We had a discussion earlier on the TSPRP server about potentially merging the server back into the main one. It was extensive, but I wanted to bring it up on the forum to have something more permanent than a discord conversation.
This is my proposal, and I am very much fine with feedback and changes to this as appropriate, if there’s room to maneuver.
Roleplay Category
#rp-lounge #rp-mods - mod access only #wiki #conlang #design #worldbuilding - forum #pacifica-discussion #pacifica-worldbuilding - possible, could be merged into #worldbuilding #a1-0-discussion #a1-0-worldbuilding - possible, could be merged into #worldbuilding #aurora-discussion #aurora-worldbuilding - possible, could be merged into #worldbuilding
Several new roles:
Roleplay Moderator - Access to #rp-mods, able to moderate the category
Senior Roleplayer - Cosmetic role
Roleplayer - Cosmetic role, for use in Community Onboarding
Canon-specific channels require Citizen+ masking, general channels can be accessed by Dignitaries, unmasked individuals cannot post in any Roleplay channel
Open to thoughts and ideas on a potential merger, and feedback on the above.
I’m going to start by transposing a brief summary of the concerns that were discussed on the TSPRP Discord:
TSPRP’s community will get buried in the high population of TSP-Main and/or lose autonomy to moderators & administrators that will prioritize TSPolitics/TSP-Main/etc over TSPRP.
The severe cultural differences between TSPRP and TSP-Main will result in caustic arguments between the two factions over e.g. misunderstandings of RP-related memes or people’s stances on certain IRL topics.
A high influx of TSP-Mainers to TSPRP’s section or other increased TSP-Mainer presence and influence will cause unwanted changes in the quality, tone, or other aspects of roleplays conducted on the forums.
Additionally, I find the restrictions on posting in each canon’s channels to be unnecessary and undesirable for multiple reasons; conversations in the channel of one canon can change topics to another canon, and people should be able to participate in those kinds of discussions. Some people also join the Discord and ask questions about a canon or the roleplay on it before joining said canon, and that wouldn’t be possible under this rule if the canon masks are restricted to active members of each canon.
I must fully agree with Robby here, in my opinion the cons outweigh the benefits. It is almost certain to lead to a lot of chaos which it’s better TSPRP avoids
I’m also worried about the future of TSP as a whole. While I was gone for 5 months, it would seem the Assembly passed an amendment that ceases to represent the rmb as a separate entity, which I believe to be in error as the the RMB and off-site are two very different places. I feel that this vote disproportionately affects the rmb and will only serve to strengthen the divisions between off-site and on-site.
I believe the same thing is happening here.
It is a noble idea to want one community for TSP, and culture, but it is a mistake. Each of our three communities have grown in ways that are unique to the platform, and don’t deserve to be buried under the current discord culture. This is especially true with the TSPRP discord, which has thrived apart from the main TSP discord and has users who actively choose not to interact with people on the main discord. I don’t see any benefit worth the clear risk posed to the core of the roleplay. I also believe the sudden influx of topics would make the TSP discord bloated and discourage active participation in both halves.
I urge to government members pushing for a “united” TSP to think about the consequences of a merger, and ask themselves whether expanding your culture is truly worth suppressing others.
I completely agree. Even small influxes of people have brought some notable changes to certain canons, so a bigger influx would definitely bring too much chaos and unwanted changes. I can clearly see that this idea was made in good will, but it would definitely be a big mistake.
I like this idea. Ideally, roleplay channels will be locked behind a role that people can give themselves. This way, if someone is offended by something in RP, they can just leave, and I am sure mods have the capacity to understand what is RP and what is not.
So having two separate discord servers doesn’t already discourage active participation in both halves of the community? I know I don’t ever talk in the main server because I spend most of my time on the RP server, so if they were together then maybe I would talk there more.
We are one group of people. We are TSPers. It has always been that way and it will never change. I fail to see how a merger of the servers will “suppress” the RP community. Imo, there is one big TSP community and there are a few small subsets of that community, which includes the RP.
