Subject: Goldriding -- long and spammy!

Goldriding takes commitment. A lot of it. It should only be attempted on a game and at a weyr where you feel most comfortable -- why would you want to put the effort it takes into a place you don't care about? It'll reflect. Goldriding (whether Jr or Sr) is something which takes a lot of time. That's OOC time, not necessarily IC. Goldriding is mostly an OOC job. Not including Search, which takes a goldrider almost entirely OOC. Goldriding is basically being able to listen to everyone and try to accomodate as many people as possible. A goldrider does not rule the weyr; it is not hers. If nobody has any say in anything, why would they bother to play there and help out? And another requirement of a goldrider is a good support group. Because a goldrider's life can be hellacious. ICly, she's got no choice with where she's going in her life from the moment she Impresses; OOCly, she doesn't have much, either.

A goldrider has OOC expectations laid on her from that first << My name is Dragonth! >> Firstly, with people who don't think that she should have gotten the gold. A gold is often seen as a status symbol, and a lot of OOC crap comes off of simple Impression. Not to mention later. If you want a thankless job trying to make sure everybody but yourself is happy, then goldriding might be a good consideration. Because a goldrider is instantly visible. She's under scrutiny constantly. There's no escaping the microscope, ever, whether a Jr. or a Sr. Everything said ICly and OOCly will be under watch, and often a goldrider's IC actions are translated into OOC. One instance of this happening in the past is that people thought a certain goldrider's player was a lush simply because her character got drunk three times.

This won't change, either. Goldriding is no bed of roses, despite having NifyBigDragonWhoCanLayEggs. Hatchings and Search, while in the best of circumstances having a large pool of people contributing and making decisions, are almost always blamed on the goldrider if someone doesn't like something about them. If this person doesn't Impress, if that one gets something other than they 'should' have.. etc. A goldrider is going to be blamed for a lot of things. It's part of being TheVisibleOne. If a person prefers to be in the shadows helping and accomplishing things, than another color would likely be more suitable. A goldrider needs to be able to deal with all that pressure and not crack, not lash back out, and still be committed to the game and weyr.

Goldriders have perhaps the highest rate of burnout of all the colors. A goldrider needs to be able to listen, observe, take note of everyone's opinion, seek out everyone's opinion even if they don't come to her (paging is a wonderful thing), and then incorporate what everyone wants for what will work best. Not necessarily what the goldrider wants, if the rest of the weyr doesn't (though things won't work if the weyr loves a person and she hates that person, either). That's a sure-fire, fast way to bring about resentment from the riders and other weyrfolk and promptly lose a support group. And that support group is what keeps a goldrider from going insane, soo.. It's truly a thankless job. A goldrider needs to be aware of people's feelings, and make sure not to trod on them; for instance, during Search, if people are helping and contributing descs, those people will feel like they've truly done something if their descs are used. If the goldrider's descs are used instead, then why did they bother to do the work to help out and why do it any more if it's not going to be acknowledged or used? Better for the goldrider's descs not to be used, the goldrider's work to put aside in favor of others so that Everyone's Happy. Delegating is vital. For one, if a goldrider is doing everything she'll burn out or go insane within a few months. For another, people feel useful if they are given responsibility; they feel trusted, needed, and important to the weyr. That support group again.

So what are the qualities needed for Goldriding to be able to handle all this and not go bonkers? Stability is likely the first and foremost. Stability incorporating not burning out or dropping the game here and there, but being consistent both in sticking around and in attitude. In conjunction with attitude is the concept that IT IS NOT THE GOLDRIDER'S WEYR. Other people live there, other people have stake in what happens to the weyr, and other people deserve to have some say in what happens to it. Royal commands from On High will only create resentment, which is one of the worst things to happen to a goldrider, because then she won't have respect; she needs the respect of people, even if not necessarily liked. So a goldrider should not dictate, ever. Gathering people's opinions is very important, as is paying attention to them. The senior goldrider does not choose the weyrleader. Gathering opinions, again. The person who most people think would do a good job, has the time to meet similar requirements as a goldrider, though not quite as stringent (he is still put instantly under the microscope), and is willing to do so. A goldrider should have time. Goldriding is not something done simply ForTheRP, and coming online to rp when felt like it. Often a goldrider will have to deal with mail for 2 hours before being able to get out and and rp at all. And this is not during Search time, when she does nothing but OOC work. It has been estimated that a Senior Gold position can take more than 40 hours per week during Search simply doing OOC work. Full time job, and it's not that much less othertimes. Yet a goldrider has to get out and rp; she is TheVisibleOne, and must play hostess. Making people feel welcome is key, too. And she must Be There for people OOCly, too; and they should feel free to come to her -- she must make them feel comfortable enough to do so.

A person who Impresses a gold becomes a sudden Big Important Leader, and such people often make people uncomfrtoable. So that has to be dealt with. So when it comes down to it, a goldrider must have the time to do all of this. OOC work, IC rp, the whole load. And it's a big load. Junior goldriders may think they have it easier, and they often do, but the microscope is still there, the possibility is there that they may need to become senior. If the senior goldrider has to leave, the person most logically turned to is the junior goldrider. So all the warnings should be taken into account for both positions. Yes, this is a game, and yes, it should not be taken to the extreme that it should not be fun, but this is precisely why all these warnings are being said now, before it happens.

Many people want gold. It's 'Nifty', it has 'Status', and they plunge before knowing what all comes with it. Yes, the goldrider is the nominal leader of the weyr. But a leader without loyal followers is nowhere. So, that brings us to another important part of goldriding -- organization. A goldrider should be articulate, not mind reaching out to people and not waiting for them to come to her, and have good organizational skills. Many's the time that because a person is good rp'er, they are considered good for gold. This is not necessarily the case, though a goldrider should be able to set some sort of example with rp. Descing's not a requirement, either. Besides, if things work out right the goldrider shouldn't have to desc much at all; other people will do that and be happy to do so. But while a goldrider does not rule the weyr, she must be able to organize the weyr. Many people will mill around and not get things accomplished, and this is what a goldrider must do. She must keep events moving at the weyr, during Search organize all the applications, getting eggs and dragons ready, prodding people into opinions and helping out, and basically keeping things moving in an orderly fashion. And yet if things come down to it, the goldrider should be able to make a decision and stand by it. A goldrider is never going to please everybody. So! * Not The Goldrider's Weyr -- don't dictate * Delegate * Organize * Listen * Have time * Have long-term commitment; you're marrying the weyr * Be prepared to make decisions & stand by them ***** BUT REMEMBER!!! Listening and letting others Ideas and Opinions outweigh your own is important. I know it, said alot. Can't help but say again how important making Other's Count IS in making your life as weyrwoman that much easier in the end. People will want to help You. Otherwise if you want to be dictatorial and just haveYerWeyr, YerWay, yer welcome to it. Just don't expect anyone else to want to play there.

*******Nuff dittos!! Yah! What she said. With a note that if you take on gold-riding on VP for fun or just cause its gold and we get suckered into impressing you when you aren't up to take on the work, Sabby'll make yer life a living Hell. Well no, She'll just torture you slowly, which in the end will amount to the same thing. You'll see. *heeheehee* Basically just don't take on any dragon you aren't going to play, appreciate, and think you will enjoy. Tisn't fair to us, Search, dragon, or the game.