1) The tools required to do that kind of interaction have a lot of potential for abuse. Gradually moving people up through the ranks helps identify people who shouldn't be trusted with that sort of abuse.

2) Running the game isn't all ####s and giggles. Sometimes, actual work needs to be done. Ask any IMP or admin about the time they've had to stay on doing some urgent task, or had to plow through hours of drudge work to get something cool put in live.

If you want all the privileges of being a staff member, you need to show us that you can do work of high quality, to specifications, fairly independently. Otherwise, my job becomes "making sure random new guy doesn't break stuff".

See, I would like to contribute in that way. Almost purely on interaction and/or furthering the enjoyment of the playerbase (believe it). I am a people person. I like ambience.

3) Then keep playing quality mortals. They contribute all of that, plus provide groupmates, PK opponents, etc.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com