Quote:The Maple Guide Program
So we gave you an idea about the Volunteer Deputy program we’re looking to start. Believe me folks, this project is going to happen. However since it’s in the planning state we would like to change the name of the program to Maple Guide… what do you think? If you have any ideas of what the title of the Maple Guide should be called let us know. We want to hear your ideas!

The purpose of the Maple Guide program is to provide assistance to Nexon MapleStory Game Masters in enforcing a positive in-game community. Guides would be given a special account with limited functions to keep an eye out for those who violate our User Abuse Policy.

[B]The Application Process
Now, we’re not letting just anybody into the program. We have a rigorous application process in store. Why? We want execute the program without issues and bring in the right people. Applicants must be at least level 70 and be in our service area. There will be questions and essays to fill out to give us a feel for who you are and why you’re meant to fill the shoes of a Maple Guide. All applicants’ accounts will be subjected to a full investigation. Any suspicion or records of abuse will result in an immediate disqualification.

The Job Description
Guides will have designated accounts flagged as a Guide. Those accounts have very minimal abilities and no player will be allowed to volunteer on same sever(s) they play on to prevent abuse or biased actions. We are proposing that they will have the ability to hide and appear, fly and teleport to certain maps. They will not be able to suspend players but they will have the ability to flag a player for investigation. It is similar to the reporting function in a sense and guides will be required to submit evidence in support of their claim. A Nexon GM will then investigate the flagged player and take the appropriate course of action. This does not mean the player report function becomes invalid—there will always be more players than guides and GMs will also view player reports.

In essence, Guides are community helpers. Their tasks will not only include assisting Game Masters enforce the User Abuse Policy; they will also be there to foster and promote a positive community among all its members.

Please note that Guides will not be official Nexon Representatives. They will not have the ability to help a player with their account and players will not be able to use Guides as another communication channel for Customer Support.

No Tolerance Policy
We’re trusting Guides to act appropriately and handle this volunteer program professionally. Should we ever find a Guide abusing any privileges, s/he will be immediately removed from the program and their play accounts suspended.


That is the general basis so far for the Maple Guide program. We’re sure there are many questions that weren’t addressed but more information will be released as we start the process. We want you to know that we are looking at this program from all sides, corners and views. If you have ideas, additions, concerns etc. about the program we should hear, let us know by posting here.

Quote:GM Tiara who is in charge of the program has been keeping her eye on this thread and she asked me to post her responses to some of your questions.



-Hime-





Hello Maplers!

I have been watching this thread grow and I want to take some time to address some of your concerns.

