Graf
Explorer
For reference I looked at the Guide to Living Eberron's DM credits as far as I can tell it's identical to the LEW (3.x living game)'s implementation.
The function and role of the credits is tightly defined: you get stuff for your PC in exchange for DMing games. The more games the better.
Personally I feel that we should reward DMs in a similar manner. However there are several areas where I think we may consider doing things differently.
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I think we should give out one OOC point for each experience generating encounter (combat, skill challenge) that a DM runs.
Currently the system rewards people at the end of their adventure based on how long it was.
The implementation I'm suggesting would more directly reward DMs for pushing their games forward and having things happen. A DM who manages to run two exciting fights in a month will be rewarded more than someone who's running a lot of games, gets busy and winds up posting once a week.
A DM feels a sense of accomplishment each time they finish an encounter.
Also, it's easy to keep track of. Instead of looking at post stamps and so forth you can just look at the xp handouts for that adventure to double check the DM points.
If a DMs adventure must be picked up by a judge they forfeit all points received for that adventure.
This will produce lots more ooc points, but that's fine, we don't have to have 1 ooc point = 1 DM credit.
Summary
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However I'd also like to consider the possibly of rewarding players for regular consistent good posting (at a much lower rate). Without, as coviathe has pointed out, having judges sit around judging people.
I suggest the following:
Every time a DM receives 4 OOC points for a game they are running they may also give a player in that game a point.
This will encourage and reward good/regular play. While most players won't get a lot of points; they will be able to get a few.
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DMing related
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In addition to buffing your character it seems to me that we could use points to fulfill other things as well
LEB said:[sblock=DM Credits]
After concluding an adventure, the DM gains 1 DM credit per real-time month spent on the adventure. A DM credit can be used to add a benefit to one of the DM's own player characters. It is up to the player to find a reasonable explanation for this "windfall". Credits spent must be approved by a Judge, either in the General thread or at the end of the adventure thread where he gained the credits. DM credits should be documented similar to XP in the Adventure Tracking Thread.
Credits can normally only be spent on a PC that is not on an adventure. Players on an adventure can petition their DM to allow using DM credits but he has no obligation to allow its use. Even if he allows it, he may limit spending as he sees fit. Also, spending must still be approved by a judge (see above).
DM credits spent will net a PC:
Experience points - the PC gains 50 XP per ECL per DM credit spent. If applied to a new character, you can start that character at a higher level with all benefits (ie more starting treasure, use a LA race/template and so on).
Money - the PC gains 50 GP per ECL per DM credit
Craft points - the PC gains 25 CP per ECL per DM credit
Rewards are limited to ECL 8, meaning that you can never gain more than 400XP, 400 GP or 200 CP by one DM credit.
Special considerations:
A DM which abandons an adventure without notification gets no reward for that adventure. If a DM quits an adventure prematurely but gracefully (ie handing over material to another DM and helping her out with minor details) she receives full credit up until the point she quits, while the new DM receives credits from that point on in time. If an adventure ends due to player dropout, the DM gets full credit.
As there are some long-running adventures in LEB, the DMs of these can petition the judge to award credits during the course of the adventure, typically at the same time as XP is given to the players.
Adventures running in parallel will all yield DM credits.[/sblock]
The function and role of the credits is tightly defined: you get stuff for your PC in exchange for DMing games. The more games the better.
Personally I feel that we should reward DMs in a similar manner. However there are several areas where I think we may consider doing things differently.
[d]--[/d]
Implementation of DM rewards
I think we should give out one OOC point for each experience generating encounter (combat, skill challenge) that a DM runs.
Currently the system rewards people at the end of their adventure based on how long it was.
The implementation I'm suggesting would more directly reward DMs for pushing their games forward and having things happen. A DM who manages to run two exciting fights in a month will be rewarded more than someone who's running a lot of games, gets busy and winds up posting once a week.
A DM feels a sense of accomplishment each time they finish an encounter.
Also, it's easy to keep track of. Instead of looking at post stamps and so forth you can just look at the xp handouts for that adventure to double check the DM points.
If a DMs adventure must be picked up by a judge they forfeit all points received for that adventure.
This will produce lots more ooc points, but that's fine, we don't have to have 1 ooc point = 1 DM credit.
Summary
- faster more tightly linked rewards to DMs for having things happen in their games
- easier to check
- more points
- equality between shorter and longer adventures
- better segmentation
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Rewarding good play
However I'd also like to consider the possibly of rewarding players for regular consistent good posting (at a much lower rate). Without, as coviathe has pointed out, having judges sit around judging people.
I suggest the following:
Every time a DM receives 4 OOC points for a game they are running they may also give a player in that game a point.
This will encourage and reward good/regular play. While most players won't get a lot of points; they will be able to get a few.
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Rewarding helpful OOC activity
There are certain things that we'd like to see the community help in and which could be rewarded.
DMing related
- If you run a game that addresses a character's kickers or hooks you get an extra point when that game completes.
- If you run a "requested" game, where you're creating a new game in response to a request from a group of players (of which at least 2 are not currently in any games) you get a +25% point bump when the game completes
- Catching a mistake in an approved player characters's character sheet. (1 point per mistake?)
- Drawing maps
- judging characters for approval (1 point per five sheets approved - you can lose the point if too many errors are discovered later)
- creating new regions that are approved (?)
- drawing character porterates (1 per character)
- playing a "preferred race/class/region" combo (1 point at creation + 1 point per level gained)- Teifling Warlock from the Jade Empire, Eladrin Wizard from the Imperium
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Spending points
In addition to buffing your character it seems to me that we could use points to fulfill other things as well
Charge to play unusual characters
Requiring a one time point expenditure (5 points) to play a non-core + MM character. So you want to play a genasi or a swordmage? 5 points.
Allowing "illegal improvements"
Purchasing extra feats for your character?
Others?
Nothing specific springs to mind but...
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