Review Submitted By: Jimbo
Author Status: Player
Started on Sindome: October 2012
Submission Date: Jan 18, 2013
TMC Listing: Sindome
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Jimbo]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
I really, really want to like Sindome. For almost four months I've spent 8+ hours a day on it, spending my downtime at work in the MOO. There's a lot to like here. It's been around so long, it has about a million features, many of which are well implemented. While character creation is poorly done, it doesn't ruin the game. There are lot of fun people to RP with, and a good stream of new players just about constantly. I like it enough that I've donated money to keep the servers going. I stay in-character, I help out new players and do my best to fuel fun and interesting RP.
The biggest problem with Sindome, unfortunately, is the admins. While a few are good, and even great, many are extremely lazy. It is often almost entirely impossible to get an admin to puppet. I spent two weeks trying to get a puppet in-character for one specific NPC, talking to him every thirty minutes. For eight hours a day. For two weeks. Often, admins were visibly online. No response. They just don't support players in a way that makes the game fun to play, and several times I've been outright punished for RPing in-theme, which is ridiculous.
For weeks, one player seemingly completely eschewed RP - the cornerstone of Sindome, to hear it told - and went hack and slash on anyone he decided his character didn't like. There was virtually no support from admins, no little nudges, nothing weaker characters - which was basically all but one character - could do, except lie down and take it. Players that complained were told that just because no RP is -visible- doesn't mean it's there, which is a poor excuse. If the outcome looks and feels exactly like 10 or so players being trolled for no reason, that is what is happening. Any RP happening there is not sufficient.
Even worse, though, than lazy admins, though, is the one that metagames constantly. Part of this problem is that admins have dedicated in-game alt characters, of which they're extremely protective. The admin in question repeatedly abused GM knowledge to protect her character, and to puppet more powerful NPCs for revenge. The admin's actions were so ludicrously transparent that there literally cannot be any other explanation for what transpired in-game.
This might sound like a bitter, vindictive review, done out of spite, but this isn't the case. I really love Sindome. I want to keep playing. I've put hundreds of hours into it in the few months I've been playing, and I've had a lot of fun. But a few lazy admins, and one extremely detrimental one, have caused several committed, great players to quit out of frustration already, and I'm worried I'll be close behind them. I can't in good conscience vote Sindome up when this admin retains GM privileges that she abuses so badly that multiple players quit.
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Submit Comments About this Review
Comment Submitted By: Jimbo
Author Status: Player
Started on Sindome: October 2012
Submission Date: Jan 24, 2013
(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author
[Jimbo] and in no way represents the opinions of this website
or its staff).
Addendum: Between the time I wrote this review and now, I've stopped playing entirely because of the metagaming and entirely transparent trolling of the aforementioned hack and slash player. This player picked up with the same lack of RP as his old character and even continued the exact same grudges with zero IC reason for having them. The staff continues to trot out the 'Just because RP isn't apparent doesn't mean it's not there' line, but again: if large segments of the player base are being trolled by one player, and the game is being severely impacted by the actions of this player, and the admins are doing nothing at all about - any RP that might 'actually' be there is entirely irrelevant. The admins very clearly do not care about making the game -fun-, which is a shame, because it could be really great. But I won't be returning. Spend your free time playing a MUD that is actually run with enjoyment as a priority.
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Comment Submitted By: Skelter
Author Status: Player
Started on Sindome:
Submission Date: Jan 24, 2013
(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author
[Skelter] and in no way represents the opinions of this website
or its staff).
I quit for the exact same reasons. +1 to this review.
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Comment Submitted By: Johnny
Author Status: Staff member
Started on Sindome: On day one
Submission Date: Jan 25, 2013
(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author
[Johnny] and in no way represents the opinions of this website
or its staff).
What's really interesting about this review is the complete lack of truth. The character this character was playing was involved in numerous plots and storylines. There are over 50+ RP centric notes from the GMs on this character, some of them extensively documenting the wants and desires and such.
This player is not privy to the extensive RP notes on the character that is claimed to be a troll. Not getting what you want does not mean the staff are not involved. If thats what you think a game like this should do for you, I suggest you find one that does, as we clearly state that one of the overwhelming themes of our game is NOT getting what you want, of suffering, of loss, of being angry at the man.
