2004-02-11: A Few Words about GM Halona
A Few Words about GM Halona
Feb 11 2004 1:57PM
This was originally posted to Player Relations at uo.com.[1]
Who is GM Halona?
I guess I should start at the beginning—yes, that is always a good place to start. In January of 1998, I heard about a game that would forever change my life. For the next six months, I shared an account with a friend of mine and in June decided that one account was not big enough for the two of us to share, so I purchased a copy of my own and opened my own account. Since then, I have met and married my husband of four years and purchased four additional accounts. As you can see, Ultima Online became a huge part of my life.
In September of 2000, my husband and I decided to apply to become counselors. I submitted my application (My husband canceled his.) and was accepted a few days later. That is when I became Counselor Sparrow Hawk of Lake Superior. After all the buzz about the first ever Ultima Online World Faire, I just had to attend. I sent in a request to help host the fan event and, since I already lived in Austin, was accepted quickly. I met several of the Game Masters at the time, as well as several of the "higher-ups" of the company. That day, I went home and sent in my résumé for the position of Game Master. In December of 2000, I left the counselor program to become GM Lady Halona. And after being with EA/OSI for a year and a half, I was promoted to Senior Game Master.
This was beyond all I could fathom from the time I signed up to play this wonderful game six years ago! I opened an account with the idea that I would play this game for a few weeks, like most other games, and that would be it. I never dreamed how much this game could alter my life in so many ways.
As a Game Master, I will do my best to defend the game and the rights of the players. If there is something we can do, I will do it; but if there is nothing we can do, I ask that the players understand that too. Just because we have the ability to do something does not mean that we have the power to do it due to policy constraints. We are not really all that harsh and all that mean. I work with a wonderful group of honest and hardworking Ultima Online gamers. For me, my job as a GM is more than a job; it is a major part of my life. I can only hope that UO brings as much joy to others as it has brought to me.
Lady Halona
Player Relations
Ultima Online
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