| January 31, 2000 |
|
Sir Wallace sent me a drawing of the contestants in the most recent Destiny Tournament. He'll have to post the results since I don't know them *smiles.* Enjoy!
---Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny
| January 30, 2000 |
|
I updated everything from the last Award Ceremony that Wingnut put on. Thanks for pitching in Wing. The only people that did not get listed were the PhD people since I haven't worked out a system with them yet. We will keep track of the awards so they can be shown wherever you end up being listed =). I still have a lot to clean up on the Destiny pages but the KFW and ToD lists should be up to date as of today.
The Awards Committee met on Saturday as planned and got through the Virtue awards pretty well along with some new rules.
The two hour tests (Humility, Spirituality, and Honesty) will be divided up into two, one hour tests. This will allow the ceremonies to be shorter. It has been very hard to fit ceremonies into people schedules so I hope that this will increase their popularity and appearances. It will require two appearances at ceremonies, but I think that is a good compromise to what it was like before. Other than that the tests remain the same.
The rest of the virtue awards are going to stay the same as they are. We will be coming up with alternative ways of earning the awards though. We did not get anything really figured out for the other options during this meeting but it will be a topic for many meetings to come.
It was brought up that the virtue and skill awards can become out of date for many people and should have some type of retesting over a period of time. We all agreed that this could be done and came up with the following rules:
Everyone with skill and virtue awards today will have their expiration dates set now. The dates are monthly so everyone that has an award today will have a (1/00) on their awards.
After four months from the date on an award, a person has one month to retest for that award before the award is "greyed" out. The award will still be seen but will be grey showing it is no longer current. Awards will never be deleted permanently.
After the four months, the person will have to do a mini-test to keep the award active. As long as the person does this during the month after expiration, he/she can take a mini-test rather than the full test. After the month grace period, this person will have to take the full test again. (Special circumstances can be discussed on an individual basis.) The mini-tests will be described on the badge pages after the main descriptions. Really, these tests will just require you to come to the ceremony and show some sign that you have retained your skills or virtue.
These are only the rules for the awards that pertain to Destiny as a whole. The other awards or titles are up to the guilds to which they belong. It is up to the guilds to decide if they will recognize "expired" awards or require them to be kept active to keep subsequent awards.
I did get many things done with the pages, but there is much more left to do. I will be working on restructuring the Destiny pages and clearing some of the sections from the KFW pages so that they can become more concentrated on their issues and events. If you have any ideas or comments just email them to me.
---Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny
| January 26, 2000 |
|
PhD has come up with some suggestions that I thought were good and would like to move on. I have created a committee to go over existing and new awards that would be open for all those in the community of Destiny to earn. There will be many changes to both the KFW and Destiny pages to accomodate this change. The awards will be divided up into those that can be earned by everyone and those that can only be earned by the respective guild (inner-guild awards or titles.)
The Awards Committee will only go over the awards that will be available for all to earn. The inner-guild awards are to be dealt with by the guilds themselves. I will be putting together a list of people that will be Masters of Ceremonies. These will be the people that are officially picked to be able to do award ceremonies for Destiny. Again, for the other awards, the individual guilds must organize those.
For the time being I will head up the Awards Committee to get it started. The following people will be the initial members:
Carina, Kabal, Legolas, Cromwell, Crater, Atli, Berek, Wingnut, Telzarn, Marina, Eddard Stark, Rastamon, Jaoshim.
With a large group like this we can still have a good base for determining the validity of awards without being hampered by absent members. We will start with the existing awards and try to cover as many as possible in an hour meeting. Whatever is not covered can be continued in the next, and then the next, and so on... Eventually, we will be getting ideas from others in Destiny or within the committee for new awards. This committee will go over them and discuss the validity of the award and whether it is appropriate for the general populace of Destiny. I know that PhD is putting together many awards that should benefit us all.
If you would like to be involved with this committee too, email me and I will consider your application. I will have to limit it, but some people may drop out and replacements will need to be found so if you don't get in right away you might be chosen later.
The first meeting will be this Saturday (1/28/00) from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. CST. We will use the mage tower roof and meeting room to go over tests and awards depending on the room needed. Most ceremonies will be held at the tower so this is very appropriate. If any member cannot make it during this time, please send a message on any ideas you might have so the rest of us can go over them. We will start with the Virtue awards as shown on the KFW pages and go down that list so you can be prepared for the subject. Thanks to all those that volunteered. You are doing Destiny a great service.
---Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny
| January 22, 2000 |
|
Several new issues will be coming our way soon. I will be working on getting public knowledge and acceptance of the following items in the coming weeks:
Participation in organizing events along with the other player run towns. Talanithus from Tel'Ruid is trying to get all the towns to orgainze their events so that they do not cross over with each other. If we can work this out, we should find that we have events to go to most the time without having to prepare them all ourselves. I think a shard wide attempt at some cooperation would beneifit us all.
I have been thinking of starting a justice branch within the Destiny government. I am not yet sure exactly how I will set this up, but it should allow people to have more control on the issues that effect them. I have to make decisions today that are not always that easy. Situations come up where it is a his/her word against another's. In our little world here, I have to go with gut feeling and the trust of long time friends and leaders. There may be a need to spread this responsiblity out some in the future. As always, I will keep you posted as I flesh this out more.
There is word of a new ranking system coming for those interested in PvP. This would be a shard wide event that would involve duels (one on one.) There will be official referees that will observe the fight and declare a winner and loser. Those records will be posted. There will be a top 10 list of PvP'ers that, if your record is good enough, can be challenged. That is the simple explanation of it, and there will be more to it than just this, but I will be pushing to get some referees set up in Destiny. I am working on the facitlities too. It should prove to be a lot of fun.
There has been some rumors of an evil organization growing in the underground. It seems this group may be forming to play havoc on all the towns of Britannia. *OOC: There may be a shard wide group forming to provide an "evil" guild that opposes all of the player towns. This is in its enfant stages, and with all the other issues at hand, it will be some time coming. However, if you have ideas or an interest you may keep this in mind ;)*
I also got the information for the companionship program and how to become a companionship guild. Look it over and see if it is something you might like to become a part of:
What exactly is a Companion?
A companion is a player who volunteers some of their time to helping new
players learn the basics of the game. This would include things such as how
to walk, talk, use the paperdoll and the features on it, how to
talk/buy/sell to NPCs, how to use skills...etc. Basic stuff. Remember that
"Young" patch awhile ago? Well, those are the people companions primarily
help.
What is required to become a companion?
There are a few requirements.
1) Must be atleast 18 years old
2) Must be experienced with the game
3) You must have a clean penalty box and harassment record
4) You must attend and pass an online training course
Are Companions expected to keep a schedule?
No, Companions choose when they are available to assist new players by
activating a special software "flag." When the flag is engaged, the game
knows that the Companion is available to assist new players.
Are Companions part of the Councelor Program?
The Companions are a completely separate program from the Counselors, with
their own hierarchy, tools and mission. However, the Companions are part
of the volunteer team that incorporates the Counselors, Elders, Seers and
Interest Game Masters.
You mentioned Training. What will that consist of?
The training consists of 2 classes and a final exam. One class is held in
IRC and the other is done in-game. The final exam will be done in either
IRC or in-game. That is up to the SC that administers your exam. It takes
on average between 2-4 hours to complete all training.
Ok, so now, what is a Companion Guild?
It's just a label we use to designate a guild that we're recruiting members
from to be companions. Nothing will change as far as the guild itself. It
won't get anything added nor taken away.
Why are you going after guilds?
We feel it's a more efficient way to get people that will make good
companions into the program. In other words, we're trying to get the cream
of the crop.
What kind of Guilds are you looking for to become Companion Guilds?
We're looking for guilds that would supply us with good companions. :) Such
as guilds that are into helping the UO community and/or helping new players
learn the game. We feel these types of guilds would give us the best
players to be Companions.
Are Companion Guilds controlled in any way by the Companion Program?
No. This is why we do alot of research on guilds before we invite them into
the program.
Does everyone in the guild automatically become companions?
No. Each member will need to fill out an application, which then must be
cleared by OSI. And they must also complete the training.
Does everyone in the guild HAVE TO become a companion?
No. Obviously, we only want those that want to be a companion and that
would make a good companion.
So, how will you know who would make a good companion?
Well, that's where you come in! You will be determining, for the most part,
who in your guild gets to apply. We hope that you would recommend those
that would be a good companion and not recommend those you feel wouldn't be
a good companion.
Who would make good companions?
Those with patience, knowledge of the game, and a willingness to help new
players.
Who would not make a good companion?
Those with little patience, little knowledge of the game, or who don't
enjoy helping new players. :)
How do members of a companion guild apply?
Once the Guild is invited, the Guild Master/Mistress will receive a
companion application via email. He/She will then give them to the guild
members to fill out and send back to their SC. Once the application is
received by the SC, the member will receive a VID#, a welcoming letter and
the Companion Handbook. Once they have this, they can begin the training.
What's a VID#?
