Confirmation Hearing: Dr. Cynic for GM

[Donerail]

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senator, there was recently a discussion on the GM position and I believe you stated a vision for how you want the GM to operate going forward. Would you restate that in summary, and explain your expectations on how that new arrangement will be an improvement over the current state of affairs.

[TNF]

I count you as a friend but must sincerely ask why it is you think we should confirm you for this position, given the pretty solid consensus among the general public and in the Senate that this position you have been nominated to should be gotten rid of.

[Dr. Cynic]

Senator, there was recently a discussion on the GM position and I believe you stated a vision for how you want the GM to operate going forward. Would you restate that in summary, and explain your expectations on how that new arrangement will be an improvement over the current state of affairs.

I outlined how I wish to operate in the position in a separate thread. However, I don't have a problem restating how I'd like to do things. First off, I'm not a budget expert nor am I particularly good at math so if you're going to want to write a bill and you want the cost, you'd honestly be better off just working it out for yourself than asking me to give you a cost analysis. I would analyze and let you know how a bill would be received by the general public, but it's not in my range to do the kind of heavy math needed for cost analysis. I feel the GM should basically represent the views of the Atlasian public (that is, since we're all "the elite", or politicians, or however you wish to say it), I feel this is something that's long been ignored. It could also be used to ramp up competition if it's done right.

I plan on being news heavy as GM. I want to do a national news story (foreign and domestic) every 2-3 days and a regional story about once a week. Though that schedule could change as my workload changes, I want to try and get a lot of news out for people.

I feel the GM job is essentially like an admin to the game to keep everything from going completely off the rails. I won't set out to sabotage people. I won't try and do these insane stories we've seen in the past (Though I'm going to cover the finish of the fallout of the Civil Conflict). In general, I'm going to let everyone operate without too much interference and simply go about news and analysis. However, if we ever come into another conflict (Like the one we just got over) or a foreign war, I'm going to simulate results as fairly as I can by using 5 dice. The closer the full number is to 30 (which would be the top number you could get when added together), the more positive the result for the government and hopefully you guys will react accordingly to that.

In general I'll let you guys be, but if I hear someone come out and basically say about any of my analysis or news, "Cynic's full of sh**t!" or whatever, I'm going to hit back in the news and I'll set out to make you miserable for trying to make me miserable and don't think I wouldn't, guys. I think that's fair.

I count you as a friend but must sincerely ask why it is you think we should confirm you for this position, given the pretty solid consensus among the general public and in the Senate that this position you have been nominated to should be gotten rid of.

The reason the position doesn't seem to have much support and why people can never last is because of how it was structured. Budgeting and costs are difficult for anyone to do and most people said the hell with it. I'm flat out saying that you would be better off asking Barack Obama to give us a budget than you would be asking me. I'll give you polling, I'll give you news, I'll sim public opinion and foreign and domestic disputes, hell, I'll help resolve disputes among individuals if you want, but I cannot do the budgeting, especially not by myself. To me, since so few people have an interest or an inclination to do that sort of thing, it's my view that for the viability of the office, it simply should be dropped. Why am I asking you to confirm me to the job? Because I think the game needs an admin style figure to keep things realistic such as how the general public reacts to policy and to handle disputes like the Civil Conflict, which, let's face it, was just a bunch of us posting at each other back and forth saying whatever we pleased. The GM should prevent that kind of thing from happening with a "Alright, so you want to move your troops to NYC, here's how it goes down..." I explained above how I plan to do that.

That's my vision for the job. If you don't like the fact that I won't be doing budgeting or cost analysis, I'm sorry, but it's not in my skill set and I'm not going to take up something I know for a fact that I can't do and drive myself out of the job. This is my plan for viability of the office and I don't plan on changing it because I know what I can do and what I can't do.

[bore]

I will be honoured to vote for you, and I think you're exactly the type of GM we need at the moment.

[windjammer]

I obviously plan to vote Aye. I know Cynic is someone who is extremely motivated for this job and I'm sure he will succeed.

[sentinel]

I'd like to add, only two people have requested any sort of cost analysis since I've been GM (Dallasfan and Maxwell). My door has always been open.

I was going to be a more activist GM, but then the Thursday Night Massacre happened. Since then I've taken a more lax approach, but still no one has approached me about anything (other than one private convo w/ Dr. Cynic). I took the lax approach due to complaints that I was being too much of a player in the game.

It's a hard balance, especially when you have some people complaining no matter what you do. I personally vehemently disagree with Averroes and the idea that we don't need a GM. The sad part of Averroes' standpoint is that a lot of his perspectives are founded (people simply don't care about the GM, and we can't make them care --but we can restructure the position).

I think Dr. Cynic will face the same circumstances. I think Dr Cynic has the right mindset, and if I were a Senator I'd vote in favor of him, but some of the arbitrary things (like the dice rolling) is really BS in the end.

[Dr. Cynic]

I'd like to add, only two people have requested any sort of cost analysis since I've been GM (Dallasfan and Maxwell). My door has always been open.

I was going to be a more activist GM, but then the Thursday Night Massacre happened. Since then I've taken a more lax approach, but still no one has approached me about anything (other than one private convo w/ Dr. Cynic). I took the lax approach due to complaints that I was being too much of a player in the game.

It's a hard balance, especially when you have some people complaining no matter what you do. I personally vehemently disagree with Averroes and the idea that we don't need a GM. The sad part of Averroes' standpoint is that a lot of his perspectives are founded (people simply don't care about the GM, and we can't make them care --but we can restructure the position).

