About Staff/GM/Dev's and Brightrims Hiatus

[Yridia Anar]

As one of the oldest players here, I’d like to comment on Brightrim’s post.
She’s a brilliant developer – but does that mean she’s a good person? Not at all.
She only cares about playtime, technical aspects and appearance. But is that still my Illarion? NO
My Illarion was all about the stories and the lore behind them, and she’s not interested in that.

Her angry rant makes her look like the victim. But shouldn’t we question whether any of this is actually true?
To me, it all looks like blackmail – either I become a GM and get the power, or I leave.

Aly never got her house in Cado because she and one other player were against it and successfully blocked it.

Inara is being sabotaged because she can’t play quite as often – but that’s also down to other players who simply have a real life too. Some stories can’t just be continued without the players involved. And yet that is exactly what POInara is being accused of.

POAmelia worked her arse off on graphics, wanted to join the team and was rebuffed with flimsy excuses, mainly from Brightrim.

May I remind PO Bernie how upset he was about losing his city status??

Slightly had to ask permission for every single quest? What on earth is that about?

And those last few sentences are pure hypocrisy – she doesn’t want a crusade, yet she’s throwing every bit of dirt she can at Slightly?
And then locking the post so no one can have their say?

Brightrim as a dev – Yes
Brightrim as a GM – a resounding NO
I hope others will also post here with their views, and perhaps Slightly will comment too. One-sided accusations are simply not fair

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Als eine der ältseten Spielerinnen hier möchte ich zu Brightrims Post Stellung beziehen.
Sie ist eine brilliante Developer - bedeutet das auch sie ist ein guter Mensch ? Mitnichten
Sie legt nur Wert auf Spielzeiten, technische Dinge und Aussehen. Aber ist das noch mein Illarion ? NEIN
Mein Illarion bestand aus Geschichten und der Lore dahinter, an der ist sie nicht interessiert.

Ihr Brandbrief Gemecker lässt sie in der Opferrrolle dastehen. Aber sollten wir nicht hinterfragen ob das alles so stimmt ?
Für mich sieht das alles wie Erpressung aus - entweder ich werde GM und bekomme die Macht oder ich gehe.

Aly bekam nie ihr Haus in Cado weil sie und ein Spieler dagegen waren und es erfolgreich verhindert haben.

Inara wird sabotiert weil sie nicht ganz so oft spielen kann - aaaaber das liegt ja auch an anderen Spielern die halt auch ein RL haben.
Manche Geschichten lassen sich nicht einfach weiterführen ohne die Spieler die damit zu tun haben. Und doch wird POInara genau das vorgeworfen.

POAmelia hat sich den Arsch abgearbeitet für Graphiken, wollte ins Team und wurde abgeschmettert mit fadenscheinigen Begründungen, hauptsächlich von Brightrim.

Darf ich PO Bernie daran erinnern wie aufgebracht er war wegen des verlorenen Stadtstatus ??

Slightly musste wegen jeder Quest um Erlaubnis fragen ? Was soll das bitte ?

Und die letzen Sätze sind Heuchelei - sie will keinen Kreuzzug und schmeißt allen Schmutz auf Slightly den sie kann ?
Und dann den Post sperren damit niemand Stellung beziehen kann ?

Brightrim als Dev - Ja
Brightrim als GM - ein klares NEIN
Ich hoffe auch andere melden sich hier mit einem Post und ihrer Sichtweise und vielleicht bezieht ja auch Slightly Stellung. Einseitige Beschuldigungen sind einfach nicht fair

[Brightrim]

To preface this, I am only lingering because of a sense of responsibility as I want to ensure the game is running smoothly after the update before I leave.
That said, these claims are ridiculous and I feel the need to ensure the players know the truth and are not mislead by Slightly and his clique, so here goes.

She only cares about playtime, technical aspects and appearance. But is that still my Illarion? NO
My Illarion was all about the stories and the lore behind them, and she’s not interested in that.

Please do not put words into my mouth. Though I find it interesting that someone who thought Reginalds Tomb was an old cave, and that the Queen's Cube was an abandoned quarry, tries to accuse -me- of not caring about the lore.

I think it is quite apparent by what features I have put in, with a focus on RP and player autonomy, that this is not at all true.

When it comes to what I care about, player autonomy and the stories they can create is in focus and I have worked on making the tools available for just that. If anyone's focus is in the wrong place it is Slightly, who is the one that always opposes player autonomy. Insisting on restrictions like with housing, where for instance Bernie has to go out of his way, in spite of timezone differences, to meet with Oxiana to pay rent, because Slightly insisted that player leaders and GMs (In other words him, since there are no player leaders) get to keep the "power" to force people to find them to pay rent.

