August 11, 2009
The Best Job in Medievia by Loreis
I love being an Avatar. I have been an Avatar,
on two characters, for almost two years. It's fun, exciting,
educational, and there is a sense of joy when someone you helped in
Clan 50 becomes a Hero. There are occasions when helping new players
can be fairly humorous, however, not because of the new player, but
because of circumstances within your control. Or not so much!
Members of Clan 50 do, on occasion, meet their
demise, and depending on the location, can be resurrected by an
Avatar. And, sometimes, there are a few more Avatars than clan
members on, and there have been times when a clannie dies, and
suddenly five Avatars appear to bring this player back to life. A
quick game of rock-paper-scissors chooses the lucky Hero, and the
player rises to battle on. I have started to wander Crime
Underground, looking for containers and equipment to donate to
Haven, only to find three other Avatars who had the exact same idea!
The group of Heroes who have given up their Hero flag, and have
devoted themselves to helping new players, are truly dedicated, and
we have an awful lot of fun!
Regarding phasing new players upon death. I
usually keep up with the weather, using that command frequently,
making certain I am not meandering out into a wasp storm or a
Citadel. Unfortunately, in my desire to be of assistance to low
level players, I sometimes forget. Exuberance wins out over common
sense, and with me, that never ends well. I have been known to phase
a new player, and wind up in the middle of a tornado, or my personal
favorite, a hurricane. Many times, I have been blown into trees, or
walls, or even squirrels, simply because I did not use the "WEATHER"
command before I phased a dead new player. And when I
am laying on the ground, dead, with a tree limb through my head, all
I can think is how truly embarrassing. The new player's undead
corpse rises from the ground, looks at me, and I know, deep down,
there is giggling going on.
Being an Avatar comes with responsibilities,
and we all take those very seriously. Approving names, helping with
equipment, teaching zones, taking clannies on trade runs, even
running through the Catacombs-it's all in a day of being an Avatar.
Much like parenting, Avatars need patience, the ability to change
focus at a moments notice, and to be in three places at the same
time. There are players who are happy just dashing around, killing
everything in sight, learning as they go, and there are players with
great intellectual curiosity, with questions that are though
provoking and challenging. There are bloodline members, new players,
old players just coming back into Medievia, and just about
everything in between.
I have been teased for being an Avatar, told
that the only reason we do this is for the Avatar flag. That is a
bunch of hooey. Take the flag away, and I guarantee, most of us
would keep right on being Avatars. I know I would. Sometimes, over
Chat, I'll hear someone say Avatars don't do anything important, we
just approve names. Bosh. Avatars are representatives of Medievia;
we are the first people new players meet, the first people who help
them. We have strict guidelines regarding our conduct, our
communications and our behavior, precisely because of our contact
with new players. Is being an Avatar hard work? Yes-many things are
expected of us, we have our own HELP files, we have to behave better
than the average player. But it is also so much fun. When the New
Player department throws parties, we are in the chosen zone,
cheering, resurrecting, giving hints, and having a fabulous time.
When a new player levels out of Clan 50, I will often send balloons
or flowers, and a note reminding that player that no matter their
level, if they need help, they can always ask, and I know numerous
other Avatars who do the same thing. We are a family, we Avatars,
and we support not only members of Clan 50, and the Gods, but each
other.
Medievia is changing, and Avatars are growing
and changing right along with it. The number of new players is
increasing, and will continue to increase as Vryce continues to mold
our world. I cannot remember a more exciting time to be an Avatar,
and I know it will only get better. And I can't wait!
Loreis-out
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