TOPIC: Formal Apology

Let us just start here.
Here is my application link: zarpgaming.com/index.php/forum/server-ap...-csm-hampered-no-mic

You see me here being short, rude, unfriendly, and ignoring the clear breach of rules regarding OOC chat and player conduct.

However. before I cut to the chase...

Let me just retrace my steps a bit and tell some of you about me. I started playing Garry's Mod about a year ago. I go to the Sandbox game mode and spend some hours on the I Just Want To Build server. I realized that there had to be more to the game than just this game mode, so after some hours I left to check out a game mode called Dark RP. I load the list of servers, sort by players ( highest player traffic to lowest ) and sure enough, ZARP was on the tippy top. I Join.

I first started off in the game mining for an evil young woman named Olu, who would have me mine hundreds of resources for one hundred thousand dollars, turn them into steel, and make a million. Through Olu I met Alleycat. And the rest is history. I learn how to base, build, follow rules, break rules, rp, meta, you name it!

But all good things must come to an end. Some months in we quickly realize how things could go wrong in an RP situation. Anything from ignorance of the rules to abuse. This was my first server; I HATED that people were doing what they could to make it WORSE!! Alleycat was the first to step up and apply for moderator, and a week after I followed suit.

Now this is where we become more individualized as we decide how we like to handle our situations. As we moved up in rank, so did our understanding of not only the inner workings of the ZARP community, but the effect one individual could have on it as well.

I started forming a mentality that even in the least personal and most professional sense; every player is a potential "customer" who will want our services in exchange for a high quality experience.

I learned that when you take the time to sit down a player, listen to their problem with the server, game, or other players/staff, you build the foundation for the staff/player relationship. The stronger the foundation, the more structure you can establish upon it.

I took this knowledge and applied it server wide in the time I was allotted on the server, and established many relationships, and formed a large structure. The structure was a punishment system that said good bye to the slap on the wrist and a warning that follows a player for eternity, and yields little knowledge to be had for the developing player.

Our customers, if running around like chickens with their heads cut off, will bump into each other, push and shove, and create a massive mess for the staff to have to clean up. This takes focus away from the player as an individual, and presents a larger crowd for one individual staff member to try to control.

This creates issues such as lacking motivation to want to deal with the "rule breakers", and the disgruntled mentality that F1's are "problems".

When you focus on an individual, and take the time to teach each individual the right way, in the long run you won't be as busy of a staff member for your allotted time on that server. I am my own testimony to this theory, and have seen micro instances in which this was true with other staff members.

This created time for me to want to WORK on the system, want to better myself and shoot for SA, spend more time with the lead team getting to know them, and maybe learn a thing or two from them. I even started dabbling in LUA, and wanted to code with EMP, maybe throw in some ideas of my own ( who wouldn't love that? )

Long story not so short, I have developed relationships online with a handful of really great people ( and some not so much, but we still love them ).

I left for a time thanks to an incident regarding my old gaming laptop. I had a passenger who did not like locking doors stepping out of my car, there was some drama with said person, and by the time I got home, I was not thinking to make sure all of my doors were locked like I normally would have. That same night, someone happened to see such a thing, and stole my 1700 dollar computer and 900 dollars worth of cold weather equipment for work.

In my absence, many a new staff member were brought on board, and many a person having left; I took for granted what was once my greatest attributes with this community; my relationships. My foundation grew considerably weaker, and I had done very little to reinforce it.

I care a lot about you, the guy next to you, and my one and only server.

I will not take blame for everything, but there are many things I DO have control of; chief among them being my ATTITUDE. I am sorry to those who know me, and even more sorry to those who don't; that you should know me as someone I really am not.

Impatient
Unfriendly
Ignorant of the rules
Rude

These things do NOT describe me, and are not who I will be.

As someone who wants the love of his community, and is not afraid to stand for something...



And please...
Don't be afraid to

ASK QUESTIONS AS I HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE, TOO
ADD ME
INVITE ME
ACCEPT INVITES
VENT TO
BE VENTED TO
DONATE SKINS
MAKE ME STAFF ( I actually take a lot of pride in my abilities as one )

I'm here guys lol.

Alright cheesy switch off!

This gmod life story has touched my heart , the tears of joy dripping down my face , but seriously, gg

Actions speak louder than words. But, this is a good start.

P.s. add me on steam: illuminatixs - we can talk about lua & you learning it.

I don't know who you are, so you're all good here ^^

Thanks for showing your apologies, better luck next time!

Is there any TL;DR Option?

The good ones make it right.

Hampered.
You're an amazing person. Sometimes (I mean twice) you do get a bit carried away.
Personally the good in you outweighs the bad. I see a lot of staff who are no where near as good as you. I never had a player complain about you, you were always kind, polite, open, never afraid to admit you're wrong, effective.
For someone so kind it's kinda surprising things like these don't happen more often. I mean no other staff I know can keep such a friendly tone towards everyone and not have a meltdown every day.

Kristofferson wrote: I bet he's referring to me :/

Don't worry about it Hampered, anything can be fixed with a bit of time and the will to change. Just show everyone who has a bad impression of you that they are wrong and those who still want to hate, let them hate.

No Johnny, I mean like there's some REALLY mingy staff.

Kristofferson wrote: I wonder who

I was summoned?

Lol! You guys made my day

Thank you illuminatis, kristoff, and johnny.

I just needed to be reminded that patience is required not only to be HAD, but SHOWN, as SHOWING is all you do as a staff member. People not only have to have been a part of a great experience, but shown that great experience as well when playing on their favorite server.

Anywho sorry it was so long lol, I just think there is a good deal people may not know, and some people that even know me now may not know about me.

Hampered wrote:
Good thing you've seen the light. Lets hope you will show it to us aswell.