ALFA's got it's own time of troubles...Dagger Dale is currently 'god'less, and as we draw closer to the scheduled HotU update, things look bleak for the fate of ALFA. Can anybody give us some firsthand info on what happened up there?

I don't know the whole politics of it all...But there were issues between some of the HDMs and the current leadership. A compromise was attempted, but it didn't work out.

So far, it looks like only one server is leaving for sure: The Vast Swamp

Of the other HDMs that are leaving, it looks like the servers they ran/created will be taken over by someone new. As for Daggerdale specifically, it will remain. Esio is taking interim HDM to transition it to the new HDM. I'll be staying on as ADM...Same as before.

It looks like plans to keep ALFA alive are in the works. The remaing HDMs are meeting Saturday to appoint new Administrators. Just for the record, I have not chosen any "side" in this. I applied to ALFA almost 3 years ago, and since then, I've gotten involved in the DMing aspect of it. I'm staying because I am a player at heart, and the PLAYERS is what it was all about. I think both sides forgot about this when it all went down.

Best advice: Sit back and see what happens.

[ January 02, 2004, 19:16: Message edited by: Sir Belisarius ]

Any idea what the "new project" Alby and them have gone to work on is called?

As I mentioned in an e-mail, I just got my copy of NWN back and was thinking of re-applying. Now I'm not sure what world to consider. :(

I haven't heard a word about any new project.

Ah, I just sent you a PM as I noticed this was here -_-

Hmm, *sigh* :( Can I ask why the servers are going? (TVS at least) is it because of running costs? Or is there just not enough man power to keep it up an running.

As far as I can tell, just differences of opinion and ego...

Hey gents ;)

I do know that the TVS crew (Alby, Sareena, Vormaerin, Baga, Kensai) are already working on a new PW project. There has been some suggestion that this might include some, if not all, of those HDMs and Admin that left. I'm not sure just what this entails, who exactly is involved, or what. Outside of hearing from them directly, check the TVS website (http://207.212.67.81/).

I have no inside info to give. The posts on the ALFA boards clearly indicate there was a severe difference of opinion among one group of HDMs and another, including the Admin. Part of it seems to have been about the structure and make-up of the Admin, but there is obviously something more than that.

My own personal view is that this is more about the direction that ALFA would take. The group that left always championed the type of online D&D that I thought best suited me. I'm most definitely looking forward to taking part in what they come up with. I'm still not sure what the future of ALFA will be, and whether or not it will be something I want to be part of.

As Bel said, sit back and see what form ALFA eventually takes. There is an 'interim Admin' in place to transition from the old to the new, with the assistance of the previous group. I suggest reading up on some of the posts, but a lot is just posturing. The interim Admin will do their best to get something in place, and then leave it up to those that are left to make something of it.

Whatever comes, my best luck to Bel - and kudos to you for sticking it out.

Arwen made the choice to step out of ALFA, and her ADMs were loyal enough to follow her. The choice was very simple for myself; no Yartar or ALFA without Arwen. The Yartar server will probably be gone for now, as nobody showed interest in taking it, and it will disappear from the place it is currently hosted. To tell you the truth, I don't think ALFA will last long in its new form.

I can tell you all about why certain people left, if anybody actually wants to hear it. There were always differences of opinion, but the Admin left because of backstabbing and some serious trust that was broken.

And about the new project. The whole Yartar team is in, and I also think all or most of the members of the Anauroch and TVS teams. I would love to tell you all about it, I'm just not sure if I'm allowed to. All I can say now is that it will probably be something completely new, and not the continuation of the currently existing servers.

[ January 03, 2004, 00:54: Message edited by: Mesmero ]

From what I have heard about the new project its going to be something good. As for the rest of ALFA, well if you have read the boards you'll see I'm quite animated on the subject but as far as I'm concerned they need a strong leader who knows what ALFA needs and how to get about it and will get his head down and do it...much like Alb...oh wait nevermind.

