Veonira, I know exactly how to do the spike quest. As I said, it can be tedious, but it isn't that big of a deal. Is it more than pixies? Sure. Is it more than gathering Fae in Faethorn? Not really. They both take about the same time to do from personal experience (in fact, I'd rather do spiking myself as you at least gain experience and gold out of it instead of walking around in circles 3 times in a huge area to find one damn Fae).

And I don't get the gorgog quest deal. While I normally open, I don't sit around trying to botch it all the time either. I just assume it will close when it closes and then I'll reopen. The only time I go out of my way to botch it is when at random, I happen to see or scry someone in Bondero/Arysian.

I wasn't really aiming that at you. It was more of an in general, and I also meant is as if someone happens to just kill or take something needed to close it on a whim, it has more of an effect on a situation where someone wants to close it rather than open it.

Well, the pixie quest I link with the Earth/Water essence quest realy. The pixies are more bothersome but also MUCH easier: I'd send a L1 novice to do it.

As for the Fae? You'll have to forgive me, I don't know how the quest goes these days. I know back in Old Faethorn it is a sinch to do for Serenwilde. Has it changed much? (sounds like if you have to actually HUNT for fae now)



Two parts of the quests are sickeningly easy to botch. I dislike the idea of a quest easily botchable without a counter (sidenote: If someone wants to state that Lanaki should be revivable , I'll agree to it. Ladantine IS a bother to raise but at least you CAN raise him at will). The rod requires a decent level and ability to handle (I can, but I believe I started going into the catacombs at around L55) while the last, if I get it right, can only be done with either some skill in Environment, certain races, or a particular item at hand. I know I don't have any of it). Besides, I don't think you're the only one botching it.

And, again.. there's no Commune equivlant. Opening the rift isn't a 'duty of the commune'. It's an attack move. Closing it is a duty. Give the cities an attack move on the communes and I'll defend the whole gorgog quest.



Also, you havn't talked about the fact that, along with this, there's also Easier-to-assault Nil, Earth, and, I'll add, the fact that the Hart-Crow quests (which, sound to be the Supernal/Demon lord equivlants) are still shut down.


As for the idea of totems:

1. The city has statues to worry about, as well as upkeeping paintings since we can't use Ethereal to link areas together.

2. Hitting the nation itself in Prime is NOT the best way to damage them in any case. If I wanted to really hurt a city, I'd hit Cosmic, the villages, and perhaps Elemental. For communes, I'd hit the villages or Ethereal.

Lastly note that my entire statement at the moment is just to argue that the cities (both Mag and Celest) have more to worry about and do to keep up than the communes (both Serenwilde and Glomdoring). Each item isn't too hard to do (gorgogs are a mess, but there's worse things out there) but they stack easy, fill your time fast, and can't be shuffled off to pure newbies (L40 person who has never mudded before will NOT survive spectres: they'll make too many mistakes).

Note this ISN'T to state the tired old "Cities and Communes aren't balanced" argument: that's for another thread. ALL I want to show is that Magnagora (and Celest too but, again, that's for another thread) has ALOT that always needs to be done, which can cause an issue for some people.

I compare it to Serenwilde since..well, Narsrim asked.

1. Totems are far harder to maintain than statues. One person (read: -1- person) can potentially keep all the statues in a city up. Imagine it it took one enchanter per statue - that's how totems are. As for spectres, I was bashing spectres at level 20 as a Mugwump Nihilist.

2. Who says it is easier to raid Nil than Ethereal? It is *far* easier for me to raid Ethereal Glomdoring (I do at least 5 times a day) than Nil. I need a bloody cubix just to get to Nil whereas I can walk into Ethereal Glomdoring at whim.


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As for the Gorgog quest, my point was it takes me like 15 minutes to open it. I usually do so at whim. I walk to see if the mariner is alive, if so I open the rift.

It is no easier or harder to open than seal.