Her angry rant makes her look like the victim. But shouldn’t we question whether any of this is actually true?
To me, it all looks like blackmail – either I become a GM and get the power, or I leave.

I'm not sure you understand the definition of the word blackmail. In either case, I had a majority vote in favour of me becoming GM. Slightly refused to acknowledge the result of this majority vote. I could have stepped up as GM anyways, all that separates me from one is the red colour to my name that - due to the absence of Estralis and the departure of other team members - only Slightly can give due to the admin rights he manipulated his way into getting. I do not want to see the game burn down in a petty fight between me and Slightly, so I'm leaving just like so many before me.

Aly never got her house in Cado because she and one other player were against it and successfully blocked it.

How exactly did I supposedly block it? I was not even a dev back then, just a player.
Back then Slightly was in a position, one he has once more managed to force his way into, where he could dictate everything. If he believed there was legitimate reason to make you a noble, why didn't he?
If it is about player choice, then why would your choice matter more than that of others? And if Slightly deemed it to be the case that you did not have sufficient support from other players because of me and another player, then how exactly is his choice something to blame me for? It is quite typical of Slightly, that. To shift the blame onto others while gatekeeping.

In the team I've advocated for giving players guidance on what they are doing wrong in their attempts to become player leader, instead of stringing them along like he did to you.

I've pushed for clear communication both internally and to the players.

I've also pushed for putting people into player leader roles to give players more autonomy.

Is it also my fault that Clairette was not made guard captain when she asked to, after putting so much effort into it and having player support?
Was it also my fault that Mirai and Amelia haven't been given any official authority to enforce things in Galmair, but instead keep getting strung along by Slightly?
Is it my fault that Nalcaryos and Caswir keep getting strung along endlessly in Runewick?
That Deanna was met with such hostility from Slightly during her time as player leader that she quit?
Is it my fault that the knight court has no real authority when they are practically what the old noble court was, just reliant on Slightly because he refuses to give them engine access to tools they are meant to have?
Is it my fault that he wouldn't even deign to give a response when Bernie asked for chancellor elections to be held?
Or that he has been in a personal vendetta been excluding Ela'Xandir from Galmair politics, despite Mirai and Clairette's willingness to work together with him and the support of players outside of Slightly's clique there?
How exactly is Slightly's gatekeeping my fault? If I was that powerful that I could play Slightly like a puppet, why are we having this talk?

Inara is being sabotaged because she can’t play quite as often – but that’s also down to other players who simply have a real life too. Some stories can’t just be continued without the players involved. And yet that is exactly what POInara is being accused of.

Like I said above, I've advocated for putting player leaders in. To give them a chance, let them fail but not to take their failure for granted. That maybe they will prove a positive surprise.

Slightly has never once asked me my opinion about Inara's candidacy for being noble, nor has it ever been raised with the team. How exactly am I sabotaging things again?

Hell, I've even specifically named her when I was asked by Capswick what I would do if I could decide how to put players into player leader roles. I said that Inara, Nala and S'rrt are all making an active effort for it and should be given a chance, to give them autonomy and see how it goes without GMs dictating everything - only leaving map changes as something that reasonably should be voted on by the team, but to otherwise give them free reigns to prove themselves with the tools the player leader tools afford them and a team that can play the Queen to enable them otherwise if not, with proper documentation to ensure there is no bias and unfairness in who gets what support. Same goes for the other realms.

POAmelia worked her arse off on graphics, wanted to join the team and was rebuffed with flimsy excuses, mainly from Brightrim.

I'm curious what those flimsy excuses supposedly are, unless you know things from internal team talks that you shouldn't. The topic only came up once with Amelia, a year ago. During this conversation she told me she was ambivalent about becoming a developer, that she was afraid of the community and how they treat developers and that Slightly himself was opposed to her becoming one and that he was not happy that she wanted to become an active society member. Back then I told her it was not up to me; I had fallen for Slightly's untruthful claims that the committee members get to dictate everything, which it turns out there is no legal foundation to back up. I honestly told her the kind of treatment I've received from the community as a developer, that Slightly was against me joining too back when I applied. That only she can truly know if she is prepared to handle it or not.

