January 2004

Bora, Boss of the Blitzer Guild - Gamer

Name: Anja
Age: 34
Location: Munich, Germany
RL Occupation: Radiology Technician
Current Game: Planeshift
Fav game of all time: Spyro
Worst movie you saw recently: Matrix 3
Fav time period in history: 1980's
Authors of the moment: R.A.Salvatore, Raymond Feist, Brian Greene
Music of the moment: Believe me, you dont know it. ;P

Bora is not your typical German dwarf - everybody seems to like her. There's hardly a Planeshift player who has not heard of the pint-sized guild leader and her crew The Blitzers. Day and night you can find them running through the streets of Yliakum, the virtual city where Planeshift takes place, searching for rubies, emeralds and diamonds, the pre-alpha game's form of currency. Bora's Blitzers are good at it, too; currently, they are in the top slot for rubies found. LadyGamers managed to interview Bora during some R and R at the local tavern over a few virtual biers, maybe a few too many. But who can say no when the NPC barmaid keeps topping your mug.

[CLIMaX]:  Bora, I've been playing Planeshift with you for some time now but I'm a newbie. It seems like the whole population of Yliakum knows and reveres you. How did you get involved with Planeshift? And please tell us about the evolution of your popular guild The Blitzers.

[Bora]:  I started playing PS after I looked over my husband's shoulders for a while, when he was playing and after he asked me several times. It is my first MMORPG. I used to play rpg's at the table and sometimes at PC before. Because my husband already played a while before I decided to join too, I never was a real Newb, most things I already knew. The first day on I met Faldrok, 2nd in command of Blitzers, 2nd day on Hevrah, leader of the blitzers, invited me. I think I was the 8th member or something like that. The guild was very new, just like me, so I decided to join. Just one or two weeks later Hevrah retired and disbanded the guild, because of rl trouble. And without thinking very much I restarted it and invited the old members. Hevrah is still the 2nd rank 9 member and my co-boss. With the help of my husband I redesigned the webpage and started a guild forum. But the original structure and the allignment of Hevrah's Blitzers are still alive. The guild is neutral and we want to be known and important. All other plans depend on the possibilities of the next release of Planeshift. At the beginning of my leadership the guild grew slow but steady, then there was a period when the number of members 'exploded'. I don't know, what my secrets in recruiting are, but in fact we have many active and nice players at the moment. I am glad about it. Right now Planeshift is only a pre alpha tech release, so there is nothing much to do in the game. I think thats the main reason for the community that exists in there. This community is the most important reason for me to play on. But I am really waiting for the next release.
While waiting for the next PS release I started playing Mu-Online. Another free MMORPG. But RPG is too much honour. Its just walking around, killing to earn money by monster drops, buy better weapons and armor, kill more and so on. Nice sometimes and totally different to Planeshift, which is still my favorite game.

[CLIMaX]:  Our own personal experiences suggest that woman prefer playing RPG's to FPS's like Counterstrike and Unreal Tournament. Why do you think RPG's attract woman? Is it simply because men dominate in numbers in FPS games or is there something else about RPG's that accounts for this?

[Bora]:  I am playing RPG's for more than 20 years now, it is just the fascination of trying other characters and the community that grows between players. FPS's are illegal in Germany since last year, so I don't play them anymore, at least not the new ones which are hard to get here. Okay, I like them sometimes and I don't think they make kids become a killer, when the rest of rl is okay. My cousin plays them a lot, but I still like RPG's more. I am 34 years old now and I am used to the male dominations in the world of computers and roleplaying. I think that will change during the next years, it already started.

As far as I know, there is a physical reason that most girls/women (me included) are not able to beat boys/men at FPS's. I don't want to tell more about that here. Just this one thing: girls/women have other advantages and I surely do not want to be a man.

[CLIMaX]:  What is Planeshift all about? Describe for us what it's like to play the game in it's pre-alpha version. How will that change in the upcoming game release? And, what's happening with the other guilds in Planeshift? What sort of world is developing while the game devs toil away on new code?

