Hello Fellow Mizaharians!
Keeping with our tradition, the Founders Circle and Regional Storytellers are proud to announce that the Featured Contributor of the Month of March 2018 is Antipodes! Antipodes is one of our intrepid Character Sheet Liasisons. This is a somewhat thankless job that doesn't often make people popular because you spend your day telling people how to improve or fix their Character Sheets. But Anti works hard. So please join us in welcoming her to the elite club of Featured Contributor! Her interview is below! |
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The Interview
1. Basically, the Character Sheet Liaison is the first line of welcome on Mizahar. How important do you see this role and how do you think it helps the site as a whole?
I always knew the role was important - especially as a means to assist the staff - but I never realised how important it could be to members/players. Having been in the role now for a couple months, I’ve enjoyed being able to truly help new players navigate the lore and assist with character creation in a way I never anticipated. I’ve also realised it helps having someone with a little more knowledge (not that I am remotely all-knowing) to help new players sift through the information and find the best way to tackle things - not to mention help them get up to speed on what’s going on in the world of Miz so they can jump right in with as little hiccups as possible.
2. How did you first discover online roleplaying and subsequently Mizahar? What kept you here?
I first discovered it shortly after a friend introduced me to yahoo chat some twenty years ago (yikes). Granted, she used it to actually chat  I found myself exploring the different channels until I discovered the ‘Vampire Tavern’ under Arts & Entertainment (A&E/Ayenee). I saw people rping there and.. The rest is history. From there I eventually got into stats-based writing and character creation similar to Miz through World of Darkness (WoD) and eventually followed some other writers to proboard sites and then to jcink ones. It wasn’t until I found myself on the older end of the demographic that I started looking elsewhere and found Miz. I.. adored going back to the basics with character creation and the setting sucked me in. I’ve always been a bit of a lore whore so Miz definitely hooked me in that way.. The characters and stories kept me coming back.
3. What do you think the biggest problem new players have in joining the site? Is it the character sheet or are there deeper issues?
The amount of lore - although some are all about spending hours soaking it up to get themselves ready to really embed themselves in the world (and those are the members who tend to stay and really make an impact), there are others who find it intimidating. And that’s fair (I was one of those, despite loving it). I believe it all comes down to what sort of writer the person is since those that struggle tend to be the sort that want to jump right in and figure things out as they go. Miz isn’t the best site for them because - although, yes, everyone will inevitably learn as they go - players need to have a general understanding of both the mechanics and the world before doing so. There’s a lot to Miz and that’s what makes it so great and unique, but it’s not for everyone and I feel the character creation portion tends to weed these people out. As for a solution, I don’t believe there is one: every site faces this challenge. Sometimes writers aren’t compatible and that’s ok. Those that are end up being the ones that Miz will benefit from.
4. This might be a somewhat generic question, but it is an absolutely important one. What made you want to volunteer to be a CSL and did you find the role as you suspected it would be? What parts of your role as CSL are as you assumed and what parts are different?
Oh man… I’ve been planning on joining staff for some time but ~life~ has a way. The opportunity arose once my confidence in my knowledge of the site lifted and I finally got off my duff and became a grader.. Which led to me pursuing a place as a CSL. There weren’t any at the time and, although the STs had been doing an amazing job staying on top of things, I knew from my middling experience staffing a jcink site that the application process can sometimes be a tedious one full of lots of questions. The STs have a lot on their plate, as is, so I felt confident that I could help take the load off. What I didn’t anticipate was being a bit of a receptionist, for lack of a better term. Diverting things here and there, talking people through things, handling all matters of things that go beyond just the character sheet. The hours I’d spend going back and forth with people (great people) to help with settling them in. Acting as a go between and liaison with STs. I’m sure most would have expected that but I was so focused on just helping keep on top of the character review that I really didn’t think much beyond it. It’s enjoyable and rewarding even though I likely do a bit too much hand holding. It’s also made me want to learn more about Miz, especially about things I had never really felt the need to get into, and really respect what all the staff does.
