Contacting DMs - Arelith Wiki

This article is a stub. You can help Arelith Wiki by expanding it.

Any player can get in situations when there will be need of an assistance from a Dungeon master (DM). Remember to always keep your requests polite and be patience when asking for assistance.

When player witnesses rule violation

If possible, take screenshot or note the time and names of those involved.
Ensure that it is indeed a rule violation by rereading the rules in your Journal.
Player can try to send POLITE short tell to offender. Some players can be new to server and not avare of all server rules. If you disagree on interpretation of rules, it is often wiser to submit the case to DMs, rather then argue at length in tells and spoil the game for both of you.
Try to contact a DM in game.
If you can't get one in game, send it to a DM via the PM on forums or other private channel. Do not post about the incident publicly on forums!

"Please include the character names of whomever was involved, including the rule-breaker, the victim(s) and any witnesses; also, any screenshots you have of the event typically help." DM Watchtower

6. If you have exhausted that path and do not feel as if the situation was handled fairly, contact Jjjerm.

Consider before you contact a DM

(supplied and confirmed by Jjjerm)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j147/jjjerm/ArelithPower.jpg

In game

This is preferred and fastest way to contact DMs that are currently online. Send a polite short message on DM channel.

Either switch to DM channel on left side of window where you type text or use /dm before the text you wish to send. For example:

/dm If anyone has a moment, I have a token request.

Players will not see the text appear in Chat window, since only DMs can see what is written on DM channel.

It is preferred to include reason for request in your short message.

"I've found a bug", "I'm stuck in a wall", "I'm looking for a PrC Token"

But when asking on the DM Channel

Bad way of trying and get DM's attention: "Anybody there?" or "Anyone got a few minutes?"

That way DMs can deal with the requests according to their urgency and how long each requires. For example: "Stuck in wall", rule breaking and "quick question on alignments" would likely be handled before "PrC quest".

If player gets no reply, then it is recommended to try again in 10-30 minutes. Keep in mind that no DM can be online at that time or that they can be occupied with some other of those 74 players on server.

"If you have a legit DM question, like token, alignment change, "I am stuck", "My fixture is stuck in the wall" and such, just keep trying, every ½ hour or so. It will not be considered spamming the DM channel. It's our job to fix those issues. If we are on, we'll normally answer if we got time or not." Qizzia

Be patient. Especially if asking for Prestige Class quest, it may take few days or even weeks before player gets lucky and both player and a DM have time at the same time. If player doesn't succeed in few weeks, or have some important issue to report (rule violation or exploit), then is possible to try contact them over forums.

Requests for PRC tokens

If you are asking for a token for prestige class, try to send you request regularly when you are online (once per 1/2 hour). Start out nicely, like "If anyone has a moment, I have a token request." You can quickslot your request. If a DM is online and doesn't have time, (s)he'll likely send you a tell that says "Sorry, really busy" or something along those lines. (You will at least know who is in your time zone for future requests).

Should you not manage to get hold of a DM for several weeks, you can try to post your request on PrC Requests forum. Still, asking in game should be the first thing to try. To get the token, you will need to meet a DM in game anyway.

Use forum only if you can't get hold of any DM in game and need to arrange a meeting. Send them a private message(PM) if you want to keep details out of public. (PM can be send also to all DMs at once.)

Some players get their token instantly, some wait for weeks, even months. Yes, it's just not fair. But at the bottom line stands that one of the DMs got to be online, and have the time for it.

Not this way (bad example)

written by DM_Iron

"Well since Jack put this out on the public, I suppose I should respond publically in the vain hope that others will learn from this and avoid doing such childish actions:

During my first day back,

I am running a quest of goblins assaulting Cordor with two parties of at least 8 ppl each.
I am punishing a kobold and his human companion as they can't understand why they are not allowed in Wharftown
I am finding the bloke that spelled Dracula backwards and explaining to him why he can't have that name.

And

Jack has a chest that won't close.

So, as a DM, I am trying to see what impacts the server the most: Is it the 16+ folks that are scouring the city looking for the elusive portal that the goblins are getting through? Or is it the 5+ folks in Warftown that are trying very hard not to kill the kobold and his human friend because they 'simply don't get it'? Or is it the bloke that is running around in cordor with a 'famous name' impacting the 10 or so folks that are shooting me tells about it?

or is it the lone individual in a room that is being impacted by a chest?

it's all about time management folks, I try and give the most bang for the buck. I try and impact as many people as I can with the limited free time I have on the server to make this place as enjoyable as I can.

In the midst of running a quest, dealing with jollbles the kobold and Alucard the half vampire, I get this tell:

Jack Skeptikism: [Tell] DM DM HELP I opened a chest and then wrote something with the chest still open and now it won't close, the items probably will disapear if we reset or crash.

And about a minute laer I get this one:

Jack Skeptikism: [Tell] help

and then this one a minute later:

Jack Skeptikism: [Tell] OMG YOU NEED TO HELP

and a minute later:

Jack Skeptikism: [Tell] HELPHELPHELP

And another minute:

Jack Skeptikism: [Tell] don't ignore me this is srs

Jack Skeptikism: [Tell] HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

So I have not responded to him just yet as I was dealing with kobolds, vampires and goblins. However at this point, I can see that this person doesn't understand patience as I do. I have found that giving my children time outs usually work in teaching them patience. Any kind of sympathy I had for this bloke and his plight evaporated as the numerous tells started coming into my window.

Understand that you and me, for that matter have to deal with a set list of priorities. if it is impacting the server AND numerous folks, I will deal with it first. If it is not, then you are on the bottom of the list.

If you learn from this child's plight, and do not spam me with numerous tells over a period of less than five minutes, then I will get to you as soon as I can. And if you allow me to respond to your tells in a resonable time limit, we can effectively communicate.

Or you can be a child and I will give you a time out. Your choice, of course.

Iron"

(The player from example earned temporary ban.)

On forums

What?

Any uncertain issues, possible rule violations or exploits belong to Private Messages (PMs). Do not post any of those on open forums.

Questions are best posted in Questions & Answers forum where also other players can provide assistance.

Players can also post on open forums request for PRC if they are unable to contact a DM in game for many weeks. For this purpose serves PrC Requests forum.

Don't expect a reply from a DM at the same day. You may get lucky, but DMs are people too, they have their lives and may not be online every day.

How?

Keep it short, truthful (facts) and simple. Screenshots or quotations are often better then long descriptions.

List of all DMs registered on Arelith forums can be found on list of The team.

Other options

There is a live Arelith Chat where a DM can be sometimes found.

Some DMs may have also different ways of being reached by players. See their details here on Wiki.

The highest authority

Players that were banned or wish to plead own case higher to big boss should contact Ka Ta / Jjjerm. He is the one ensuring that the actions of the DMs are appropriate. If there is any situation where this was not the case, player will be reimbursed, and the acting DM will be reprimanded. Note that Jjjerm will never discuss the level of punishment of a DM with a player and that causeless accusations may not be taken favourably.