This is only what I've heard, so I cannot confirm whether it's true or not. What I've heard is GFX staff are expected to make 'x' amount of hats in 'x' amount of (time interval). If what I've said is true, then it makes perfect sense these hats are unappealing. It becomes more of a chore to make hats, and there's hardly any incentive to make them with quality. Like Simons said, the idea behind the hat is not the real issue. The creativity process may be rushed, and limit the quality of the hat. I don't believe they hire just anyone out there who owns MS Paint, or GIMP on their computer. Everyone on there does has some type of unique skill or style they can contribute. What could've been something cool, and creative would've been limited by a time factor.

However, in some cases there is just no real desire to make the hat, other than "If I don't have this hat done by ___ I'll be fired." If this is the only risk imaginable, it's hard to understand why people don't produce excellent results. They're not getting paid to make these hats. They're not getting any real 'reward' or fulfillment from this task other than the satisfaction of creating something everyone can enjoy. So then, why sign up for GFX staff? Or any kind of staff position for that matter? It makes no logical sense to do something you don't enjoy, for no reason at all. Or maybe there is a reason, and you still don't enjoy it. Now that's much worse than not having a reason. If you only sign up for GFX positions just for yourself to sit up on your high horse, make only the best hats for yourself, and play social bureaucrat: please, quit now. Quit your unpaid job, with no harm being done to the game or yourself, and rethink how else to gain significance without trying to be superior than anyone else.

To sum things up, there are two possible reasons why there's a great dissatisfaction with all the new hats being made. The first being, too much pressure on the staff team. The second being, they just downright don't care. Now, like I said earlier; everyone who has been hired has some skill or ability to create in their own way. The problem is not, and will never be: the people making the hats just suck. That is false. And it isn't anyone's place to criticize, especially if we don't make hats of our own. I suggest this matter should be approached more with sympathy for those who've worked hard, and those who have not, because those who have not are misguided and not in the right place or have the right motivation. Therefore, it is our job to provide feedback that will only improve the quality of their work, and ethic.

Because, despite all the "not paid, unfair treatment" stuff that IS TRUE, the fact of the matter is being staff grants several benefits that MANY players want. You can start events, you can drag people around, you can fly around graal and warp, you are popular....

Im sorry blueh, but your argument is sadly invalid for most people

You are correct. I did not take those measures into account while typing that post. There are benefits that do allow some significance for the person who has them. However, I am not certain that all players seem to understand the use of those benefits. I do agree, that the person with those benefits should at least be enjoying themselves. They've earned them.

My main opinion is that having those benefits should be seen as a tools in providing maximum satisfaction, rather than a means to power, or popularity. As silly as it may be, it's shameful to see that being the case in some situations, and most of us may even be able to think of a few instances from the top of our head. These benefits should not be the reason someone decides to be apart of the GFX. There are plenty of talented GFX artists out there, who we've never even heard of, because they aren't a part of the staff team, they don't have those benefits, or sometimes in some cases, even want those benefits. They just love what they do, which is what I think is the quality all of our artists should have.

ToxicTurn, for instance. Former staff member, talented GFX artist, and good friend of mine who went inactive. He loved to do pixel art, way before he was on the team. I personally, had the privilege of watching him develop in skill over the years. He spent most of his time working on some GFX related project when he wasn't busy on Graal. He absolutely loves to pixel. Then one day, he decided to apply for GFX staff. This was certainly no challenge for him getting in, all he had to do was create a few things to demonstrate his work. From what he told me, he didn't even meet the standard requirement by making enough hats, or furniture, or whatever he needed to create. But based off the quality of the work he did submit, he was accepted. Now today, you can find most of his hats in the Angel Clan store. And from what I've heard, people love 'em. The ideas behind some of the hats aren't at all original, but the quality put into them makes them definitely worth while.

Sorry, but none of that is really rewarding. Dragging players is a tool, you don't just go around dragging players for the lol. In fact, most of all of that is just a tool to get the job done, the novelty wears off very quickly. Also remember that none of these are typically accessible to the staffs player account... so it's kind of non-beneficial. Staff can warp, but they have nothing to warp to unless they need to for job-related reasons. Staff can be popular, but it's not like they're allowed to walk around unstealthed and absorb all fame. Not to mention staff get way more **** from players than praise anyways.

Your perspective on the matter is a player who would love to be an admin, and you imagine it's some amazing experience and you've put it up on the pedestal but in reality it's more work than fun.

