Often times I will have a long conversation with a pilot that thinks I have made the wrong decision. On the one hand I feel it is my obligation to listen and try to explain myself, because it is the pilots that allow this place to exist. If someone thinks I am making a mistake, they are often right, but often there is not much I can do. Actions must be tested to see if they work, and changed later if they do not. I am the only one that really knows everything that is going on around here. Sometimes I am making a mistake, or sometimes it appears that way because I have information that the pilots do not have. I am the only one that has heard the complaints from all sides. I am the only one that knows how much money is in the bank at any given time. I am the only one that knows what bills are due next week.
I have a lot of little projects I have been working on. Plans for the future I have started to put in motion. The second lesson I have learned is that it all takes much longer than it should because I am spread so thin. I devote 5 minute chunks of time in a lot of different directions and progress is slow. I have learned that it is best to keep some of these projects quiet until there is real progress, because I don't want to disappoint those that are directly effected by them. Rest assured there is a lot of this stuff in the works. I hope this place survives long into the future and we get to roll some of this stuff out. Unfortunately when something goes horribly wrong we have to stop and deal with the emergency at hand sometimes.
This members night thing is exactly that. I would love to pause the game and think about this for a while, but that doesn't stop the rent clock from ticking. We have to change this right now, and it absolutely has to work this time. So what I would ask of all of you is that you make an effort to make this work. So many of you have made sacrifices to help keep this thing going. Don't think I haven't noticed or don't appreciate it. Please support the new nights. We are going to need everybody to get this thing off the ground. We are splitting a crowd that has dwindled to a dangerously low level. If some of you that we haven't seen in a while don't show up, this won't work. I intend to roll out a schedule for members nights in May later today. It isn't going to work for everybody. If we find that it is wrong for a lot of people we can consider changing it in June. We will have plenty of time to discuss it at the members events, or you can always drop me an email with your concerns at pilotinfo@the-airlock.com.
In the meantime, please take a look at your schedules, if something can be moved so you can show up, please move it. We really need the help in the short term to get this stuff established again. Last summer we had members nights pushing 30 people quite a few times. If we don't get back to that level very quickly we are going to run out of money. Those who were here for those nights know they were a lot of fun.
In a future post I will discuss an emergency promotion that will allow people to get themselves on the members list quicker and cheaper, providing they can commit to supporting the next few members nights. This means if you have any friends you have been wanting to bring to a members night, we should be able to make it more accessible. If you have already purchased missions to get you to membership, and you want to come support the new nights, please come talk to me and we will work something out.
On Monday we have a Martian Football pass for $20, members or non members, doesn't matter, but everyone should know this is some pretty advanced stuff. All skill levels are welcome but expect to lose if you are not at least an intermediate RedPlanet pilot.
On Wednesday we will have the last Wednesday members night of it's kind. It will be BattleTech only because the RedPlanet people have their chance to get their fix on Monday. This means we will be loading all sorts of BattleTech games, ranging from the completely stupid, to the most advanced and serious games we have. Everybody will have a chance to suggest games they want to play. All skill levels welcome as always, but expect some very good pilots to be in the game.
The following week we will implement the new schedule which we can reevaluate at the end of May if we need to make changes.
Tuesdays (starting May 10th): Advanced BattleTech, members pay $20 to play all night. This will be what advanced night was last summer. Friends and fun and Mechs and blue tunnels. The comedy club is open for open mic night if people want a break for some cheap food or to grab a drink. There will be serious missions, stupid missions, and you can play in either or both. We will get back to some of the extreme advanced missions that we haven't been playing lately due to the split time between BT and RP. This night will be ONLY BATTLETECH, there will not be ANY RedPlanet on this night.
Wednesdays (starting May 11th): Advanced RedPlanet night, members pay just $20 to play all night. This will be mostly football, with a few change of pace death races mixed in. We will not load any BattleTech missions at all.
Thursdays will continue to be beginners night and we will happily teach people either game, or both.
Fridays will continue to be free mission Friday, so members who stop by will get a free mission.
Starting immediately, members who show up for BOTH RedPlanet AND BattleTech advanced night passes in the same week will get the second pass for just $10! So for $30 you can get two unlimited passes in the same week!
I will be updating the calendar later today to reflect these changes. For now I need to get ready for the King Of The Hill tournament tonight. We really need this to be a big night, everybody get out here, call your friends, lets have some fun!
Details on the rapid membership program coming in another post soon, Thank you all for your time!
--uglyman
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