RMN SNEWS - ISSUE #23

How are things going? What are you up to these days? Are you still active?

Remember how I made the RMN resolution to "Engage in conversations; embrace change; give feedback; treat people well; give credit; show interest; develop strengths; identify weaknesses; focus on new members; add more knowledge; keep members informed."? A big part of that is increasing my engagement with the community. So let's engage some more. Consider this a "State of the Union" address, but without the gravitas.

I will just post a summary of the major-ish events that happened this past quarter, provide some thoughts on RMN, give a little editorial (like I used to do on the SNEWS, for those of you old enough to remember the SNEWS), and give a glimpse into the goings-on behind the curtain of the SUPER SECRET SECRET NINJA HIDEOUT.

(I actually have butterflies in my stomach as I am about to post this. How weird is that? You'd think I'd be used to publicly speaking on RMN by now)




Server move
Ankylo completed the server move and it went swimmingly! The new server is slick and fast. The old server at Alnitech was decommissioned. I am very pleased with how smoothly it all went, and the results so far. However, afterwards, I noticed that the CSS for our events was missing, and is now forever lost :< So if you browse old events and wonder why they all look as basic as Ugg Boots and a chai latte, that's why.


Deckiller
...has posted a few times! Welcome (sorta) back! Take care of yourself, buddy.


Ads
I tried a replacement out and it SUCKED BAD. But I have implemeted SwitchAds, and it works pretty good. But I still don't have something that I can use as a backup to GoogleAds if we ever get denied due to a policy violation (which has happened in the past! Google Adsense are sticklers for the dumbest things). You might have noticed (if you ever came to RMN without logging in, or don't use an Adblock, or are not a donor) that we used to have some Game-Advertising-Online (GAO) ads on the frontpage that are now gone. That's because GAO closed up shop. They were my backup plan for if Google suspended us. I currently don't have a backup now.


RMN Store
The RMN Store (remember that?) is mostly dead. (For those of you not in the know, RMN and Degica had entered a partnership in October 2013 to create a new online store focusing on RPG Maker games but open to any indie title). The work on the store has stagnated since roughly May 2014. This happened primarily because, one, Deckiller was our main guy for this and he went MIA (for valid reasons! he didn't just bail) and two, because Degica got in on Steam and (understandably) this is much more lucrative and timeconsuming than a little store on RMN. The contract with Degica officially runs out in October 2015, in any event.

I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to this or even counted on this as a potential revenue stream.

We still have our little store, and I hope to expand on that. If after October this year nothing moves on the Degica/RMN partnership front, I will look at implementing our own independent storefront (if there is still interest).


Server Funds
RMN is currently sitting in the mid-600s. We took a little hit as we had to pay for two servers for a month or two. Donations are steady, though, and I have a slush fund sitting on stand-by if we ever dip too low.





2015 calendar/brainstorming

Befuddle Quest 7 is currently underway. If you wanted to make a puzzle for this prestigious event, do so now! Submissions close April 30th.

I have my ongoing Second Saturday Scores event, where I track makerscore month-to-month and recognize and reward top contributors. New this month will be the ineligibility of the RMN Community Chest (and its 1000ms) to determine winners.

Liberty and Nessiah have been consistently releasing monthly podcasts, which is awesome.

The return of Release Something was a success! We'll have to do another one sometime! There are no firm plans.

I am looking at running another MOG event (the event focusing on making custom resources). I am eyeballing June though September for this.

June is also RMN's 8th birthday (of its reincarnation in 2007). We might do something to celebrate it.

Battledome was awesome (those damn Angry Carrots! *shakes fist), Maps Weekly is a neat initiative, RMN pixel quilt logo edition is nearing completion, Mischief List Makers was fun, Strawberry Review Jam was a good jam, and McBacon Jam was also tasty! And how 'bout dem Misaos?


RMN merch
Libby's gag topic is still generating interest. One day...one day we may have RMN merch for the 4 of you who would actually buy it...


The huge backlog of RMN v4.5 updates
My big failing RMN-wise of 2014 was not working on the codebase. Gotta do that in 2015. I just wish I could connect to the Webmin panel or Git repo from work. But I am just using that as an excuse... I could totally be working on code.

That being said, ankylo is really pushing me on this front! And publicly stating my shame will motivate me to work on it.

Society's move to a more mobile environment, and RMN's strictly desktop (and 99% Windows) target is a concern. ankylo is hard at work at integrating a web-based Unity game player, and I am researching Responsive Web Design with Yellow Magic.