(Looks like this topic is more about Gorgog rifts and whatnot now, but might as well put my two cents in before it starts to digress. If my opinions were already discussed, then go ahead and ignore this thing, but I thought it might shed some light on why one of us converted)

Don’t know if my character was one of the first of many to convert in recent events, but it sure seemed like it. Other novices from Mag (Geomaners, Nihilists, maybe some Ur’Guard) came pouring in a few RL days later. When Reiha was visiting the pool with a Celest friend, they interacted more with her in a few minutes than her whole time in Magnagora at that point. I think a lot of other novices are more interested in making friends than keeping up what can feel like a lonely RP experience in Mag. She only had one friend over in Mag who was helpful with the goings and ways of the city, who's who in Mag, etc. but he was hardly ever on and came from another guild. Novices are probably dying just for friendly interaction, and maybe that hardcore RP should come later into account when they get the hang of things / graduate out of novicehood.



Well, he didn’t scare Reiha away, the boredom or lack of feeling I / she could do anything there did. Although I thought it was pretty cool he kept up his RP and said something like I would “rue the day I left” in a tell. I’m still kinda waiting for his threat, but I guess he forgot. Completely. *pokes Aiakon*

Okay, I’m done babbling now. Don’t mind me and my redundancy.

Magnagora city channel is silent so often. Occasionaly someone will ask to get unblocked and that's it.

In my brief time on Serenwilde alt I noticed that people are talking almost all the time. Big part of it being just chatting about nothing is a different matter.

We do talk all the time. I'd so die if we didn't. I need the constant ct-stimulation to get through sitting on ethereal guarding, etc.

As I've said before, I definitely think more can be done to make novices feel more welcome. Hell, I remember when I was first playing and my only friend was Arilyon, I wasn't even a novice and I was still pretty lonely and friendless. But the one thing about Magnagora is that if you do make an effort, you -will- be recognized, and you will get to know more people, particularly higher-ups. I've seen it happen countless times (and if I happen to be looking for a child, the people who make an effort are the ones I'm more inclined to adopt). Magnagora city aether has always been relatively quiet, and I really don't think that's the problem unless you're coming from a place where that isn't the case and you thrive on that.

On the Gorgog quest: Yes, it takes 15-20 mins to close, as long as everything is in place. However, 90% of the time, the gorgog quest is an -ordeal-. Between Celestians, Mags, Serenwilders, and Glomdoring members using the Merian island as a bashing ground, between the same hunting the gorgogs at the same time you may need the rod, (which is less of a problem, admittedly, considering all the gorgogs out on the waters.), and then between those trying to screw the quest up, the statement that timing is everything is extremely true.

But from my experience, the only time the timing works out is when most everyone is gone from the realms. I remember a period of a few days where Tzara made sure the mariner was dead during that time, and noticed Narsrim in Bondero Bay all throughout. (This occured before I switched to my alt. Heaven knows what's going on there now.)

My point is, in essence, agreeing with Narsrim. Timing has everything to do with it, however, (edit: -in my experience-) the timing also requires most of the Basin to be emptied, (edit: although I have done it when it was full before. Mostly through the 8-hour ordeals that I mentioned.)

And unlike the Communes, Magnagora can't just sit back and laugh the gorgogs being out off. It harms the Megalith, and our novices severely, as was said before. I don't know how it effects Celest, but I wouldn't be shocked to find out it does something similar to them. So yes.

I guess this sort of sums up our problem really, Nars. You do spend an -outrageous- amount of time in game, and there's other Serens like you. We're short on people like that right now. I rarely have time for more than 20 minute pop-ins at different times in the day. Because people like you have the time and inclination to put that much work in for your commune, it doesn't all devolve on the heads of a very few. That's what happens in Magnagora.. we basically lack the people to do the stuff that needs doing.

About the Gorgog quest... urgh. Don't get me started. I've spent -hours- trying to close that rift. And it's not that I don't know how the quest works, because I do.. it's just that I can never -make- it work. It would actually be quite a nice extra title on my honours.. but despite the amount of time on several occasions I've spent trying to do it, it -always- goes wrong.

Now.. imagine you're me, and you've turned up some time relatively early in the month. You find that the Gorgogs are loose, someone has released Marilynth, Nil is forested, there's a team in Angkrag.. and all you have at your disposal is 5 near-novices all under the age of 25. It's.. kinda irritating.

Besides which.. do you have -any- idea how long it takes to raise Ladantine.. and how much work can be ruined by someone just popping in behind your back to kill him. It's not even as though we can make him immortal because it's far easier for the Celestians to untaint the spire than it is for us to Taint it. Anyway /rant. The thing is.. that at certain times of the month, Magnagora -has- a full compliment of people and we do well enough for ourselves then. At other times, there are no Mags around, but there's -always- a Narsrim, a Munsia, a Diamante and a Malicia. Not to say an Amaru. I mean.. it's like taking candy from a baby... and that's why Tzara posted about getting burnt out. She logs in at that sort of time.. and you just can't have fun on your own if -every- time you log in, you're running around doing thankless city business.

