Crossing Paths With an Amazing Dragon

[Siamese]

Good evening on a Friday night...

I am relatively new to Horizons, but have been playing pretty intensely. Am absolutely intrigued and hooked on the game and the demands it places on my hatchy and I.

I have been in four other on-line games in my gaming career and let it not be said that I am not a veteran player of them.

However, this is the first on-line game I have been involved with where I have not run into one negative player. I know nothing is perfect in any game and there are always griefers and parasites out there. But I have truly not run into one here.

Getting to the point… I was adopted into Legendary Heroes at the ripe age of 3 (I think) and have received nothing but enjoyment and help (even if they don’t believe in the killer trout…).

When I have run into a serious problem on-line, and no guildee was available or on-line, I have found the community to be nothing less than outstanding is assisting. Period.

But tonight I ran into a problem were the forum quest information was incorrect. I saw this big-ol dragon hovering around (sigh) and I entered into chat…

His (if her, my sincere apologies) name was Luthern of the guild Draconic Brotherhood.

I have never received such concentrated advice and knowledge in such a short amount of time. It was like going to dragon school 101 LIVE! The help, assistance, advice and the “patience� was outstanding. I was working a quest that had to do with Slate Golems and I didn’t have a clue where they were. The quest info in the forums was a bit wrong.

What does he do? Not only tells me where to port, puts me in group and walks me through to the site and then sticks around to make sure I am not turned into hatchy jam (which is very easy out there).

I learned about buff issues. I learned the importance of many lunus issues and a plethora (love that word) of facts and pitfalls that I will not have to go through now that I know. He boosts my hoard; keeps an eye on me during outrageous battles; and helps me understand many questions I had of the future development of my character.

I finished tonight with more confidence, more of an adrenaline-high from the fights, but more important with more knowledge that I can use.

Need I say I am not a member of his guild on top of it?! And this is “card-blanch� treatment I received? Whoa! I’m getting spoiled in this game.

I found out Luthern has been in Horizons since 2004. Well, all I can say is the Draconic Brotherhood has one hell of a player, but more important this community has him as one too.

What a major contributor to the game!

Regards,

Siamese (a.k.a Mandu Greyshire of the Legendary Heroes)

[Justa Mirage]

Good I hope you cleared my lair entrance of those pesky slate golems

There are a great many of us who help if asked from time to time, many of us are very knowledgable about the game and its workings, where to find things, what to do.

Feel free ask if you are stuck on a problem you need solving and I am sure one of our community can help.

[Amerelium]

Horizons in a nutshell.....

[Luthen]

Needless to say I don't check the forums much as I'd rather be in-game than just reading about it but WOW! I did not expect to read this!

Well I am very happy you were so satisfied with my help, and as always will be around for further assistance, if needed, when I am on. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to help you out, teach you a bit about dragon life in Horizons, and set an example for the community.

[Sonea]

Welcome to Istaria Siamese.. and well done, Luthen! Each new one who chooses to stay, helps enlarge our great community just that much more.

Sonea

[Guaran]

Hatchie Jam, mmmmm.

[Frith-Rae]

mmm?? MMMM??? YOU sicky!!

And welcome to the new hatchie - may all your future encounters leave you with a smile on your face .

[Siamese]

Hatchey Jam?! Noooo..... Mandu makes sure not to get underfoot...

Not to mention I have no meat on my bones yet (opens wings to display jutting ribs)...

Siamese

[Hasai]

Oh, we DO have the occasional twit come wandering in. They don't seem to last long, however, as the typical reaction to them is "Oooo! Look! A real, live griefer! Quick! Get a jar before it runs away!"

[Siamese]

Griefer? Yes, yes... they do wander in... sometimes more than that unfortunately.

Understand, I may be somewhat new to Horizons, but as an "on-liner" I have been committed to the game I was involved with as a serious player, and a community-contributor (just don't refer to me as a "truly" ancient game player (even though I am - wince) rather than an ancient dragon which someday, shouldI survive, I will get the opportunity to be).

In EQ-1, we ran a high-end guild called Horseriders of Norrah. Over 172 active members with an alternate lower-level guild comprised of strong membership as well.

However, the formation and purpose of the guild was to enjoy (you know, that elusive “have fun,� be able to have some serious diversion from RL, and most important… interact with a good community.

