07-01-2009, 01:35 PM
First and foremost: Tell us about yourself, as a player:
In terms of games: I first started playing video games seriously when I was in 6th grade. Although I'd played before (Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, etc.) the first game that I was truly engrossed in was Final Fantasy 7. Everything about it was amazing to me- from the rich characters to intricate plot to the gorgeous cinematics. In short, I was hooked. Since then I've only looked for two major elements in a game: 1. Does it have a good story? and 2. Is it fun?
In terms of myself as a person: If Academia was a country, I would have an apartment in the capital city. I'm currently working on getting my bachelor's in Counseling and Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management and already thinking about getting a Master's in Fine Arts (for making comics, actually.) I define myself and my days largely by what I get done.
What country do you come from? What is your primary language?:
America, English.
How did you get into Warcraft?:
To answer this, I must point one finger at Alair, pout as only a four-year old can, puff up my cheeks and yell “ALAIR STARTED IT.†World of Warcraft was my first and only Warcraft game- first Zul'Jin, then Sisters of Elune, then Zul'Jin again, migrating as Alair did, just one step behind. I did it to bond over a game with my many WoW-playing friends, and became thoroughly addicted as a result.
What made you seek our server over others?:
1. Alair. (Hey, I'll be honest.)
2. It has a good story. Roleplayer's heaven.
3. It's fun. I've played WoW before, and done 12 hour days with breaks only to eat.
What kinds of roleplay do you enjoy?:
Pairs or small groups. I've only seriously roleplayed with friends before, so I only COULD RP in a pair (one friend on) or small group (two or three on.) Although Sisters was technically a RP server there was a bit too much assdickery going around in the general public to get some really good character interaction going on. I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons- huge groups, small groups with people I don't know, pairs out questing with people I just met. I'd like to stretch my comfort zone, a little bit at a time.
What is your favorite race/class? Why?:
Forsaken/Rogue. I'll always have a special place in my heart for my first character, and that was her race/class. It's less of a lore attachment, and more of a sentimental one.
What are your expectations of this server?:
Good times and fiery banana salad with coconut dolphins. (I'd be willing to negotiate the last bit, though.)
Out of all of our rules and regulations listed on our server, which appeals to you the most?:
Humility, with the grouping of ‘play nice' rules a close second. I read that, and talked to Alair, and I got a character concept idea right away. I've never seen or heard of a game where you are NOT the hero, where you're encouraged to build someone ELSE'S story. That intrigues me, and I wonder how it'd work to have a character primarily based on that idea.
Lastly, tell us a story! It can be short, it can be long; but most importantly, we want to see your work in action. Go!:
I will now tell you the tale of the romantic appeal of piracy in the 21st century!
They were pillagers, destroyers, thieves, rapists, an unclean and uncouth brand of people with no respect for laws or borders. With few exceptions they took what they did not deserve, killed those who lead more moral and socially productive lives, and terrorized innocents on a massive scale. Pirates have been the bane of society from the first days of civilization when humans took to water and learned they could gain quickly through stealing. Why, then, are they idolized, immortalized in more movies, plays, stories and tales than can be counted? Why, in this age of technology and medical wonders, do stories of the high seas and brigands still captivate massive audiences around the world?
To explain this phenomenon, let us first review the way the developed world at large works today. Job satisfaction in the USA is at 50% , which is worryingly low. Overall levels of depression have been rising steadily at since at least the 1960s . Life has become increasingly complex over the past century, with arguably more advances and changes in how daily life is lived than in any other era in human history. New workers are pushed into channels of business that they will make money in, not necessarily where their passions are. From the statistics, one may assume that many people are leading unfulfilling lives and unable to find their individual voices or at least zeal for their work, routines making a zombie-like daily life. They are stuck, trapped by unforgiving systems in their workplaces that undervalues their efforts, trapped by even their melancholy emotions. What they need, then, is a way out.
Entertainment is, at its core, an escapist medium. It's a way to leave the real world behind for an hour or two, go places and be people far removed from yourself. Who wouldn't want to be a part of an adventure on the high seas, where gold and glory are at your fingertips? Wind-whipped salt air at your back, no rules to tie you down, a chance to become rich without having to work your whole life at a desk, freedom at its purest… Living vicariously though tales of pirates is a heady thing. The concept of being a pirate is, nowadays, not so much about the lawlessness or the menial labor of keeping a ship running- it's about finding a way to be your own boss, take your life into your hands and doing what you want to do, not just what's expected of you. Those who became pirates were generally not from money, didn't have an education, and, extrapolating from this, would most likely have lived their lives in or near poverty. They were given a terrible hand of cards at the beginning of life, and instead of just letting things happen to them, they went out and made their destiny, for good or ill.
Perhaps we romanticize another way of life because we're not quite happy with our own, and so enjoy tales of ‘what might have been'. Sure, it's not the way it truly was, and it skips over some gory details, but perhaps we need that idea, just to get by. Perhaps we need more modern pirates- people who willingly give up safe, standard jobs for ones that invigorate them, modern-day gentlemen of fortune who (although law-abiding and ethically sound) try something different. The romantic appeal of the pirate in the 21st century is that of the individual making their own way in the world and, as a consequence, make history. What could be more compelling than that?
1. According to The Conference Board http://www.conference-board.org/utiliti ... ss_id=2582
2. “In the United States, rates of depression are ten times higher today that they were in the 1960s, and the average age for the onset of depression is fourteen and a half compared to twenty-nine and a half in 1960.†p.ix Happier by Tal-Ben Shahar
Is there anything else you would like to add, ask, or otherwise clarify?:
I hope to see you all in game fairly soon.