I think Dr. Cynic will face the same circumstances. I think Dr Cynic has the right mindset, and if I were a Senator I'd vote in favor of him, but some of the arbitrary things (like the dice rolling) is really BS in the end.

Well, the reason I plan on using dice if it ever comes to it in order to simulate a conflict that goes on domestically is to be fair to posters on both sides. Foreign conflicts, if we ever came to it, wouldn't be necessary to do that. I know it seems rather silly, but Lumine used a very similar method in the game he was admin for when it came to conflicts between the players and it worked very well and was fair to everyone. At the end of the day, the GM really is accountable to the player base as a whole and I plan on being fair to everyone regardless of past political disagreements.

As far as cost analysis and budgeting, I felt it best to be upfront that it's not something I know a whole lot about. If the job is going to work, we can't have people driven out of the job because of the difficulty of budgeting and costing. So, rather than let myself get sucked into the trap that several previous GM's have been knocked out by, I'm right up front letting you guys know that it's not happening. Instead, I'm going to stick with what I know I can do and work to make the office viable that way.

I'll be open to constructive criticism from everyone, but I am also saying that once I make a final decision, that's what it's going to be. If the GM is the god figure or say a Pope-like figure for the game, the final decisions made by the GM should be infallible.

I will at least go forward with my plan (Nat'l stories every few days and Regional stories every week) of action and just hope that forcing my forward will help people to see that it can be a viable position and offer a blueprint for people who take the job in the future. That's the best I can do.

[sentinel]

I think another problem is that we diverged from the "real life" timeline a helluva long time ago. Atlasia is simply not in a world where "real world" events are even remotely close to happening.

[Dr. Cynic]

I think another problem is that we diverged from the "real life" timeline a helluva long time ago. Atlasia is simply not in a world where "real world" events are even remotely close to happening.

This is true, but realistic storylines are still within the realm of possibility for the country, even though Atlasia diverged a long time ago.

[sentinel]

I think another problem is that we diverged from the "real life" timeline a helluva long time ago. Atlasia is simply not in a world where "real world" events are even remotely close to happening.

This is true, but realistic storylines are still within the realm of possibility for the country, even though Atlasia diverged a long time ago.

I was referring to current events.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I have been following these proceedings.

I agree with Nix and I will vote for confirmation.

[Cranberry]

As will I.

[TNF]

I will not vote against, but I will abstain. Again, it's not that I have anything wrong with you personally, Cynic. It's just that I've no confidence in the position itself, and don't feel comfortable confirming anyone to a spot with so much power and yet so little impact on the course of events in the game itself.

[Dr. Cynic]

I will not vote against, but I will abstain. Again, it's not that I have anything wrong with you personally, Cynic. It's just that I've no confidence in the position itself, and don't feel comfortable confirming anyone to a spot with so much power and yet so little impact on the course of events in the game itself.

Well, I respect that.

[Bacon King]

To what extent will your news events diverge from reality?

[Dr. Cynic]

To what extent will your news events diverge from reality?

On occasion, it will be necessary to do so given Atlasia's political situation that stories will diverge from the realities faced by the U.S. However, all of my news stories will be written to be realistic. No aliens, no mass suicide bombings across the country, etc.

I will deal with fallout from the Civil Conflict but as to the rest, my blueprint for how to operate this job is to provide realistic issues that would potentially be faced by the nation. In order for this job to gain back ANY credibility at all, it has to be done. The storylines have to return to earth and be as realistic as possible if the job is going to gain back any sort of credible standing.

[sentinel]

Terrorist attacks are realistic, unfortunately.

[windjammer]

I will deal with fallout from the Civil Conflict but as to the rest

There wasn't a civil war, just some people like Snowstalker who wanted to troll...

[Dr. Cynic]

I didn't call it a civil war. I called it a civil conflict, which it most certainly was. It had its own wiki page and is now regarded as canon. As such, because it went as far as it did, the remaining loose ends do need tied up.

[sentinel]

I didn't call it a civil war. I called it a civil conflict, which it most certainly was. It had its own wiki page and is now regarded as canon. As such, because it went as far as it did, the remaining loose ends do need tied up.

Not really.

[Dr. Cynic]

I didn't call it a civil war. I called it a civil conflict, which it most certainly was. It had its own wiki page and is now regarded as canon. As such, because it went as far as it did, the remaining loose ends do need tied up.

Not really.

I'm of a different view.

[Dr. Cynic]

Since the debate has been quiet for awhile, can I request that this go to a vote? I'd like to get started immediately if confirmed.

[sentinel]

I didn't call it a civil war. I called it a civil conflict, which it most certainly was. It had its own wiki page and is now regarded as canon. As such, because it went as far as it did, the remaining loose ends do need tied up.

Not really.

I'm of a different view.

Its not like players care. No one has asked me for a thing. No one has asked for an update. No one has asked about current events. This isn't a game, its a circle jerk.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I didn't call it a civil war. I called it a civil conflict, which it most certainly was. It had its own wiki page and is now regarded as canon. As such, because it went as far as it did, the remaining loose ends do need tied up.

Not really.

I'm of a different view.

Its not like players care. No one has asked me for a thing. No one has asked for an update. No one has asked about current events. This isn't a game, its a circle jerk.

I'd like an update.  No offense, but I never asked because I assumed we weren't going to get one since you weren't really doing anything after you got re-appointed GM.