[Bora]:  Good question ;) Until now there is not much to do in that game. But it is addicting though. You can walk around and explore the town and the dungeon, the graphics are great. You can collect crystals, which are currency. But there isn't even an in game shop yet. Items can be bought at a webpage, paying with crystals. There are different weapons in a price range from 1k rubies to 10k. And a mug can be bought for only 500 rubies. Since fighting isn't implemented yet these items are useless, but they can be used to show off because if you can buy them it means you're a good crystal hunter. There are two quests which can be done, but there is no reward. The main part of Planeshift at the moment is the community. Besides the guilds there are online weddings and things like that. The community grows stronger while everyone is waiting for the next release. Alliances, friendships and contracts are made. The big guilds like Blitzers,Ordre Illuminatis, Explorers Guild and others are preparing for the launch of the next release. Some small guilds vanished, but maybe will be back with the next release. It is important to role play at this stage of the game, because there is nothing else to do. There are many regulars who are great roleplayers and it is fun to be part of this special community. The world is small, only one town, so everyone meets everyone. A special situation. We do not know exactly what will be implemented in the next release, but we are waiting for it. Until then, the community will be developed.

[CLIMaX]:  Planeshift will create a universe where a society of people evolves. It will include everything from politics to personal relationship, death and taxes. Have you and the Blitzers discussed morality issues within the framework of Planeshift? Are there certain things, like theft and murder, that you guys are against?

[Bora]:  Blitzers are a neutral guild. We are no killers but we will fight in self defense. We discussed about neutral alignment in our guild forum, but I think it is too early to say anything. Many things will depend on the possibilities of the next game version release. Here are some parts of our webpage:

We are a neutral guild equipped to do everything ranging from fighting to merchants.

The Blitzers are...

Highly educated individuals of mostly neutral alignment, protective, mild capitalistic, carefull manipulators for a balanced and enjoyable world of PS.
The Guild exists to help, support and defend it's members. We want this guild to strive and grow, we ain't here to rule the land but we will not be ruled.

If we must fight, we will - but war is such a tragic thing... we don't need it.

We do not hate any other guild nor do we fear them.

The philosophical neutral sees good, evil, law and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. The middle way of neutrality is advocated as the best, most balanced road in the long run. Followers of this way can act naturally, without prejudice and compulsion.

[Adapted from D&D 3rd Ed. PHB, pp.89]

Good, and Evil, being defining philosophies, are also diametrically opposite, meaning they repell and attract each other. It is also their nature, to NEED the other to exist, no good without evil to contrast against. Neutrality is the common ground between the two, the grey zone, where evil and good no longer really exist, it is more a state of cause and effect, because good sees evil as bad, and evil sees good is bad, but who is right? Both? Neither? Well, the answer is both are right, and finally, both are wrong... because it is all cause and effect, to neutral eyes.

- Myysst

[From: "Philosophical letters" a correspondence between Manden and Myysst]

Well, something over neutrality or the "balance concept" I read long ago. It was the answer of a wiseman who was asked about the good and evil principles... The picture he used as an answer was:

"Look at this mountain.. it has a shiny side with all the bright colors where the sun touches it.... and it has a shadow/dark-side which defines it's depth and contures.... you can't take away any side from the mountain ... only as a whole it is complete"

So he said that in a balanced world you have to accept the presence of good end evil... you can't eleminate one of them without destroying nature in itself.
So being neutral and supporting a healthy "nature" you have to accept good and evil and have to see that their presence is balanced.

-- Manden

[From: "Philosophical letters" a correspondence between Manden and Myysst]

That is our guild's opinion and it is my opinion too how it should work in Planeshift. Personal sympathy and the lack of it will surely interfere with the game. Maybe sometimes even real life politics. But that is not the way roleplaying should work. Blitzers will try to avoid this, but it won't work all the time.

I am against murder and theft in real life, i mean, who is not? But this is a roleplaying game. Everything is possible and needed for a balanced planeshift world. As long as it depends on roleplaying it is okay with me. But there is no space for murderes and guys like that in Blitzers. Such things would lead to guild remove. But it would be a very boring roleplaying world without any bad guys, they should just take care who they will attack. Blitzers are a strong community and so are other guilds.

[CLIMaX]:  When you were a little girl what was your favorite toy. What is your favorite toy today?

[Bora]:  My favorite toy when i was a little girl? I used to play outside with other kids, mostly. But I could say... Lego bricks. My favorite toy now, hmm. My favorite wastes of time would be a better question: My husband, my friends, my cats, my job and my comp.

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