That member who has joined your game, and has managed to point out just how horrid and flawed it is. What you wouldn't give to fix your game and make them happy!
Perhaps they started out nice enough. They joined, said a big "Hi!" to everyone, and then their complaints reared their ugly head in the application phase, or maybe they did okay there and got as far as the roleplay itself before finding a hundred reasons why your website sucks. Something's wrong with your rules, your staff, your plots, your members...you! And like an attentive, caring admin you look into these issues and want to fix them ASAP!
Well of course you do. You're a good administrator and what good administrator wants to run a bad forum? So you change a few rules or whatever on their recommendation. You figure, what the hell, right? If it winds up making them happy, you can all go back to having fun and you won't have lost a member in the process.
Only...it doesn't make them happy. They find more and more to hate about your board. Everything that happens, they find at fault. The littlest things seem like a big deal to them. And there you are, scrambling around trying to find a fix for your forum.
What would you say if I told you the fix is easy and right in front of you?
I only wish I hadn't had to learn all of this the hard way--several times, because I don't always seem to get it on the first go-around. :P:
Changing or bending your game hoping to "make the person happy" never works. Never. If they come in unhappy or grow quickly unhappy with the game as it is {and I mean within the first couple weeks/months--many people have a "new person" phase when they are on their best behaviour but it soon wears off and they appear to change for the worse without cause--this is not them changing, this is how they really are} that is not your game's fault. A naturally happy and easygoing person will adapt to your game when they are new and familiarising themselves with it, or if it doesn't suit them, they will casually leave--because it isn't in the nature of happy, carefree people to stay in a situation that makes them unhappy when they could easily leave it.
Unhappy, complaining people will be that, wherever they go, and whatever game they join. Whatever you do to try and make them happy on your game. Yet they will often not leave of their own accord. Misery loves company, after all.
And unhappiness is as contagious as happiness. Surround yourself with the happy folks on your game. I mean those who are glad to be a part of it the way it is, even if it isn't perfect, because nothing is perfect. Let the rest go on and find somewhere else to commiserate. They will not be happy until they figure out how to do that for themselves.
So! About that fix?
By now they may have gotten totally out of control, so the first thing you want to do is shoot them a polite but firm private message, and halt any chaos they are currently causing, chances are they are causing some, somewhere on your forum. Make it clear to them they have stepped way over the line and face suspension if they don't respect your authority. If that doesn't work, have the ban hammer at the ready.
Again, misery loves company. They won't be alone out there.
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