Participants: Fallen Angel, Blind io
Description: Blind io Interview
Created On: January, 2002
 

Q: How, why, and when did you get involved with Subspace? 

Blind io: Basically, I was in college, living in the dorms at OSU (that's Ohio state, not
those usurping Oklahoma people!) a friend of mine who played a lot of Warcraft II on kaly
(kaly..something like that) heard about it there and checked it out. Pretty soon about 4 of
us who were really close friends took time off playing Warcraft II games and started playing
Subspace. At first I really didn't like it to be honest, I just played because I wanted to
kill all the people who used to beat the tar out of me in Warcraft.

As far as version numbers go in the beta...hard to say, everyone always quotes you the
version they started and their usage when "newbie" accusations start flying, and to be
honest, all I really remember is I *think* I started somewhere between 1.18 and 1.25 (lets
not forget that new versions of Subspace were practically a daily occurrence at that point)
I guess that would be about 1997? I try to forget the days I lived in the campus dorms
actually.


Q: You started in this game in the early years when VIE still controlled the game?

Blind io: Oh, yeah, I slid in when the beta was still going on, and was a Chaos East guy
from the very start.


Q: What zones do you fly now? 

Blind io: Hmm... I don't fly much in chaos anymore, but sometimes I go sit in spec and keep
the peace. I fly a lot in premier league when I play, and occasionally I drop into a dueling
zone. During the day if I drop in, I might spend some time in powerball, although I haven't
for quite a while, or DSB, or EG but honestly, I'm very fond of the SVS settings so I try to
stick to those zones.


Q: What staff positions do you hold within the community?

Blind io: Well, I'm a Vangel in Chaos, and have been since I was selected with other second
generation Vangels. I'm also the appeals coordinator in Premier League and I'm a member of
the Subspace council. My involvement with the council basically stemmed from my long term
commitment as a staff member since before VIE dropped the game. Since then I have assisted
in representing Chaos and Premier League. I also maintain the website for the group, which I
need to do some updates to (oops).


Q: You are an appeals administrator for Premiere League. Tell us what you do for the league.

Blind io: Well for those who are unfamiliar with the process, when a game is played and
there's some question to the validity of the outcome, one of the teams can appeal the game.
They contact me, usually via the website and I gather statements from both teams and the ref
and game logs etc. I then present the evidence and statements to the rest of the staff and
we decide whether or not the appeal has merit. Then I notify the teams involved of the
staff's decision. I also will ref the occasional game if we are extremely short on refs. and
other odd jobs as needed as well as helping the staff keep the peace during practices, etc.


Q: You sit in quite a position of.. respect there it sounds like. =) What is a Vangel? You
mentioned you were so titled in Chaos?

Blind io: Vangel is a term invented by the game designers. I believe it means something to
the affect of "VIE Angel". It was originally meant to be given to trusted players who would
stay in contact with VIE staff who maintained the game, to answer questions, help newbies
and provide the staff with information on problem causers. (VIE Only ever took action
against cheating, and nothing else).


Q: Ahh understood now. =) So that title held through the years?

Blind io: Well the Chaos staff kept it, and even call the high level staffers Vangels still
today. I keep the title as a point of pride, since it was given to me by the VIE staff, and
not by other players.


Q: It is my understanding from old-school beta testers and players that VIE did not allow
the blatant disrespect that players show in today's Subspace. Are they incorrect in their
recall?

Blind io: Well, VIE in my memory always had a hands-off approach to those situations. But
the thing is the attitudes that exist now in subspace developed over a long time, they
simply weren't like that back when VIE was involved. There's a lot of the attitude many take
towards other players in Subspace that revolves around the jaded attitude that some players
take on after years of playing. I noticed it myself, you get too wrapped up in the game and
it starts to become too important, little things that aren't a big deal, are suddenly
earthshaking situations and that contributes to a lot of the problems with attitude.

Now if someone from VIE was logged in as a sysop/smod/mod at that time, they sure didn't
take any crap from players. They didn't have to answer to anyone. It was, in every sense of
the word *THEIR* game and if you didn't like it you knew where the recycling bin was.


