Issue #31: 14 Tybi 2757
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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 | Stirred, Not Shakenby Busty RussellHe's James Bond redux, handsome, charming, intelligent, and dangerous, but not necessarily in that order. Who is this mystery man, this 007 who can be stirred, but not shaken? According to Bolverk himself, "I played Pyroto extensively until just prior to its conclusion." However, Bolverk will not reveal his previous identity. "It is all well and good that I am at least in some manner incognito, this is after all not Pyroto." He adds that it "wouldn't do for people to drag their allies, opinions and grudges from one game to the next." What's wrong with that? In Bolverk's words, "That would lead to a mire of old obscure arguments that bog down and baffle players who never had the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of Pyroto." What brought Bolverk to Ankhet, and how does a former Pyroto player make the transition to Ankhet, which although similar, has some very different elements? "I came to Ankhet because I had a random hankering for Pyroto, a few minutes on that magical Google device, and miraculously I am here, and you have 4th", Bolverk admits. "My philosophy is simple", he adds. "I didn't miss all of the lovely numbers that was a scorecard in Pyroto, that is just flavor to the game itself. I missed the people, the environment and the nature of the interaction that was found in the game itself. So, what should we expect from Bolverk? "Expect me to be more interested in the people than the lovely numbers that go up and down on the left side of my screen, he said. "They matter little in the long run." Although he missed the people and the kind of conversation and discussions that existed in Pyrotian ethers, Bolverk has discovered that those intellectual discussions aren't a huge staple here in Ankhet. He also has a theory on why that is. "Fear, unnecessary, and a worry of being ostracized (the term not the annoying effect) for their words," he said. "The beauty of the game is in interaction, and fearing for how your words will be taken is a poor reason at best to not speak them. There is, I am certain, a wide variety of interests spread out between the people who choose to play this game. Perhaps it is time to just talk about it, and comment back and interact, punctuation be damned." Can experienced players help newbies adjust to the game? He doesn't think so. "I think that all in all, they can do little," Bolverk said. "More established players have the advantage of knowledge, and an air of power due to that. As a new player, I just don't see how that should affect my interaction with them, and the nature of the game is interaction. How many people have been swayed, affected and at times laid low by words alone here? The attacks, the feuds and war are little more than punctuation." If you want to know where this James Bond-type is going to hang out, check among the dessicated or even somewhat fresh corpses of Ankhet. "Well, the Underworld is always my first stop, as if anything significant has happened, it is often noted there," Bolverk said. "Beyond that, I look for what interests me, and as you can see, I am more communally oriented than anything else." That begs the question, spike or fluffy? True to his James Bond-like personality, Bolverk comments, "I think that spikes are painted as spikes because they act, and fluffies as such because they take it. I think that each situation is different, and each disagreement is unique." He further adds, "To typecast someone because they will act is an inaccurate description at best, and not very becoming of a supposedly intellectually based community." What does that mean for Ankhet players dealing with him in the game? "As such, I am one who will react specifically to each situation as it arises, but that is the style of my game play and more broadly, my mindset in Life. It is consistent." Regarding politics in Ankhet as opposed to politics as it was known in Pyroto, Bolverk said, "In many ways it is more of the same, which at times is disappointing. However, my friends, spikes here are at least pleasant when explaining why their boot is on your throat, and that has to count for something." So, why Light? "Light is a dynamic active group of players, that cooperate and endeavour to continuously progress through the game, both as a group and individuals," he answered. "Where else would I be?" The mystery man's favorite path is Sekhmet. He likes it at this point in time because, as he says, "I am trying to acquire Favour based items, and Sehkmet as we all know is a Favour machine." However, he admits that he hasn't explored all the paths as of yet, and like James Bond, will explore them at his leisure. Does James Bond see himself as more dangerous than charming? More intellectual than handsome? "I am an odd combination of New Player, and Old Hand," he explains. "It's very nice to see so many familiar faces, as it were, and even more refreshing to see so many new ones," concludes Bolverk. Will they be friends or foes? Only time will tell how this stirred, not shaken, man will react. Formal Alliance Confirmedby Busty RussellAccording to a recent interview with Bottom-Heavy