If you are planning to attend the upcoming 2013 Players’
Meeting, there is a chance your friends will nominate you to be the Players’
Representative; possibly just to annoy you, but perhaps because you are
genuinely interested in filling the position. I was the Players’ Rep at the
2011 Event Holders’ Council, but did not go into the Players’ Meeting with that
plan in mind. The experience taught me a lot, and I want to share what I
learned in hopes that anyone considering the role for this year can take
something useful away from this article.
The job of the Players’ Rep is to represent the views of the
players on the proposals brought to the Council, and ultimately to cast a vote
on the players’ behalf in favor of or against each proposal. The Players’ Rep
can also accept amendments to proposals on behalf of the player who authored
it. If you’re going into the meeting
hoping to win the position, you should know that the amount of effort you put
into your position makes the difference between a Players’ Rep and a good Players’
Rep. The following list of tips is my advice for anyone considering the role:
● Come
prepared.
Nominations for the Players’ rep take place at the beginning
of the meeting, but the actual selection process does not take place until the
end. This gives you the opportunity to take notes throughout the entire
meeting, and get a good read on how the players feel. If you know ahead of time
that you plan to run for Players’ Rep, bring a computer or notebook and pen with
you. It may also be helpful to bring a copy of the proposals with you so that
you can make notes to easily reference at the EHC as each proposal is brought
up.
●
Take good notes.
When making your case at the end of the meeting, the other
players and EHs in the room are probably going to test you on the events of the
day. Your peers don’t want someone who wasn’t listening actively and absorbing
the conversations to represent them at the EHC. They may ask what notes you had
written down for a particular proposal, or what the specific vote count was on
another. You need to pay attention to all the discussions that take place, and
feel prepared to discuss the general feedback received on any given proposal.
Taking good notes will also help prepare you to articulate the players’
opinions accurately at the EHC.
●
Reach out and gather feedback.
So you’ve been elected Players’ Rep, now what? The work that
you do in the two weeks between the Players’ Meeting and the EHC is what will
distinguish you as a good Players’ Rep. Send an email to the OOC Realms List to
let everyone know who you are, and how to contact you. Realistically not every
player will be able to make it to the meeting, but will still have opinions on
the proposals they will want represented. When I was the Players’ Rep, I shared
a Google survey with all the players so that they could provide their feedback.
While this certainly isn’t required, it is a great way to get a wider scope of
player opinion that may not have been as accurately represented by the Players’
Meeting votes alone.
At the EHC, you will also have the power to accept amendments
for proposals on the player’s behalf. Proactively reaching out to these players
to get a sense of their vision for their own proposal will better equip you to
present it at the EHC. It will also assist you in making decisions on whether
to accept (or reject) any amendments when you know what the author intended.
●
Go to fight practices.
The best way to get feedback from the players is to talk to
them in person. Not only can they not ignore you, but most will be happy to
discuss their favorite and least favorite proposals face-to-face if you simply
approach them and ask. There are practices spread out all over New England
throughout the week, which presents an excellent opportunity to get a good
regional cross-section of player opinions as well. It is a good idea to
advertise what practices you plan on attending so that people can come prepared
to speak with you.
●
Be objective.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but it can be difficult not to
let your personal opinions override the players’ general consensus when voting
at the EHC. The job of the Players’ Rep is to vote on behalf of the players,
whether or not your own personal vote might have gone the other way. Try to
accurately present the overall opinion when speaking for proposals without
letting your own bias creep in. If opinions were fairly split on a particular
proposal, be careful to represent both sides.
●
Be confident.
If you’ve done your due diligence--taken good notes, reached
out to players, spoken to proposal authors, familiarized yourself with the EHC
process--then you should be in great shape to speak at the meeting. It can be
intimidating to speak in front of a room of EHs, particularly if you have never
attended the meeting before or are a newer player. Keep in mind that you were
elected to the position, so the players felt confident that you would represent
them well. You get to speak first on every proposal, so know that your voice
matters as the voice of the players.
●
Bring cookies.
Seriously, EHs love cookies.
While I may have made the Players’ Rep position sound like a
lot of work and little fun, I would highly recommend going for it, particularly
if you have never done it before. It was a valuable experience for me as a
player, and also better prepared me to be a voting EH the following year. If
you follow my advice, you will get the chance to speak to a wide variety of
people that you might not normally interact with. You will also engage in
interesting discussions and get to experience perspectives on issues you may
never have considered prior. The best and most rewarding part of being the
Players’ Rep is that you get the opportunity to be actively involved in a
process that shapes the game we play.