Q: Well there is a defined hierarchy in every gaming community for sure. What initially
inspired you to start doing work for the Subspace community?

Blind io: Well, when I became a staff member, I had already been playing the game for a LONG
time. I felt like it was almost an obligation. I wanted to "return the favor" if you will.
New people were pouring into the game and I often found myself explaining functions to them
and giving them tips. By my nature I'm the kind of person who does the kinds of things a
Vangel did at that time and it was a kind of natural progression. I just felt I was
extremely lucky to get the chance to give something back, as cheesy as that sounds.


Q: Well it is an admirable title to have. Only if you have wine is it cheesy =)

Blind io: But honestly, I always looked at it like a responsibility, not as a "title" or
power.


Q: It's nice to know there are people of integrity in the zones. =)

Blind io: Integrity is hard to come by, mostly because not many people stick to their guns.
It's hard when a player/moderator is trying to balance his popularity (which many feel is
important) and maintain order. For me popularity was never more than a secondary priority,
at it's highest. Fair treatment was always the most important priority.


Q: Well there are many young people in high staff positions that just do not have the
wisdom or experience that you do Blind.

Blind io: That's going to happen.


Q: Their motivations are quite obviously popularity and power. Not so much their
contribution to the game.

Blind io: Hopefully though, they'll use Subspace as a learning experience. They become
better people eventually because of the responsibilities they hold here, even if they are,
to an extent, abusing them.


Q: True... but many times it is at other players' expense. It is too bad that the moral
attitudes of a Vangel were not passed to these staffers. In the end the game suffers, the
players suffer, and it creates a viable habitat for hatred.

Blind io: Yeah, that's why there's quite a few players and several staffers with whom I'm
not terribly popular. I don't think I've ever hesitated to jump right down the throat of any
staff member who I felt was overstepping their bounds, or in some cases, under stepping. If
I don't feel a moderator's first priority is the responsibility they have to the zone in
which they work, I'll let them know, in no uncertain terms.


Q: Well unless the SSC is willing to put some legitimate guidelines to the zone owners &
server ops it will likely get worse.

Blind io: Ah, I was wondering when we'd get here :)


Q: You are fortunate in your status then, as most players know "not" to anger a staffer in a
zone by such open observations.

Blind io: As far as guidelines from the SSC, we've discussed it in great length. The problem
is, many members of the SSC, most in fact, are sysops of SSC supported zone. and have cross
priorities. They want to keep the power to make decisions on their own regarding *their*
zones and not have to worry about the opinions of other members of the SSC regarding what
they feel is theirs and theirs alone but that's NOT a bad thing.


Q: It apparently has it's pros and cons.

Blind io: The only thing to this point which the SSC has made an effort to put restrictions
on is full network BanGing. We have decided this: if a zone sysop wants to run off the
entire population of his zone with poor decisions and irresponsible actions, those players
will still maintain the right to have many other zones to chose from. Therefore, by
maintaining a loose confederation of zones, instead of a tightly held group, we hope to
enable players to find a zone that suits them.


Q: Well I know from viewing the council forums that those restrictions are very few.
Typically people find a zone/server that they like and then if there is staff abuse they
must find another zone or another game.

Blind io: Yes, that's true. The thing is..


Q: As far as the players I've asked they would like to see more structured guidelines to the
upper staff in these SSC zones.

Blind io: This is a little difficult to articulate from all angles.


Q: If the upper staff are controlled the lower staff will have to be maintained by that
upper staff.

Blind io: It comes down to this, if the SSC collectively tried to exert too many
restrictions and rules on zones, that would mean fewer zones or no zones would join, and
zones would leave which would fragment the game even more. The main reason the SSC was
created was to lessen the fragmentation, and to let zone sysops share resources and
eventually, as sysops become more comfortable with the idea, maybe more things will be
agreed upon. But for the time being, we are trying to prevent the game from fragmenting into
obscurity.