1. For everyone who gave name suggestions… THANK YOU!! There are some really good ones in there (I like Pie)! One thing we want to ensure is that our players do not view the guides as someone with ultimate authority as the actual GMs should be. So we want to stay away from names that imply authority… sorry no PoPo for joo! I agree guide may not have the right feel, we also considered Junior, but with the new family system…. Ummm yeah no. So keep the suggestions coming!
2. Will the applicants be restricted to the Los Angeles area? No, of course not. By service area we mean anyone who has access to Global MapleStory. If you are accessing our server via a BAD BAD BAD connection that will not count as you MUST be in our service area to even be playing Global MapleStory. I hope that makes sense. I could tell you more, but it’s a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo that makes my head hurt.
3. Will the progress of the players remain intact? Just to clarify, the guide account will be an entirely different account than your play account. They will have nothing to do with each other and should never be associated as the same person in any way. We want the guides to be guides when they are guiding. We want the players to be players when they are playing. No playing when you’re guiding… no guiding when you’re playing (but you can still use the AlertGM function like everyone should anyway!!!)
4. What if I have characters on all servers, does that mean I am disqualified? I do not want to discourage anyone from applying so if you have characters on every server, but really only play on one or two, we will try to work with you. We truly want to prevent possible abuse, so it is imperative that we do not allow the guides to patrol a server that they have a direct interest and connection too. Think of it this way… there is a player who has been bugging you… as a guide you decide to report them and get them in trouble… is that cool? For those of you who said yes, don’t bother applying. J Just kidding, but you all know what I mean… it’s not cool and we don’t want to put the guides in any situation where they have to make a judgment call based on personal feelings.
5. Do we have to “work” a certain amount of time each day? No, because you are not Nexon employees we will not have schedules. Volunteering for this program should be just that… volunteering. You put the time in YOU want to WHEN you want to. We will expect you to keep track of daily activities when you do choose to patrol, but as far as when and for how long? That is completely up to you.
6. Will guides be considered for employment at Nexon? That depends! If there are positions open at Nexon, you are always welcome to apply. But if the question is will a guide be considered over other applicants… then it’s just way too early to say. We really want to get this program going and see how it works out. My personal feeling is that if you work hard and being in the gaming industry is where you want to be, then you simply need to keep working and looking for that open door. J How do you think I got here?
7. Will a guide's report have more priority over the AlertGM reports? Again, this depends. We have many different GMs assigned to do many different things. So specific GMs will be assigned to monitor and review guide reports, just as we have specific GMs assigned to monitor and review player reports, and specific GMs assigned to monitor and review harassment tickets, and specific GMs to answer player questions in the ticketing system… get the picture? Basically, in order for the guide program to work, yes the GMs will have to work closely with them to obtain the evidence and take action.
8. Why is the level requirement so high? We actually hee-hawed quite a bit on what the accepted level should be. We want to ensure that those who are applying are dedicated Maplers. Does this mean that a level 54 is not a dedicated Mapler? No, it does not. It simply means, we had to start somewhere. If the level requirement proves itself to be too high (or low for that matter) we will consider adjusting it. I want you all to know that these questions you bring up are valid and really make us think! Thank you!
9. Why is the level requirement so low? We understand that some higher level players may be concerned about what a level 70 might “view” as hacking/abuse. This is why ALL evidence will be reviewed by a GM before any action is taken.
10.There should be a timed test of knowledge... Genius.

So you have all given me a lot to think about and I appreciate it! Keep the feedback coming and keep looking out for more info on this program.

Sincerely,

Lead GM Tiara

Quote:More from Tiara~


1. What degree of contact will these volunteers actually have with real GMs? This information is really only for program participants and will not be made available outside the program. This is to prevent players from trying to use/abuse guides to get to the GMs. They will have contact with us, but as to how much and how… that is not for public knowledge. Sorry!
2. Can these volunteers have automatic access to Tespia during test periods? This has not been considered as an option, but I appreciate the suggestion. I will definitely consider it, but at this time I can’t state one way or the other whether this will ever be part of the program.
3. Will the volunteers have a cross-worlds mean of communicating with each other? We are investigating several ideas about how to ensure that the guides can communicate with each other and GMs. This is definitely a priority, but when it is determined… it might also be information for program participants only.
4. For those of you who are already submitting tickets and/or posting your application… IT’S NOT TIME YET! When the application process is open, you will know. Until then, you have to wait. Please do not post or submit tickets. We are glad you are excited with us, but please be patient!
5. For those of you who are giving specific suggestions on how the program should work… Just know that much of what you are suggesting is already thought of, or we actually are already planning on doing. What I want you all to understand is that all the specifics of how the program will work is not going to be laid out here. Most of what we have in mind is specific to the participants of the program. However, where your suggestions have a voiced or unvoiced concern that is what I want to address… so please don’t think you’re being ignored if your suggestions are not responded to.
6. Will guides be able to communicate openly with other players or their friends? Guides will communicate with the players, however because the guide account will not and should not be tied to their play account in any way this means that as a guide you are THAT GUIDE, and as your play character you are that character. People should never know that Guide Soandso is the same as UberplayerX. Again, this is to prevent abuse of the guides as well as prevent possible temptation of the guides when communicating with someone they know personally.
7. Is there anything in place to keep watch of “sneaky” maplers? This has definitely been thought of. When I say the application process is going to be rigorous I don’t just mean for the players!!! We, as GMs are going to be super busy investigating each and every account for any speck of abuse. If there is one thing I could say over and over… this will not be an easy program to get into. This program needs to be this way so that the players understand that those who did get in, must be trustworthy and an upstanding Maple Citizen.