When the planes raids and epic hunts turned into “business schedules,� when the bickering / whining and immaturity of players became an every-day occurrence, when the core members I’ve known for “years� started retiring for "non-disclosed" reasons, I / we took a long, long look at what we had become, and more important “accepted� as our present game play.

Sadly, RL never looked better, and when that happens, the enjoyment of the game play dies. I took my character, which I worked years on, and visited all the places in EQ that I remembered and enjoyed, all the memories of leveling up and having fun with peeps who were no longer there and finally returned to Freeport (my birth home) and placed him against the inside of the city wall, sat him down, and logged. I never went back.

There was KAL. There I was a pure CJB (a pure healer). I was in one of the best guilds I have ever come across (Hashishins). Almost all German-based and made up of real, committed players. However, being a F2P environment, it became a living nightmare of griefers, hackers and gold-farming / hawking. On behalf of the guild, I used my resources (internationally) to constantly un-do hacked accounts, recover items for members and try to stop to flood of serious (and I do mean) serious griefers.

I was not involved in KAL for “professional� reasons. I needed R&R from RL (I kept saying that over and over like a mantra just to believe it).

A maxed healer was rare in the game, but the “enjoyable game play� became even rarer. I dreaded the time on-line, and was really there for a few people. The attempt to resolve the ever-growing problems was like “giving a starving dog a rubber bone.� There was NO solution… at least one that could contain or fix the plethora of problems. I retired along with some very good people.

We went our separate ways and I weaned off of on-ling gaming…. So I thought…

Ahhhh Horizons. I found it by personal research and some blind luck. I was told by a person that Horizons had, “out-dated graphics… out-dated story line… out-dated community…� I asked the same person who gave me such answers how long he played Horizons. There was “no� answer. Interesting. Most interesting.

As they say, if you want to know the truth, go to the horse’s mouth (errr… hummm I do raise draft horses as an out-of-control hobby but that to is another story…), or go check it out yourself in the flesh…

I need to look for myself, and look I did. The best graphics didn’t make my prior game play in the past any better. As for what I found, was that I was not addicted to game play, as much as I was addicted to the “people, the community and the enjoyment reaped from solid first class game play.� Big difference between the two.

Eye-candy only satisfies "real" (not virtual) appetite for a short time and then, well, it gets boring if the game cannot support itself “beyond� that.

I said it before and I’ll say it again. I have not run into a true “griefer� in this game. Yes, I have come across a few “strange� peeps (not to call the kettle black since I know I am quite crazy... not stupid, err.... well.... hmmmm... poor choice of words...).

As a matter of point, what I HAVE run into is a solid, steady stream of helpful and considerate players from MANY guilds, large and small, high level players and low level players. That is most pleasing.

I am in a guild (Legendary Heroes) which I am proud to be a member of (that took me in from the dangerous world as an orphan Hatchee) even though our crafter will not make a dragon hat to cover my cold ears when farming slate in the snow… (But that is another story). There is help when it’s needed, from almost any of the players, at any time (even if I am sent for a quest to Abandoned Island for group hugs with Orges who see me as a squeak-toy to squeeze the life out of…. That too, is another story…).

I fall back to my focus on Luthern. If there ever a doubt about me sticking it out in Horizons, it was his consideration and commitment to deal with a “low-leveler� player that put the preverbal seal of approval on this game for me. This is what I remember in the past long ago. When helping out could be as fun as just playing too… What game play was all about as I remember (again, my opinion). He had some interesting words on the subject that struck some serious chords from the past.... long, long ago.

If you are wondering why I added to this post, again, it is not to practice writing skills or stand on a soap box to beat my chest… errr… wings….. The issues are simple and clear:

I found a new permanent home for on-line game-play. Believe me, in my line of work (RL) the “last� thing I need is to “continue� RL headaches and grief. I get enough hours of that.

I found a community, across-the-board, that still contains the vestiges of a real gaming community with all the good aspects.

Please, I live under no illusion that there is such thing as a "perfect community" or a community that is void of griefers and idiots. But I am happy to say I have not come across them in my experiences here (except for crafters that refuse to make wooly hats for my ears when I am farming slate in the cold snow).

That reminds me, did I forget to mention about an Ancient Dragon that blocked my way to the vaultkeeper in Bristo not because he/she was being rude, but because he/she couldn't see me?! I received an very honest apology, but I was told I am kinda small... especially in a small room too... hmmmm.....

