This is my last post.
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Remember I said that you would not hear from me regarding how the Guild started because I wasn’t there. Still it is important to incorporate the story of the Guild in this section. Alwinal, our founder wrote the following in the Journal Response section where you can go over and read it in its entirity.
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“The Forge of Traders was one of the first guilds settled. I founded this guild. At the moment we have one founder (me) and a leader (Artinian). Removing inactive members and inviting new members are mostly taken by Artinian. He has a good overview of who is active and who is not. This results in 80 active members at the moment. Got at least 20 motivations/day from team members. The guild is now stable at position 10 in Arvahall. That one of our team members writes in this journal proves the activity in the guild. Well done!”
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Thank you, Alwinal, for your gracious comment.
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It’s a little hard to talk about your fellow players when you know so little about them. Forge of Empires is a game, not a social network. Still, I think about my fellow Guild members. What I have to go on is a name, a stock picture, and a profile. That’s it.
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Speaking of profiles, have I told you how I learned to read them so as to polish/motivate much more effectively? I used to just polish everyone until my Guild taught me that if you looked at their profile, they might state another preference. Sometimes we get an urgent note asking for a polish or motivation or a trade right now as there is something at stake. Everyone rushes to help. It is fun to hear that someone was able to reach their goal. I also used to try to produce EVERYTHING because I didn’t understand the concept of trading 5 for 1. Now I can do it point free and count on fair trades. I just added Basalt to my production line.
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Back to profiles. Sometimes a profile is just plain entertaining. Take Kepler’s:
“My doctor ended up being a quack so I booted him. We have returned to the tried and true practices of bloodletting and exorcisms. Visit one of the many Churches of Keplerology to be healed. Bloodletting leeches can be found at either public bath.
In other words – I need polishes.”
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Other profiles I just don’t understand. Here’s one: “Vocare Ad Regnum”. It’s Latin, that much I know. (Latin must be the language in this world? I guess it wasn’t a good idea to behead the translator. But then again, he shouldn’t have told me I’m a noob.)
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I like “Sange and Onoare”. Are they names? I could name my baby girl Onoare, I think it’s pretty. And what about” Italian Player?” That’s all, just Italian Player. Mmm. Ti voglio bene pisano.
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Many of them reflect the combative nature of this game. There’s “ Last Stand: Waterloo The brittish Gnl: you are surrounded surrender. Gnl Grouchy: Nuts”. I’m almost sure that gnl stands for General. Soooo… General Grouchy Nuts? Must mean something to him. And, “If you are reading this you are not watching your town get pillaged.” Honestly, I thought we were friends. Peace, brother.
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Names intrigue me, too. I think mine, Hawkwing, sounds good. Actually, I liked it so much on a family member that I took it for myself. Only a noob doesn’t know that’s just plain wrong. Also I like Princess of Florin. What little girl hasn’t dreamed of being a princess? Black Chandelier -- she comes with the picture of the pretty, young blonde, but I imagine a beautiful Nubian. Or maybe it’s a name from a novel or movie I haven’t seen. Or Funshiba? Don’t you like her already?
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I think females have it all over males when it comes to names. For example MSP3063. Like reading a license plate and I don’t mean the vanity ones. And No.32. That’s it. Just a number. What am I missing? No. 32 comes with the picture of the knight’s helmet and only an eye-slit. No face, no name. Is he a medieval hitman? Then there’s BiggestMan. He wears the cowl so he could be a midget on stilts but I doubt it. I noticed he made 4,450 points this week and I only made 1, 789. You’re a bigger man than I am, BiggestMan. And RamenSurprise sounds like dinner on a night I’m focused on the game.
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There’s always events going on….you know that Event History box that pops up when you open up. Mine is always full of reports of polishing and motivating, my people wear a perpetually happy face. And players are always moving into the next age. And at least there are 79 players I can always count on NOT to beat me up.
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It’s good to be in a Guild and I like MY Guild, Forge of Traders. Points and kills are all very well, but the essence of what we all play for is a little fun and relaxation. It’s not just about the founders and leaders and experienced players, but for the noobs, too. I think I’m a way better player now. My progress is steady, and as a team player I help others to progress, too, whatever their game style. Things happen every day in our Guild and I look forward to checking in to see what it will hold.
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4 October, 1412
I stand in the tower and look out in the distance. I see the dust of a horse’s hooves. A rider approaches. The Gatekeeper calls out, “Ho! What news?”
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See you on the playing field.