'Its up to the HDM's to proove to me and the rest of the players that splitting ALFA in two was worth it'

Well, as only a player in ALFA, we where in the
dark of these troubles before the bomb went off.
First disbelief, then anger at the troublemakers,
then disgust about the whole thing, then my paranoia kicked in and I learnt that this exodus
from Alfa was planned by some for awhile now. And what better time to jump ship than blaming some disgruntled HDM's... (this may be unfair but this is my take on the thing)

Anyways, I hope this new persistant world will be great, and knowing the talent that resides in this
group I'm sure it will be awsome. In the mean time Alfa is my home and I will continue playing as I have done before.. Heck, before this 'event' I really did not know who the members of the Admin team was anyways.. And the most fun moments I've had on Alfa has not been with the Admin team, nor the HDM's nor the ADM's but with the players that frequent the place..

But I agree with Mr Writer. Alfa need draconian Admins to get all the talent working in the same general directions. And they do need to have elephant hide, 'cause making decissions will always lead to some being disgrunted. If one cannot take the heat, do not make the desision.

Leaving in a group 'cause someone were a meanie does not make me think of someone with thick enough hide...

(addenum)

Hmm, having read this back I seem to have made the post a bit more angry at the former Admin team that I first intended.

Just to clarify, I have the utmost respect of those who created this Role Playing haven which I frequent, and I have no anamosity towards them, not now, not before, not in the future. I respect them as persons and as highly talented people than to try to contrive plots and hidden meaning everywhere... I just honestly feel that the meaningless and trivial issues raised by the 'underground' should have been treathed as that.. Not a reason to resign an mass...

But what do I know, I'm just a player.. I leech of other peoples time and talent just so that I can selfishly enjoy some excellent RP moments and scary incidents... I wish the members of the Excodus all the best in the world, and I am happy that they realized that is was not fun for them anymore, and that Alfa is better off with a leadership that can start refreshed and not with 4 years of grumblings and strife behind them.

And they way the Exodus was handled. Man, something to learn about nobility and grace for all I think. Koodos all around for being more big about it than really could have been expected. Shows them to be real noble people and great friends of the Alfa community...

[ January 04, 2004, 20:18: Message edited by: zarjazz ]

Yoo, man!

Welcome to the boards :wave:

I hope you visited Moriart's grave in SD - Murky set a tombstone there... and no one paid the gravekeeper for it :D

EDIT: Sorry this is actually completely off-topic. It'd be better if you replied to the ALFA Adventures ;)

"Not a reason to resign an mass"

Its not that they resigned because a few HDM's decided that they were going to complain. It was the fact a few had *****ed and whined at them for a long long time, and when this 'underground' came to the fore and began "negotiations" with the ADMIN they lied, they claimed to have alot more HDM's that were willing to walk out than they actualy had and even up to the time that the ADMIN left they still hadn't named any of their members or even what they wanted from the admin. So fearing a total ALFA downfall if they stayed they left.

Well, I've decided to step down as a DM in ALFA. My entire DM team has left, so I thought it would be better to step aside. I'm planning to revert back to player status...Which should be interesting, considering I'll have to walk everywhere again instead of teleportation! ;)

I've been waffling from side to side about leaving or staying, so I think I'm going to revert back to player status in ALFA...I've enjoyed the opportunity to DM with such a fine bunch of folks, but I think I'd feel better with Daggerdale starting fresh without any pre-schism vestiges in the DM staff. It'll give everyone an opportunity to start fresh.

Anyway - on the plus side, I'll be playing again. On the minus side, I'll be playing again.

Hurray, does this mean Rem is walking about again? Or are you taking a totaly new face?

I've read it and responded... Sad to hear it..
So close to save the smoldering ruins I called home. You just know that my next char will have
the typical..
Left an orphan by calleous treachery, he seeks
revenge against those who killed off his parents..

Oh well.. Something this good was not meant to
last I guess... (not talking Alfa now, but Dagger Dale)

Mr Writer:
Yeah. I agree with what you wrote. Seems to me
that this is exactly what happened. But for my
2 cents, the complaints was bogus and trivial.
And to have the leadership move on without letting
the community in on it is my pet peewe at the
moment... If they could not make those dissidents
to take heed, throw their sorry assess out...
Or better still, ignore them...

But, by gone's are by gone's and hindsight is
always good.. ;)

I'm just dissapointed thats all...

