[Deptheads] Events and GMs

[Strategicon Department Heads]

Scheduling a lot of events after pre-reg is turned on may not be
recommended, but as far I know, has never been a policy we actually have
spoken about in any context. While we want things on the schedule so the
attendees want to come play games, expecting us to have them all on the
schedule 3 weeks out is frankly a ludicrous request. I think the actual
solution is not to try to send out some pre-form email that will have to
put everything in such a broad context as to be a hindrance to anyone it
doesn't apply to. I get enough of that with the 'bring a copy of the game'
stuff when my department (and i suspect others) doesn't have that
requirement.

In short, there is no reason you shouldn't forward any such email to the
department head in question since they are the one who made any edits and
have them handle it. I am also curious as to how many of these emails you
received to have it be such a issue all of a sudden

If there is to be an email to the GMs, i request that Miniatures be exempt
from it. I am very communicative with my GMs and already send out a primer
to them reminding them to check their events and inform me of any
discrepancies.

Mike

On Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 6:03 PM Strategicon Department Heads <
deptheads at strategicon.net> wrote:

> Message From: Tara Leederman  taleederman at gmail.com
>
> I think you misunderstand me. I have never accepted an event after pre-reg
> was turned on, but I do generally wait until the last day of submissions
> because I have a limited number of spaces apportioned to me and different
> LARPs have wildly different but all intensive space needs—I have to know my
> slate in order to get everything on the schedule, and I get a lot of my
> best games last minute. For instance, Valkyrie just submitted today, and I
> really cannot accept anything until I know Valkyrie’s scheduling
> availability and needs. It’s a game that can and does run with 25 people,
> and it needs the ballroom—everything sort of has to be arranged around it.
> I have only ever changed the time of an event once after pre-reg turned on,
> and that in conversation with the GMs and due to a GM miscommunication.
>
> I also see an inherent contradiction in what you’re asking us to do.
> You’re behaving as though event acceptance before pre-reg is on is some
> kind of contract with the GMs, and once we accept an event in a time slot,
> we should not change it without giving the GM notice and 24 hours warning
> before pre-reg. That really adds a lot of work, especially in the
> departments where supervisors get a lot of events, and in some cases it’s
> impossible—GMs can submit events until midnight on the last day, then
> pre-reg comes on at noon  the next day, and stuff might have to move around
> to make room for those last-minute events. It also frankly encourages me
> not to accept pending events until the last minute, because doing so
> prevents me from entering into said contract with a GM. That’s something I
> can do because I have so few events, but there are supervisors who have to
> chip away at this over days and weeks. It’s a lot of work for them
> especially, and I feel like you’re asking them to do more, without a great
> deal of justification.
>
>
>
> If there are a lot of GMs clamoring about this issue, by all means bring
> it up at a planning meeting and we can all discuss a solution and what we
> want the policy to be. If there are a few GMs upset about this, please
> refer them to the supervisors in question, and I’m sure they will handle
> it. A lot of us know most of our GMs—a lot of mine are dear friends—and I
> would never want to put them in a difficult spot. Judging from other
> departments and the sheer number of events that manage to run, the other
> supervisors seem to have really good systems for scheduling their events
> and making sure everything can fit, and they no doubt need flexibility in
> order to do it. I don’t think we should be telling GMs that any change to
> their approved games before pre-reg turns on will come with 24 hour notice,
> because that’s a promise I don’t think everyone will be able to keep.
>
>
>
> Tara
>
>
>
>
>
> *From: *Tanya Aldrich <taldrich at strategicon.net>
> *Sent: *Wednesday, January 23, 2019 1:54 PM
> *To: *Tara Leederman <taleederman at gmail.com>
> *Subject: *Re: [Deptheads] Events and GMs
>
>
>
> Tara,
>
>
>
> Scheduling a lot of events after pre-reg is turned it is not recommended
> for any department. In fact, the complete absence of approved events in a
> department this close to the con is completely counter to what we want.
> Remember, no participant can see pending events, so currently, it looks
> like LARPs are not available this con.
>
>
>
> Your department’s logistics are very different from most other
> departments. But, the system is the way it is to balance GM and department
> needs across the whole con.
>
>
>
> Tanya
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 23, 2019, at 1:53 PM, Strategicon Department Heads <
> deptheads at strategicon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> We can discuss things until Thursday evening, at which point an email has
> to go out.
>
>
>
> Just to remind everyone:  Once general submission is turned off, only
> adding events is safe. Once pre-reg is turned on, approved events should
> not be changed, especially if there are pre-regs listed, even in the
> pre-reg queue. GMs have the right to assume their approved schedule is
> final, once pre-reg is on. Departments have retained the edit ability for
> emergencies only (and text typos). After pre-reg is turned on, the GM must
> be notified of any changes to their event (except typos).
>
>
>
> The intent of this planned broadcast email is a curtesy to our GMs, to
> help ensure everyone knows what their schedule is or is likely to be before
> pre-reg starts. Denied events are not included in this email. This is ONE