Q: Well as Priitk continues to upgrade the client do you feel the council's philosophy might
change? 

Blind io: Possibly, but even more importantly, I think the abilities of the sysops to police
themselves will increase.


Q: Well that's a positive note then. =)

Blind io: Many of the new features of Continuum revolve around chat functionality, and
increased flexibility in the moderative system which will enable the sysops to have greater
control over which players have what powers. Gone will be the solid lines between
sysop/smod/mod.


Q: Can you explain what you mean by the loss of "solid lines"? Would all staff be on a chat
network instead of the specific sysop/smod chats?

Blind io: Well, in the traditional setup of the moderation system within subspace, there are
3 tiers, sysop, supermoderator, and moderator. On each tier there are available commands the
problem is, if someone is doing something that requires only ONE command available on the
next tier, the only option is to promote them to that tier which means people have sysop or
supermoderator who really don't have the maturity to handle the responsibilities of the
position. Things are in the works to enable a zone sysop more flexibility in granting
specific powers to players who need them, while restricting powers that are unnecessary, and
easily abused.


Q: Ahh I see. =) Excellent. What else can you tell us about the new Continuum 0.37?

Blind io: Well, on the superficial level, Continuum 0.37 has some fixes in the way skins
work, which enable greater flexibility in skin creation new features will be less prominent
than bug fixes. Hopefully with the reduction in bugs, zones can start moving to
Continuum-only zones which lets them enable many of the functions unavailable in zones using
mixed clients.


Q: That would certainly help stop the remaining cheaters using the old Subspace clients.

Blind io: For instance, static damage will be available in Continuum-only zones, also, new
ship settings like "bombs on radar" (not mines) will be available. That goes without saying
the relief that will bring will be tremendous and will lift a great deal of the load off of
zone moderators.


Q: W0W =) I like that. I have always wanted the ability to see players on the alt radar
screen but I can live with bombs =) What about the local.lvl for map makers?

Blind io: Honestly, I don't know a great deal about that. I'm hoping we can get a "practice
offline" setup so map makers can see their creations, and sysops can play with settings more
easily.


Q: There is a bit of concern that there will not be a capacity to work with designed maps
with the Continuum client. Or a map editor that is stable enough to work with the new Ops
coming out and the new client.

Blind io: I wouldn't worry about that. That stuff will be on the horizon. But right now the
focus is on making the game playable as is, and then moving on to specific features like
mapmaking software.


Q: What are some notable accomplishments the council has made?  

Blind io: Notable accomplishments, hmm.. Well in my eyes, the greatest accomplishment the
council has made is to exist. By that I mean that we have managed to form at least a loose
confederation of zones out of the highly fragmented environment that existed after the
demise of VIE. This has enabled us to make progress on things like developing a new client
(Priitk is doing the programming), but without the support of a large group of zones the
council provides, it probably wouldn't have been worth the effort.


Q: Can you tell us what goals the council has today and what goals they may have for the
future? What kind of support?

Blind io: Well, let me answer the support question and then come back to the goals question.

What I mean by that is this, would you put the time and effort into redesigning the client
from the ground up if no one was going to use it? The council provides a significantly large
group to make it worthwhile for Priitk to work on the simply wonderful piece of software he
is developing.

Hehe, I know that sounds like I'm talking up a council project, but it's more than that, I'm
really sold on Continuum, I've had a lot of fun making skins for it, and really like the way
it runs on my machine.  

Now, to answer the goals question, that's a hard to answer question, but I think the main
goal, in the short term at least, is to foster the growth of Continuum. We as council
members occasionally try to step in and help moderate disputes between zones, but generally
the council will discuss stuff like that and make recommendations, but not try to "impose
will" on any zone or group.  