Volunteer Identification Number. It's used to track applicants throughout
the training process.
Will the GM of the guild be able to give the application to future guild
members?
Yes.
Can the GM of the guild have one of his/her guild members removed from the
companion program?
No. Once they're in the program, only the companion or OSI may terminate
the relationship.
Ok, how do we become a Companion Guild?
Well, once you've been invited, just let an SC on your shard know.
Can we get an SC to come to a guild meeting and answer questions from the
guild members about the companion program?
Yup. Just ask!
Let me know what you think. I think that is enough to think about for now. See you in Destiny!
Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny
| January 11, 2000 |
|
So much to do so little time. I barely have to update anything here you don't already know. The message board is always busy...never a dull moment. I do want to make sure everyone knows that if they do not see my name in red it is not me. I saw a few posts with my name signed to it and they were not very nice. Obviously, I would never post something like that. I'm sure whoever did it was just rolling around their room laughing about it for hours *shrug*.
Our fight to keep ourselves calm during attacks still rages on. I think we are getting better, but still I see more and more reds popping up in our ranks. These reds are getting other people in trouble and attracting some of the less than desirable element. I want to remind you all that you do not have to turn yourself grey and put yourself at risk for your red friends. I know you really want to....I do too, but it is severly hurting the town activities. The best advise is to ignore. You can even do this in-game by putting a person on your ignore list.
I have some good news too. We had some special recognition again. I was part of a UOCC chat about myself and Destiny. It went well and I think we got some more good press from it. Not too many people knew about it so it wasn't huge =). I can't seem to find the log for it yet, but maybe one of you can find it and post on the message board.
Also, I am looking into the possibility of getting Destiny into the Companionship Program. I spoke with Zax last night about this and it seems to fit what we do well. The companionship program is to help new players by having your character work with them one on one through the game. Some of our members are already companions. It is quite a noble deed to undertake. I will get you more information as I get it.
Several events have been going on lately. Hopefully, they have all been announced well enough in advance so that you can make them. It takes your participation to make them work, so join in if you can. The hunt into Wrong on Thursday night is still on. We will meet in front of the Knight's Pub at 7:00 pm CST (8:00 pm EST) to get started. We should leave soon after that. I will make arrangements so that you tardy people can get there somehow. If you would like to help out by marking our spot and making periodic return trips to Destiny to gate people in, please let me know that night. We should be able to get some answers to the strange happenings lately in Destiny and throughout Britannia *smiles*.
---Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny
| January 3, 2000 |
|
I hope everyone is having a great new year so far. I know we had lots of activity around Destiny, some good and some bad. With our popularity and noteriety, we are attracting some evil elements to town. This is mostly in the form of murderers that have escaped society's label as such. They use the laws to bypass punishment. These people are causing many of our members to gain the title of murderer even though they are trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, this is causing problems for many of the people around them that want to help them. To help a murderer, is to put oneself at risk of becoming a criminal and thus open to attack.
I must ask that all that have earned the title of murderer try to avoid putting their good friends into this situation and giving themselves time to lose the title. If you are having a hard time finding a good way of doing this just ask one of the leaders and I am sure we can work something out for you. In fact, we are looking into getting a place set aside for you to lay low for awhile. Hopefully, we will have more information on that for you in the near future.
We have also had some more attention from the Trolls. It seems we cannot get any relief from the evil in the world. It makes our jobs tougher, but we must endure and show all The Way. Here is a full report on that incident.
We also had a couple small attacks from gazers. That was not near as hard as the troll attacks, but I have to believe that there is something amiss around Destiny. We are planning on several events to help try and find the answers to all our attacks. Look for information on that soon.
It sounds like the Jaoshim family is having trouble once again. Go to the KFW message board to read more about it. It will take many fine Britannians to help them this time and you and your group may be just the ones. It smells like a Quest is brewing.......interested?
---Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny
| December 30, 1999 |
|
The new year is fast approaching. Again, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. With the holiday season upon us, we haven't seen too much going on other than our own participation at Destiny. It has been great to see everyone coming together to enjoy each other's company and help each other out with skills, tactics, and knowledge. I have had several good reports on our citizens and you all should be proud.
Last night we had five visitors. They were all Seers: Seer Avlo'Der, Lady Seer Bastet, Seer Asher, Seer Arislan, Seer Aldren. Many of them are new to our world and wanted a tour of Destiny since they had heard so much about it. I think this is a very positive sign that our world will be getting more and more attention in the area of quests, events, and so forth. I hope to hear from these fine men and women in the future. Here are a few pictures I "drew."
---Dren Jootz, Mayor of Destiny