As an attempt to try to add some closure to this thread, let me try to explain some of what you are seeing with this registration.
Until last week, I've been wearing two hats in the Scenario Corp, as Senior CM, and as Multi-frame Scenario Team Leader. I ran the first multi-frame scenario hosted by the Scenario Corp, Verm's "Afrika Corp" scenario. I also helped Fd-ski design the "Hostile Shores" Scenario we hosted in April and May of this year. I realized that I was approaching burnout with both duties on my plate. Consequently, last week, I asked Nash to step up and take the Team Leader position on the Multi-frame team, since he has done a good job for us in the past, and I could see his leadership skills improving a great deal in working up the "Big Week" scenario. In making this decision to promote Nash and to step back and focus on my Senior CM duties, I am trying not to butt in and look over his shoulder at every decision he makes. This is his first large multi-frame scenario he's hosted as Team Leader, so I would like to see us cut him a little slack. He knows there needs to be improvements, and he's learning quickly.
Now, regarding the way we approached the registration. Of course, there are many ways to approach registration, depending on how much work you want to do as a CM. Verm's method of registration seemed to work ok in Afrika Corps, although as the head CM running that event, I'll tell you that the handling of the walkons was a nightmare, even when we had them wait in a separate arena. This led to us going with a different, "pre-register" type registration of the kind that Fd-ski came up with for "Hostile Shores". This registration went very smoothly, and worked great for MA squds that wanted to sign up as a unit. But, as I'm sure Fd-ski can vouch for, it took a tremendous amount of time for him to organize everyone. He did a great job of it, but IMO it was too much work for the benefit.
Hence, we get to this registration, where we want to focus on automating the process as much as possible. We have Exile, a virtual wizard with a database and web development tools, who has done an outstanding job for this community by being flexible and coming up with the scoring and registration tools for the scenarios and the TOD's.
Yes, I think it's fair to say that this new registration process didn't work exactly like we thought it would, and some fundamental error were made in regard to announcement lead time. But I stand behind Nash and Exile's attempt to automate this process as much as possible, to reduce the workload of the CM's.
So I appologize to all who didn't get the ride they wanted, but no matter how we setup registration, there is always someone who won't get their ride of choice.
But as long as I'm the Senior CM, I will continue to drive to get the guys to make these scenarios and the TOD's less work for the CM's. You as players have to realize how much work it takes to throw these events together. Ya sure, we do it because it's a labor of love for us. But the free AH account we receive from HTC as a token of their appreciation for what we do for them, is a pittance compared to how much time we invest.
And at least in my opinion, the mere word of thanks from those of you who actually appreciate what we do for the community means more than anything else.
We are continuing to grow our number of events, and we're bringing on some talent from other games like Warbirds and Air Warrior. I believe good CM's from those games will make good CM's for Aces High.
This is Aces High, folks. We're not going to run things exactly like they were run in Warbirds and Air Warrior, so get used to that fact. Most of us were once either AW guys or WB guys, but one thing is clear now--we are all Aces High guys now. We will continue to learn and to grow and to change, that is a fact. But we need a community behind us that will support us and work hand in hand with us, not sit back and throw potshots at us.
We are here to serve the community because we care that you guys have a quality place to go when the MA wears out it's welcome. But we are not servants. We are regular players like you, and we need to work together to make these events become everything we want them to be.
Thanks for understanding. We'll continue to do our best to serve up quality historical(and even some non-historical) events for you to play, Aces High style. We ask for your support and understanding. Please do your part to help make us a success.
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