YOINK, acid storm, part 1

A.I. : Say something about your 9Dragons history.

Yoink : I came to 9D from Silkroad Online. After 2 years of playing there, I came to realise they were only in it for the money and didn't care at all about their western audience.

A.I. : Being so long in 9D you are a member of PAB. What is your opinion on PAB?

Yoink : I initially refused the offer as I was suspicious of Acclaim already by this point. Their motives seemed to be cash, cash, cash, much like SRO and a total ignorance of what their community was screaming at them, but we had the "big patch" coming , 2nd role and I decided I had to play a part in shaping this. Unfortunately, our advice on PAB is largely ignored. The only ideas I have seen taken up, are those that can be implemented into item mall, the extra bag for example, is item mall, but we asked for a storage expansion at the same time to cope with 2 characters on 1 account and stop the need for the "storage character". We tested the ad-bar and told Acclaim that it would drive many veterans, and new players from the game, but our advice was ignored. We were even used as scapegoats at one point. A GM revealed on forum that we players shouldn't be complaining about ad-bar , as it had been tested by PAB. All of this should not detract from the work warda tries to do. She has been a gift to Acclaim and the community, much misused by Acclaim unfortunately. So... really, from the start PAB didn't do what we asked of it, which was to bring together the staff and veterans willing to spend their time to help advance the game, instead we found ourselves in another "waiting room" for Acclaim.

A.I. : Players call you "the fox", why? Your character reflects that?

Yoink : The "fox" is renowed in culture as a wily character. Always another trick up his sleeve. In game, I try to role play a little. The Shaolin are advisers to the Emperor as such, I try to play along this route. A lot of people will see the BvW element and stick with it, I like to think outside these contraints war is something we must strive to end . A lot of my decisions in game, and my actions, are those of a peacemaker.

A.I. : Talking about war, how you would characterise the war between blacks and whites in Bardo?

Yoink : Currently, it's fairly Black V White. There are times when the power balance sways back and forth, but on the whole, one side is never favoured too much. There have been times in the past, when black and white leagues have been allied in the bloody plains, but this caused too much confusion and many problems. As one of the peacemakers of Bardo, I decided it was best for everyone that we remove these agreements from BP and use them simply for issues such as boss camping and possibly SVS.

A.I. : You was the Submaster of STORM RIDERS, how did you feel ? Describe the experience.

Yoink : Immensely proud .Over the 2 years in the build up to the SR everyone knows today, owners of SVS for 11 months, we gathered together a loyal group of players under the core principals of shareing and caring and showing your enemy an equal respect.

A.I. : What do you think changed in 9Dragons when you started playing till now ?

Yoink : Acclaim seems to have no advance plan of where this game is headed. I was most impressed when I started, at the GM participation online, the communication on forums.It was something new to me, having come from SRO where we lived in a GM free wasteland and topics of criticism were routinely locked and deleted without word. Unfortunately, this seems to be the common downfall of mmo's. Acclaim to me, are showing signs of SRO.

A.I. : Speaking about the management of Acclaim for 9Dragons, how you found the official team?

Yoink : I don't think they take our welfare seriously enough.

A.I. : What about the forum? You was an active poster. Why you quited to post?

Yoink : I no longer wish to give my time to help Acclaim. Everytime they promise to take us seriously, and instigate communication, they let us down.

A.I. : How would you describe the moderator team on forum?

Yoink : haphazard. As a forum moderator myself, on non-9D forums, my locking and deleting power is only exercised after repeat warnings. I would much rather clean up posts, issue warnings, and keep people in line, locking and deleting without warning only serves to fan the "flames". The mod's team has an agenda, one set by Acclaim and that is to remove all mention to criticism of the running of the game, however justified it is.

A.I. : How old do you think they are? Has the age something to do with the way they act?

Yoink : They are taking on volunteers far too young I feel. I am even surprised at the 'childlike' attitude of BluFlash sometimes. Maturity is an ongoing process, and at almost 32 years of age myself, I find some of their attitudes and reactions very childish, but at the same time, I am reminded of myself not so long ago. I don not however, believe maturity is an age related thing. To ban people under a certain age is to deny natural talent.

A.I. : Seems you are not a big fan of BluFlash.Any reasons?

Yoink : BluFlash was taken at random, from some prize draw, totally unrelated to the 9Dragons product. He is a puppet and nothing more in my eyes. Above the GM team, we have the "suits", in every line of work we have these people, they take a big wage and do very little real work, making decisions based on purely profit driven motives often at the detriment of all other factors, it's these men BluFlash takes his orders from.