myself when something is on my mind. Whether that be on this blog, in a tell, or a shout in Whitegate.

If I were unhappy in Epic, I would have left long ago. I am frustrated because I actually give a damn.

Evilpaul said...

Holy longest comments section evar, Batman!!!