NAME:
Rae
IN-GAME NAME:
Marigold
AGE: 17
Will remain undisclosed.
COUNTRY/TIMEZONE:
Malaysia, +8 GMT
AVAILABLE WORKING TIME:
Actual hours vary daily, time committed approximately 4-8 hours depending on the day.
TENURE IN MAPLEEMPIRE:
Began on the 6th of June, 2012.
EXPERIENCE AS A GAME MASTER:
VengeanceMS – Level 4 GM
OddStory – Level 3 GM
PandaMS – Level 3 GM
TurtleMS – Level 4 GM
Please do ask me for the links to the screenshots if you wish to see them.
REASONS FOR WANTING TO BE A GAME MASTER:
I want to help create an environment, one of friendly, open-minded community that allows one to fully enjoy and partake in the comings and goings of the community. From personal experience, it is hard for new player to break into a community that has already been established. People have formed friendships, and find comfort in their solidified cliques. Hence, new players are left to fend for themselves. For those less sociable players like myself, to integrate themselves into the community isn’t an easy feat. I want to change that. I want every serious player to be welcomed into the community and treated as a great addition. I want them to feel like they’ve been part of the server, even after just a day. This compels them to come back, and the community grows.
Also, as a GM I will use the chance to explore and find out more about the players. Players have always been the main reason why I tried for the job. Players can be troublesome, annoying, yet fun, exciting, and loveable at the same time. The community is made up of all kinds of interesting characters, and as a GM I would take the opportunity to find out more about their individual personalities. That way, I can also perfect my style of helping people to suit their needs.
Altruism is the belief of giving without taking. To wholeheartedly offer yourself and expect nothing in return, that is what altruism is. I have been told that it does not exist, but I believe otherwise. I see becoming a GM as a way to altruism. True, GMs get special privileges. However, if a GM does his or her job right, the privileges pale in comparison to the time and effort put into the job. To me, being a GM is devoting yourself fully to the community and server you serve, from the moment you enter the game to the moment you leave. There are no such things as taking a break, choosing when to help, or picking who to help. It is a job that demands your time, your effort, your patience, and your whole heart to be willing to solve any problems that arise. Of course, that is the ideal GM. I am instead a GM who tries her best, but not always does the best thing. I have made mistakes before, and I have been at odds with players before. With each tenure, I learn more and more about the job, and how I can improve with it.
Needless to say, being a GM is a form of contribution to the server. I feel the need to contribute to the servers I play, be it being a helpful player, a graphics designer, or as a GM. In most instances, due to my introverted personality, I seldom integrate myself fully into the servers I play. In the ones that I truly become one with the community, are the ones where friendly veterans did their best to include me. I truly feel thankful for the fact that they cared enough to try and make me part of their community, and I found them when I’m comfortable enough with them, I managed to opened up and become very sociable as well. As such, I hope to contribute back in memory of this, and to pass on the extended welcoming hand.
THE ROLES OF A GAME MASTER:
To my understanding, a Game Master is someone who, unlike the term master, is there to serve, not to be served.
To serve:
A GM is a person who has to be dedicated to his or her job as one. No, time spent in-game thus not equal dedication. One may well spend your whole day in the FM and do nothing, or spend merely an hour in game but have yet helped various people.
He or she must be willing to listen to the players without prior prejudice or self-conceived theories of the person. They may not impose their own opinions on others, but instead provide a breeding ground for others to express their own individual thoughts. If a GM cannot or will not listen to a player, he or she thus fails the criteria.
I have always maintained that the job of a GM is a 24/7 job with no holidays. The moment you log on, you are someone who is there to help, not someone who is there to enjoy life. So yes, I claim that I will not turn out to be a power-hungry GM that often crops up in servers; though I must say, I will have my own share of mistakes.
WHAT I INTEND TO DO AS A GM:
In some ways I have answered this question in my reasons for wanting to be a GM, but to keep it short, I intend to bring my experience as a GM to this server and do what I can to help it grow and mature. Alongside that would be my aim to help promote a newcomer-friendly environment, to solidify my belief in altruism, and to contribute back in ways that being a GM would allow me to.
HOW WILL THE SERVER BENEFIT:
Honestly, I had to stop and think for this question. What benefit would come to a server from a GM who is quiet and almost unsociable?
Well, I think I can be an amusing addition to the staff. I have perfectly average intelligence with overly imperfect typing skills. I think I am the kind of person who would make a lot of errors in life and you may find amusement from that. But no, honestly I hope I can become a worthy addition to the staff. I intend to try hard and succeed in everything I do, including, if given the privilege, to be a GM for this server. I am an achiever, as my school so eloquently puts it. I will do my best to be a good GM – someone who does their job and does it right, without offending anyone and with a truly altruistic spirit, if and whenever possible.
