It takes, probably on average about six months to 18 months to go from heroimm to active, live religion. There's a LOT of things to do and learn before then.

I know it takes a while, but I'm just researching, learning what I can before. It would take even longer for me, because I leave for boot camp in August, so I wouldn't be able to until I got back, anyway. But I really want to learn, and help out a bit. I really like CF, I've almost left a few times, but I can't. I figured I'd get some reaction like this. I even feel it's a bit preemptive, but with CF being down and all, I actually was able to take the time and think of writing this post. I wasn't going to start preparing until I was almost ready to try, but I also didn't expect this.

Speaking as someone who has been through this process recently (and is still in the middle of it), I was utterly surprised at how fluid the religion situation is. What the game "needs" changes on a monthly basis. Some imms go semi-dormant, some go fully dormant, some change religions altogether. Some cabals have good sponsorship and that sometimes swaps noticably over a short period of time. Some spheres are covered, some are neglected, and these change also.

The advice that was given to me was to do what -I- wanted to do for a religion. Put together an idea that -I- would want to play, and that -I- would stick with and have fun with for years to come. This was exceptional advice that can be applied to the other parts of your question, and other aspects of your game, as well.

Stuck on a character idea? A role? Well...what will be fun for -you- to play? At the imm level, looking for an area development idea? Don't waste your time revamping a city if you know your creativity is more wilderness-oriented.

Thanks, this is sort of what I was looking for. I was thinking something Acolyte, that isn't too oriented with nature loving. And even just reading this has already given me a few ideas. Thanks again.

If someone who was fairly competent became a heroimm, had a sound idea for an area and was the type who would take to the technical aspects of it very quickly, how much of that 6-18 months would you say is real, actual work vs. idling and bureaucracy?

Perhaps this is a false, preconceived notion about being a heroimm, but I've always thought that even if you had what turned out to be good ideas and aced all the technical stuff (as far as area creation goes), the whole process would still be a slow, tedious, boring, bureaucratic nightmare.

Perhaps if you gave us a better idea of what one would be expected to deal with in Immortal Boot Camp, more people might be interested in devoting the time they so obviously have. Unless of course it really is that bad

Writing an area is a painstaking and time consuming process. The "technical aspect" is no walk in the park - area design, writing and formatting will take serious hours. Throughout the process, there are multiple stages of reviews, walkthroughs, and rewrites. I was literally at D-day for mine when I got another items standardization revision.

It's not an intentionally long process (I don't think), but it is a very, very long development cycle. A lot is the technical bit, and a lot is the sitting around, bored while reviews are happening bit.


***Super secret heroimm promotion tip: By "sitting around bored," of course, I mean "finding other ways to contribute to the game".