the Rift


:: News Archive ::

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: Wishlist Update ::


Hello all!

As some of you might remember, we've removed the 30-day waitlist rule that used to apply to wishlists. I've also gone in and made it possible for you to edit your wishlist posts! Part of the reason is that some of you have lists that are like 20 replies long, and can be quite complicated to figure out when we want to go in and give you random prizes!

So will you all please go through and edit your ORIGINAL post, so that it's up to date. Once you've done this, please post "COMPLETE" as a new reply, so that I know I can go in and delete all the back and forth conversations and updates. This way the board will stay much cleaner!

Thank you!

If you have any questions, please feel free to post below.

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: Battle Notice ::

Hello!

Update from the admin team: your character must remain standing, alert and in the fight through the whole battle including the closing defense.

If your character runs away, faints or falls asleep in any post prior to and including the closing defense, a penalty will be deducted from your final score.

In order to avoid penalties, stay in the fight!

- Admin

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: December 2016 News ::

RULE UPDATES
1. We have universally lowered the post count to 150 words! This will allow for easier rapid threads. Please keep in mind that the rule about matching your partners effort is still in place.

2. Herd champs from January 1st on are now entered for yearly prizes instead of a monthly perk! The more herd champs you win, the greater your reward! The herd with the most wins at the end of the Helovian year (8 months) can win a large structure of any kind built of any material to be generated by a god on your herd land! Other options can be discussed.


SHINY PAGES
Thank you smitty and neo!
Past TOTMS
Past QOTMS
Past COTMS


CURRENT SWPs
Celebrate Magic Day! with the Earth Turtle! This will lead to the giving tree which will open on the 21st.
Look out for the next thread with Kisamoa! He's still around ;)


ACTIVITY BOOSTERS!
Have ideas to boost activity? Post them here and give us your thoughts. We are working hard to try to get us back up and going after finals <3 The admin team wishes you the best on your studies!

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: January 2017 PSA ::

Hello Helovia,

This PSA is being announced to inform the members of a few issues and the admin team's resolve to fix them. We have been facing talk from our members of bias, cliquishness and other un-fun things that can make RPing a drag for everyone: admins included! The team takes these kinds of concerns seriously, and we encourage you to talk to someone about them. All admins are available through skype and also through email. Some concerns are quickly answered! Sometimes you may bring up an issue we aren't aware of, and then sometimes you bring up issues that just went beneath our notice (we are busy too!). However, with your help and improved communication, we can settle any concerns you may have.

1. A player called roll bias into question in regards to the battle board.
OUR SOLUTION: If you want your rolls to be viewed by another player via livestream or screencapped, please CONTACT AN ADMIN. We will do so at your request but it'd be time consuming to do them for all rolls if some people don't feel it's necessary.

Long term solution: Tamme is working very hard to find a non-flaky coder to handle the dice roller system. The random math has been coded, but integrating it into mybb is the tricky part! The last coder she found disappeared. If anyone knows of coders for hire, please let her know.


2. A player commented on cliques.
OUR SOLUTION: Unfortunately cliques are a tricky subject because on the one hand, it sucks to be excluded, but on the other hand, sometimes threads have to be quick and small to accomplish personal goals. The admin team has come up with a solution we think is fair in that herd related threads should be open to members of that herd. In the case where a herd leader wants to have a closed herd meeting, they must seek the admin for approval or discuss the matter with the herd and explain. ALL ADMIN will be in all skype chats from now on.


3. A player commented on herd promotions not being fair.
OUR SOLUTION: In order to preserve some of the fun of being a herd leader and choosing the direction of your herd, we have to acknowledge this complaint fairly. However, we are enforcing herd rank applications and having a full admin discussion of the ranks. If you feel that you deserve a rank you have not received, please contact any admin. We will get to the bottom of it, and you will be treated fairly.


4. A player commented that rules are in place which help admin.
OUR SOLUTION: Unfortunately without more explanation, we are stuck in a guessing game. I can say that 1. admin are not allowed to enter their own drops, 2. we are not allowed to choose our own presents in the giveaway, 3. we are not allowed to enter our own magic or companions, 4. we are not allowed to participate in some SWP events in which we know the outcome. Gameplay can be limited for the admin! However, most of our rules are designed to try to be as fair as possible. If there is a rule you are concerned about, please contact an admin.


5. Ranks only go to admin.
OUR SOLUTION: While we are stuck in a similar situation where an admin is in a leadership position, most of the positives that make a good leader are also present in the admin. Also, the admin team often chooses herd leaders for our volunteer work based on their ability to run their herds. We follow the same rules as everyone else, and there are instances in which admin have been ousted from their herds for inactivity or otherwise. If you desire a leadership rank, be active, challenge and make it happen! Most of the admin actually encourage challenges to leadership! If you want help becoming a herd leader or a ranked member, please contact a "not involved" admin. If you want to challenge but are worried about OOC fallout, also talk to a "not involved" admin.

The admin team 100% supports ALL IC DRAMA. Nothing is safe! No position is forever!