Staff do get paid in gralats though and many of the staff are active players, so that is beneficial to them.

Oh... and Graal is a creative outlet. This is actually a very important factor here... many people may not have the time, or confidence to pursue a freelance/job position for their art. It's tough out there. Creating a game from scratch is also unlikely... so a lot of artists have nothing to do with their art. They can pixel, and put it in a gallery... but it has no use. Graal provides them with a way to give their art some purpose and exposure. That's worth more than I think a lot of people give it credit for. It's why I've stuck around as long as I have, at least.

Maybe thats the ideal way you guys want staff, but I have been playing Classic for a long ass time and I remember SO many instances where staff are
- walking around unstealthed, having a group follow them
- dragging their friends around, or players in general (think 1k guild celebrations, nexus parties, ect)
- broadcasting stuff for their friends and guilds (EXA: Voyage is at swamptown guild spar and they need some guilds to fight them ! Do you think you can beat them!?)
and, do not even get me started on the cheap-ass admin guilds in the past that were successful just because an admin was the leader. I was in Cruxis as a new player, and I helped a long way from 1k to 2k. Trigger would NEVER help. He was never online, and if he was he was usually doing something else. The kiss ups (no offense guys) would do all his work and he rewarded some as they ended up very soon after becoming admins themselves. Then they made admin guilds, and they got to 1k too. (Brotherhood of ninjas, Advent V, cxe partially, hyrule knights partially, ximtra partially, ect)

Dusty just because the staff tools maybe wore out on you rather fast, know that MANY other staff have used them to greatly benefit themselves. I understand you are a helpful developer and you are very trustworthy, but you are just one staff member in a long history of many more, and they did/do not share your ideals

gaaaahhhh too many walls of text.

Graphics staff should be encouraged to focus on making quality stuff instead being forced to pump out 'x' hats / 'x' time as Blueh put it.

And when I say quality, i mean something either fairly simple or something slightly elegant; nothing that scorches my retinas, makes me want to gouge my eyes out, regurgitate my lunch etc.

You're making me feel guilty that I haven't pixeled in a while .-.

Has it occured to you how old all of those examples were? Theyre barely valid. Today from what I see, as an average player that really just plays the game, the staff team is pretty professional. I mean, unless I started searching staff profiles and guilds trying to nitpick things that would make the team look bad, theres nothing wrong. In the past 6 months the only staff ive even seen out of stealth was Xavier, and he was casually walking around without a tag or crowd.

Sometimes when you're doing other stuff away from players you unstealth... and then you accidentally warp to the main map and not realize. It's actually something the staff tend to avoid doing because most staff don't like the attention it draws.

Just because a hat is made by a staff member doesn't mean that it needs to be used and uploaded for players to buy. I think that is the core issue here. You'd be surprised at how many quality hats have been produced under rushed deadlines and circumstances, the Angel Clan set being a good example of this.

This kind of stuff hasn't been happening for well over a year now. I may not have been the prefect GP admin but I think I was fairly successful in ending this kind of behavior while I was in charge on Classic and it seems the current administration is doing a good job of it as well.

I might had gotten a little carried away, after all I was using old examples. However, the FACT of the matter is the benefits are what keeps staff around, especially the lower ranked staff. They like to be known (its not an uncommon thing for people), they like to have more power than others around them, they like to control the situation, they like to be envy'd.

I mean come on guys, nothing is wrong with these benefits, especially if they are contained to just this (as its been stated it has, and I have noticed improvements). I'm just stating that there is an incentive to be staff, and it is the fame and power. Not necessarily the case for every individual, but the staff team as a whole. And many of them can handle their power responsibly and do their job while they have fun with it

ruffy :3

0_0

Actually, Developers SHOULDN'T be pressured in making their stuffs like
"Hey! If you don't work on these hats in 3 days, you're FIRED!"

They aren't. Staff know what's expected of them when they're hired and it's really not anything overwhelming.

not hating? lol im sure you're not

:angry::angry:You must be out your fn mind. HK got 1k with z,bart,mono,stomps,roxy,cherry,mimi, silver and me. We didn’t need an admin leader(when he became admin we are at over 650 hrs) and we didn’t need to noob recruit like 98% of the guilds that made it to 1k. So don’t be mentioning our name like you know anything about us.:angry::angry:

OK rant over (sensitive topic)