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+--- Thread: Distribution of power, responsabilities, stress & others. (/showthread.php?tid=9889)
Distribution of power, responsabilities, stress & others. - the homestuck man himself - 01-27-2023
As more time passes and nations evolve from their starting stages, I've personally noticed a problem that has been slowly creeping up to some, mainly role-holders of a medium-high degree. Leaders, sub-leaders, whatever else: The fact that they are the sole holder of absolute power.
From an IC perspective, this can be a reasonable position to be put in due to the culture of the region, how power has developed, how their politics work, et cetera- However, from an OOCly level, it comes with it's own can of worms, one of them being, of course:
Overworking.
Like the erosion caused by the passage of time, being the sole focus of power brings with it an almost comically evil amount of paperwork, responsabilities and what-not, which from the perspective of the early days, should be what one expects when signing up for the role. However, it becomes apparent that even those with a good amount of mental fortitude can crumble to what can be described as: Dealing with the customers of your run of the mill supermarket on a daily basis, complaints included.
Every mishap, down to not being clear, can cause a domino effect so horrendously large that the speck of a problem that started the chain can escalate into a boiling pot of heated discussions, complaints, vitriol at the lowest points- You name it.
Is there an easy fix for this problem? Hell no, not one that is apparent to me, but there are ways to ease it up.
This is the reason I made this thread, to propose:
SPREADING THE POWER TO A GROUP, ALLOWING THE BLOWS TAKEN ON A POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND GENERAL LEVEL TO BE LESSENED SIGNIFICANTLY.
This would allow a more 'chill' experience when it comes to investing yourself into your role, getting second opinions for a major decision, (hopefully) let complaints about something to be tackled as an effort of a team, et cetera.
The cons are clear, however, as in a OOCly level the difference of goals, objectives and philosophy might cause an even bigger headache if it ends up becoming another source of overwork, stress, blah blah.
While, from my forgetful view, some nations have already done this to a certain degree, I would like to see how ALL nations would fare if they had more than one or two leaders taking the toll of leadership- This would also go for other important roles, too. Medical, social, trade, external and internal affairs, all of which will be in the same double-edged sword situation that was mentioned above.
At the end of the day, this is a suggestion thread, but I would like to hear the experiences those who hold the ranks I've mentioned and how they have taken such experiences- If they have gone through it, that is. It is important to remember ourselves that above all else:
1) This is not a job, nor should it be taken as one. Some of you already have to struggle with an ACTUAL job, so worrying to an extent where you mental health is on a steep decline into oblivion is not the right way to take it.
2) Above all else, DO NOT become the metaphorical battery to those around you. Giving away your finite 'charges' will only lead you into a path of burnout.
Do also suggest how you could help lessen this, too. I'm just praying that this problem can be solved before it becomes too much or it does irrepairable damage to the ecosystem we currently have.
on a side note i deadass hope i didnt get lost in tha sauce with this one aughÂ
RE: Distribution of power, responsabilities, stress & others. - Pyro - 01-27-2023
This can be accomplished by the leaders choosing to enact social reform and perform delegation among their peers. A failure to do so is a failure on the player's part, or, for some reason, they feel obligated to shoulder the burden of a make believe game.
If you do not feel your peers are capable of accomplishing this task then you may have chosen them poorly. Autonomy is also something that can be granted to other players, should you trust them enough, and I'd sure hope you do or, again, you should find better replacements.
Attempting to force this doesn't get players anywhere and is more likely to cause internal conflict (to the detriment of those involved), and furthermore, there isn't really a way to force it.
To reiterate, in the end, this falls solely upon the players who have chosen to take leadership roles. If they do not feel capable of sharing their "dues", then they can go through the in character process of shunting the role.
RE: Distribution of power, responsabilities, stress & others. - Shadbase - 01-28-2023
Just wanted to point out that regardless of how they feel, in any place (not even just SL2), people can and will keep their positions of power regardless either due to martyr/Jesus complex, fear of being ostracized/criticized for "weakness" or "failure", or because they just like being in power but don't care about the responsibility fully.
Despite not being in any sort of power in Korvara (and thank god in retrospect), I've gotten the first two in both Sigrogana and Korvara, and I know a few leaders (past and present) have also dealt with at least ONE of those things, so this isn't new nor is it just simply "gone" because of Korvara's new systems.
There is a lot, and I mean a LOT more than just the process of leaving a role IC, because the community can be a massive role and even stress at times the moment you even consider leaving. The roles in Korvara are entirely without restriction by Dev or the GMs (in the sense of being made and chosen), and if leaders could take the moment to consider what Kaw is saying to help lighten the load on themselves as well as others, it'd be benefiting EVERYONE. These roles are stressful IC and OOC, even for people who aren't in power at times.
I just want to say, and probably in a bit more mother-ly caregiver way than Pyro said:
Please, consider your OOC health and mental stability over your IC duties. There's nothing wrong with a break. There's nothing wrong with delegation. There's nothing wrong with quitting. People will say and do whatever in response, but if it's rude or outright disrespectful, ignore them. It doesn't matter, and neither do they. What matters is how you feel, your comfort, and especially your fun. SL2 is a game, and not a job regardless of how it feels. The majority of the whole reason I stopped playing Korvara for a while was because of the constant politics I was enduring due to empathy and being the mom friend OOCly is why I needed a break, and it feels much better to have just stopped all of that and gone AWOL on my two Korvara characters.
I know the FOMO can be real with BYOND RP games in general as well, and I get it a lot as well, but getting over and coping with that feeling is important too. I got summoned as a witness for Sigrogana once while I was at the store with my mom, and my mom was not very happy with the fact I was having a panic attack over the fact I wasn't home to immediately do that. It shouldn't have to be that way - if things happen, they happen, and IRL matters more for the sake of your well-being.
Do what you have to do to make your IC life easier, even if that means quitting a role that you cannot stand for one reason or another. In the end, the people who matter will always understand why you did what you did, and you will feel much better down the line.
RE: Distribution of power, responsabilities, stress & others. - Poruku - 01-31-2023
Delegate, talk to your peers, and be honest with yourself and others. If you aren't having fun, what's the point?
It's a game, lads. If people are asking too much of you, or if you are asking too much of yourself, then say no. You should absolutely delegate anything that doesn't require your attention specifically. That's why your subordinates exist! And those guys should also delegate if it gets too much, so on and so forth. Except for really unique cases or catastrophes, the leader at the top actually rarely needs to do anything.
I also wanna say, it's ok to step down. You should never feel like you have to sacrifice yourself. It's always better to go for a proper, clean ending instead of a slow slog that gets worse and worse. That being said, I can understand the desire to stay in power cause power is inherently something we desire as people. Though with great power comes great responsibility. And fake internet video game responsibility isn't worth stressing over.