DramaQueens
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Wings Over Atreia: Daevas of Our Lives casting call
It's ironic: The topic I detest experiencing most in Aion is actually the most fun to write about. Whenever I think back to my favorite columns, the almost-too-surreal-to-believe antics of the drama-impaired (or should I say drama-addicted?) always rank near the top of the list. Perhaps chronicling these antics for the amusement of others is simply my choice form of therapy when I'm confronted with them. They say laughter is the best medicine, and who can't help but laugh when reading over the train-wreck that is drama? Seraphim Lords know that living through it is torture and avoidance truly is the best policy, but something about it can be simply fascinating... from a distance. Over the past couple of years, Wings Over Atreia has provided the opportunity to witness Aion's drama vicariously without the danger of involvement or having any splatter on you Gallagher-style. During this time, different episodes of Daevas of Our Lives have offered glimpses of the various cast members. But what about a deeper look into the psyche of these seemingly unreal -- yet based on reality -- characters? This week offers a more detailed introduction to the current members of the cast as well as a new addition. So whether you run away screaming at the first hint of impending drama in game or grab a giant bowl of popcorn and settle in for the show, this handy guide can help keep the who's-who straight for you when you're viewing future (or past) episodes. And if you're a perpetrator of said drama, don't be surprised if your antics are broadcast on the next episode of Daevas of Our Lives.
Wings Over Atreia: Daevas of Our Lives
Like sand through the hourglass, so are the Daevas of Our Lives... The lovers sat under the trees in central Sanctum, purple leaves drifting about them, lost in each other's eyes. "Oh Pwnzoo, you are my hero!" coos the cleric, fingers resting lightly on her companion's +8 pauldrons. "For you, my darling, I will slay Vile Judge Kromede a thousand times over!" The gallant knight puffs out his chest a little more. "I will fly to the ends of the Abyss, I will..." "Ooh, darling, hold that thought, I have to log... " [logs to character select, then back on] "Ooh, there you are, my sweet prince Castfast!" The ranger leaps into the arms of the sorceror waiting at the Mystic Spring of Anathe. "I have dreamed of the moment we can be together... Oh, whoops, I'll be right back." [logs out again, then back on] The lithe spirit master peeks around the columns in Eltnen Fortress. "I have been awaiting our time together breathlessly, Ninjaarrow," she drawls as she bats her eyes at the dashing ranger across the way. "But our time is short, I am needed for a run at Kysis soon..." For any who dare to deny that MMOs (Aion included) are drama-laced soap operas in-and-of themselves, I propose that they A) have never played in a guild/legion/kinship/corporation, B) have played in a very special solo bubble all of their online days, or C) are just plain delusional. Even those who eschew drama to the very core of their being see it around them like generator plasma balls in Dark Poeta and must employ superior evade skills to dodge it. Stay tuned past the cut for some amusing episodes of Aion's own prime-time drama, along with some strategies for dealing with it.
Wings Over Atreia: Passing the personality test
As you readers know, last month I embarked on my trek to acquire some shiny new gold gear in Aion, setting my sights on Miragent armor. Of course, all of you who have already walked this path know that it takes quite a bit of doing, and as I am on task three... well, you knew there was no way I would complete it in just one week and be able to finish the series! So in the interim, we have the chance to take a small break and delve into another topic -- one that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. For any who has read up on the staff (isn't it fun being nosy!), you know that the social dynamics of gaming fascinates me. Oh, they alternately make me shake my head, LOL, and even groan, but I am enthralled just the same. Like a train wreck that rivets your attention, the social aspects of MMOs allow me to sit back and watch with detached awe, wondering how in the Seraphim Lords some things can actually transpire. I mean, did someone really just do that?! Indeed, the personalities that emerge whenever you gather a group of people together truly intrigues me, and I'd like to share with you some that I have seen running rampant in Aion. Grab your Rorschach test and blot your way past the cut to check out these gaming personalities. Have a chuckle seeing where your friends and legion-mates (or maybe even you) fall. Any resemblance to actual gamers, past or present, is definitely intended!
All the guild drama you can handle
This is an amazingly accurate piece of work. Alihja, over at NotAddicted.com, has posted all the different kinds of drama queens that could be present in your guild. Heck, I recognize almost all of these types from my time in WoW. Some of my favorites include... Henny Penny. Nobody gives a weather report of how the sky is falling, like good old Henny Penny. "Nothing is the same anymore since (insert name of quitter here) left the guild. This place is going downhill. Fast. Chat sucks, the raids suck. Everything sucks. I tried to get a group and nobody answered me when I spammed guild chat looking for people to run me through that one instance. I give it two months." Nanny Micromanager. Not really malicious enough to be a drama queen all by themselves, the Nanny Micromanager is like the assistant to all of the drama queens. This is the person who jumps when the other drama queens say jump. They are surely a people pleaser, and they just want everyone to be happy and get along. Oh, why can't everyone get along and be happy. The Quitter. "That's it, I quit!" Something has upset The Quitter enough to either quit the guild, or quit the whole game. They will make an eight-paragraph post on the guild or server message board telling their life's story leading up to what upset them. They will hit the refresh key over and over, waiting with bated breath for words of comfort and regret to come pouring in. They will be back within two weeks, when they decide to quit quitting. We had a fellow in my last guild, who I swear, could play The Quitter in the movie version of this post. His "quitting" would last for a week. He'd usually quit because he'd claim RL issues, or he would do something dumb in-game and then be too ashamed to stick around. He would make his long, poignant farewell post in the forums, and wait for responses. Sure enough, a few Nanny Micromanagers would come along and make a sappy goodbye post to The Quitter. Then two weeks later he would mysteriously show up again in-game like nothing ever happened. Unfortunately, my guild leader would just let him right back in. Then two months later, he'd quit again because "RL is really kicking my butt right now." Uh-huh.Definitely check out Alihja's entire post. And as I remind you with all NotAddicted.com fare, you will see some colorful language and maybe some NSFW links, so please, if that is a concern, don't visit from work.