What is currently stopping someone from joining the forums and then joining the RP through the forum? Nothing. What is stopping the discord mods from adding a link to the RP server in the welcome channel? Nothing. This is just making everything more accessible to those who want to access it. Adding RP to the discord would have the exact same effect that it has right now on the forum: it is there if people want to access it, and some do, but most do not.
I’ve never had a problem interacting on all of the TSP platforms. Do you understand how crazy it is that your solution to being too inconvenienced to post on the main discord is merging two fleshed out discords so you don’t have to switch between them?
We’re three groups of people. The one’s on the RMB who just goof off and have fun, the ones of the off-site who are more engaged in the world around them and want to get involved politically in the region, and the rp community, who want to make fleshed out worlds and engage with other members in unique and creative ways. You can be a citizen of multiple countries, or you can be a citizen of one. There’s no one stopping you or forcing you to choose. The main discord is trying to oversimplify this by declaring their culture the best one. I truly believe the ProfessorHenn and the other government members will do everything they can to protect us, but inevitably we’ll become the side show, our rp’s will corrode and rot, and the rp community will become a shadow of it’s former self.
Nothing is stopping them from joining that way. But again, I’d like to avoid causing a bigger influx of people, especially since the last time it happened one of the new people that joined was a troll who wouldn’t respect the canon’s rules. Joining would increase the number of interested people (which would, again, cause unwanted changes as Robbie said), but it would also make it even easier for trolls and other ill-intentioned people to come here, and cause damage.
TSP is the only region I know of that has its roleplay community in a separate discord server from its normal regional operations. Most regions that have RP on discord have it on the same server, and those roleplays are thriving. I’ve got no idea where you’re getting this from, but whatever it is, it’s wrong. You’re creating fake scenarios to gaslight yourself into thinking that this is the wrong way.
We have moderators for that. If someone doesn’t want to participate in the roleplay… they get kicked out. It’s that simple.
This isn’t the government trying to enforce a policy. Merging the servers is an OOC topic.
Moderators don’t prioritize particular sections of the server over others. They enforce the Community Guidelines.
Having a civil disagreement over an IRL issue is not prohibited, and I don’t think any potential arguments that might emerge is reason enough to sink the whole idea.
The balance can be struck between a large influx of new players and maintaining high standards for roleplay, and that’s incumbent upon the community to enforce.
They would be handled by the moderation team. I also think there’s a severe over-estimation of the number of people that might join RP, especially those who might want to troll. Those players are much more likely to stick to the RMB, where the barrier to entry is much, much less intense.
Then why are some of the most outspoken proponents for it current and former government members. If you could explain to me why the rmb in no longer separate from the discord, perhaps it will clear up some of my misconceptions?
You can’t guarantee the protection of the rp when you admitted that you yourself don’t even interact with the TSP server. Even when you were a Minister you couldn’t even be bothered to perform your duties
You’ve mentioned this several times but I’m not sure what you’re referring to. Could you clarify?
I spend enough time there to understand that the moderators won’t destroy the RP day 1 like you think, and I trust Henn when he says he will ensure the RP stays as it is.
Em mentioned in the Lounge that the whole Idea of the TSPRP Discord came from other regions RP’s having separate servers. I also find it hilarious that you are defending it, when you yourself are a legislator, so no, its not a coincidence.
Its not day 1, its after say, a new, Gameside Focused Government comes in, and the RP rots due to being relegated to a single channel(Em also said that they will go along with this plan, as long as it follows what is said, and ISN’t Changed)
Since this erases all mentions of the rmb being separate from the discord, it stops recognizing it as a separate entity. It’s not the discord that is eaten, it’s the rmb
Yes, but Discord has added a ton more features since the server was created (late 2018-early 2019?) that makes it much easier to have a lot of channels in a single server.
So I can’t be a roleplayer and a legislator?
I feel like you all are struggling to grasp that the IC government cannot do anything to the structure of the Discord server. That is up to the moderators of the server, which are not elected and are exclusively OOC.
Ok hmu when the rmb is destroyed like you’ve been saying is going to happen to TSPRP
The government doesn’t have any more sway in channel organization than anyone else. A new PM is not going to unilaterally shrink RP down to a single channel, because they can’t.