I would just like to point out this statement by zenkat:

Hackers hack in the same spots regardless of what server they're in.

Two words… Tru Dat!

The names so far have been great! Keep them coming. Hopefully I can start calling them something other than guides soon… I think we all agree it needs to change.

Sincerely,

Lead GM Tiara

Quote:Hello again everyone!

I have been following the thread and I’m very happy and excited to see such positive feedback. Before I go much further I would like to point out something that Hime said in her original post:

If you have ideas, additions, concerns etc. about the program we should hear, let us know by posting here.

I do not want us to stray from the original purpose of this post. Please understand that every question may not be answered. The purpose of this thread was not to lay out the program guidelines. Most of the program guidelines will only be made known to the program participants. So if it seems as if I have ignored your question, please forgive me but know that it may simply be that it’s not a question that can be answered here.

So far the major concerns stated have already been addressed. Re-hashing the same concerns is great for hearing the community opinions, however, I will not continue to address the same concern. That doesn’t mean I’m not listening.

Most often I find myself smiling when I read your posts because most of you seem to be understanding what we are trying to do. You also seem to be asking the right questions, which is good, but again this doesn’t mean that those questions will be answered here. I hope you understand.

Now to list some of the questions that I will not be able to answer:

Will there be an age limit?
Will there be an account age limit?
Will guides be able to patrol on more than one server?
How many guides are you going to select?
When does the program start?

In addition, some of you are asking questions that have already been previously asked, but cleverly trying to change the wording to hopefully pull more information out of me won’t work. Not to mention that some are asking questions that were either answered by the original post or by the two other posts by me. F6 Why would you do that? :p

I’m here… I’m reading… I’m taking notes… I’m laughing… I’m crying… and my nose is stuffy…

Thank you,

Lead GM Tiara

Quote:Hello Maplers!

I believe it is time to end this thread. I have enjoyed reading all 35 pages and I’m happy to say that you all did a great job in giving us ideas, things to think about and confirming ideas we were already exploring. A million times, thank you. We’re glad to see how many of you are excited about this program, and we would also like to express our appreciation towards those that took the time to voice their concerns (both positive and negative) regarding this program.

Also… to whomever accused Hime and I of account sharing: shame on you for even suggesting it! We use this wacky thing called “email” and she’s been posting my thoughts for me. But if it makes you more comfortable, I’ll post for myself.

The reason I want to close this thread is because at this point we are rehashing the same questions, and even though more information may be requested it is not necessarily going to be given to the general public. I would like to recap what we have come up with so far. The original post by Hime and two subsequent posts from me can be found here:

http://forum.nexon.net/MapleStory/fo...howThread.aspx
http://forum.nexon.net/MapleStory/fo...howThread.aspx
http://forum.nexon.net/MapleStory/fo...howThread.aspx

Now I will take this opportunity to answer some final questions before I give out more information.

