I hope you all have seen Lightning's post in r/civcraft about the Metropolis. Link

I would like to know why Lightning didn't think r/themetropolis is a better place to post? He choose to make what could have been a constructive post on our griefer problem into a destructive one.

So. Why?

Communication! Communication! Communication!

I think most communication problems (most any problems) on civcraft are caused by different standards of communication. While some are confident that their ideas/information are being traded around by speaking just to their local friends in game, others think they are done spreading information when they have said it in mumble to a few people. Meanwhile these two groups may NEVER directly spread information to each other or anyone else. That void between the two circles is where ideas go sour.

What does this cause? Things like lightning's post. He thinks he has the full picture (and in his circle of communication he does) and thus the confidence to haplessly feed the trolls on r/civcraft.

This lack of inter communication is extremely dangerous to all of us. We already have lost people like EngineerOfBlocks to this phenomenon. While he had probably explained the merits of his system to several people, he never made a post to convince us as a whole and then was probably surprised when we kicked him in the butt on his way out. Also, I highly doubt he collected much information before striking out on his venture. That is his fault but I think we can work it as a whole. Regardless, we can lose a lot more than just one person and everyone should be aware of that.

What do?

So we have a ton of people, with different political beliefs, with different play styles on different timezones. What can we do to build a better culture of communication?

• Don't be an island

Be aware. You have to understand that everyone is on different schedules, they have different priorities and the best thing you can do, always, is listen. It is officially your job to seek information.

• Ask why not?

What is more helpful? Being upset with people who don't have the correct information, or finding out why they don't?

• Daily or timely report posts from each city state.

If the most you have ever said about your city is, '_____ has been griefed again' then you are already in a spiral and you need to pull up. Post reports about what what repairs were made, what roofs have been rebuilt with stone, what snitches have been placed (without exact locations of course). It will be good for all of us to see how much effort is being lost each time a griefer is lost and it will get more brains thinking through a solution.

• Temporarily moving all Metropolis posts out of individual subs and into the main one.

I don't think people know about all the others subs so it makes the metro look like it lacks a community at first glance. What new covenant posts on r/themetropolis and what it posts in its own subreddit are night and day. Until we fully have our feet on the ground, lets all talk here. I'd rather have a problem of too much information than our current problem of too little information.

• Protocol

I think we need to agree on certain ideas like posting problems in r/civcraft is absolute poison. There is nothing to be gained from it. I am not asking us to paint a pretty picture and we can't stop anyone from posting there about internal problems but if you want to be constructive, there are better ways and apparently people need guidelines for that.

• Spread the word

Wether you post signs or directly talk to people, this solution of communication can only be started by communication. I don't know what works best in Anarchist states but everyone who has a leadership structure should make sure their people know about this subreddit and encourage them to check it if they want to know what is going on.

** Snitches **

Since Berge's post seemed to be glanced over, I am adding this section. You really need to look into getting Metro group snitches in and around your towns. I know this will be tricker for Anarchist states but we can't get instant information as to who is in what town unless you place them.

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU DECOY?

Well you can say it was your idea to communicate more if it makes you feel better? I just don't want our grand experiment to fall apart for something as silly as a lack of information. There are a lot of good people here who have put in a lot of work already and I will not silently let it fall apart because of something so trivial.

Please, post more ideas if you have them. I am very sure I do not have the answer to everything here.