Hurray, does this mean Rem is walking about again? Or are you taking a totaly new face? I wouldn't mind starting up with Rem again. He is carrying several magic items and over 6000 gold!!! But I think Rem should be retired also. That way his NPC can remain on the DD server.

I also don't think this is the end of Daggerdale by any stretch. Baalster and Squamatus (the DMs taking over) have been around since the beginning...So the team should do well. They will also have quite a bit of documentation from the old team as source material...I think it'll be fine.

Wait! You can't quit until you give the new character I haven't created yet a bunch of phat lewt! ;)

So, are you going to start a new thief, go back on the Paladin road, or try something completely different?

Evil is the way to go :evil:

I dunno...there are so many starting possibilities...

Pally

I have to admit I loved playing a hin thief..

Cleric (like everyone else in ALFA)

Maybe a dwarf fighter (original)

I just don't know...

Aww. Thats it, I'm coming back to DD with the rest of the crew. Venom_wyvern is coming back home :D

OK, here's tje offical future of AC/NC as we know it of today:
Here is the plan right now:

I am going to work with Triss and all them in a creative capacity - doing NPC, item, monster and quest creation - not futzing with scripting and other things I suck at.

I plan to take NC/AC public, with a very small hakpak (NC/AC use very little of the hakpak).

There is a tension between ALFA and my DMing style. I am very much a middle ground, kill all the monsters, develop your character kind of DM. I regularly alternate Dungeon Crawls with plot and character driven adventures - indeed, at their best these elements merge and become seamless - you crawl through caverns perfectly in character.

So basically if you want to kill some wolves and level - that's cool. That has always caused tension in ALFA - two very different perspectives on legitimate ways to build your character.

My public version of AC/NC will allow for more running around, killing stuff and getting cool lewtz - and character development (as well as plot development that doesn't require agreement between multiple DMs).

-Triss has given Wynna a copy of NC/AC. ALFA is welcome to it, and I will always be available to help as it goes along.

-I will be taking my boxes, so we need to find a new host for the modules. Currently they both play on seperate 1.8 P4s. They could function slowly during combat if both on one server - if it was a 2.6+ I think one box would work fine (both boxes have 1 GB RAM - WAY too much). Quote by Mandos - HDM of NC and AC

Not quite the whole truth Gothmog.. Icarus is working
hard setting up NC/Arabel on his hardware. This
will remain in Alfa...

Hopes he get it up and running soon..

It seems to me that the 'interim Admin' seem to be doing a pretty good job of getting things back together. I still haven't been able to find any more information out about what happened, but I'm going to ask pitlatch today and he should hopefully know.

As to the way ALFA is heading, from what I can see, and fmor what I've heard from talking to a few people, it looks like it will continue along the same tracks, but all major descions will go out for public vote. As to how public this vote will be there is a lot of talk about, but so far it seems that the vote will be only given to DMs and PRs.

It seems to me that a majority of people seem to be for an Admin team containing 5 people, elected every 6 months. One of them will be elected by the players and the rest from the DMs and other staff. There will be no head Admin.

It seems at the end of the day the only change, apart from lossing some great DMs and servers, will be that the community as a whole will have more of a say in the way things are run. Whether this will work or not, I have no idea.

The upgread to HotU is going to go a head as planned, from what I've read. Although they expect the down time to be shorter than expected.

As to where I stand on all this, until I've heard the full story I'm supporting my HDM, and once I've heard it I think I'll still support him and the rest of Pirate Isles. And as a guess, I would say that with in a month everything should have been sorted out, and back on track. As I said before, I've got a meeting thingy with pitlatch later today and will be able to find out more of what's happening/happened, and I will post up what I find.

Thanks to all this happening, it seems that The Pirate Isles going live is going to be delayed until pit finishes with the Steering Commitee business, and it seems like I've taken over DMing the pirate isles compleatly for now. Unlike some of the other servers we havn't lost one single DM from our ranks.

Icarus came online to NC last night and popped in to tell a few of us that NC is up on his host, under the name Northern Cormyr (test)

Didn't get a chance to go on it, got pulled into some DM stuff and was loathe to leave.

Hmm, If I see anything else I'll poke it up here, perhaps I'll put up the servers IP address when I get back home.