Well 133 hours, 120 or so in the Fortress and I delete a squire. This has always left a bad taste in my mouth about the fortress. Or honestly maybe its just me, perhaps I really just dont have being a maran in me. Always tended to lean towards the evil to be honest, but I try to play all walks of life in Thera.

On to a couple goodbyes:

Unal and Padwei- You two kick ass and I had alot of fun running around with you all. By far two of the nicest well played fort members there are today.

Baerinika- I guess you just never really liked me much or my play style or something. So I tried to change my play style and just go balls out in pk's(Which seemed to get more attention from you). Still you never maraned me. Really I would just like to know from you how I am going wrong about this. I have played five or so fort characters three of which where empowered classes, none ever made maran. I admit I do not play a goodie very well in my eyes but maybe you can throw me some insight into this. Thanks for the immteractions we had and what not. It was always entertaning

Fort- A couple of you use to just piss me off, so I would just ignore you or be off doing my own things. Others you where cool to run around with.


I cant really come up with names but everyone I fought or run with it was enjoyed no matter the outcome. So post if you wish and I will try to get around to responding.

Laterz Gatorz

We greeted each other, talked a short while, but that was pretty much about it.

Velkoth looked like a cool Elf, from what little I could see of you.

Luck with the next!

I followed a sphere of courage so I liked to fight mostly one on one regardless if it was win or lose. So I never really ran around with alot of people when I was out trying to pk (which I was not to good at really) Elfs have always been a little to fragile for my play style I guess. You seemed like a cool giant though we could have went explorering somewhere or something sometime I guess but by the time you where up and around I had already kinda lost interest

nt

At first you kind of seemed like one of those suicidal more of a handicap to the Maran than a help types. That probably sounds terrible but you threw yourself against really bad odds knowing you would die, which if there's one or two other Forties on and you're facing bad opposition...you're not helping anyone just running up there and dying. People like this are pretty much never going to see Maran in under 100 hours unless I'm just floored by the RP. And even then...probably not. Also, you had a temper and prayed a lot of ooc swearing type things that really made me not like you. We talked about it and you did get much much better afterwards, and I really appreciate that. A couple weeks ago we talked about what you needed to do to get Maran, but by then you seemed to have lost interest in the character, so while I was trying to watch and see if you'd be able to do what we talked about, I only saw you once or twice after. There's one other thing that made me very leery about this character, but I'm not going to talk about it here. You can email me if you want to discuss it, baerinika@carrionfields.com.

I do really appreciate your message, and over the course of this character you improved dramatically with regards to RP. If you'd stuck it out a little longer, I think you'd have been easily Maran'd. Also, based on 'Voice of the Customer', I've been trying to do promotions a little earlier, seeing how that works. So, maybe try again?

Good luck on your next.

Yup I started playing this one real conservative, but that seemed to get me no where. So then I went wide open and it got me my last name so I dont know. But hey I did get the orb back that day when then lich and three other imperials where on by myself> I have always had kinda a temper and sometimes it gets the best of me I will admit that. But thanks for the advice , I just wanted to ask you what I was doing wrong cause after five attempts all of which going around 80 to 100 hours + in the Fortress I have never seen Maran. And people like Hayim who you admited you disliked see's maran at lvl 40. So yes I lost interest in this one pretty much after I seen all those around me who got inducted after me being turned to maran. Its just not a fun fight when others have full cabal powers on their side. Pretty sure I am not the only one who feels this way.

Your PBF will explain a lot of where I was coming from with both the last name and other stuff, if you decide to buy it. I guess I'd have to take a poll on if 100 hours is really THAT bad to be a squire. Like I said, I'm trying to trim that down now in the last week or so since it's started being discussed. Even Hayim was inducted at 40 and Maran'd at 129....that's 89 hours. And he did RP, I've never denied that. I never once said he had bad RP. Baer did not like the character, and I felt that towards the end of his career he was becoming inappropriate for a Maran. I talked to him about it, I didn't punish him in any way, I just requested that he be a better Maran. Not that I want to rehash THIS argument!

I think you also have to know that there is a difference between being a member of the Fortress and becoming a Maran and being a part of my religion. I gave you last name as your religion patron imm, and I gave you xp for religious talks. These things really don't need to have anything to do with becoming a Maran or the cabal you've joined. I just happen to also have the job of running that cabal.

But kinda gave up.

