Note: This thread is an evolving and interactive work in progress. As the discussion progresses, this original post is updated with additions, modifications, or clarification. Please read the original post and then jump toward the end of the thread to take part in the current conversation. If you wish to see the entire evolution of this, please feel free to read the whole thread, many people have made a contribution to this and a lot of the below ideas come from the people who have posted in this thread
Marco has subscribed to this thread however due to how busy they are with VU10.0, the bug fixes, and updates, he wants to wait until October to dive into this topic. That gives us plenty of time to work out the details.
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In early August, several threads were created regarding an Entropia Government. Let me be very clear about this, the DPAB is
NOT a government in any way shape or form.
This proposal has two fundamental parts:
1. Create a place where MA and FPC can bring their ideas to us BEFORE implementing them. First they let us fine tune the concept of whatever new feature or system they want to launch. This will make these new things by far more enjoyable, more usable, and more successful.
2. Ideas, concerns, or whatever that have a lot of support in the EU community could be championed by the DPAB. If MA or FPC arent being receptive to an idea, we would find out why they are against it, and if possible overcome the objection by finding a viable solution. A perfect example would be the in-game rental system idea.
Regarding an Entropia Government:
I want to say that I am 100% totally and completely
against anything that governs, or pretends to govern anything in the Entropia Universe. I am especially against anything that puts a tax on EU participants so someone can run around and play Governor with our money.
I don’t need some "Government" telling me how to play EU. Leave me alone, leave my ped alone. Furthermore, I don’t need anyone representing me or my ideas. I am perfectly capable of speaking for myself and conveying my thoughts to others.
‘Nuff said!
A couple of months ago, this post was made by Marco:
Me, FPC, whatever, liked the alliance as a starting point of a political movement, a step to a more "civilized" community. But I am not sure that the Landgrab event, as intended to be a PvP battle match, is the right venue. From my point of view we however need to introduce other contest into Calypso where politics have a vital role to play and make this into an exciting gameplay element as well. Be it elections, be it that the continents are differentiated into states where avatars can become governors of the states, etc. The potential is there.
Maybe add a state-wide tax that goes to the governors budget? ,-)
Since Marco is the CEO of First Planet Company, if Marco wants a Government, he will probably get it one way or another.
I think that most of the people who are in favor of an EU Government, only favor it because of the fun and interesting dynamics the democratic election process would bring to Calypso. The problem with that election process is the result, which is the elected official(s) running around trying to govern the rest of us while making decisions that please one group of people at the expense or frustration of another group.
There is no doubt that the process of democratic elections would in fact bring a fun and interesting dynamic to EU. The problem is the result of them. If only there was a way to have these democratic elections without having a government or elected officials as the result.
According to polls that have been done about Government in EU only about 10% to 20%% of people want one. Seeing as how only a very small percentage voted in favor of an EU Government, it would be very hard to justify the creation of one. With that said, MindArk almost never really asks our opinion on anything, MindArk does what MindArk wants to do and they hope for the best, which is exactly the fundamental problem that I want to address through the proposed solution below.
When Project Entropia was first created, MindArk had an official forum where they asked for people's thoughts, opinions, and advice on various aspects of the game. When they had an idea they would often times present it to us and get our feedback on it. Eventually, various kinds of nefarious people ruined that forum and MindArk closed it for that and other reasons. From there, the bulk of people started using the Entropia Pioneers forum, which essentially for awhile was the
de facto forum for the EU. MindArk, on a limited scale, would seek advice and opinions of EU players but eventually that forum was also destroyed by a bunch of misfits, trolls, and the like who caused excessive moderation to set in. Now we have the Entropia Forum and as years have gone by, MindArk seeks our advice less and less. These days, for better or worse, they mainly just announce things.
In my proposal below, a few things are accomplished
1. Gives us the fun and interesting dynamics of democratic elections without the undesired result of an elected official, government, etc.
2. Gives people a reason to get involved with and be interested in the election process one way or another.
3. Creates a controlled environment where MindArk can involve the EU player base on the developmental processes of the Entropia Universe again.
4. Gives the player base a louder collective voice on topics that need it.
I have a bit of experience creating something similar to what this will develop into. First we need to discuss the framework and rules of it. We need to discuss how it will function and piece it all together accordingly. In October we will here from Marco and hopefully get his input. I would like it very much if Marco took the time to have an open discussion with us about this topic.
Because of how massive this thread is, in October I will probably close this thread and create a new one. That way we can copy and paste what we have put together and then start fresh with Marco.
It is my intent to have an open and constructive debate on all components of this. In the spirit of that, let’s all try to understand the position of the person with an opposite opinion before we post a reply.
Also, please do not feed the trolls, just ignore them.