In terms of games: I first started playing video games seriously when I was in 6th grade. Although I'd played before (Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, etc.) the first game that I was truly engrossed in was Final Fantasy 7. Everything about it was amazing to me- from the rich characters to intricate plot to the gorgeous cinematics. In short, I was hooked. Since then I've only looked for two major elements in a game: 1. Does it have a good story? and 2. Is it fun?
In terms of myself as a person: If Academia was a country, I would have an apartment in the capital city. I'm currently working on getting my bachelor's in Counseling and Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management and already thinking about getting a Master's in Fine Arts (for making comics, actually.) I define myself and my days largely by what I get done.
What country do you come from? What is your primary language?:
America, English.
How did you get into Warcraft?:
To answer this, I must point one finger at Alair, pout as only a four-year old can, puff up my cheeks and yell “ALAIR STARTED IT.†World of Warcraft was my first and only Warcraft game- first Zul'Jin, then Sisters of Elune, then Zul'Jin again, migrating as Alair did, just one step behind. I did it to bond over a game with my many WoW-playing friends, and became thoroughly addicted as a result.
What made you seek our server over others?:
1. Alair. (Hey, I'll be honest.)
2. It has a good story. Roleplayer's heaven.
3. It's fun. I've played WoW before, and done 12 hour days with breaks only to eat.
What kinds of roleplay do you enjoy?:
Pairs or small groups. I've only seriously roleplayed with friends before, so I only COULD RP in a pair (one friend on) or small group (two or three on.) Although Sisters was technically a RP server there was a bit too much assdickery going around in the general public to get some really good character interaction going on. I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons- huge groups, small groups with people I don't know, pairs out questing with people I just met. I'd like to stretch my comfort zone, a little bit at a time.
What is your favorite race/class? Why?:
Forsaken/Rogue. I'll always have a special place in my heart for my first character, and that was her race/class. It's less of a lore attachment, and more of a sentimental one.
What are your expectations of this server?:
Good times and fiery banana salad with coconut dolphins. (I'd be willing to negotiate the last bit, though.)
Out of all of our rules and regulations listed on our server, which appeals to you the most?:
Humility, with the grouping of ‘play nice' rules a close second. I read that, and talked to Alair, and I got a character concept idea right away. I've never seen or heard of a game where you are NOT the hero, where you're encouraged to build someone ELSE'S story. That intrigues me, and I wonder how it'd work to have a character primarily based on that idea.
Lastly, tell us a story! It can be short, it can be long; but most importantly, we want to see your work in action. Go!:
I will now tell you the tale of the romantic appeal of piracy in the 21st century!
They were pillagers, destroyers, thieves, rapists, an unclean and uncouth brand of people with no respect for laws or borders. With few exceptions they took what they did not deserve, killed those who lead more moral and socially productive lives, and terrorized innocents on a massive scale. Pirates have been the bane of society from the first days of civilization when humans took to water and learned they could gain quickly through stealing. Why, then, are they idolized, immortalized in more movies, plays, stories and tales than can be counted? Why, in this age of technology and medical wonders, do stories of the high seas and brigands still captivate massive audiences around the world?
To explain this phenomenon, let us first review the way the developed world at large works today. Job satisfaction in the USA is at 50% , which is worryingly low. Overall levels of depression have been rising steadily at since at least the 1960s . Life has become increasingly complex over the past century, with arguably more advances and changes in how daily life is lived than in any other era in human history. New workers are pushed into channels of business that they will make money in, not necessarily where their passions are. From the statistics, one may assume that many people are leading unfulfilling lives and unable to find their individual voices or at least zeal for their work, routines making a zombie-like daily life. They are stuck, trapped by unforgiving systems in their workplaces that undervalues their efforts, trapped by even their melancholy emotions. What they need, then, is a way out.
Entertainment is, at its core, an escapist medium. It's a way to leave the real world behind for an hour or two, go places and be people far removed from yourself. Who wouldn't want to be a part of an adventure on the high seas, where gold and glory are at your fingertips? Wind-whipped salt air at your back, no rules to tie you down, a chance to become rich without having to work your whole life at a desk, freedom at its purest… Living vicariously though tales of pirates is a heady thing. The concept of being a pirate is, nowadays, not so much about the lawlessness or the menial labor of keeping a ship running- it's about finding a way to be your own boss, take your life into your hands and doing what you want to do, not just what's expected of you. Those who became pirates were generally not from money, didn't have an education, and, extrapolating from this, would most likely have lived their lives in or near poverty. They were given a terrible hand of cards at the beginning of life, and instead of just letting things happen to them, they went out and made their destiny, for good or ill.
Perhaps we romanticize another way of life because we're not quite happy with our own, and so enjoy tales of ‘what might have been'. Sure, it's not the way it truly was, and it skips over some gory details, but perhaps we need that idea, just to get by. Perhaps we need more modern pirates- people who willingly give up safe, standard jobs for ones that invigorate them, modern-day gentlemen of fortune who (although law-abiding and ethically sound) try something different. The romantic appeal of the pirate in the 21st century is that of the individual making their own way in the world and, as a consequence, make history. What could be more compelling than that?
1. According to The Conference Board http://www.conference-board.org/utiliti ... ss_id=2582
2. “In the United States, rates of depression are ten times higher today that they were in the 1960s, and the average age for the onset of depression is fourteen and a half compared to twenty-nine and a half in 1960.†p.ix Happier by Tal-Ben Shahar
Is there anything else you would like to add, ask, or otherwise clarify?:
I hope to see you all in game fairly soon.