2004-05-31: Markee Dragon interview with EM Nikademus and EM GM Zilo
Markee Dragon interview with EM Nikademus and EM GM Zilo
You are known as the Atlantic shard Event Moderator and it seems like you have taken on a couple more responsibilities lately. Has your official job title changed?
Nikademus: No, my official job title has not changed. I have taken on additional responsibility, but we decided to distribute some of the things kieron did amongst ourselves.
How many Event Moderators are employed now and does each shard have an Event Moderator?
Zilo: There are 15 Event Moderators at this time. Every North American shard, and Europa, Drachenfels, Oceania have their own EM.
Many players really enjoy the events and the stories behind them. Who is responsible for the writing of the event stories and do these stories vary in any way from shard to shard?
Nikademus: It depends on which events and stories you are talking about. The "official" plot line (Lord British returning and then ascending) was written by several people at EA. The individual events that were run identically on the shards were written up by some of the EMs. Recently, however, each EM has been creating event storylines for their own, individual shards. Each EM is responsible for writing the plot and events, and running them.
Are the Event Moderators permitted to modify the events slightly while sticking to the basic event story?
Nikademus: Yes, we often change our story from event to event, depending on what the players do. For example, on Atlantic, the players encountered a crystalline gargoyle that had been trapped inside a gem for some time. When released, the gargoyle interacted with the players, who then had to decide whether or not to help this being. They decided to help him, but they could have easily made an enemy of him. That would have changed the actions of the next event.
How often do the Event Moderators work with the GMs? Do the GMs help with the events in any way?
Nikademus: In many ways, we could not function without Zilo. He is responsible for many of the more difficult features we have in our events. He’s present at each event to deal with difficult players, or problems that arise with our event.
In the future, will the Event Moderators be handing out any other special items to the players such as the Britania Royal Guard sashes?
Zilo: Without a doubt.
Now that the Event Moderator program is back into the full swing of things, how often will the events be taking place?
Zilo: At this time each shard is scheduled to get 1 event per week. If an event is cancelled for any reason, it's made up at the next available time.
Many players have reported having difficulty with lag during the events. Do you think that this problem has improved at all?
Zilo: The lag experienced in some of the larger events last year, hasn’t made an appearance this time around.
In the future, will it be possible that the events may be able to take place in more than one location at a time such as Moonglow and Minoc?
Nikademus: In fact, this is already happening on many of the shards.
The majority of players look forward to the events and can't wait for the next one. Any chance you can give us some hints about the next event or any clues about the main storyline?
Zilo: Each shard has its own unique storyline going on at the moment. For example, Europa had the savage uprising, Napa Valley has a dragon problem, and shadow creatures are running rampant on Baja. Seek out the EM for your shard, most of them have an office or stomping ground, and play along, they might drop the clues or hints you desire. Many of the EMs leave clues just laying around in the form of books or strange artifacts.
How long have you been playing UO and what is your favorite pastime and location to visit while playing UO?
Nikademus: I missed the beta by a few days, but was part of UO from day one of the release. I left UO for about a year after the volunteer programs were removed. I’ve always been a role-player at heart, and that’s been my passion in UO. In player and in EM form, I prefer player taverns, for the social environment.
Most of us who have played UO for any length of time have had several very memorable moments that occurred while playing. Can you tell us about one of your most memorable UO moments?
Nikademus: My favorite time in UO has to be during the Followers of Armageddon plotline. It was one of the finest plots, and the players really reacted to it. Players of all types forgot their differences and joined together to protect chests scattered across the land. It was constant strategy to try to get to those chests, or protect them. The communication between players was like nothing I've seen before, and perhaps since. It's times like that, when the player community really pulls together, that UO shines.
References:
