I've been asked to post my party speech by some homins who couldn't attend. So here goes...
Welcome to Armageddons' Birthday Party! We are two years old today. Thank you all for coming. To celebrate this occasion, my officers have asked me to say some words about Armas; who we are and what we do.
Today Yrkanis appears prosperous with a plentiful population, but we all know this is an illusion. Looking over the many guilds honoring us with their presence, I am reminded that guilds are the foundation of our community. They are the fertile ground in which new arrivals take root, grow and blossom into mastery. Everyday we see new arrivals from Silan. They truly are the seeds of our future. Yet we know that most will fail to thrive on our beloved rootball. And in our hearts we worry for the future of Atys.
Recently I looked through the Guild Registry forum. In the past two years 60 guilds have registered. Nearly half were brand new guilds! 27 new guilds and yet... I was hard pressed to identify any that remained vital beyond a few months. Armageddons was the rare exception. What a shame. New guilds embody new homins with new ideas. Are not new homins and new ideas the best solution to our low population problem?
So what made Armas the exception? Why is Armas the oldest "new guild" on Arispotle? I surely don't know the full answer. A guild is many things and much about guild culture defies quantification. However, after reflection I settled on three principals that might matter a great deal. I call them the 3-Cs: Compassion, Commitment, and Curiosity.
Why compassion?
Let's face it; Ryzom is a challenging game for newcomers. There is no strong quest line to guide development and the learning curve is brutal. Yet it is a sandbox and each homin must somehow find their own path. Sadly most new arrivals fail to do so. They flounder around for a brief time, become increasingly disillusioned, bored, and soon fade away. Those of us who are veterans must reach out to them before it is too late. We must take them into our hearts and homes to teach them the joyful nuances that elude the newcomer. It is a relentless task; no matter how much you give, the newcomers keep coming. And yet, if too few of these new seeds take root, we have only ourselves to blame. It is we who failed to till the soil and prepare a suitable field (guild) for them to take root and florish.
Why commitment?
Compassion might plant the seed by bringing a promising new arrival into your guild. However, for them to thrive you must continue to water their aspirations. You cannot simply give them some equipment and send them forth to conquer the wilds of Atys. You must help them find teammates, steer them clear of pitfalls, and teach them about multi-faceted aspects of their development. In Armas we developed a program of daily guild events to get these vital objectives accomplished. Monday is Touring the Camps (team building) day; Tuesday is Fame & Forest Teleports day; Wednesday is Heal Fest day; Thursday is Far Trek day; Friday is Boss Hunt day and so forth. Participation in these events is entirely voluntary of course. Some farsighted homins don't need much guidance.
Why curiosity?
Any culture grows stale without a fresh sense of adventure fueled by curiosity. What else can I do? What's the next step? How do I prepare? These questions are cornerstones of a dynamic gaming experience. Without unfulfilled personal goals anyone will become bored and drop out. But sometimes finding the path forward is hard, even for masters. In Armas we developed Master's Challenge (Scouting Wasteland Bosses, Hunting Kitin Patrols, etc.) programs for anyone with a mastery or two under their belt. In our view, getting a combat mastery in Ryzom is akin to getting a black belt in martial arts; It really just means you are done with your apprentice phase and ready to begin serious training. As with the new recruit programs, all participation is voluntary because not everyone needs guild events to keep enthused.
Undoubtedly there is more to Arma's success than the 3-Cs: Compassion, Commitment, and Curiosity, and certainly I have bent your ears long enough. But maybe you can find some value in my words. I do know this at least, these principles have served Armageddons well these past two years and now you know a bit more about what makes us tick. Thanks for your kind attention. Now up off your duffs and on to the next event! :)
- Jola(Arispotle)
73291
Jola's Party Speech
Welcome to Armageddons' Birthday Party! We are two years old today. Thank you all for coming. To celebrate this occasion, my officers have asked me to say some words about Armas; who we are and what we do.
Today Yrkanis appears prosperous with a plentiful population, but we all know this is an illusion. Looking over the many guilds honoring us with their presence, I am reminded that guilds are the foundation of our community. They are the fertile ground in which new arrivals take root, grow and blossom into mastery. Everyday we see new arrivals from Silan. They truly are the seeds of our future. Yet we know that most will fail to thrive on our beloved rootball. And in our hearts we worry for the future of Atys.
Recently I looked through the Guild Registry forum. In the past two years 60 guilds have registered. Nearly half were brand new guilds! 27 new guilds and yet... I was hard pressed to identify any that remained vital beyond a few months. Armageddons was the rare exception. What a shame. New guilds embody new homins with new ideas. Are not new homins and new ideas the best solution to our low population problem?
So what made Armas the exception? Why is Armas the oldest "new guild" on Arispotle? I surely don't know the full answer. A guild is many things and much about guild culture defies quantification. However, after reflection I settled on three principals that might matter a great deal. I call them the 3-Cs: Compassion, Commitment, and Curiosity.
Why compassion?
Let's face it; Ryzom is a challenging game for newcomers. There is no strong quest line to guide development and the learning curve is brutal. Yet it is a sandbox and each homin must somehow find their own path. Sadly most new arrivals fail to do so. They flounder around for a brief time, become increasingly disillusioned, bored, and soon fade away. Those of us who are veterans must reach out to them before it is too late. We must take them into our hearts and homes to teach them the joyful nuances that elude the newcomer. It is a relentless task; no matter how much you give, the newcomers keep coming. And yet, if too few of these new seeds take root, we have only ourselves to blame. It is we who failed to till the soil and prepare a suitable field (guild) for them to take root and florish.
Why commitment?
Compassion might plant the seed by bringing a promising new arrival into your guild. However, for them to thrive you must continue to water their aspirations. You cannot simply give them some equipment and send them forth to conquer the wilds of Atys. You must help them find teammates, steer them clear of pitfalls, and teach them about multi-faceted aspects of their development. In Armas we developed a program of daily guild events to get these vital objectives accomplished. Monday is Touring the Camps (team building) day; Tuesday is Fame & Forest Teleports day; Wednesday is Heal Fest day; Thursday is Far Trek day; Friday is Boss Hunt day and so forth. Participation in these events is entirely voluntary of course. Some farsighted homins don't need much guidance.
Why curiosity?
Any culture grows stale without a fresh sense of adventure fueled by curiosity. What else can I do? What's the next step? How do I prepare? These questions are cornerstones of a dynamic gaming experience. Without unfulfilled personal goals anyone will become bored and drop out. But sometimes finding the path forward is hard, even for masters. In Armas we developed Master's Challenge (Scouting Wasteland Bosses, Hunting Kitin Patrols, etc.) programs for anyone with a mastery or two under their belt. In our view, getting a combat mastery in Ryzom is akin to getting a black belt in martial arts; It really just means you are done with your apprentice phase and ready to begin serious training. As with the new recruit programs, all participation is voluntary because not everyone needs guild events to keep enthused.
Undoubtedly there is more to Arma's success than the 3-Cs: Compassion, Commitment, and Curiosity, and certainly I have bent your ears long enough. But maybe you can find some value in my words. I do know this at least, these principles have served Armageddons well these past two years and now you know a bit more about what makes us tick. Thanks for your kind attention. Now up off your duffs and on to the next event! :)
- Jola(Arispotle)
73291