Gamemaster Restructuring Plan

I've sent e-mail to Gene, Patrick, and Kris and I've talked to Will and David over IRC but it's time to get into more depth. Here's how the Council will be restructured:

PART ONE: PUTTING GAMEMASTERS INTO GROUPS

Gamemasters will be put into three different groups, each with different duties and responsibilities:

• Senior Gamemasters (a.k.a "The Patricians") - Gamemasters of considerable experience regarding SWC and how it is run.
  • Number: There will be only 3 Senior Gamemasters - David Spencer, William Delgado, and myself.
  • Duties and Responsibilities:
    • In the GM Council, the Senior Gamemasters serve as GM leaders of the three main branches of SWC - David represents SWI, Will represents SWNR, and I represent SWE. As GM Leaders, they settle disputes (if any occur) between GM's and players and GM's and other GM's in their appropriate branch. They also appoint Branch Gamemasters in their appropriate branch.
    • As a trio, Senior Gamemasters create (and alter if needed) the rules of the entire club and set the standards for proposal approvals. Such rules and standards will be posted in the GM Council website at http://www.starwarsclub.org/gamemasters.
    • Senior Gamemasters must override rulings of other Gamemasters if they feel such rulings disrupt the fairness of the game. Evidence and explanations will follow such actions.
• Branch Gamemasters (a.k.a "The Equestrians") - Gamemasters that work within the three main branches of SWC.
  • Number: Each branch of SWC has several sub-groups. There will be one Branch GM for each of these sub-groups. See examples below:
    • SWE Imperial Navy - Mark Tucker
    • SWE Imperial Army - Trey Brice
    • SWE Dark Jedi - Michael Peters
    • SWI Crime Syndicates - Gene Harmon
    • SWI Bounty Hunter Syndicates/Military Groups - Patrick Courtney
    • SWI Trader and Smuggler Groups - Kris Lewison
    • SWI Rogues - Dave Osgood
  • Duties and Responsibilities:
    • In the GM Council, Branch Gamemasters advise Senior Gamemasters on which rules should be changed and on which new rules should be made based on what they observe in their groups. (Because no rule can be changed without evidence that is ineffective first).
    • Branch Gamemasters approve proposals made by players in their designated groups. They approve or disapprove according to the rules and standards set by the Senior Gamemasters. "Proposals" consist of everything from new characters to new R&D projects.
    • Branch Gamemasters appoint Group Gamemasters in their respective groups using player feedback.
• Group Gamemasters (a.k.a "The Plebians") - Gamemasters that run missions and adventures for a specific group of players.
  • Number: There will be one Group Gamemaster per independent organization SWI and player unit in each branch of SWE and SWNR. See examples below:
    • SWE Imperial Navy: Noghri Squadron - Scott Mann
    • SWI Military Groups: Hanseat Affiliation - Josh Erickson
  • Duties and Responsibilities:
    • In the GM Council, Group Gamemasters serve as representatives of they players they GM for. They present player feedback on GM matters.
    • Group Gamemasters run missions and adventures for the group that they are assigned to. Depending on their level of experience, which is determined by the Branch Gamemaster that appointed them to their post, they can assigned character points to players in their group as well.

PART TWO: THE GM COUNCIL

The GM Council will be pretty much the same thing it is now - an advisory board on club wide GM matters. Things like proposal approvals will be handled directly by the Branch GM's and based on the standards of the Senior Gamemasters to keep things going streamlined and fast while fair and reasonable at the same time.

The physical structure of the GM Council web site will be change slightly. There will now be two GM Forums instead of one.

The current GM Forum will now be the GM Senate and will only be able to accessed by Senior Gamemasters and Branch Gamemasters. The function of the Senate is to discuss the rules and standards of SWC and what need to be added or changed. The Branch Gamemasters, using feedback from the Group Gamemasters, will advise the Senior Gamemasters in this Forum.

NOTE: There will be no voting system in the Senate like "if 2/3rds of the Branch GM's agree, a Senior Gamemasters rule can be nulled" etc. The reason for this is that Senior Gamemasters, like the rest of you, want this club to be the best it can be. Unless they can find a reason not to change a rule that everyone doesn't like, they will change it without being forced to do so. In the spirit of mutual agreement, trust, and participation, only suggestions will be given. No petitions. No demands. No orders. This is a club. We work together.

The second GM Forum will be the GM Ekklesia. This will be able to be accessed by all GM's. The function of this forum will be to allow the Group Gamemasters to transfer the feedback they have collected from their players to the Branch Gamemasters. Of course, all GM's can discuss proposals for club wide improvements (like Kris' stock exchange idea or new features for the website) in this Forum.