Below is my proposal, it is an evolving work in progress. As new ideas and opinions are submitted, I edit this post and make changes where needed, recent changes will usually be in a different color.
Development & Planning Advisory Board
DPAB
The name needs to be descriptive of what the essence of the organization is. Entropia Council sounds cooler but does not represent what it will be. Of course, the word "council" can also be used in a broad way. Will this be called the DPAB? Probably not but for now it works.
Mission Statement:
Together with MA, FPC, and other Planet Partners, we will create and maintain an atmosphere that is conducive to constructive forward thinking dialog while making it possible to involve the EU player base as a whole in the future development of the Entropia Universe.
Description:
The DPAB will be a transparent organization created by the people, with members from among the people, who are chosen by the people of EU. DPAB will serve the dual purpose of maintaining an open dialog with EU officials and Planet Partner officials while also maintaining an open dialog with the player base as a whole.
MindArk and/or the Planet Partners will have to host a single web forum where elected members of the Entropia Universe will participate in the planning and development of the Entropia Universe itself. The EU player base will elect the members and those members will elect their leader. Debates on DPAB operations or policy changes will be settled democratically. In summary, the webform must be "officially owned" but still managed and organized by the EU player base.
The DPAB shall in no way claim, or try to claim to be the
Vox Populi (voice of the people) nor shall it claim to be representative thereof. The DPAB is strictly a body of elected EU participants who engage in open and transparent communication with MindArk, First Planet Company, along with any other Planet Partners who are interested in tapping into EU player base to more effectively think of, review, and install new features or components to their virtual world.
Governance
The DPAB will have governance over nothing except for itself. It can never seek to govern, control, or dictate components of game play and it especially cannot interfere with an individual's game play. The DPAB can never serve as a "middle man" between EU Officials and the daily operations or communications of EU participants. The DPAB exists for the sole purpose of creating and maintaining an environment in EU where MA, FPC, and Planet Partners include the EU player base in the development and planning of the Entropia Universe.
The DPAB can never evolve into a governmental body of any kind. If any Planet Partners wishes to implement a Governmental system on their planet, they are highly encouraged to bring the idea(s) to the DPAB for discussion, debate, and idea exchange. If any Planet Company were to install a Governmental body on their Virtual World then it would have to be totally separate from the DPAB. The DPAB will always be nothing more than a group of elected individuals who have real life discussion with MA, FPC, PPs (via a transparent web-forum) regarding the development of the Virtual Worlds in the Entropia Universe.
Checks and Balances
The EU population will elect individuals of their choosing to ensure the following things are being upheld:
- Open communication between the DPAB and the EU population
- No interference with existing or future communication methods between the individual participant and MindArk or Planet Companies
- All DPAB members must follow the published DPAB ethics and rules
Operational policies shall always be subject to review to ensure we are operating in a way that is of benefit to both the player base and also MA, FPC, and Planet Partners
DPAB Size & Member Selection
The size of the DPAB will be large enough to support active and healthy dialog between a spectrum of members that reasonably spans across all facets of EU.
Members of the DPAB will derive from the following sources:
General Election
Every 6 months a general election among the EU player base will be conducted where members are voted into a 6-month term. Those who are elected can serve unlimited consecutive terms, subject to reelection.
- 25 individuals from each planet
- 3 "Watchdogs" from each planet will be elected for the purpose of ensuring members, leaders, and the DPAB itself are all operating in compliance with the expectations of the EU player base. If they spot a problem, their job is to raise the issue with the advisory board, and if a resolution is not reached they are to "blow the whistle" and act accordingly and in a public way if needed. Through right action and open communication, the Watchdogs are in place to ensure the EU population does not lose trust in the DPAB itself.
Appointment
- MindArk, FPC, and other Planet Partners can appoint players from the EU population as needed.
- Each elected DPAB leader can appoint up to 5 people however each must pass a popular vote in the DPAB member body.
Special Election for Temporary Membership
In the interest of ensuring that no good idea or plan is ignored, the EU population as a whole can cause a special election on the DPAB forum. Both DPAB members and the EU population are able to vote for or against it. The result of that election will determine if the individual is able to temporarily join the DPAB for purpose of discussing their specific topic. Generally, non-members of the DPAB will simply just post their ideas in the public section of the DPAB forum.
Leadership Election & Ranks
The leaders of DPAB, known as "Administrators" will serve the purpose of upholding DPAB policy, ethics, and posting standards. He/she will serve as a Forum Moderator/Group Leader (vBulletin terminology) in the DPAB forums. The elected members of each Planet will elect an Administrator.
- Every 6 months the DPAB members of each Planet will elect a new person from among its members to the position of Administrator. No one can serve consecutive 6-month terms, however an individual can serve multiple terms with at least a 6-month gap in between each.