> email per account, no matter how many GMs or events have been submitted for
> that account.
>
>
>
> Here’s the overall situation.
>
> 1. Pending events are not set in stone, but by the week before pre-reg is
> turned on, there should be very few in the queue.
>
> 2. Pending events are only visible to GMs when pre-reg is turned on, and
> then does not have all details.
>
> 3. After initial approval, approved events should not change in any way
> without informing the GM at some point before pre-reg is on (exception
> being obvious typos); approval goes both ways. GMs should be notified of
> changes at least 24 hrs before pre-reg is turned on to allow time for any
> issues to be resolved.
>
> 4. Once pre-reg is turned on, some departments are essentially locked into
> the approved times. Any event with a pre-reg even in the queue is a problem
> to move.
>
> 5. Some GMs run events in multiple departments and may not have realized
> that they have conflicts.
>
> 6. We have GMs not checking their approved schedule until it is too late
> to fix.
>
> 7. There have been times when a bug has set the time wrong and no one
> notices.
>
>
>
> The end result is GMs should to be notified at least 24 hrs before pre-reg
> is turned on in order to effectively cover both GM and department
> scheduling needs.
>
>
>
> If there is a good reason why a department doesn’t want this email sent
> out, I need to know and why. However, those GMs running events outside that
> department will have to be included and will be sent all their events.
>
>
>
> I’m open to suggestions on better alternatives, but if it involves changes
> to any web page it will have to be for Gamex.
>
>
>
> Tanya
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 23, 2019, at 6:15 AM, Strategicon Department Heads <
> deptheads at strategicon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> Message From: Tara Leederman  taleederman at gmail.com
>
> I think the best way to handle it is to remind people of the information
> on the site, if there really is a big problem that demands addressing. GMs
> may need to be reminded that we are usually moving stuff around on the
> schedule up until things go live, and they shouldn’t expect the first slot
> they get to be some kind of contract; if they gave us alternative times,
> those are there to give us some flexibility, and GMs are responsible for
> checking the schedule before con. Their most important responsibility,
> which they perform in exchange for a badge, is to run their game, and they
> are responsible for checking close to con for when it’s scheduled. If they
> have an issue, they should be directed to the supervisor of the department
> to which they submitted.
>
> Both Pending and Accepted events can still change. An event being pending
> has nothing to do with alternative times being scheduled, and up until
> pre-reg goes live, GMs should not expect to know which of their preferred
> times was selected, as we need to make changes as games are submitted,
> based on space constraints and time requirements, etc.
>
> A way to handle the issue would be to delay any acceptance emails until
> after reg goes live, so we can move stuff around even after it’s in the
> system, and so the GMs don’t get too attached to the first time slot we
> give them. Alternatively, they could receive an email notifying them that
> their event has been accepted, but not the time or room of the event until
> pre-reg goes live (which gives us time to organize with each other and iron
> out the master schedule a bit). That latter email could also remind them
> that times are subject to change at the discretion of the Supervisor and
> con staff, and GMs are responsible for checking the schedule closer to con.
>
>
>
> Tara
>
>
>
> *From: *Strategicon Department Heads <deptheads at strategicon.net>
> *Sent: *Tuesday, January 22, 2019 8:32 PM
> *To: *deptheads at strategicon.net
> *Subject: *Re: [Deptheads] Events and GMs
>
>
>
> This is not that specific. In the past, we have had GMs that don’t realize
> that they got one of their alternate times scheduled and then have time
> conflicts, or there is a glitch in the system that sets the wrong time. And
> occasionally descriptions get changed in a way they don’t like. All this is
> usually heard about at the con.
>
>
>
> We are trying to give everybody a heads up ahead of time. So, if anything
> looks wrong the GM can contact the department in advance. The problem is
> Pending events can still change, so, the fewer Pending events that go out,
> the better. I will add the department email to the end of each event to
> help ensure that questions go to the correct people.
>
>
>
> At the moment, this is the best solution I could come up with. Suggestions
> on how to better handle this problem can be discussed after the con.
>
>
>
> If there is anything you would like me to add to this email, please let me
> know.
>
>
>
> Tanya
>
>
>
> On Jan 22, 2019, at 11:59 AM, Strategicon Department Heads <
> deptheads at strategicon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> Message From: Jim Sandoval  plustentoawesome at gmail.com
>
> Please forward me the names of the GM's affected and I will contact them
> to resolve the issue. That way we aren't playing telephone via a middle man.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 11:00 AM Strategicon Department Heads <
> deptheads at strategicon.net wrote:
>
> Message From: Tanya Aldrich  taldrich at strategicon.net
> Hi All,
>
> We’ve had some concerns from some GMs about changes in their events
> without them being informed. To this end, I’m going to try to setup for
> tomorrow, Wednesday, a broadcast email to all GMs with events scheduled or
> in the queue for Orccon 2019. The idea being that any issues can be
> resolved before pre-reg starts. I would like to have as few Pending events
> as possible.
>
> Tanya
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