Grapefruit, aka BHG, a member of Quill & Dagger, the Quill & Dagger dominion and The Riven dominion are indeed formal allies. "Originally we came about as a response to what was at the time a game dominated by a single dominion," said BHG. "We aim to be a dominion that people look at and think 'hey! they're pretty neat! let's emulate them!'" According to BHG, "Q&D likes new players. One of our recent 'projects' was trying to see if engaging new players by asking them questions instead of the usual cookie-cutter 'Welcome! Go to the shrine of the uninitiated!' would make them stick around more." He added, "It's been somewhat successful, and I do not think this should stay as a solely Q&D project." Regarding growth within the dominion, BHG admitted that they are always on the lookout for new members. "Aside from that, we are trying to get a full grip of the latest mod's changes to dominions," he concluded. BHG refused to comment on Q & D's Ankhet plans and had no comment on why both Alex and Rorschach left Q & D to inhabit the dominion of their formal allies, The Riven. On a related note, Baltar, of The Shadows dominion, was able to comment that since his return, he has seen no mention of a formal relationship between the Shadows and the Riven. Interview With Arabellaby Busty RussellMuch as the sun rises in the East, the Light Dominion has reorganized and risen from the depths of stagnation. What this means to the politics of Ankhet has been discussed in a recent interview with Light's Nomarch, Arabella. Light's mission statement, according to Arabella, includes the following: 1. Being a dominion where individuality is promoted – both within Light, and within the community; 2. Being a positive force within the community; 3. Helping others, be it newer players and old; and 4. Running games and contests from time to time to bring a different level of fun and entertainment into the Ankhet community. How Arabella makes Light work with such a variety of players, each with their own individual styles isn't always easy, but she explains, "The first step is never trying to change or control anyone. I never wanted to be in a dominion, or be the Nomarch of a “cookie cutter” dominion. I feel that individuality is a key part of this game, and I encourage it within Light. This game would be extremely boring without the diverse playing styles and vastly different opinions and perceptions throughout the community. So why would anyone want to be in a dominion where everyone thought and acted the same?" She further explains her leadership style. "It can be challenging having various types of playing style within the same group, but the key is communication and maintaining a respectful environment," Arabella said. "Members don’t have to always agree with one another, and it’s encouraged they be open and unafraid to be public with their opinion, as long as they do so in a respectful way. At least hear what the other side has to say before jumping in with opinions and theories, something that I also encourage being done not only within the dominion, but also with the rest of the community." Yet, there have been times when individuals have acted in ways Light's Nomarch hasn't agreed with. "In a dominion of our size and in a dominion that promotes individuality, it is bound to happen, " Arabella said. "In those instances I have spoken up, either privately to the disciple or publicly in the forums. I also encourage all members of the dominion to do the same. I don’t believe that anyone should keep quiet and hide their opinion just because a dominion member is involved. That leads to double standards and can easily cause tension within the dominion." Shr further explains, "If a situation did arise where a member appeared to be furthering their goals and not those of the dominion, I would deal with it by speaking with them. It is easy for one to get caught up in their own goals and opinions that they don’t realize the negative impact they have on the dominion and its other members. However if they continued with it, I would be public with my opinion if it was something I disagreed with. I would ensure there was a clear distinction between their actions, and the goals of our dominion." Light is a helping dominion, and Arabella explains how the community can expect to see this helpfulness in the community. "Light is a helping dominion in the sense that we are willing to help those who need it," she said. "Be it a new player who is trying to find their place in the game, an older one who needs some help with a game goal, or someone who has been caught in an attack, if you ask, Light will do its best to help in some way." Obviously, Light cannot help a disciple during an attack, but once the dust has settled, Light is willing to help those who ask with the restoration of their stats. "We also try to help by adding our opinions and voices to community debates, such as the most recent silencing one," Arabella added. "While Light was slightly divided on the issue, many of our members provided their input. Despite some varying opinions, both sides were vocal with what they thought was best for the community, because the community is key to our dominion." Additionally, "Light also tried to help the community by providing a bit of fun