The first step for getting v4.5 back on track will be compiling and reevaluating the requests for changes (both from myself, ankylo, the staff, and the greater community). I am starting that today and next week.



MY PERSONAL NOTES ON 2014 ::..

Goodbye 2014! Welcome to 2015!
The Japanese learning continuum of "Show Them, Tell Them, Let Them Do It, and Praise Them." They are part of an even bigger learning system. That is Kaizen, which has the equivalent American translation of "Change-Better."

I made the RMN resolution to "Engage in conversations; embrace change; give feedback; treat people well; give credit; show interest; develop strengths; identify weaknesses; focus on new members; add more knowledge; keep members informed.", and a big part of that is increasing my engagement with my core staff and the community as a whole.

The year 2014, personally, was just a really shitty year for me. I griped about it in some thread or another on RMN, but just so that you are aware, 2014 was just a down year, and I am glad it is over. The shityiness of the past year contributed a lot to my declining leadership and lack of progress on RMN's functionality/scope. Not that I am making excuses (lies; I am totally making excuses), but I should have done better. I will change for the better this year.

Things I regret:
-not finishing a game in 2014, even though I started several
-not finishing my custom resources - though I got a decent amount done
-not working on RMN's codebase, despite having time to do so.
-the RMN store dying

Things I am concerned about:
-my decreasing motivation overall; I fear it will affect RMN detrimentally
-society's move to a more mobile environment, and RMN's strictly desktop (and 99% Windows) target
-Deckiller's disappearance
-the lack of communication from Degica, or RMWeb in general - we've grown apart as their Steam initiative picks up steam
-responsive web design, and our distinct lack of it
-my lack of web development expertise
-libby being stretched thin

Things I am pleasantly surprised with/satisfied:
-the frontpage (finally!) - I am actually liking it and am more or less happy with. Which means I MUST CHANGE IT.
-Liberty stepping up her game
-believe it or not, the more creative, motivated, and pleasant community RMN has developed over the past year and a half. There really seems to be a more upbeat vibe from RMN members these days imho.
-ankylo's awesome work with the server move

Personal Resolution stuff
Engage in conversations; embrace change; give feedback; treat people well; give credit; show interest; develop strengths; identify weaknesses; focus on new members; add more knowledge; keep members informed.

Engage in conversations:
-no better way to get more involved in the community than to participate in the discussions on the forums, or on the gameprofiles.

Embrace Change:
-I've grown more cynical and jaded, and distanced myself a bit from RMN. This is both due to increasing time pressures from other areas of my life, and just a growing disinterest in game making. So I got to soften that cynicism a bit.
-seek to build a culture of innovation and creativity on RMN as a whole. Initiatives here are welcome!

Give feedback:
-this is both a component of engagement AND a promise to talk to my staff more. This topic is an effort to give feedback on RMN, actually!

Treat people well:
-ease up on my assholeness

Give credit:
-be more appreciative

Show interest:
-genuine

develop strengths; identify weaknesses;
-just to keep in mind that I need to continually improve, keeping old skills sharp and challenging myself in new ways

Focus on new members:
-grow the community

Add more knowledge:
-specifically I want to impart some of my knowledge by writing some articles.

Keep members informed:
-SNEWS? SRADIO? Probably should do a monthly or quarterly address to the site. SO HERE IT IS.





In the past SNEWS I would have a spotlight on a cool (or uncool) member of RMN that I picked to "interview" with some lowkey questions. Since this SNEWS is a complete spur of the moment thing I decided to do TODAY, I have no one and nothing prepared. So INSTEAD I am going to ask you some focal point (wtf does "focal point" mean? Like hell if I know, but my work uses the term for the year-end reviews, so I am using it too) questions, as a variation of the questions I asked my RMN staff earlier this year. Feel free to post your responses!

1. What is your personal TODO list? (projects, initiatives, even personal life stuff like 'get a job' or 'finish school' or 'get fit' if you want to share that)
2. How many other RM or dev communities are you active in?
3. What is your current role at RMN?
4. Are you satisfied with your current participation on RMN?
5. Do you feel you are empowered to accomplish what you want to accomplish?
6. What are you expecting from me?
7. What aspects of RMN are you disatisfied with or concerned about? (functionality, trends, certain members, leadership, etc...)
8. If you were running RMN, what would you do? Who would you recruit to help you?
9. How long do you think you will be with RMN (in any capacity)?
10. Is there anything you wish to say?

I always have an open inbox. Shoot me a line if you ever want to chat.

In keeping with the haphazard style of the SNEWS, if any of the other staff or contributors want to update the site on their activities and plans, please do so!