If what you call RP is fixed on lesbian romances as played between male players, please, do find yourself a new home, as you won't be missed.
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Comment Submitted By: wdua
Author Status: Player
Started on Sindome: A few days ago
Submission Date: Feb 9, 2014
(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author
[wdua] and in no way represents the opinions of this website
or its staff).
'We clearly state that one of the overwhelming themes of our game is NOT getting what you want, of suffering, of loss, of being angry at the man.'
That is a nice quote. Is it about the IC world your game portrays, or is it about the OOC side of it? I'd imagine it's about the IC, but since you are using said quote to address some OOC disappointments the player had, you apparently mean the rule is about the latter. Which is unacceptable. You're basically saying the player should be suffering and be angry at the man (...staff?).
You fail to actually address the issues the player had.
And finally, you respond to criticism with a disturbing show of rudeness.
I have no way to conclusively tell whether what the original poster stated is true. (Though disturbingly, a number of other players seem to confirm they experienced the same.) I've barely started playing Sindome. But the way staff reacted here is enough to make me drop it right now. No player should agree to this sort of treatment.
I also thank the former players for starting this and helping me avoid yet another disappointment.
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Comment Submitted By: Another
Author Status: Player
Started on Sindome: Recently
Submission Date: May 8, 2014
(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author
[Another] and in no way represents the opinions of this website
or its staff).
It's good to read comments and reviews about Sindome. For a game which I too really wanted to like, I found staff to seem to be going out of their way to be dismissive and unhelpful. I wonder if their new player retention is poor for it; the help I received was from other players, and I was mostly shot down rudely for things which they hadn't added in their rules and documentation (both of which I read a great deal of).
Nothing ruins a very exciting-looking game faster than bad admins, and I think Johnny's dismissal of the OP's concerns and defense of this unnamed staffer is enough to make me not waste my time with Sindome.
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Comment Submitted By: thecraftydragon
Author Status: Player
Started on Sindome: March 2014
Submission Date: Jul 31, 2014
(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author
[thecraftydragon] and in no way represents the opinions of this website
or its staff).
So, I noticed that the original review is over 1 1/2 years old. That should be taken into account (my opinion at least). I know that the admins are working hard in *many* plots and with many characters. I have seen some admins pause their own RP, which may not have been much to begin with, in order to work with a player, or group of players, who got a particular part of a story rolling and needed an NPC or two puppeted.
Because there are many story lines, when you are working on something, it is good to use the 'Notes' feature: @notes / @add-note
This feature helps keep GM's up on what your character is doing, who your character is talking to, and what your character has planned. This is a good way to help GM's stay updated so that when your character *does* go see an NPC, since there are several GM's, they can more easily work with you. Then, when you talk to the NPC, and give them all the info: 'Hello, I'm here for that 'tea leaf' delivery Mr. So and So dropped off yesterday. My name is Jimmy Krackorn and he told me to talk to you.' or Note: Been hired at Blah corp for a temp job I got a gridmail telling me to come in to work on blah project for blah company on Green. I'm going to come in and talk to Mr. NPC to get started and to get the project data. Then: Me to [Mr. NPC] Hi, I'm Pallas Athena, here to start the project you're working on for Blah Corp on Gold. I haven't been shown anything on it yet but was asked to come in and get the information and get started.
(This helps.) --- Metagaming is frowned upon highly and can be reported.
The admins do try to point it out or do something about it when they know about it - Whether you had done it, maybe unknowingly, or if it was done by someone else. There are consequences and you may not know of them.
But, keep in mind, there are times when there is a crazy character going on a killing spree, or attacking several people in a bar or in a lobby of a corporation. The character could have been paid to do so, or felt they were insulted over sic somehow, even if in 'reality' they weren't. Or the character can just be good, old-fashioned psychotic. Maybe seeing themselves as the heroes, even?
--- There are many things happening under the surface and many story lines which characters have created as well as GM's. No matter what your character thinks it knows, it's just scratching the surface. Even if the scratch is deep.
Ask questions too. The OOC community is very helpful. I say give it a shot. There's a lot going on, but you can find your own trouble to get in to and enemies to pester. (And finding your own trouble to get into can be very fun.) ~
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