and entertainment with games and contests sponsored and run by our members," said Arabella. Regarding Light's neutrality during altercations between two disciples or two dominions, Arabella says, "Neutrality is a complicated issue in itself, and I will admit Light’s neutrality has come into question. But then again, in a game like this EVRYTHING seems to be called into question!" She further explains, "When I say that the dominion is neutral, I mean that as a whole we tend not to get involved in situations. The reason for this is simple; in order for Light to take any action or have a stance on an issue, everyone would have to be in agreement. That doesn’t mean all of our members are neutral or will act in a neutral manner, but as a dominion we do typically remain so. Maybe this would be different if Light were smaller and made up of members who were carbon copies of one another. But it isn’t. We promote individuality and find having members with various playing styles and opinions to be an asset to the dominion." Furthermore, "As the Nomarch I would never make a decision on where the dominion stands without knowing that all the members agreed, just as I would never try and influence their opinion on any issue," Arabella clarifies. "In this respect, communication is key as I strive to ensure that all members of Light feel comfortable being honest with their opinions and I would never allow a situation of ‘peer pressure’ to arise just because one member had a different opinion than another." Regarding plans for the dominion, Arabella explains, "My plans for the dominion have not changed much since I became Nomarch and I don’t anticipate they will change in any drastic way. I want to hold true to the way in which ChipDoc set up Light, in the sense that it is a positive and helpful dominion within the community. A Discussion with Euplicitous Aerophramby ArabellaEuplicitous Aerophram is regarded as one of the most experienced and influential disciples in Ankhet. His long absence led to much speculation on when – or even if – he would return, what the circumstances would be and if he would again change the shape of Ankhet. I have taken this opportunity to ask Euplicitous Aerophram several questions to this end in an effort to better understand this highly public yet enigmatic disciple, and to gain his view on the changes that have been made to the landscape of Ankhet, and perhaps the reasoning behind his departure and sudden return. Q: What made you leave Ankhet and why did you stay away so long? And what made you come back? A: I had reached a point where my frustration eclipsed my ability to enjoy the game. For me, player interaction is the focal point of Ankhet. While I enjoy the subterfuge and machinations, I also savor legitimate discussion and debate. At the time of my departure, the latter was in rather short supply. Instead, black and white were defined entirely by partisan relationships. In other words, you and yours were always right and the other side was always wrong, circumstances and logic be damned. It was a combination of tediously predictable and simply annoying. So, after evidencing my sense of ennui, I logged out for roughly six months. At the time, I fully intended to never return. However, as many of you already know, Ankhet has some inexplicable draw to it. It gets under your skin, as it were. I missed it. So here I am. Q: I am also curious, if you think the community has changed in your absence (aside from the obvious with newer faces and the new mods) and what your thoughts are to those changes? A: Once, the Shadows stood as the precipice of accomplishment, cohesion, and power. The Shadows today are a farcical parody of their halcyon days. There has definitely been change. The era of the Shadows ended. This political erosion seems to have coincided with an influx of new disciples, who lacked the perspective and prejudices of Ankhet history. They did not witness the benevolent regime of Baltar and Chipdoc. They were blissfully ignorant of the Leveling and its subsequent aftershocks. Even I was some nebulous bogeyman, mentioned primarily as the patron saint of aggressive intolerance. In short, they were Tabula Rasa whose respect and fellowship had to be earned rather than simply expected. Their presence seems to have somewhat diluted the Black or White partisanship of the realm into a more complicated and diverse political landscape. Allow me to finish this thought with an acknowledgement of the accomplishment that was, and continues to be, Guidon. Good show. Q: Do you feel there are problems with the community these days? Is there anything you would like to change about it? A: Threads are frivolously derailed or otherwise perverted into just one more venue to spew vitriol. This predicates an atmosphere of hesitation among newer, and some older, disciples to venture into the forums. Even the attempt to openly discuss this situation becomes a platform for provocative agendas and chest-thumping. I would like to see disciples who find their threads so besieged to take ownership of them and defend them accordingly. If a disciple spends their anima to initiate a conversation, I believe it is said disciple's prerogative to silence any subsequent replies as he or she sees fit. Q: You have