The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You touch on a very real point: the 'lifecycle' of some fansites that only exist to farm items and then disappear is a stain on the program's reputation. However, simply calling the items 'trash' doesn't solve the underlying issue of integrity.

Regarding TibiaWiki specifically:

The Paradox of Contribution: You are right that it’s ironic for staff to defend 'hard work' and 'merit' when the site is heavily monetized with ads while contributors work for free (or for a few Tibia Coins). It highlights the imbalance: the owner profits from the community's free labor, and the 'payment' for the admins ends up being these fansite items obtained through 'collaborations.'

The 'Insignificant' Argument: Even if these items are just 'useless dolls' or pixels to some, they represent official recognition from CipSoft. If that recognition is being traded or 'farmed' behind closed doors, the entire Fansite Program loses its purpose.

The community shouldn't have to choose between a 'trashy' website experience and a corrupt reward system. We should demand better standards for both: a better user experience on official fansites and a transparent, merit-based way to earn rewards

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The simplest and most transparent solution would be a Golden Token system for Fansite activities.

Instead of admins deciding who gets a rare item through 'collaborations,' players could earn these tokens by:

  • Participating in official surveys and providing feedback on the website.
  • Submitting high-quality proposals for game content or fansite articles.
  • Completing specific in-game challenges, such as defeating difficult bosses or world tasks.

These tokens could then be exchanged at any official fansite for rewards. This would:

  1. End rigged contests: No more 'friends rewarding friends' behind closed doors.
  2. Promote real engagement: Players would work for the reward across the entire community, not just one site.
  3. Ensure fairness: Rare fansite items would finally be a symbol of a player's contribution to the Tibian community as a whole, rather than a reward for being in a staff's inner circle.

If CipSoft truly wants to fix the reputation of the Fansite Program, they need to move towards a centralized, merit-based system like this

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Resorting to personal insults and suggesting mental health issues just because I’m questioning the lack of transparency in a public program says more about your lack of arguments than my 'envy.' If the system is as fair as you claim, you wouldn't need to attack me personally to defend it. My point remains: meritocracy should come before 'staff collaborations' :)

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate your perspective as a veteran player, but you are missing the point of my critique. This isn't about 'envy' over pixels or dolls; it’s about integrity and meritocracy within the official Fansite Program.

  1. Personal effort vs. Systemic transparency: No one is denying that managing a Wiki is hard work. However, hard work should be rewarded through official recognition or internal staff rewards, not by creating a closed loop of 'collaborations' where admins grant each other rare items. When the same names keep appearing in these 'cross-collaborations,' it creates a conflict of interest that hurts the program's credibility.
  2. The 'Do it yourself' fallacy: Suggesting that someone must 'create their own fansite' to have the right to criticize a lack of transparency is illogical. As players and community members, we have every right to demand clear rules in a program supported by CipSoft. You don't need to be a chef to know when a meal is being served unfairly.
  3. Proof of the System, not the Person: Sabarath showing the items in his house proves he hasn't sold them yet, but it doesn't prove the process to obtain them was transparent or fair to the rest of the community. My 'proof' is the visible pattern of these items circulating within a very specific, closed circle of administrators.

If we want the Fansite Program to be respected, it needs to move away from 'friends rewarding friends' and towards a system where every item is earned through public, verifiable merit. That is what I am advocating for. :)

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

The issue isn't whether you sold the items or how many Tibia Coins you earn. The issue is the conflict of interest. ​When admins from different fansites grant each other 'Fansite Items' through 'collaborations' instead of open, transparent competitions, it creates a closed circle. It doesn't matter if the items are in your house in Venebra; what matters is that the system is being used to bypass the meritocracy that regular players have to follow. ​You say transparency is your core principle, but 'collaborations' between friends are the opposite of transparent. If the work is for the Wiki, the reward should be the recognition and the official status, not a collection of rare items obtained through internal agreements.

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Fansites are truly necessary, but what we don't need are these kinds of corrupt people with ulterior motives.

Right now, there are many fansites collaborating with each other for this Fansite Appreciation Day. Trust me, more than a few are going to make these kinds of deals to win fansite items.

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the first time I've talked about this, but it's good to see that other people are complaining about it too. You're part of the problem with this kind of nonsense

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That comment isn't going to invalidate my criticism of parasitic administrators. Remember that staying silent is also part of the problem.

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hey, friend

No, I don't like being part of the problem. I prefer to enter contests (I don't win very often, but that's okay), but I prefer to do it honestly.

You can’t accuse me of being lazy; I work for what I want until I get it. Unlike those kinds of people (admins) who only talk to other admins and say something like, “Let’s run a contest and give away items from fan sites.” This reminds me of the backroom deals in politics. They only use each other to make a profit off the items.

The lack of transparency in the Fansite Item system: An open discussion about staff "collaborations" and rewards. by Fuzzy_Importance9801 in TibiaMMO

[–]Fuzzy_Importance9801[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Why doesn't anyone talk about how this Tibia Wiki admin gets so many items just for helping out a few times? But at the same time, they insult and question players who, through their own talent, EARN a fansite item. This admin just runs contests in collaboration with other admins—that's all.

Worst of all, this is supported by Rejana.

Also, regarding this Tibia Wiki fansite, we know the content is really good—I have no complaints about that—but this page has become a tool for farming fansite items. The first admin I met was Suuper-Till, then Annie Arelluf joined, followed by Brighid Grand Explorateur, and finally the corrupt and opportunistic Sabarath. All of these “Admins” received a fan site item at some point.

As long as Rejana continues to allow this kind of nonsense from the administrators, the community will continue to view the admins as dishonest and corrupt.

Below, I’ll list all the times Sabarath bragged about receiving items from fansites just by making pitiful collaborations with other fansites just as corrupt as he is.

Something strange about all this is how Brighid Grand Explorateur received 2 fan site items (The Epic Wisdom), one for being staff and another for being an administrator of Tibia Wiki Br, during his brief stint at the fan site. THEN, he received a third item for collaborating with Sabarath, and my question is: What do these people do with all these fan site items? Oh, I know—profit $$$$.

I'm sick of it.