I think one of the long term goals of the council is to  maintain respect for the work done
by what are commonly called "little zones" as well as independent zones. Or rather, to help
zones like that, and let them understand that the council isn't some big overgrown monster
out to crush them, but a group who looks towards them as the future of Subspace. (sorry to
get off topic here a bit), The future of Subspace has ALWAYS been the leading edge groups
who take that giant, bold step to create something new. They have created the innovations
that have led to the really big zones now, like Trench Wars, and EG, and DSB. They have als
led to new ideas about how to approach old designs, like hockey, which is a variant of
powerball.


Q: Although we touched on this earlier, I can say from my experience that the average
player would truly like the SSC to take a little more control in some areas & be more
accessible. 

Blind io: Yeah, and I understand that. What I'd like the "average player" to understand most
about the council is that we as a council discuss this a lot, and I myself sometimes become
frustrated. It's not as cut and dried as it may seem.


Q: I know the people putting hundreds of hours in on their new zones, servers, etc.. will be
glad to hear that the council is aware of their goals. It is a very difficult management of
people I am quite sure.

Blind io: Hey, a lot of the members of the council were just like those innovators at one
point. Hehe, I think we're carrying on two points at the same time here, let me divide them
a bit as far as management of people and control of zones. It's very hard, without the
benefits of a real corporation who's paying salaries and making decisions to exert power
over a group like the Subspace community. If all the moderators were on a payroll, it would
be very easy for us to step in and say, we pay you, and here's how you're going to do
things. We can't really work like that. We have to give and take, and that means not putting
hardcore restrictions on what a Sysop can do with his own zone.

Look at it this way, by letting sysops "hang themselves" with bad decisions, we make room
for the next innovators to move in and prove themselves as for those innovators... There are
a few of us who got on the council by always being there, helping make decisions, and
helping develop the game further but many of the members of the council are here because
they boldly stepped outside convention and made something new. Those people help us remember
that once upon a time, Trench Wars was just another upstart zone. I point to Trench Wars for
a few reasons. Trench Wars was thought by many loyal to the SVS standard (and many still in
fact) to be a poor idea because the settings were such a drastic departure from the original
idea. Now it's one of the most populated zones associated with the council.

Trench Wars is a model that innovators should look hard at when they move out on their own.

Fallen Angel: No doubt Trench Wars holds a large number of our population.


Q: Well to the community the council has appeared aloof and concerned with their own
personal zones and acceptance into the council is rumored to be next to impossible.

Blind io: Well, there's one thing that should be clarified... there's the SSC which is the
family of zones that have BanG and council support etc, and there is the SSC that is the
council, a group of Sysops and people like me who are trying basically to foster growth in
this community. As far as getting into the first SSC, it's mostly based on the success of
the zone, and as far as the second group, it's dangerous to add more members, because as it
is, it is difficult to agree on decisions to be made. The council is not a governing body so
much as an advisory council and people should not feel excluded because they are not a
member.

Fallen Angel: Well people should not feel excluded but they do... and scream pretty
regularly about it. J


Q: It seems logical to me that you would include in the SSC council, people to help mediate
things between the community and the council or even between council members. I think it
stems back to the communication of the council with the community.

Blind io: Well, inside the council itself, there are a few people who are... not named as
such officially, but are good about mediating things inside the group.


Q: I'm a bit older than most people in this community and I do know that there are always
solutions.

Blind io: Well, that's probably not entirely unfair. But I think sometimes the community in
general wants things from the council that we are simply unable to deliver. Like the
imposition of strict rules on zones. I think a lot of the problem stems from there.


Q: It is more complicated than we know. =)

Blind io: Hehe. It's more complicated than *I* know :) I just hope that I've been able to
shed a little light on that, and I hope that the community in general will be a little more
patient with the council and understand that we aren't much different from them.


Q: The SSC website design looks great. How long have you been maintaining the site?

Blind io: Well, I've maintained the council site for... over a year now I believe, through 3
redesigns (the first being a kind of reintroduction of the site to it's new URL). It's been
mostly a test bed and a learning experience for me. When I started with it, I really hadn't
had much experience with html or website design in general.