Unfortunately, I think you were a novice when you left, weren't you? I was under that impression... so that means threats but no actual enemying or killing in my book

Same thing posted 3 times. Don't know how, but annoying.

It seems like there's a few extra topics floating around this thread, but I'm going to comment on the oringal one.

I have a Shadowdancer and a Geomancer. I haven't played in weeks, but from what I remember the population in both Glom and Mag are about the same. My Shadowdancer is pretty established in a few clans and in the commune so when I'm playing her, I usually do not get bored. But when I switch to my alt, the Geo, it can get pretty lonely. I do get the occasional "Hey, how are you doing" on the GNT channel, but that's about it. I'll stick around the Megalith to see if I can get involve in anything, but I think the other players are either chatting in clans, tells or something. :shrug:

1. What is worthwhile to you isnt worthwile to everyone.
2. No one should ever HAVE to write anything. If a person wishes to sit at GR1 then let them. So long as they dont break anylaws what does it matter.

I have had an alt in every Magnagora guild even reached guildrank 3 in all of them, and the problem I have noticed is that it is just like high school. If you arent one of the popular people you dont get noticed and in this type of environment why stick around for that?

Murphy - there is a difference in being a hardass and an asshole. More often than not you and many others in Magnagora take the second approach when it comes to novices and such.

I'm generally just rude to other novices, and so long as our own novices are being melodramatic or otherwise talking too much crap at the megalith i'm usually pretty nice to em

You may think it is as simple as being noticed in Magnagora to recieve a favour there are many who go without because they arent part of the clique.


I shouldnt portray you as an essay-writing totalitarian when you go off and threaten to kick people out because they wouldnt write essays?

Maybe you do have to be in the "clique" in Magnagora... but its actually not hard to get there. The circle is actually quite open from my experience, if you're intelligent and have a spine.

As for the essays - a paragraph is not going to kill you, especially when the guild is supposed to be scholarly.

Mages/Druids should expect to write an essay here and there.
Guardians should expect to write a ritual here and there.
Warriors should expect to be pushed onto the battlefield here and there.

There are certain things you take onto yourself when you join a particular archetype - that's just how things are, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Achaea requires TONS of things. The Geomancers require a very simple paragraph. And as far as i'm concerned, anyone who thinks writing a paragraph is too much responsibility should not under any circumstances be allowed to vote or hold any position within a guild.

So, if they want to stay Apprentices, then good - it keeps them from causing damage higher up.

You darn well better be. I'm already too nice to the champs. We need more people to gut and crucify them.





I do know that the city is FAR too soft on Cityfavors. If you're active spiking, influencing, running to defend (even if you can't do anything but die) or just gathering some blasted things for Ladantine and you're still a Serf and at base rank* then there is something Very Wrong. Ever since I got myself organized, I've been able to easily find people who did enough to earn either a guildfavor or recognition. Those Prefixes like Battlesmith and Defender are NOT just for show.

That'll change though. Trust me.. that'll change.

As for the lonliness.... I'm not sure what to do there. Magnagora really does have a Buisness mentality. The channels flood up when there's an issue going on, but otherwise that's it. I can't say that I help matters: I'm really not a small talk person. Jacquin is worse: She gets impatient when she's not mobile.

I'm almost tempted to say: if you're a novice that wants to get involved and get into the action, Magnagora is perfect for you (or will be). If there's something going on all you need do is jump in and you'll be accepted (sometimes gruffly, but you can fit in).

If you're the type, though, that likes to kick back and relax, joking and messing around then you'll have a hard time in the Engine. We're really just a bunch of 'doers'.

I'd love to have people who can find a way to make us more 'sociable' without making us 'snuggly'. If you're one of them, go grab some ranks, pick up a voice and..well.. teach the poor nerd how to dance.

another good way to get involved is to volunteer to be my webwhore on a raid. Just wait for daevos and I or whoever to form up at the megalith, ask if they want a webwhore and you'll be welcome to come along.