Not to digress... The game play is perfect for me. I didn’t say for everyone. I like it and it fits my niche especially after a long day of RL.

I could give you a dozen more reasons, but you already know… you are the community 8)

Tomorrow I will turn 30 / 30 (Adventurer / Crafter). Yep, going to be a Lunus. My guildees are afraid for themselves (and the community) when I learn to fly. Moreover, I have been asked for help by a couple of newer players and yes, I was able to give them answers. Guess it means I am learning the game (hopefully by not sending them to their deaths…. Muha!).

Nope. Don’t want to be toe-jam getting underfoot, but I haven’t run into anyone trying to stomp me (verbally or otherwise) into grape jelly (other than some mobs… but that is allowable).

Hope to cross paths with you in game play (and that too, will be another story).

Siamese (Sealpoint + 20 perfectly-honed claws = outstanding cornering ability on carpets… or even sleeping humans as that matters…. The true “tiger paw� treads on-the-fly).

[velveeta]

Oh, we DO have the occasional twit come wandering in. They don't seem to last long, however, as the typical reaction to them is "Oooo! Look! A real, live griefer! Quick! Get a jar before it runs away!"

heehee, we do this on blight too.......we have quite a collection!! almost had another addition last night, but he ran away cause we forgot to make more jars.....

[Kala]

Hatchie Jam, mmmmm.

I still say Hatchling Stew is better.

[Tcei]

You have said how I've felt almost word for word Siamese, I too am an old eqer from way back in the pre-luclin days. No matter how many times I"ve thought it was the game mechanics/playstyle/ect. the truth is it was the community I was addicted to. I've tried many times to go back to that game and recapture that feeling I had when I first stepped into that world and made my first in-game friend. Having some complete (high level) stranger come out of nowhere and not only help me learn how to navigate the game but actually hung around to watch over me, really meant alot to me, we stayed friends for several years until we lost contact.
Then there was my lonely ranger sitting on the docks in Freeport waiting on the ship home when I met a fellow ranger and later joined his guild. They were some of the greatest and easiest going people I'd ever known. It was really saddening when the guild broke up. Sadly as time went on and the game aged and changed the old community disappeared to be replaced with those who treated the game almost as a serious business , and the greifers and spammers and on and on..

For me Horizons lets me relive that magical time when I felt like I was part of a living world with a tight nit community that looks out for one another (even if we dont always get along :P ). In my first steps onto New Trismus I was greeted by the massive black dragon, Valados (I hope I spelled your name right), who just like my friend from my early days in eq took the time to talk to me and help me adjust to this new world. Later that same day I got to meet several of the other older dragons and watch Silithus ascend to ancienthood. All the while I was greeted with open wings and warm words, helping me feel truly accepted into the community and at home. Now that I have grown stronger, helping the new hatchings (and even the occasional bi-ped <.< >.>) is something I've strived to do as often as I can. I'd like to say thanks to everyone in Horizons for making me feel welcomed in my new virtual home.

[Hrough]

I come from an entirely different MMORPG past. I used to play Ragnarok Online. It was great in Alpha, and Beta and Beta II only showed more promise for the future. The community was generally kind, and there were great times to be had by me and my friends for years.

But as the playerbase grew and the game aged, not much had changed at all. Updates were far-between, there was little in-game story to be had. Forget about lore. Communities began to fall apart - the guilds that remained when I had left were mostly only there for camping bosses and guild wars, which really weren't all that thrilling. By the time I had played every class there was to play, after years of enjoying the game, the world itself, my friends and I just turned our backs and left. I still miss it, but it just wasn't the same world in the end anymore.

I've tried other games since, and spent a good while in a japanese game known as Yogurting. The playerbase there was excellent! Even the japanese players were so kind to us, although we didn't know much japanese at all. A group of female characters helped us out for a few days. My boyfriend and I left when they closed off overseas registration and the rest of the english fanbase seemed to lose interest because there were no newbies to keep the game fresh.

So Horizons is what I've turned to now, and everyone's been so great. It really makes me want to stay and lend a helping hand to everyone that I can already, and I'm only level 15!

[Amerelium]

I still say Hatchling Stew is better.

*Drops piano on the silly lessers...*