Yes, I do love hosting events. As a player my favourites are Hide & Seek, Last Man Standing and MapleBall. As a GM my favourites will be Hide & Seek, Last Man Standing and MapleBall. I like events that give me a chance to interact with the players. I get my motivation from such interaction, even the ones that annoy me simply because at the end of the day, I will put them down as experiences with all walks of... virtual life. So, I hope I will benefit the server by being allowed to get to know the players through events.
If needed, the server can also benefit from my joy of writing. I am quite certain my grammar is not too bad, and my vocabulary is passable. My old servers used to let me write their policies, rules and regulations, guidelines, etc. I have also tried writing a ToS, which is.... well, might not hold up too well in a court of law. I am after all, not a law student. But yes, I enjoy writing in any form. If possible, I would like to be able to offer this service to the server. As seen, I have also applied for the role of Forum Moderator, as I enjoy administrative work.
I think basically, the server can benefit from just gaining an GM who is willing to try her best. Yes, a lot of people will do the same, and most people would probably be a better GM. I cannot honestly tell you with proof what benefit the server will get from hiring me. I just hope to be given the chance to let you see for yourself.
EXPLAIN SEVERAL GM RULES:
I have written GM rules before, so I will extract a sample of my work as submission for this question. Note: This was only for ONE server, and the owner WANTED it to be that strict, so yeah.
Quote: General
1. GMs must be identifiable at all times. You may choose EITHER:-
- Having the [GM] tag by your IGN, eg: [GM]Example, OR
- Turning on white text 24/7
2. You are NEVER to give out items of any kind, including ETC or USE items to players, UNLESS it is an event prize.
3. Respect all players AND staff members; try not to be rude to anyone.
4. Have a routine check on players every now and then.
5. Do not randomly summon monsters in player maps, especially FM.
6. Do not drop items, especially rare ones in player maps where players could pick up.
7. No favouritism of ANY kind; be it picking sides during a fight or helping one person more than the other.
8. Try not to be involved in any of the players’ disagreements personally.
9. When in doubt, consult a fellow staff member.
10. Do not bring people into the GM room (180000000).
Events
1. You are required to hold at least ONE event a day, and are allowed to hold a MAXIMUM of FOUR events per day.
2. There is no specific minimum, but hold events only when there are enough players. For example, if there can only be two winners, then there must be at least 3-4 participants.
3. The following items are not allowed to be allocated as Event Prizes :-
- Max Stat Items
- GM suits (Hat, Top, Bottom)
- Anything that gives players too much of an advantage
4. Event prizes should not be overly generous, eg: 100 Panda Dolls or 100 GM scrolls.
5. There can only be a MAXIMUM of 3 winners per event. For Hide&Seek or KillTheSnail, one winner per round.
6. Do not make events too easy or too hard. If you see players struggling with an event, then try to make it a little simpler.
7. Plan your events out well to avoid being unprepared. For example, set your statements before holding a T/F event.
8. If you have to leave an event suddenly, find another staff member to replace you as host. Try not to leave an event hanging as this will leave a bad impression to players. If the situation does arise, then do your best to apologize to the players, and make it up later by hosting another event. NEVER rage quit in the middle of an event.
9. If you need help hosting an event, do not hesitate to ask a fellow staff member. Players are allowed to help out in events, but only ONE player helper per event.
10. Try not to let players watch so much, but get them to participate in the event as well.
ADDITIONAL TALENTS:
I am not too sure what you could consider talents. I dabble in arts such as graphic designing, and a rough sample of my work can be found scattered on this application. I have created animated banners. I write incessantly; if you see this as a talent of worth to the server, by all means. I have written announcements, notices, policies, guides, so on.
WHY ME:
I cannot promise to be a good GM. I cannot promise that I will not mess up or make mistakes. I am simply promising that I will try my best, and even if my best is not worth much, I will be satisfied with it.
IF NOT CHOSEN:
I will resume life as per usual. I applied because I felt like getting back into the management side of private servers, which was what I did before I quit over a year ago. It is an odd situation for me right now, as I am between nostalgia for the game and half-baked familiarity with everything.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Concisely, I feel that being a GM is a way of allowing me to further explore my own personality and traits, as well as in the process give back a little to the server. True, I seem like rather an odd choice to be a GM. After all, I can be moody and strict, plus lack social conversation skills. I have nothing of me to convince you that I am a good choice of a GM. What I can promise you, is that I have a genuine wish to become one, and I will put my best effort into becoming one that contributes greatly to the server. I am in full belief that what I have stated bears witness to me as a person and as a prospective staff member. I fully assure you that what you see now is what I intend to maintain, if I am chosen, during my tenure.
With that, I thank you for taking the time to read this, and forgive me if I have in any way offended you. Also, forgive me my grammatical or phrasal mistakes, if there are any.
Subject: Marigold's GM Application 
Mon Jul 02, 2012 4:57 pm
