I like the idea of GMs being people who do go to other villages and try to spark rp.
I do not like the idea of a GM being a moderator. And Neji does not have them set up as a mod either. Decisions on RP need to come from the community for we are the ones involved. If the group of people who are engaged in their RP have no problem with autohits...then fine and dandy. They are easy enough to refute in the very next post made...and rp continues without a forum of people in debate for six years.
I think some of the other Mods also have the /game function for posting. I forget. However, it is not being used very often in terms of prompting rp. I do recall Zenaku going round with a merchant character to all the villages and people largely ignored his attempt to engage the character and see what sort of quests he had in mind. That was very unfortunate because many cool and interesting things were missed out on by us all.
While it is wonderful to have more opportunities out there for RP, and a true GM account with the /game ability for posting is not restricted to any one board but can use this all over the site, it is only as useful as the people who are willing to respond to all the attempts being made to coax some activity from the community at large.
A trend I have seen may be adding to the problem. People think that because an RP is going on in a village board that they are prohibited from making other rp in the same place. I would like to remind us to be more open to having multiple events going on in the same area. There is no reason why an encounter can't be going on at the village gates while inside others who are not engaged at the gates are progressing their own actions. And it is easy enough to follow along with who is doing what and where simply by reading and by including indicators in our posts to designate location or to whom the actions are directed.
Ex:
Luke Skywalker sits in his hover craft in the bazaar; the streets are full of activity while Ben Kenobi tells the storm troopers that these are not the droids they are looking for.
Meanwhile in the bar, Han Solo shoots first and is the only one to shoot---thank you very much---and Gredo dies while trying to execute the hit Jabba the Hut hired him for.
outside the village the Sand people are swarming over a caravan and looting their goods. Party tonight in the Caves!
While it is true that we make do with what we have to work with, ie: Color changes and hash marks and alt accounts...all these leaping through hoops in order to achieve a variety of actions and characters to meet the needs of the current RP...it would be much nicer to have the /game option available to more people who are willing to devote the time required in traveling the land and sparking rp.
So yes. I would like to see more GMs. But in no way should they be put in any position to arbitrate. That must come from those who are involved. It is time to settle your own problems amicably and grow up a little. Compromise, give in. Put the situation into perspective. Is this the end of the world if you take a hit and have to exit the rp to heal in order to survive? Well. no...not in the least. Don't be so sure you are right all the time, cause I can guarantee that you are not. Remember this is a game and it is not fun if you are the only one who wins all the time. And not very realistic either. And so what if you are right? Perhaps you are shutting the door on an interesting storyline opportunity and should go with the flow now and then. It might surprise you where you will wind up when push comes to shove. Creation in RP does not come from one source...you need those around you to color the world and to provide a bit of chance and sidetracking to get to anywhere amazing.
It is a recipe for disaster to put moderation of any form into the hands of the storytellers. A true GM does not pit himself against the player but provides opportunity for the players to shine and to progress their characters and to have fun. And if you trust the GM to lead you on the ride of your life, you might just enjoy yourself some.
But seriously...we gotta be more flexible in the village boards to permit more rps to be occurring at once. If we allow one RP to dominate the board, then only those who give a crap about it and are in it will be active and the others? Well...they get shoved out of the way and creativity dies. SL is big enough for everyone. It's time we remembered that and encouraged others to believe that as well.
I feel than an election for a GM would not be good. Popularity does not mean a person is qualified to handle the job. The person needs to be willing and capable of creativity, and be concerned about everyone, not just their own gang of friends. The person needs to be willing to engage in many kinds of rp, not just combat. They cannot view any rp as meaningless or too small to encourage. And they can't take on the attitude that non-canon characters are trash. Are you willing to lead a vampire rp? Well some of SL's members are Vampires. Will you throw a birthday party? Can you figure out what will spark the interest of those who remain silent and draw them out? Will you be willing to rp with someone no matter their writing skill level? Will you lose so another can prosper? Do you have to be right all the time and argue your point to the bitter end? A GM is not a participant but a storyteller.
A GM has to be inclusive. And it is harder than you think.
But yes, I would like to see some true GMs on SL.