On the character too. Sorry guys!

Did you know that if you are running around attacking bad guys, even if you don't kill them, the Imms see it. Imagine if you are an Imm, sitting around, waiting for someone to do something worth watching. Now, you can follow around the guy who is running around like a psychotic ninjabunny, or you can watch the guy sitting in the fort, or exploring crap you already know about, etc.


I know nothing about the character, but keep that in mind maybe?

Let me expound on the pro-active thing. When it comes to fort induction, just doing marany things really isn't enough. I hate to say that, but it isn't.

Currently fort requires interviews. That means you have to corner current members and get them to talk to you long enough to send a note on your behalf. This is easier said than done, because generally the last thing a fort guy wants to do is sit down and interview an applicant. So by and large they just don't.

That means if you've sent in your note, you can't just sit around expecting for members to contact you and set up an interview. You really have to contact them, and ask for some of their time. Sometimes they'll blow you off, sometimes not.

The trick here is being "pro-active" about soliciting interviews while simultaneously not coming across as whiney, desperate or pushy.

But, that's nothing new.

after having received a note. If we have the time, we'll give you all you need. If you still miss us, you're probably just unlucky. Patience will generally fix that.

Okay, maybe I'm just projecting my own bad habits onto the rest of the Fortress players then.

I know that, on several occasions, I noticed applicants online who still needed interviews and thought to myself, "Do I really want to talk to this guy right now? No, not really. If he asks me then I won't give him the cold shoulder, but if he doesn't initiate anything then I'm not going to be the one to suggest a meeting."

NT

NT

One of my paladins deleted at over 200 hours without getting inducted. And without virtues.

Honestly, he wasn't that bad, even if he was (very) poor at sealing kills.

100 hours is alot of time to be in a cabal and your only power is protection from evil, which was already stated in this thread is nothing special since it is so easy to get. I mean honestly 100 hours in a cabal is a decent amount of time in my eyes, I am sure its not long to an imm (hell you all live forever basically) But after 100 hours in the cabal and feeling like I was getting no where I lost all interest in the character, sorry for that. Thanks for the last name and the immteractions and what not though. I doubt I will ever make a maran to be honest. Seems like alot of work for a little reward when compared to other cabals. Scions- inducted get all powers
Imperials - inducted donate gold get all powers
Outlanders- get inducted get all powers
Tribunal- get inducted get all powers
Nexan- Get inducted get all powers
Fortress- Get inducted get protection from evil and hope you last long enough to get all powers? just does not seem worth it to me compared to other cabals...sorry

I have been experiencing this disparity with different IMMs. If you run the cabal and have an active religion, then please make sure you punish/reward people according the segement. Meaning, if I am a follower of IMM-X and the same IMM runs the Cabal I am in, please punish/reward me for cabal in the cabal way not religious arena. If Cabal/Religion line is so thin that many People/IMMs dont realize the difference. And people get burned because of it.

Secondly, I have found that Patron IMMs who run a cabal usually are more friendly towards their followers than others and that creates a feeling of "I am not-wanted here" or "Why don't they just tell me to switch off CB". I have been on both side of the coins, but I still suggest for IMMs to incorporate others into discussions.

Once again, please punish/reward for religion is religion area and cabal in the cabal area. For example (Never followed Marcatis & this is an EXAMPLE), Tribunal IMM should reward for religion by doing something in the religion field, but NOT by giving one of their followers an Tribunal Edge. (Taken into conderation that their follower is in the spire.)

and Shokai ran the cabal (Aarn had just quit), I had squires who went to two hundred hours with no maranation.

Of course, its pretty likely that I (and a lot of perma-squires) hadn't done a lot worth maranation aside from putting in an effort, considering how unprepped squires usually get raped up and down hero range. It was pretty torturous - protect evil is just the absolutely least important thing when you're going up against a/b/s despoil or imperial council/emperor powers, considering its one of the easiest preps to get and a lot of fortie characters get it as an innate supplication, anyway.

I understand your pain, but a sense of entitlement to maranation will probably just make it worse, not better. Whenever I was maranated, it usually came as a surprise.

Honestly, when you're up against an a/b/s scion or Emperor, are the other maran powers really going to make a difference?

What do you get, invuln_fire, permafly, some hit/dam and phoenix brand? And eyes, I guess.

