However, as befits [cA], we are not asking for the typical fare. Indeed, we are not asking strictly speaking for a town add-on at all. I will explain everything in three sections. First, I will outline the proposal and why we want it. Second, I will outline what [cA] has done for the shard in the past. Third, I will describe what benefits there are for the shard in our proposal.
1. The Proposal
I have only recently returned to UOSA. My top priority is making organizational changes to the guild to make it better serve its purposes. To that end, I intend to establish a special prize given to [cA] members for the performance of extraordinary deeds in the spirit of [cA]. The prize will be extremely rare. Who receives the prize will be completely at my discretion. It will be known as the chumbucket Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Applied Bardery.
Where our requests comes in has to do with the prize itself. I would like there to be a small token for having won the prize, a simple item with absolutely no value whose existence would have no direct consequences on gameplay and which could not be stolen, lost, traded, or even placed on the ground. The item would be a bracelet named "the chumbucket Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Applied Bardery." Essentially, a medal that the player would have merely as a token of having been awarded the prize.
We are proposing this as a town add-on. Hence, we would be willing to pay for these harmless items in the same way that other guilds pay for arenas, private stables, private forts, special "wargs", special free pvp areas, and so on. We believe that a large amount (to be determined by staff) of gold and silver would be the appropriate form of payment, which would have the added bonus of being a small gold sink.
2. What [cA] has done for the shard
Obviously, we are not always the most loved guild on the shard. But I would seriously (and without humility) argue that we are among the guilds most beneficial to the shard. Yes, we play very rough. Indeed, we have even caused more than one player to quit playing here. We make no apologies for that. On the other hand, we believe that the strength of UO and of UOSA is to be found in two areas: (1) diversity of playstyles and (2) genuine danger.
We contribute to the diversity of playstyles immensely. Roughly, there are four types of guild: RP, PvP, crafters, and thieves. Simply put, I can count on one hand the number of competent thieves that are not members of [cA]. We basically are the thieving community on this shard.
We contribute to the danger of the shard immensely as well. Indeed, I would argue that no one makes the shard more dangerous than us. Certainly, PKs and PvPers can cause you problems. But when they kill you, you resurrect and you back to doing what you do with minimal loss. If you are our victims, the problems you have range from simply losing a few reagents to having you castle stolen to having you fancy tower made useless to being put 20+ counts deep into stat...well I could go on. Again, I simply refuse to be modest on this point. We are the most dangerous guild on UOSA, and that I think is something good for the shard in the long run even if it can be a headache for players in the short term.
Furthermore, [cA] is one of the largest, oldest, and most active guild's on the shard. I founded [cA] almost two years ago. Most people perhaps do not realize how large we are since we keep our membership list a bit more secret than most people, but at any given time we usually have at least five player playing. Many of you have seen us run twelve deep on our archers. We currently have around fifteen semi-active members (summer is slow for us!), and an additional ten who come and go. I expect that to pick up as summer ends.
Our activities include not only stealing from and harassing you, but also running many events. Our events very rarely involve staff, and when they do staff involvement is always very minimal--usually nothing more than an announcement and maybe a strategically placed healer. The following links are a partial list of [cA] ran events:
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=7909
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=11748
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=14043
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=14643
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=6213
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=7432
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=6920
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=7909
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=8301
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=9587
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=7775
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=11538
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=15747
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=17269
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=18483
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=18541
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=18858
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=20490
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=20288
Also, we contribute to the life of the shard through our many stories and public exploits. I trust I need not even point you to those. The Tales of Adventure forum was created long ago essentially to find a place to put my Tales of Adventure.
Furthermore, we are engaged in helping new players with advice and gold. I have personally given away probably 75% of the gold I have ever had (and I always sell items I don't use) as either prizes in contests or to random new players in the form of 5k to 10k donations at banks. I know other [cA] members do similar things. Check the guides section and you will see a number of entries written by [cA] members, particularly Matron de Winter.
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5946
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8230
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6378
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7307
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5759
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14949
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15040
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=17136
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5350
http://forum.uosecondage.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5322
There are a lot more of these. So many that I don't feel like copying the rest!
Finally, here is a random testimonial I have recently received in my PMs (while on hiatus!) from a person I do not even know:
Skeletile wrote:Out of all of the players in any game I have ever met you have to be the classiest and most dignified individual I have ever seen. Reading through your exploits is incredibly entertaining. And so here's me tipping my hat to you, in acknowledgement of an amazing game played.
3. What value is this to the shard?
Obviously, the most difficult question for us is what value this proposal has for the shard. Arenas can be used. Private stables are still more or less open to the public. Special PvP areas create fun PvP. What does a bracelet on some guy do?
The answer is simple: The possibility of receiving one motivates [cA] members to strive even harder to do the sorts of things we have always been doing, and so to bring you the benefits I have outlined above. I have ran this by [cA] members, and most seem eager to win it.
I should stress again that we are willing to pay for these, they would be extremely rare, and they would have no direct effects on gameplay. The only benefits would be psychological for the player who has it and indirect for the shard in the form increased [cA] activity.
