Staffing Leaving/Closing a game advice

[Anonymous 234]

The Issue:  I admin my own game and while I have wonderful staff helping out, things haven't been going so well lately. I’ve been going through some heavy life stuff which has been getting worse. Recently I was dealt another major blow that's going to make my life even more hectic in the next few months. So essentially life’s a mess and I have no energy, time, or even interest for my game right now. So I’ve been debating the question: should I close up the game or offer it to someone else? Should I just try to weather this rough period and hope things will improve? Also, trying to figure out how I break this news to players and staff, if I do leave and pass on to someone else or close the game.

 

The questions: As an admin, how did you know it was time to leave a game/possibly close the game? How did you break the news to staff and players? How did you deal with the guilt?

Anonymous poster hash: 227ba...512

[Jones 177]

This is always a tough call to make. I think you have to decide first and foremost if you're comfortable with losing all control of the world you've built should you give the game away. While there's a possibility you could still be included later on, you will most likely have to cope with being completely cut off from the administrative side of the game. If you're not 100% sure on that's something your okay with, then giving the game away might just lead to regrets or disgruntled feelings later on. In which case you have 3 options: remain at the helm and play through this tough time to the best of your abilities, take a hiatus (you'll have to routinely check in so your staff doesn't give up on you coming back), or closing the game.

 

They each have their own pros and cons. You need to evaluate what you need most. Will playing through give you something to look forward to? I find when life gets hectic I look forward to writing, RP becomes my 'safe place'. That's not the case for most people though. Having that expectation in the background can make things worse. With a hiatus you lose the hovering anticipation of keeping active, but you'll still have to pop in from time to time or the site might lose confidence in their leader returning. You'll also have to rely completely on your staff to manage things while you're away, then deal with reentering the game when things slow down in RL. Closing the site avoids all of that, but can lead to a lot of guilt.

 

The things is, you don't have to feel guilty for taking care of yourself. You are important. Your members will find, or build, new places to tell the stories they want to tell. As long as you give them adequate notice there's nothing wrong with bringing a site to its end. Sites die all the time, new ones take their place. You don't need to feel guilty about that. If you do decide to go that root, you need to give everyone advanced notice. At least a month before actually shutting down the site. Some people like to collect posts they've made, or don't store their apps on their own computers until they need them. 

 

I hope you find the solution that works out best for you and your members. Best of luck.

[Elena 546]

If I give it over to the other staff, there is no guilt. I tell them simply that for me that journey is over, I can't do it anymore, and I hand it over, wishing them good luck. I also tell them if I remain as a player or not. Then I announce the members, in a mass letter or in a regular newsletter, about the change and who remains head administrator instead.

 

It is the time to hand it over when you can't find enjoyment in it anymore, or when your responsibilities in the real world don't allow you to do your administrative duties to the site anymore. And I recommend handing it over, not closing it, if there is anyone willing to take it over.

 

It is the time to close it only if nobody wants to take it over. And then I would tell it to the members through a mass letter. 

[VirusZero 176]

Hiatus

A hiatus is best for a short term situation. Something like a month at most. And something that has a definite end date. Otherwise it's too easy to get into situations where you just never come back.  Like there's always something that would stop you from returning. And then it kinda just becomes a case of leading members along (they hope you return but you kinda know deep down that it's not going to happen).

 

Relinquish

Relinquishing control of the site is a good option if you know the other staff you're working with want the site and want to take over the entire operation by themselves. But not all staff want this. Some are fantastic admins but they want to handle a select few aspects (like maybe they only want to do app approvals but not advertising) and let another handle oversight of the full site.  In this case this is something you would absolutely have to talk to your staff about. I mean there's no point in handing over control if they don't want it.

Additionally not every admin can completely let go. So there are  something things you'd have to answer for yourself...

- "Can I hand over complete control and walk away from staff position?"

- "Will I be ok if I let go control but they make a change I don't like?"

- "Can I play at a site I created but don't control?"

 

Close

Closing down the site is the final option. If you can't let go control or no one wants to take over, sure it makes sense. But before you shut down make absolutely sure this is what you want. Once you close it's incredibly difficult to restart a dead/closed site. 

I'm not going to lie, closing a site is a tough decision. It's not one to make lightly since it doesn't just affect you. This effectively stops everyone from being able to keep playing. Now if there's no one playing then it makes it a lot easier to do... But still it's going to be a tough thing to do.

 

 

Regardless you need to talk to your staff, be honest and up front with them about what's going in. Present the options to them so they know what's going on.  

[The Rebel 44]

I would say if another staff member is willing to take over and the members are still interested in the board, the kindest thing to do would be to let them.  I understand that can also be incredibly difficult, though, if it's your baby.   Maybe it will just be a hiatus and you fill find yourself with the energy and excitement to participate again and it could be lovely to see your board still going and to be able to join again like that.   Or there could be the understanding that you will continue your admin duties when you are able.    I've been a member on boards I was really into and the staff just ghosted and it's incredibly disappointing as a member.  I have also, however, been in the position where I inherited a board, made it my own and it's still going and I really really appreciate that my co-admin did not want me to just close it.  Even if a staff member couldn't do it, if you have a dedicated member, that might also be a good option.

 

If no one can take over, you could either put a board on hiatus or close it, though, I would strongly encourage for you to do so in a way that your members still have access to the material on the board so they can retrieve their writing and notify them about the closure in advance- pm/email/whatever.  I am sure people will be disappointed, but I think everyone knows that life happens and that sometimes it's just not possible to keep a board going.  Do what's best for you and your well-being.

Edited September 19, 2018 by The Rebel

[Quell 249]

While I can day I have never been the admin on a board that is thriving that I have needed to move away from, I believe the best thing to do is give it to someone who will love it. This doesn't mean that they will do everything that you would do, but that isn't a bad thing. 

 

On the flip side:

You, personally, could go on hiatus. This would allow you to recuperate without 100% relinquishing control. Make sure to put a time limit/return date on it for everyone's sanity--absentee staff is horrible for sites in my experience. Walk away for a month, and if the time comes around when you're supposed to start admining again and you dread it, step down and hand it over.

 

I feel like that would give you time to see what life is like with and without running this site, and would give you time to be assured that it can run without you OR that it can't and you do have to shut it down if you move on.