been working on re-building your dominion – at least that's what it seems based on herald activity and the annals. Do you feel it will be the same type of dominion with the same goals as style as it once was? Or has it changed? What can you tell me about your dominion? What type of dominion is it? What does it stand for? Are you looking for new members? Anything along those lines you are willing to share? A: Quite frankly, the Riven are better than you. We are the ideal that others should aspire to. Membership is offered only to the most adept, self-sufficient, and experienced. Individually, we are Ankhet's elite. Collectively, we are invincible. The Riven is defined by overwhelming power and the authority it provides. We are the architects of the realm. We are your benevolent overlords and you are unworthy. The Blue Agave's Perceptions on Ankhetby the4th and Busty Russell"I think the environment is tense and hostile," said Blue Agave, a fairly new player who recently returned to Ankhet after having committed ennui. "In my opinion, there are at least a half dozen disciples who just want to deride and find fault with the opinions of others. As a result, the majority of disciples now just want to level and obtain artifacts while avoiding conflict." He continued to explain his perceptions. "There are disciples who are willing to problem solve and build a better Ankhet, but I think that the 'nay-say-ers' are so quick to find fault with any constructive suggestion that the majority choose apathy over participation." As for why Blue Agave ennuied in the first place, he claims there wasn't a simple reason he committed ennui. "I would say that a combination of events contributed to my decision," he said. "At the time of my decision, I perceived a lot of hostility toward my disciple and dominion. I no longer looked forward to a fun day in Ankhet.. I decided that I had to distance myself from the game and Ennui was a convenient option. By utilizing that option, if and when I decided to return, I would supposedly be able to make a clean start." Making a clean start, however, was only part of the reason Blue Agave returned to the game. "My return was based on several things. The creators of Ankhet put a lot of effort into making this a very interesting game, and there is a lot of content that I had not even attempted during my first visit to the land of Ankhet." He added that the Apep Avatar thrashed him on several occasions, so he want to return the favor. "There are also people with whom I interacted and respected, that I wanted to get to know better," Blue Agave added. "But the main reason I returned to the game was to interact with an individual who I found to be interesting and vibrant in life. As we share moments in the game, we also share ideas, discuss the real life situations around us, and enjoy each other's company." And, although Blue Agave has returned to the game, he says that he won't be as active as he had been the first time around. "This time around, I think I will proceed with caution," he said. "I really don't expect to make any great contributions to the forums, or to the community, because I don't feel welcome, nor do I feel a sense of community. I will continue to attempt to assist new players, and to provide any assistance possible to my allies and dominion mates, but I will probably ignore the rest and hope that they will return the favor." Because of the fact there are two delineated factions, he believes the "current environment has an adverse affect on the game, with the potential to discourage new disciples from continuing to play." From the viewpoint of a relative new player, he adds, "As for the more established disciples, it is probably reasonably transparent to them." If he could make a change in the game, he said he would eliminate the requirement of having to post in order to advance in other areas of the game. "Of course, this may be because I don't desire to interact with certain disciples in the game," he adds. Considering his style to be a fluffy, he admits he's not sure whether spikes or fluffies are better for the game. "I'm not trying to play some role," he admits. "I am just trying to make a positive contribution to my dominion mate and allies, as well as assist and encourage any new players." His favorite quote that he believes relates to the game is "Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." Henry Lewis Mencken (1880 - 1956) He believes this quote parallels the fora in the Ankhet in the sense that honest discussion quickly becomes "a medium for bashing and belittling other disciples, or it turns into something entirely silly and meaningless." His favorite path thus far has been Ahmose because of its ability to assist with solving baffling enigmas. To conclude, Blue Agave leaves the reader with this thought. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who were helpful and supportive during my first foray into the world of Ankhet." He adds that he is "doubly thankful to those disciples who actively welcomed my return, and made it a point to let me know that they would be there for me if I needed any help." In that sense he feels "it was well worth a Ennui and short absence, just to see who I can really count on when the road becomes rocky." The Day Ankhet turned into a Battlefield3 Choiak 2757by Mr. Ragdoll As you all may know, quite a bit has been going on in the Ankhet Community, but unfortunately we at TAG have been too busy to update it. Sorry about that, eh? Right, lets get the skinny going. You may have already read about Anubulas' (Monolith/NEVIR, deleted) fall from grace as one of the most respected players in Ankhet. There has also been a lengthy discussion about Anubulas's actions documented in the Underworld. But to make things short, here is what happened, in nearly full. Nice and summarised for your reading pleasure. It all started on 1 Choiak 2757, when Anubulas used a Metasis Charm to convert to the path of Ahmose, and promptly inflicted Mikolaj, now known as Kalevred (N: Shadows) and Euplicitous Aerophram (N: The Riven) with paradoxes. Yes, Euplicitous Aerophram. Already back from a long hiatus, Aerophram has already made his presence closely felt in the Ankhet world, when he jumped straight to level 100 in one day from his return. This soon escalated into a bout of attacks between the people in question. Anubulas Metasis-ed to Amin-Ra, and promptly decimated both Mikolaj and Aerophram, and Judged both of them. And another Metasis used, he converted to Apophis. Aerophram started the fight back by doing what Anubulas had done to him, with the additional use of a Mephitis. Later on, Mikolaj would come to Aerophram's aid by also decimating, and poisoned Anubulas with a Keres Essence. It all ended when, funnily, both people subjected Anubulas to the judgement of Ra. While day 2 was without incident, with a solitary Aerophram subjecting Anubulas to the wrath of Thoth, day 3 turned far uglier. There would be a long list of attacks that spanned 3 pages of Heralds. En Sabah Nur, now Coolest Kid Ever (Monolith) started by giving Anubulas massive tutors, but Aerophram promptly killed Anubulas by a series of Dooming. Another long line of duels ensued, with akhenuraeus being killed so that Anubulas would be able to kill Mikolaj. Aerophram was decimated yet again. Following that, it all got nasty. Among the victims in Anubulas' barrage of attacks were Aurum Astrum (N: Dominion), Mullhotep (Shadows), The Jackal (now known as Scarabmanga), Pakaran (Shadows), Mafdet (The Riven), Krysondra (N: Kitsune), Freya (N: The Asylum), Bottom-Heavy Grapefruit (The Quill and Dagger), Olufemi (Guidon, ennuied), cloud (Lite), Dan (now AFK, The Scarlet Hanks), Alucard, and Mergerthor (The Black Pearl), as well as Aerophram and Mikolaj. Mikolaj was resurrected and dueled, and had his Chuma items looted. Eventually, Snigu Ka Tet (Shadows) decimated, and unleashed Txatxu upon Anubulas. Then he challenged and killed Anubulas in a duel, looting back the Sovereign Staff. This was a heavy battle. Thousands (rather, a select few) were killed in battle. Eventually, anyone whose name was NOT Anubulas prevailed. Thus began a lengthy discussion on the matter. Things would come to a head when an account known as Petbe (deleted) would suddenly log in. Another account known as The Great Petbe would also be created. Freya was the first to state that Anubulas was in fact the reincarnation of giorgioh. This has already been discussed in a previous issue of TAG, but wasn't taken seriously. Now its quite serious now. The Oracles were also planning a system sweep to clean out multis. Among those cleaned out were Anubulas, Petbe as well as the Great Petbe. Another one deleted was slein (The Black Pearl, deleted) for creating a multi known as Anyone. Shortly after, The Oracle of Thebes posted an announcement stating that "The system has been swept and the TOS has been amended." With multis now out of the question, as well as Anubulas, people are now wondering again, who could be the next reincarnation of Anubulas/giorgioh. And amazingly enough, Aurum Astrum, upon learning that his Venerable scroll from Monolith had a "Taint" in it (Anubulas's tithed favour), he promptly Anointed to Taint of a Cheat, succumbed to ennui, and created a new account, also known as Aurum Astrum. Insider information reveals faint sniggers at the thought that "Shenti ennuied again". This was the 3rd time that the player behind Shenti, Arthur and Aurum Astrum, has ennuied altogether. Surely, after that massive battle, Ankhet Peace may formally descend upon the land. Or so most people thought. People would soon be accusing another person Logi (The White Pearl, ennuied) of being the reincarnation of gio, after she got Kauket within 4 days. Whether Logi was really Giorgioh remains to be known as Logi has since ennuied. But it is probable that she could have been the reincarnation of the same Olufemi who was a victim of Anubulas's attack. There has never been a battle of this scale in Ankhet before, and there hopefully, shouldn't be again. Top of the GameHere are the current Ankhets: (Bold indicates a change from the previous issue)
From the Editor's DeskEnjoying TAG? Want to see it continue?Contribute! Please send any questions, comments, or submissions to AnkhetGazette@gmail.com. Submissions for Wednesday's issue should be in by Monday evening. Previous Issues can be viewed by using the Archives button below. View Archives | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In Memoriam: Ninjalicious