5. How has your experiences as a PC influenced how you behave as a CSL. Give us some examples!
Ooof… this one is oddly difficult! My first really active pc is likely the one that influenced me the most because I had so many questions and I found myself unsure at that time how to approach things outside the Q&A forum. Being shy and insecure, it was a difficult experience so I’ve definitely come in to the role wanting to be there for those who were like me back then. Those not necessarily confident in tossing questions around in chat. I guess I want to be able to be approachable and be there for any and all questions and help people get immersive, to really live Miz. If it hasn’t been obvious, I have a big bag of links I keep handy.
6. Is there anything you’d like to see the players gamewide become more involved in? Why?
I can say this while also being hugely guilty: the cities they play in and quests. Take full advantage of what the city offers, the vibe of it, the locations and the NPCs (within reasons.. Some require mod permission) because that is what they are there for - to help you really get your character immersed in the city and the world. As for quests, take full advantage. Get involved, be proactive, move things forward and enjoy the rewards (and some penalties ) that come with it.
7. What is your favorite part of Mizahars operating system - meaning how it functions as a game? What keeps you coming back numerous years?
I.. really love the stats. I love the fact that you have to put in effort to get the character to grow. It’s also a nostalgic and sentimental thing for me since WoD character creation was really huge for me and something I carried with me to other types of rp, even freeform. It’s also a nice way to keep things organised which is crucial for a scatterbrain such as myself. I just love all of it from the timestamping to the record keeping and everything in between.
8. If you could share something about Mizahar that you think makes it stand out from other games, what would it be?
Passion. I know this probably sounds super cliché and corny but it’s true. I’ve been on a lot of sites over the years and even ran my own (albeit far smaller than Miz) and I have yet to come across one like it. It’s been around for nine years and it’s still going strong. That’s pure commitment from the staff and Goss because it’s really difficult to run a site, keep people interested and active all while juggling real life commitments. So many crash and burn or die a slow death but not this one. The love and passion that has been put into Miz is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced and it definitely makes it stand out and I can’t get past it <3
9. What is the number one biggest problem you see on Character Sheets and how would you suggest we as a game-wide community help correct it?
To be honest, there hasn’t been anything I’ve spotted yet that has been a persistent issue aside from starting cities and new players choosing ones that are closed. I probably need to cobble together a cheat sheet for first timers to keep certain info (like the current open city list and various pertinent info like the Vantha plot that, although readily available, isn’t in a blatantly obvious place). Skills are likely the second biggest offender but that tends to come down to people not reading since the rules are as clear as day.
10. Histories arguably might be the hardest section of a CS that players have to fill out. Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to deal with your character’s history?
Keep it simple. As someone who tends to do the opposite, I can honestly say it’s best to do yourself a favour and keep things relatively vague. Flesh out major points or things that are culturally significant, hit on how your character learned what skills they have, and touch on things like how the character got to their starting city, how the city they were born in or experiences they went through shaped them or how a god/gods affect the character if that is something you plan on exploring. Keep to basic details and don’t get too caught up in the characters story - that’s what rp is for.
11. This next question is your soap box. Use this space to talk about whatever it is that’s on your mind. People actually read these interviews so know that this section will get noticed.
Yikes, no pressure! I just want to say how flattered and humbled I am to have been considered for this. I can’t tell you how many times I told Goss I didn’t feel deserving of it or that it should go to someone else and it’s true. I love the site and I love being a part of this team because the people that currently make up the staff are absolute legends and I’m really grateful to be around these guys and their amazing insight and mind blowing creativity and then there is me  I hope I’ve helped people, I hope in doing so that I somehow influence others to help their fellows, as well. The community aspect of Miz is huge and I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of it. |
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by Meriann on March 1st, 2018, 3:58 pm 