1. For those of you who have suggested this type of program in the past… I have to say this accusation happens all the time, you know… the one where you think we’ve stolen the idea and not giving you any credit for it? Well I just want to set the record straight! Any new content, or idea or program is usually in the planning stages for a VERY long time before it’s released to the public. So if you have an idea that coincides with something we are doing, then think of it this way… great minds think alike! But to be clear, when we use player ideas we make it known as well. (Some examples of this policy are at the end of this message…
2. Will players have a way to contact each other or other GMs? (such as through a buddy list) There is no need to have a buddy list on the guide characters. The guide account is NOT a play account and it will not be used to play the game nor to make new friends. The guide account is an account made specifically to do in game monitoring. As for contact with other GMs, I believe I mentioned earlier that this is being worked on and will be program participant knowledge only.
3. What will the stats be on a guide? Will they be able to survive monster attacks? In this sense, the guide accounts works like a GM account in that since it is not used for playing purposes it will not need to directly interact with NPCs or Mobs. So you won’t be doing quests or killing mobs. Nor will you be killing players. I’m sorry, but we can’t allow that. No matter how tempting...
4. Will guides be able to see the past history of other players? No, as we wish to maintain the privacy of each account.
5. What if a guide takes a hiatus from the game, do they lose their guide status? This will be determined on a case by case basis.
6. For those of you who think this is only about catching hackers… I just want it to be clear that while hackers are definitely a priority, they are not the only focus of a guide. The guide will be there to ensure all Terms of Use are being abided by. Therefore, they should also report on inappropriate names, pet names and guild names, as well as other problems such as advertisers, foul language, inappropriate store names, scam games, etc., to name a few..
7. Will the guides be announced or will there be a list of guide names to prevent scams? No. For the beginning of the program, the guides are going to be anonymous. As time goes on, and the program grows, so will the visibility of the guides. However, we do not want to release names, as we do not want the public bombarding the guides with issues. Please remember that we still expect the players to use the Alert GM function and submit harassment tickets as usual. (So many of you have given up on the Alert GM function, and that’s too bad, because the Alert GM reports are invaluable to us.) The guide program will not ever replace the eyes and ears of the players. As far as scams go, because the guides should not be visible very often, it is very unlikely that a guide should be talking to the players at all. So if you are approached by someone claiming to be a guide, you will still need to make sure that you protect yourself from being scammed. As with GMs, a guide will NEVER ask for your pin or password.
8. Why can’t we patrol on the server we play on? Now I have heard many an argument on both sides, but I have to be honest this point was discussed amongst all the GMs and we firmly believe that the potential bias far outweighs the potential benefits. The truth is… the program is about keeping MapleStory clean, fun and enjoyable as a whole, and giving the actual Maplers a chance to have a hand in that. So if you believe that the only value you can bring to this program is by patrolling your own server, then this may not be the best way for you to contribute to the Maple community. I truly hope that you can seriously consider this advice and don’t give up on applying just because you won’t be patrolling your own server.
9. Will there be anyone we would allow in the program without going through the application process? No, everyone will be required to go through the application process.


Ok, so on to some more exciting information. I want you all to know that we did take your suggestions into consideration (see? We already validated our 1st point! ).Just for starters, here are some of the points we are considering based on your suggestions:

· Changing the name of the program
· Adjusting the level requirement
· Making the test of knowledge a timed test
· Guides being considered for other Nexon projects (such as test server or player events)

I can’t promise anything, but I wanted you to know… we are listening. In fact, I could use your help with a couple of other things for this program. If you’re willing to help, keep your eyes open for new posts, I will be making a new call for help shortly that you ALL can participate in.

Thank you everyone! Talk to you soon,

Lead GM Tiara

Quote:Hello Maplers!

As you know we are developing our Maple Guide program questionnaire… we have already come up with hundreds of questions and you know what? We want hundreds more! So who better to help us than those of you who know it best…

We want to make quizzes that will help us to find the truly hardcore Maplers! What questions do you think only the most loyal of Maplers would know? What knowledge would make you say “F3, man, this person knows their stuff”?

Submit a ticket to play Quiz Master and give us the most mind-cracking trivia you’ve got.



-Requirements for Submitting-

Please submit only questions pertaining to the world of MapleStory Global. Questions regarding the rest of the MapleStory franchise won’t be accepted at this time.

Questions should prove that the answerer is a dedicated Mapler. No, “What color is a red snail?” doesn’t count.

Tickets should be submitted in the Feedback queue of the Customer Support Ticket System. Please make the subject Trivia Question Submission, or your ticket may not reach the proper destination.

Feel free to submit as many questions as you want, but please submit one question only for each ticket.



-Labeling a Question-

Each question should have the following labels:

Category: Questions should either be labeled “-Specific Job-” or “General”, meaning that it relates to the rest of the Maple World. If it’s Job Related, please be sure to say the name of the job!

Level: This is the level a player would have to be to know the answer.



-Examples-

Here are some that we came up with:

- Brawler; Level 30: Q: What object does a Brawler always have on hand to help them hide? (Hint: Not a cardboard box. That would just be silly) A: Barrel
- Marksman; Level 120: Q: What is the name of the NPC a Sniper needs to contact to become a Marksman. A: Legor

Thanks for helping us craft such challenging quizzes. Happy Mapling!

_______________

http://forum.nexon.net/MapleStory/fo...d.aspx#2618581