I was gonna wait to bring this to the council at the next meeting since this one seemed to be filling up quickly, but hey who knows, we might just fly through everything so why not. If we get to it great, if we don't - next time, no worries, no rush
LVS Pro Masons
There are 5 factors that deter player interest & participation:
1) A district with abandoned unfinished builds - this creates an air of stagnation any player can instantly feel.
2) A district where there are no other players in sight for many days at a time - most players, unlike me, are not hermits.
3) No incentive to collaborate.
4) No progress.
5) No help.
Stagnation is a problem every mayor or district faces, and in many cases, a mayor and/or the Council may have great plans for a district and can’t think how to begin to deal with the volume or logistics. I propose creating a crew, starting with me and growing organically (or not at all if that’s what Odin decrees - the service will be available nonetheless), called LVS Pro Masons, intended to supply a service in the form of renovations, official builds, landscaping and demolition to the Council, a Mayor or even possibly an individual in a non-official capacity. This crew would be Pro - as in funded by donation, and Masons well, because Minecraft. Just to be clear, since someone has already suggested we vote on the name, the intent of this Organisation is to facilitate action and thus will be sub-contracted or affiliated, not Council-run. I will be running the Pro-Masons personally.
The council, a mayor, or designated committee, can survey and mark certain builds within a district for 2-week observation, demolition or renovation and then call in the Masons. The Masons can then report to mayors or the council informing them when one project is completed and they are ready to move onto the next.
To address factor 1) If a player has
an unfinished build in an official district (Warp Accessed Town) and is inactive for six months or greater it may be assessed and assigned for
renovation/completion or demolition. This does not apply to personal builds outside of an official LVS district. This will open up new plots in existing districts where new players can have an opportunity to build in developed surroundings, possibly collaborate with ‘that fellow down the street’ who just moved in as well, and add to the overall beautification of the server.
To address factor 2) Pro Mason presence, simply going about their business, will spread that sense of community and activity.
To address factor 3) Pro Masons will show, by example, the collaborative nature of the server to new players encouraging them to make LVS their home.
To address factor 4 & 5) This one affects us all, not just new players. There will be constant progress! And should you ever want to a be part of it, the channels will already be there for any veteran or freshie alike to ‘jump in’ and volunteer, have some community building fun, and go back to their own project whenever they like. No pressure - no fuss.
Any potential disputes between private clients and The Pro Masons will be judged in accordance with Council and Server Law.
A Small note:I was originally thinking of naming the organisation the LVS Free Masons or Freemasons, but due to some recent events IRL where I have personally witnessed the great misfortune of the family of the Grandmaster of not one but two lodges, and further heard from his son “I’ve done some digging into this and found that many families of lodge members seem to encounter above average misfortune…” that, despite my reluctance to ever bow to possible superstition, it may be best to avoid aligning myself or others with the title merely for the sake of a game albeit a game I love.