- Former Administrators will (after their term) remain as a "Leader Advisor" to the new elected Administrator of that planet.
- The Administrator can nominate people into special positions such as "spokesperson" from among the DPAB members. Any nomination must be confirmed or denied by the DPAB through popular vote.
- From among the watchdogs elected, 1 person per planet will be chosen by the watchdogs who will also serve as forum moderator for the purpose of being able to see any deleted or edited threads and posts from within the DPAB
Operational Structure
The DPAB will initially go through a 6-month trial period where all facets of operations will be reviewed. The DPAB will have to operate on a dedicated site owned by MindArk that includes a forum with vBulletin technology to maintain uniformity with other popular EU related fan sites such as
www.EntropiaForum.com and to ensure all modern forum technology and functionality is available.
Within the DPAB forum, there will be two sections.
1. Open section for any EU participant to post in and interact with DPAB members or even EU officials.
2. Restricted section that is visible to all EU participants but only DPAB members and EU officials can post.
Each involved Planet Partner, along with MindArk will have their own subforum within both sections of the DPAB forum. An example of the sub-forum breakdown is as follows:
Member's Section
- MindArk
- First Planet Company
- ABC Planet Partner
- XYX Planet Partner
- General Discussion
- DPAB Operations
- Off Topic
Public Section
- News
- MindArk
- First Planet Company
- ABC Planet Partner
- XYX Planet Partner
- General Discussion
- DPAB Operations
- Off Topic
It is the prerogative of MindArk, along with Planet Partners to be involved with the moderation responsibilities of the DPAB or not. Generally, it would be preferred that forum moderation be left to DPAB elected Administrators and for those Administrators to be held accountable if responsible moderation is not maintained. If a mature and constructive environment is not maintained, an Administrator can lose that privilege, in which case a new Administrator would have to be elected.
**An important objective will be to include the in-game Voting Booths to conduct DPAB elections of all kinds.
DPAB Ethics & Rules
In order for a member or leader to maintain their membership and status in the DPAB, they must adhere to the following:
1. Do not ever steal, scam, or exploit
2. Never gain any special form of compensation, income, benefit, or opportunity from any player or any special interest group related to the Entropia Universe because of your elected position in the DPAB.
3. Always be respectful to other DPAB members
4. Personal disputes aside, always be respectful to other EU participants, especially while they are interacting with the DPAB in any capacity
Vote Of Distrust
If for any reason a DPAB member, or even its leader, is acting in a way that is not consistent with the rules, ethics, or public trust, then a "vote of distrust" could be initiated by either another DPAB member, or the EU community itself. Through a vote of distrust, a person would lose their place in the DPAB.
It shall be known to all individuals who seek or accept a position within the DPAB, they will be entering into the “public eye” and as a result their actions and conduct will be scrutinized and can be judged by the EU population.
**MindArk and Planet Partners reserve the right to remove a Member, Administrator, or anyone else from the DPAB at any time, with or without reason.
Posting Procedures
If a member wants to raise an issue then they can raise it simply by making a thread. If other members are interested they can post their opinion, or their thoughts on the subject and a discussion would naturally start. If MA, FPC, or Planet Partner employees want to weigh in on the subject, naturally they would.
If there is a member of the EU population who is not on the advisory board who wants the board to review something, all they would have to do is convince any 1 member of the board to take up the issue.
MindArk, First Planet Company, and Planet Partners are strongly encouraged to present ideas as "what if" scenarios to the DPAB member body for discussion.
Operational Modifications
The DPAB is a self governing body. In the event a member would like to see a new feature of the DPAB, or remove an old feature, a vote by DPAB members would be held and would to determine if such a change would be enacted. Some things would naturally require MA, FPC, or PP approval.
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Assuming that this will be implemented, the following are the steps to get there.
1. Develop detailed framework, structure, rules, and operational policy
2. Obtain the support of the player base & MA/FPC
Once those big steps are done then we can move into the process of actually creating it, which brings up a big question.
That is, what would my involvement be at that point? Would HardWrath be the leader?
The answer is that I would have to enter the DPAB just like anyone else. Once elected to the DPAB by the community, if I were to seek an Administrator role I would have to obtain it the same way as anyone else which would be to get elected as Administrator by the DPAB members.
After not originally wanting to seek a leadership role in the DPAB, if I am elected into the DPAB, it is now my intention to seek an Administrator role for the purpose of making sure things get off to a good start. Like anyone else, I would not be able to serve as an Administrator for more than 6 months.
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), there are still many singles after 1.5 hours being on the auction, so if you wanna buy one, you will definitely have a chance, the rush is over.