Slightly has only now changed his mind and started advocating for her to join the team, coincidentally after the dynamic inside the team changed to everyone having a vote - not just committee members, and he found himself being outvoted about me becoming a GM.
Simultaneously he has been voting against two other candidates, who has a similar level of contribution as her - simply because they are not part of his clique, so if anyone is making flimsy excuses it is him.
However yes, I have voted against her joining. The reasons are far from flimsy and involves sensitive information that would be harmful to her for me to expose, so I am not going to say more on that. I did however make it clear to the team that I would adhere to the result of the majority vote, like I always have, unlike Slightly who does not. He could've put her in if he wanted to, again a case of him shifting blame and trying to paint me the villain. If majority vote was adhered to, we would have three new devs including Amelia. We would have a new GM with me, and we would not be down 2 devs and 1 GM instead.

May I remind PO Bernie how upset he was about losing his city status??

The rank system changes and how to deal with those who would lose rank was, as with all dev side changes, put up for vote and agreed upon by the team. Just because I implemented it does not mean I am the one to "blame". This was also an unanimous decision to implement the ranking system, so you really are grasping at straws here for ways to attack me aren't you.

Slightly had to ask permission for every single quest? What on earth is that about?

I mirror the question. What on earth is that about? Because I have absolutely no idea what you are on about.

The framework of accountability that was put forth only ensures documentation, that is sorely lacking, exists and that big things are voted on, such as putting in a player leader or making map changes, instead of being dictated by one individual. Everyone on the team agreed to this. Slightly is the only one who has been in opposition, and why wouldn't he be? After all, until now he has been able to dictate everything on his own and just do whatever he wants, favour whoever he wishes to or act biased against those he does not like. This framework would've changed that by ensuring documentation, reasoning and fair votes where the team has a say and reaches an accord. No more one-man show. It was also meant as a way to deal with inactive GMs causing the game to stagnate, which Slightly has been in his years of inactivity, by allowing other team members to step in and pick up where things left off with access to proper documentation.

Never has it been asked of him to ask permission to hold quests, that's just absurd and is in fact what he has been trying to enforce on others; That team members that aren't him have to ask permission to hold quests, contrary to how things used to be before he coincidentally happened to be the only GM left after driving off everyone else - how history repeats itself huh?

Hell, he was even upset when I provided CHAIRS and TABLES for a player event in the past, when that player was unable to reach him. Empty chairs and empty tables now, I suppose.

And those last few sentences are pure hypocrisy – she doesn’t want a crusade, yet she’s throwing every bit of dirt she can at Slightly?
And then locking the post so no one can have their say?

If anything I've been mild in what I have said and laid out the facts, there is a lot of factual information about Slightly that would make him look bad that I am not speaking up about - primarily because it would harm others too and he is not worth that. However I feel the players have the right to know the truth about what is going on. I tried locking the thread because, like I said, I wanted to avoid escalation beyond this. That clearly failed, you want a flame war so enjoy what you've sown. I'm only sticking around to ensure post-update problems get fixed because I am the only one left that even knows how and have integrity and a sense of responsibility.

Brightrim as a dev – Yes
Brightrim as a GM – a resounding NO

Dance code monkey dance. No thanks.

[nathi]

That Deanna was met with such hostility from Slightly during her time as player leader that she quit?

hej, I don't mean to butt into the discussion, but I can't just let that slide. Slightly wasn't hostile at all. I just somehow got caught in the crossfire back then.

Otherwise, I find the way this situation has developed among the staff very regrettable.

lg nathi

[Nikolaus]

Same as in discord:
Some time has passed, but I still think it is important not to sweep this topic under the rug. Losing two developers and one GM within such a short period is not a normal event for a small project like Illarion. It could genuinely become a fatal blow to the game, especially combined with Estralis stepping away for now. That is exactly why it is so important to approach this topic constructively and openly instead of reducing everything to personal conflicts.

The reality is that Illarion needs structural changes if it wants to remain viable in the future. That includes adjustments to rules, responsibilities, and organizational structures so that important contributors like Seeja and Brightim are actually able to participate in a meaningful and sustainable way. When highly committed people end up leaving after investing enormous amounts of time and effort, that should not be dismissed as “personal drama.” It should be a reason for the entire project to reflect on itself.

Because of that, I fully support Seeja’s proposal ( https://illarion.rl-tools.de/team/). The handling concept regarding rules, responsibilities, and transparency is thoughtful and future oriented. Transparency was always one of the most important principles under Vilarion and Nitram. There is a reason Illarion became open source in the first place. Making decisions and processes understandable and transparent builds trust — both for players and for developers and GMs.

The current status quo simply does not seem convincing anymore. Many players genuinely feel that while they are told the community can influence decisions, actual in-game changes are often not welcomed. At the same time, visible development and progression of the game feel very limited. If the same issues are being discussed for years and important matters — like stalled quests or organizational problems — remain unresolved, then at some point the team itself must take responsibility instead of constantly shifting it onto the players.

