LOTRO Opens Official Discord, Seeks Volunteer Moderators

Many fans of The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) may be astonished to learn that the game hasn’t had its official Discord yet. Announcing its intention to launch a Discord channel, the developers of this MMORPG are planning to provide a platform for players to interact and collaborate with the game creators. This is certainly a significant move.

However, the decision to invite volunteers for moderating the Discord channel seems questionable to me.

Firstly, it’s clear they’re attempting to leverage the enthusiasm of the players who are eager to contribute to the game by involving them in moderating activities. Although no specific schedule or time commitment is imposed on the moderators, they’re nonetheless doing work which ideally should be managed by a professional community team. If community engagement initiatives are crucial, then the developers should consider assembling and paying a community management team.

Secondly, other game developers who have chosen this path have ended up in complex situations. Moderation carries a lot of responsibilities and properly vetting those who take it on is critical. Since signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement is mandatory, the age of the volunteers must be verified. Furthermore, entrusting power to unknown individuals often leads to unpredictable situations. This is a risky strategy that is completely avoidable if a professional community team is hired.

Thirdly, despite clearing stating volunteers are not part of the official game team, many players may mistakenly believe they are interacting with official representatives. As such, any action pursued by the moderators – positive or negative – will undeniably have an impact on the image of the game’s team.

I understand why game developers are tempted to enlist volunteers – they form a bridge between the creators and players, they may receive exclusive codes, and their contribution comes without a cost. However, this strategy isn’t astute and it potentially exposes the game to unnecessary risk.

According to the official statement, there’s a law preventing them from providing formal compensation for their services. Though this seems to be linked with the label of ‘volunteer’ rather than an actual law.

Any recollections of The Day Before’s attempts to redefine the term ‘volunteer’? Or how about when DreamWorld’s Discord moderators turned out to be underage?

It’s just not a good idea. Pay your community team.

The release date for the Discord hasn’t been announced yet.