Calling all LEW Judges

Manzanita · Nov 14, 2008

LEW is going through a hard time. We may need to make some executive decisions. How many judges are still active here? Please post in if you're a judge or willing to judge.

Current questions: Are we ready to fold the mega adventure? Do we need to change the character approval process? How can we recruit more DMs?

Heckler · Nov 14, 2008

Related to my post in the "Is LEW in trouble" thread.

Manz, it might be helpful if you could spell out what exactlyis expected of judges.

Personally,I'd be willing to step up and help judge.

Are we ready to fold the mega adventure?
Overall, yes. There might be a couple that are willing and able to continue, though.

Do we need to change the character approval process?
At this time I don't think so. The only problem we have right now is a lack of judges, isn't it? If we get some more judges we should be okay.

How can we recruit more DMs?
I dunno. Let me think on it.

Patlin · Nov 14, 2008

I'm around and semi-active. It seems most of the adventures I'm in have died, and I've been so pressed for time my own adventure died as well. Out of six characters on two living worlds, I think all the adentures together are seing a couple of posts a week.

I'm in favor of killing the mega-adventure.

Here are some questions for consideration:

Can we get statistics as to how far the posting rate has fallen for LEW as a whole?

If it's not just my imagination, can we figure out why we're in a downward spiral?
-- Are people less interested in 3.5 now that 4e is out?
-- Is the economy (or other problems) diverting our attention?
-- Does a low post rate reach a critical mass and cause a general loss of interest?

I think all of the above contribute, myself.

So, what should we do?

B4cchus · Nov 14, 2008

Hi all,

in response of Manzanita´s call I will be returning on semi-active duty as a LEW judge.
I will start with Judging (characters and adventures) only and not before November the 17th.

I think we need to shrink down some parts of LEW in order to focus on it´s main activity: running and playing adventures.
I suggest the following to start with:
-shut down all inactive adventures (including the M-A).
-postpone all approvals for custom content (classes, spells, items, Dieties, etc) that are not submitted by a DM as part of an adventure
-make a round check of all active players and thier PC's
-the same for active judges (which Manz already started).
With this we can reboot the whole thing and start out fresh with new adventures.

Regards,
B4cchus

edit: as far as recruiting more DM's: I think we could get some DM's from other places on the board. Also, it might be a good idea to join forces with LEB, as they seem to be in the same tight spot as LEW.

Boddynock · Nov 14, 2008

I'm still here. My posting rate has been abysmal for most of this year but I think I'm moving into a better place in my life, so may be able to increase my presence a little.

I'm prepared to continue as a judge, and to focus on character approvals, but even with Trouvere and covaithe helping out as assistant judges for the last couple of months, approvals have been lagging. It's a big job, and getting bigger as character levels increase - although, having said that, with the general downturn in new members, it may stabilize.

I suggest that we make Trouvere and covaithe full judges, so that they have full approval rights (currently approvals require at least one 'senior' judge's input). I did suggest this earlier today to my fellow character judges, and was going to wait to put it to the 'full bench', but given this opportunity I've taken the plunge! B-)

Patlin, I agree with you that all three of your possible causes for a downturn have had an effect on LEW. You're certainly spot on about the critical mass factor.

Frankly, from what I've been hearing, we don't need to kill the M-A. It's already dead. We just need to give it the last rites.

Lots of smaller adventures may be a way to go. Small groups, continually active, with a buzz of activity and a cross-fertilisation of ideas in the RDI, may be just what LEW needs.

Another suggestion was made in the discussion thread about LEW in trouble - in fact, a revisiting of an older suggestion, that we allow a 4th character for players. I think that's not a bad idea, since it allows keen players to do what they enjoy (and, in the process, to reinvigorate LEW). But perhaps, given the fact that we need DMs too, we might make approval of such a character dependant on a once-off purchase via DM credits.

Just a few ideas - and an underlying commitment to do what I can to help LEW not only to survive but also to thrive!

Trouvere · Nov 14, 2008

Patlin said:
Can we get statistics as to how far the posting rate has fallen for LEW as a whole?

I've taken a look at a few adventures. In the case of stalled ones, I've looked for the final active period and not included the last 3 months of complete non-activity.

A Sojourn in Sairundan (Part 1, first 1000 posts), 8.8 posts per day
A Sojourn in Sairundan (Part 2), 1.7 (well, that says it all!)

S2: War in Vastermarch, 4.3
Its sequel, S3: The Scythe of Seto, 2.0

Notes on the Aether, 6.8
Its sequel, A Rather Odd Shovel, 1.5

But we do have some active adventures:
Darque Portal is ticking along nicely at 3.3
Sinister Spire is running at 1.5 ppd, but has fewer players
Ends Meat, 3.5
Urn Your Pay, 5.2 (we are the champions!)

The M-A:
Undine the Sea, 1.8
Blind Watchers, 1.6
Terra Subterranea, 1.3
Peregrinations of the Shard, 1.2
Tempest Fugit, 0.8 (that was 1 post per player per week)
Nocturne of Sorrow, 3.5 (the paradoxical one. This was the first of the M-A threads to die, yet it had the best posting rate. It just stopped one day, with the party surrounded by zombies)

Patlin · Nov 14, 2008

Trouvere said:
I've taken a look at a few adventures. In the case of stalled ones, I've looked for the final active period and not included the last 3 months of complete non-activity.

A Sojourn in Sairundan (Part 1, first 1000 posts), 8.8 posts per day
A Sojourn in Sairundan (Part 2), 1.7 (well, that says it all!)

S2: War in Vastermarch, 4.3
Its sequel, S3: The Scythe of Seto, 2.0

Notes on the Aether, 6.8
Its sequel, A Rather Odd Shovel, 1.5

But we do have some active adventures:
Darque Portal is ticking along nicely at 3.3
Sinister Spire is running at 1.5 ppd, but has fewer players
Ends Meat, 3.5
Urn Your Pay, 5.2 (we are the champions!)

The M-A:
Undine the Sea, 1.8
Blind Watchers, 1.6
Terra Subterranea, 1.3
Peregrinations of the Shard, 1.2
Tempest Fugit, 0.8 (that was 1 post per player per week)
Nocturne of Sorrow, 3.5 (the paradoxical one. This was the first of the M-A threads to die, yet it had the best posting rate. It just stopped one day, with the party surrounded by zombies)

Excellent, and very usefull. I'm going to go visit a few threads I'm not in for the mega adventure and offer to help close them out with an xp reward.

Phoenix8008 · Nov 14, 2008

Patlin said:
"Daddy's teaching me to play D&D. I am his 'young apprentice.'" Brielle Patlin, 7 years old, 3/9/08.

Off topic: Love it. I've got a 5 year old little girl that is dying to play D&D with the rest of the family (Me, mom, and brothers 16, 13, and 10 years old). Don't know how long we'll be able to hold her off. Another year or two to learn reading and such better should do. Sorry for the inturruption, back to your regularly scheduled discussion...

Erekose13 · Nov 14, 2008

I'm still around, though as an ex-judge I'm not sure I'm ready to come out of retirement yet. I can help close up some of the threads and award XP. And I might be able to watch a game or two, but if they end up falling I wont be able to pick them up only award Xp and close up shop. Definitely not ready to take on character judging though as mentioned in the other thread if it comes to DMs to rule on their own PCs I can cover my adventure.

Manzanita · Nov 15, 2008

I guess we'll keep our current character approval process for now. If it continues to be problematic though, I think we should try something else.

I intentionally never got involved with the mega adventure & haven't followed it. Are there still some, though, that need closing out? I'll try to help out with that if needed.