Permafly and cry of the phoenix are probably the biggest deals to me, but if there's a situation that's "hopeless" with only protection vs. evil...that situation is probably still going to be hopeless w/ full maran powers.

I don't think it's the lack of powers that causes some people to delete when they don't get maran as quickly as they think they should. It's that they perceive it as a "slight" from the fort imms, and feel like they're getting rooked out of something they "deserve".

But healing from fire, permafly, cry, lightforged weapons, eyes and zeal are pretty big deals to me. None of that is achievable via preps (fly is, but not permafly which is much more useful), and they really do make a difference.

Yes, I'll probably get my ass kicked by an emperor or council member or a/b/s scion anyway, you're right, but it doesn't bother me as much.

I guess a lot of it might be psychological - it doesn't really bother me when I'm at or near my highest potential and I still get my ass kicked by someone else who is at or near his highest potential, but it DOES bother me when I don't have access to all the abilities or equipment that would help, and I get my ass kicked by someone whose has access to all those things.

Maran abilities also take a bit of the sting from full looted. No spending ages gathering gold for fly potions, fancier weapons aren't as big of a deal, and some mobs who shoot big fiery blasts of rape can be handled solo where they couldn't before. Little things like that.

I was 100% sure I'd kill you that time you jumped me at the Ugruks. I had just fought Satebos I think and I was low on moves and HP. I should have thirsted, would have won me the fight I think. ^^

I know it looked kinda bad when you returned to your corpse after our duel. But honestly, I was really just curious about some of the stuff as I couldn't remember what their stats were. I gave you back everything except what you had taken earlier. But since I did pick up more to begin with I can understand why you got a bit upset at first.

Was fun fighting you, and your cocky elf style was kinda cool. Man, I could really picture it how a cocky elf walks into a battle against a fire giant, laughing, then still laughing draws his last breath. It was an ugly matchup really. ^^

Didn't get to interact much though, was hoping my new char would though.

Good luck with your next, and I feel you with the Maran thing. (Never gotten Maraned myself, though only played 1 goodie since I returned to CF so...)

Whats the point of Elder/Cardinal/Marshall/Captain if none of them decide who is ready to be Acolyte or Maran. Sure they induct scribes/squires, but that is just a shell luxury.

Dude. Inducting is not a luxury. It's the currency with which you pay for having leader con/aging. Why do you need those extra hours? Because you're going to spend them interviewing people.

Problem is you need to play during times Imms are about. I have had chars maraned fast that were pretty mediocre all around, and others that took along time which I played way more agressive and well roleplayed.

If you are a hero and have done some Pking, raiding etc, you should be maraned. Add some roleplay to that list. Hell your enemies are all maxed out in cabal powers, I don't know why Fortress seems to think protection from evil is adequate for players with over 100 hours in a cabal.

Sure there are some newbie or less than stellar players, but maybe pull them aside, or take the persona of the maran and tell them what you think would make them better.

If you play early morning, or really late night hours chances are you will never see a fortress imm.

For every valid reason given for making the process long and drawn out, I can name 3-4 people that have been shafted.

Like I said, I have played chars that just happened to mesh during Baers playtimes, and voila, instant maran.

And two out of the three empowered fort members I played where followers of Baer. So I seen her a number of times and she seen me. Not so much in the last week or so because spending that kinda time pk'n raiding, and roleplay all of which I did. I just lost interest in playing Velkoth and felt like I wouldnt see maran. Besides I only had like an 8 con left or something so I figured I may aswell just end it.

It bears noting that if he deleted at 133 hours and spent 120 of those in Fortress, then he got inducted at 13 hours. So while he may have gotten the shaft on promotion, he got a pretty sweet deal on induction.

She was inducted at 35 hours. Woe is memory!

You rock by the way, keep up those global quest things you all have been doing.

I don't know you character at all, so this is neither insult nor compliment.

However, you ask the question "Why weren't you maran?".

I'd ask "What did you do that you felt made you a worthy maran?". Hours alone mean little if you didn't fill them with marany deeds.

Presumably, since you talked about being more balls to the wall, you were doing stuff sometimes. But was it enough that imms likely would have spotted it?

PS. I never make maran either. I never even managed acolyte. Heh.

But I dont know if it was enough, nor am I saying I blame Baer or any other imm for not making Maran. I did many maran-deeds, I hunted evil people, I aided light walkers. I just would like some input from Baer on what she looks for in a maran so maybe the next one I play I might make maran with.