A good example is Letma. When I returned to Illarion around 1.5 years ago, I was honestly surprised to still hear about it. At some point, the team must step in and bring things to a conclusion instead of leaving them unresolved indefinitely. Responsibility also means making difficult decisions.

People should also not forget how much work Brightrim has actually invested into this project. Anyone who has looked at the GitHub history knows the amount of time involved over the last two years has been enormous — likely more hours than all active GMs and developers combined during that period. This foundational work is one of the reasons the game is still running and attracting players at all. Many improvements and systems people now take for granted exist because of that effort. It should not surprise anyone that somebody who invested that much emotionally and personally also has strong feelings about the situation.

And it is important to acknowledge that the decisions and changes Brightrim contributed to helped create more activity within the game. The fact that players (and devs) like Evie became active again did not happen by accident. That alone shows that movement, development, and change can positively impact the community.

At the same time, a GM team needs balance. A single GM should neither control everything nor carry all responsibility alone. Rights and responsibilities need to be clearly distributed. If the team votes for someone to become a GM, then the necessary permissions and authority should also be granted. Keeping people in a constant state of uncertainty or limitation only creates frustration and distrust.

Another issue is that parts of this discussion have become far too personal. It increasingly feels as though some players are closer with Slightly and therefore automatically hold very strong negative opinions about Brightrim. That does not help the project at all. People should be able to separate personal feelings from recognizing somebody’s actual contributions.

And Yridia, I also found your post (viewtopic.php?t=43558) extremely negative. We have both been part of Illarion for a very long time, and we both know the game had serious issues in the past as well. There was clear favouritism from certain GMs toward specific players, inconsistent enforcement of rules, and unhealthy power structures. Because of that history, I find it unfair to deny Brightrim the opportunity to prove herself as a GM when she has already demonstrated excellent work as a developer and has implemented many systems specifically designed to create transparency and prevent the kinds of abuses that existed in the past.

Nobody is claiming anyone is perfect. But fairness still matters. Three people do not leave within the same week without reason. That should be treated as a warning sign, not as an opportunity for blame and personal attacks.

What Illarion needs now is not faction-building or internal politics. It needs openness, transparent structures, and people willing to take responsibility. If dedicated developers and organizers continue feeling unwanted, blocked, or unappreciated despite massive contributions, then the project risks losing exactly the people it needs the most to survive.
FYI: I wrote this in German and used an AI translator.

[Yridia Anar]

@Nalcaryos = thx for posting.
I know it was negative, but Brightrim's original post was for me a NoGo.
You know it wasn't a good sign if name and dirt were posted openly - and she did it in her g'bye post.
Also some things are clearly not true - like PODeanna immediate corrected.
I know from others that some of these claims are not true.
Tell me honestly - did Slightly treat you hostile or strung you along ?

We should not forget that he has a very stressy job, he needed to care for his mother with a heartattack (fighting for her life) and a father who isn't healthy either.
So where is our "RL comes always first" treatment ?
Doesn't it count for GM's ?
Capswick did take the mantle as a GM - so all should be fine.
That he stepped down now has probably RL reasons, too. I doubt it was Slightly's fault.

[Nikolaus]

See dicsord:

I don't think it's appropriate for you to post about Slightly's private details.

Even though these things actually do support what I’m saying. In a society like Illarion, it’s also the case that you have to give others the chance to get involved. Especially when you’re under as much pressure in your personal life as you describe, it makes even more sense to give others that chance and step behind for a certain time and return when you are able to. I want us to focus on the future of Illarion and work on a solution together.

[Miriam]

Good news: We certainly don’t have a sockpuppet issue here that has led to an erosion of trust!
How do I know? Because people are doubting the authenticity of fellow players’ posts on the forum. Just recently, someone was doubting that Yridia wrote her post genuinely, thinking it was orchestrated by Slightly. Is it likely? Not really. Isn’t it impressive how low trust has sunk, when even basic forum posts become a battleground of speculation?
And I’m only adding to it by sending a marionette to write this - thank me later, folks!

People aren’t giving up and keeping quiet or picking on each other for petty things and OOC issues - no, even better: They’re so engaged that they even doubt each other’s ability to have their own opinion if that opinion doesn’t align with their truth. It’s almost as if, when nobody knows who’s really behind which character or what the staff is actually doing, suspicion starts to replace trust. But surely, that just makes things more lively, right?

Of course, mind that secrecy isn’t just for fun. Sometimes staff keep things hidden because they fear backlash, which is understandable, since they’ve had their share and haven’t always been supported by their own team. Clearly, secrecy is the safest option!