Q: One more question regarding the council, Is there a main e-mail address for people to
contact the council? I know a lot of people get frustrated because they have no good e-mail
addy and never get an acknowlegment that the council has ever received their communications.
Is there an appeal system setup for the community for their issues?

Blind io: Well, as far as contacting the council, there's no single e-mail, but any of the
council members could be contacted with a request that something be brought before the
council, which is the normal protocol that is followed for an issue to come before the
council.


Q: I know from personal experience that the majority of those addys don't work. =( That's an
area that could be easily fixed so the community knows the council is receiving their
communications.

Blind io: As far as acknowlegment goes, that is pretty dependant on which council member
they contact. I generally let someone know if I forward something to the council. But as far
as getting back to someone on a decision, I'll be honest, sometimes it's difficult for the
council to form a coherent, singular answer to a question or concern, generally unless it's
black or white. I'm trying to get some of the members (myself included) to see this.

Well, that's something I'm unaware of. I'll make a formal request that those email addys are
updated to me so I can post them on the website, (you could also check individual zone's
site where council members originate from also). One other thing, to finish that question.


Q: If there is one email address for the council with a return receipt to the sender as
"received", that would go a long way for the community. Let them know a decision in some
time or not. At least the member of the community knows the council received it.

Blind io: Unfortunately no formal appeal process is in place, other than taking things
through the nearest council representative. The idea for a single email addy where things
can be sent is a good idea and something I'll present to the council. But as is, the council
mailing list is restricted to members only to prevent it from getting flooded and made
worthless by less community minded people.


Q: Understood and that's a good thing. The council should have a buffer. I actually got the
thought of an appeals system from your work with Premiere League.

Blind io: Well, it's an entirely different animal though, that's something that should be
considered.


Q: It might be easier than you think if you apply some of your present knowledge. =) Just a
thought. =)

Blind io: As far as the council is concerned, we are all equals, that is to say, there's no
one person that can ever say, "I'm overruling you because I'm the boss". In the league
setting, there's a very clearly defined power structure, which makes such kinds of
organization easier. That's not to say I wont suggest such a thing to the council and see
how it's received though.


Q: It sounds like a project but not impossible ;p Give us your words of wisdom for the
benefit of our younger members in the community that are interested in becoming staff and
doing more for Subspace or their zones.  

Blind io: Be honest, be fair, and always be willing to help someone who doesn't understand
something. Do those three things to the absolute limit of your abilities and you'll do fine.


Q: Where do you see the Subspace community in the future and what is the most important
thing you would like to say about Subspace and the community at large? 

Blind io: Well, I think the Subspace community has positioned itself to be around for a very
long time. The most important thing I think to the Subspace community is a centralized
billing server. As long as we can manage to keep most zones on a central billing server I
think Subspace will continue to be played well after the popularity for the particular genre
has expired. Communication is what makes subspace fun.
 
Whether or not the future of Subspace includes the SSC or not, or any of the currently
existing zones for that matter... it's not important. What's important is that out there
somewhere, minding their own business, are people like the current members of the council,
and people like the current sysops of independent zones who will rise up and find a new
solution. Subspace is a game that fosters a special dedication to it. Small boring games
don't offer all the human interaction of online games, Subspace stands alone as a game that
is run by and for players. When the current player administration finally moves on, another
will be there soon after, whether this change is gradual, like the development of the
council, or immediate, like the loss of VIE. I don't think it matters because there will
always be someone who'd rather put up with the frustrations and added work of running the
game than give up playing it.


Q: Those words are nice to hear Blind. =) Thank you for your insight. The last question
is... have you heard of a good release date for Continuum 0.37?

Blind io: Well, if all goes well, possibly very soon. Release dates for Continuum versions
are generally decided by PriitK. I'm personally hoping for it VERY soon because the Premier
League wants to try to run a season of Continuum only league.


Q: Cool so a little inside pressure wouldn't hurt =)

Blind io: Yep :)


Q: On behalf of the staff of Download Central we thank you for taking time to talk to our
community. =)

Blind io: Well, In return I'd like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so, it's
been a pleasure.