View source for UO:2001-03-27: Cynthe Introduces Herself

=Cynthe Introduces Herself=

Greetings and Salutations!
I want to introduce myself for those who don't know me... I'm Cynthe, Community Coordinator for ORIGIN (UO2) until just a few days ago. As I'm sure you can guess, this has been a tumultuous week for me, and my head's still spinning (almost as if I'd tried to participate in that paradoxical time-travel thread down there in this forum). But I've been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to transition onto UO, and I'm looking forward to getting to know the game, and the players, much better.

Before I continue, let me stress that I'm not Eidolon, and never will be. His knowledge of the Ultima Universe blows me away, and his attention to detail concerning the Ultima fiction is something that I can't match. I have a short background in Ultima, having had the opportunity to work with Richard as a designer on Ultima 9 before accepting the role of Community Coordinator for Ultima 9, and then UO2. And as well, I should make it clear that I'm not Eidolon's replacement, so I hope you'll all understand and forgive me if I'm not completely up to speed on the work that he's done, and the directions that he was taking.

Now that I've told you what I'm *not*, let me tell you what I *am*. :) I'm going to be working in the UO community with Leilo and Melantus, both on the boards and on the website. To tell you the truth, though... after last week's upheaval, I'm still not entirely positive which facets of UO will fall into my domain. But no matter what, I think my first priority should be to get to know you guys, and learn what the players think of the game.

So why start here? Well, two reasons... one, I don't know the game all that well yet. I couldn't even begin to answer the specific game-related questions that Melantus does on the other boards. And while I can make posts to show that I'm listening, that can get old without any content to go along with it. ("Hey Cynthe, tell us about __insert skill here__!" "Well, um... it's a skill... and.... um.... it's neat... and... um...") And two, I think role-playing is a vital part of UO. Without the roleplayers, we're just a game. With you, we're a virtual world, with its own atmosphere and attractions.

It reminds me of a Renaissance Festival. Sure, there's employees paid to be at the Faire dressed in wench outfits and hawking pretzels, but what really makes it a Faire are the people who come ready to participate in the fiction and add to the atmosphere. (As a side note, I'm one of them... you should see my collection of Ren clothes. I've spent wayyyy too much money on that stuff.) You're the people who aren't afraid to put on a costume, talk in dialect, offer your services as bodyguard to the Faire's King and Queen, and have a good time, and you make the place a hell of a lot more fun for it.

I think a really important part of role-playing, even moreso than the fiction that we create, is the fiction that *you* create. The player-run towns, the player-run taverns, the huge guild wars... that's truly amazing stuff. When I first started playing UO during its beta, I thought it was fun. I enjoyed the combat, the skills, the clothes, etc. But I eventually stopped playing due to time constraints, and have missed the last 2 1/2 years in the evolution of Ultima Online. What I see now is stunning. The player-run towns, taverns, events, websites... it's just amazing what you've done! Since I'm going to be working with the UO community, I want to learn more about you, and what you've created. Tell me about your towns, and your guilds. Teach me the fiction that's important to you.

The Ultima fiction is central to the game, and we still have an event staff dedicated to making sure that doesn't get lost. But I also want to see a focus on your fiction, and the roles that you've created in the game.

So remember I'm new over here... treat me like a beginner, and tell me about what's important to you. :)

_____________________

Cynthe

Community Coordinator

Origin Systems