And let’s not forget another great feature:discussions attract old players who aren’t even active, but always seem ready to pop in and give their opinions against the team or a GM. It’s wonderful how debates get distorted by people who are not actually involved in the game, right? Or even more fancy, by people who aren’t even real, huh?
And of course, nobody can ever really prove who’s behind what account or post - unless you’re staff with special tools, or you decide to hack your favourite game. So we’re left with rumors, whispers, and suspicions. Isn’t that the best proof that a game is thriving and everything is going well?

Therefore, I declare there is absolutely no need for transparency about:

• Team discussions (of course we don't need data privacy either... *cough*) and votes. Why would players want to see what the game staff team is doing anyway? Why need to know who’s on the team, which chars they play, or how many?

• Disclosure of alt accounts on the forum.

• Or, since more talking is happening on the Discord channel, disclosure of alt accounts on Discord by using a bot.

• Who's actively playing and who isn't, because we all love distorted discussions, right? This makes a small community like ours feel huge!

• To make sure such an endeavor never happens, there is absolutely no need to change player attitudes from “But I want a secret char…” or “I keep this char secret to avoid being picked on” in favor of “The game dies if we don’t do full transparency.”

• We certainly do not need a moderator for Illarion’s team issues and the Discord channel either, because everyone feels so safe to create discussion and at home there. My player certainly did not leave the Discord channel because they wished it was better moderated.

• The same lack of moderation in no way applies to a team where a dev and a GM get into an argument that breaks the whole staff team - for whatever reasons.

Clearly, everything is awesome! goes away singing
~ Kerli, the marionette

[Uhuru]

The leaving of three of our dedicated developers/GMs is a huge blow. We can all agree on that.

I'm surprised by the opinions being posted regarding not just the initial "goodbye" post, but stuff from years previous. Many of us have been with Illarion for more than a decade, some double that. We have baggage. We all have good memories and bad memories of things that have happened behind the scenes and in game. This back and forth could go on for another decade.

It has been a few days since the last posting. I would like to propose a movement to move forward from what has happened and rebuild what is here into what we want it to be. What we know it can be.

In the last week, with the game in flux and needing much attention, I have seen this community pull together like it hasn't in a very long time. Not just in repairing the issues, but also in trying to work through all the new content. We/you, everyone, has been working together.

Playing Illarion, or any game, should be fun and not stressful. Let's bring the FUN back into Illarion by continuing this trend. Making all the stuff going on one big adventure! Both in game and behind the scenes. And lets focus on the positive things we find and stop beating the negative aspects into the ground. This way, we can move forward and be a stronger community than we've ever been. Don't focus on who did what, but how we can make it better. Bring ideas. Bring excitement.

Post about what is new and exciting in the game. Lets try and bring back some of the people from old. Lets forgive past grievances and start fresh. We are illarionites. Let's be us 2.0.

[Matron]

There has always been fighting and there will always be fighting, it seems, even though the game now looks like some super-niche being played by only 10-20 people that bundle up in exclusive cliques with their preferred RP-partners to live out their fantasies.
I am out of the loop on current affairs however, so I don't want to judge too harshly.

It would greatly help the game and the community, as it always did, when those in charge try to be as objective as possible in what they do for the game and how they communicate; specifically because there will always be emotion and subjectivity getting in the way of productivity.
Back then I always felt that's where people like Nitram/Estralis came into play like a blessing as they often put things into perspective (for me).
I hope you find someone to properly mediate what's having you fight internally and well.. openly (most is tldr).
Yes, for the sake of transparency it is great when you put it out in the open but it also greatly harms how all of this (meaning Illarion as a whole) looks to newcomers and oldrecomers.

In the end, please do not forget this is the internet. As much as I understand how invested one can get in this, it is simply not worth stressing yourselves out.

[Drathe]

I'd truly love to get eloquent and wax lyrical with words most poignant and motivational here, being an old timer and all, but...

I said everything Brightrim did, 3-4 years ago both in many discord chats and on the forum. It actually made me chuckle reading it for the irony that many of my arguments (now mirrored in her post) were argued against by her (do you remember? ) ) any many of the players Slightly has "allegedly" held back. Just a little bit of history ryming.

So, Brightrim, welcome to team disgruntled! Put the kettle on, make a brew and come take a seat with us lurkers who wait for Slightly to die of old age and a fairer more creative one take his place. Hopefully one without a rock hard stiffy for hegemony over towns and its player leaders.

(By the by it was not Deanna per se that was held back as Wick town leader by Slightly, it was Drathe and me the PO who had to deal with the absolute nonsense of him and the lies. It killed a real thriving, well run period of the towns history that left it empty ever since).