6. Admin characters have OP magic and/or are favored.
OUR SOLUTION: This is a bit of a strange situation because most of the admin characters are old. For example, tamme's Ophelia was one of the first characters on Helovia (she wasn't born here) and tamme has spent all the years while she was on the site earning stuff for Phi. Sometimes it's easy to point fingers at beefy characters when in reality, time and longevity are what prove to be worthwhile. This is why we have a "love your character" policy. If you stick with a character you love throughout their life, you will earn all that you want to earn.

However, we will be reviewing admin magic, but it would help if we had some guidance. Some of the old character magic still has old-style wording and could use some updating! It's not that it's OP, it's just written from a time when everything was far too wordy.

As for being favored in foal rolls, we have a strict rolling policy on the babies! If you have a hybrid character, you have a 50% chance of having a dead foal. While the foal stats will ensure that your character lives, you will still face health consequences. For transparency, we are posting our foal rolling guide which will be kept in the growth center. http://helovia.net/showthread.php?tid=26243


7. The gods only like admin characters!
OUR SOLUTION: I promise you, it's not that way. tamme's Ophelia has had fireballs thrown at her head, Ulrik has had his magic taken away, and many of them have been given difficult quests. The gods DO often favor current herd leaders who are active! If you want to have a special relationship with a god, our suggestion is to grab a votg pass and enter ICly with some humility. Our Helovia gods are modeled after the gods of Greek mythology - which means that they are supposed to be imperfect and somewhat assholish. They will approve of those who cater to what they want! For example, the moon goddess doesn't care about individuals - she only cares about what they can do for her and she desires their prayers and their fear. If you approach the moon goddess with a character who has an ego, she won't take kindly to him. The gods are supposed to be very real characters with flaws.

HOWEVER, if you think that the admin playing the god is being biased, you can request for someone else to take over your threads - however, we all have our duties and therefore, you may have to wait a little longer.


8. Admin only consider suggestions that help them.
OUR SOLUTION: I guarantee you this doesn't happen because we discuss things together! If an idea gets implemented, it's because it's easy to accomplish. Most of the ideas, no matter how good or awesome they are, are not implemented because it would either 1) cause issues with other groups or is unfair, 2) would cost money to implement, 3) would involve more admin work, or 4) would complicate the game further. If you go compare Helovia to other RPGs, we are pretty complex and our rules are dense! Our biggest complaint from newbies is how complicated Helovia is. We are firmly against anything that would add another layer of complexity to Helovia. This is why a complex economy system (which Blu drafted) has not been implemented and also why we don't have achievement systems for the other ranks. Maybe in the future if we can get more automated, we can include some of these new features! However, that involves money and coding time which we do not have at the moment. Besides! We want to keep Helovia as open to interpretation as possible.



If you have any more questions or concerns, please email or skype an admin. We are committed to doing whatever we can to prove that the admin team cares more about you than us. Remember, we are all adults here and we are just volunteers. There is nothing for us to gain if we treat you poorly. If you feel that one admin hasn't solved your issue, please go to another!

Tamme's email: elisethechemist@yahoo.com
Odd's email: ae.delamont@hotmail.com
Blu's email:  haysen@gmail.com
Please remember too, you can always PM Official!
If you PM Official from the NPC account, we cannot respond to you! However, that is an anonymous option.

- The admin team.




NEW THINGS!
1. To help with promotions and demotions, we are implementing a system where every 2 seasons (4 months), ALL of the herds will have ALL of the applications for rank-magic positions to be applied. Anyone in the herd can apply to any of these positions (except leads) and there will be choices made by the entire admin team as an oversight committee. You will be encouraged to post threads, awards and accomplishments to either keep or earn a new rank!

2. THE SWP is moving along - please keep posting!

3. PM "Official" if you want a topic opened in the comments board! We will not open a topic on something that has been previously decided, but we look forward to new ideas and discussions!


Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: Killing VP Update ::


Hello Helovia,

In order to ensure that killing characters which earns extra VP is not abused, the character dying must have above 40 posts in order for the character doing the killing, to receive the extra +2 VP.

Thank you!
The Admin Team.

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
New JAs Announced!


Thank you to everyone who applied for our JA positions! We appreciate the effort put forth in every application and we thank all previous JAs for their effort!

Welcome Skylark to the Updating Team, Snow & Charks to the Judging Team! Sarah & Bunnie will remain with the Mythical Team!

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: DISPUTE PSA ::


Hello Helovia,

About 2 years ago I implemented a strict BE NICE OR LEAVE policy, because this community got so hostile that our beloved Tamme actually needed to leave because things got so terrible. Luckily we reconciled these issues, but now both the admin, our Jr A's, and some of our members are once again feeling negativity creep back in.

Because of this, I would like to remind the community of two things.

This is the contract that we hold all of our admins and jr a's to, and I think it is relevant and applicable to all.


1. If you have a problem, seek that person out in a calm way within a few days of the incident. Allow yourself time to cool down, but also make sure that your concerns are fresh in your mind. Do not let things fester. 

2. Be sure to ask clarifying questions. Not everyone speaks or thinks the same way, so before you pass a judgment, try and gain understanding of the reasons and background of the issue.

3. Listen and speak. A good resolution requires both. 

4. Even when you get frustrated, don't give up. Try to explain your side calmly, and do not be afraid to say "wait a minute so that I can explain" if you feel rushed. 

5. There are no absolutes. Make sure that you use "I" and "me" statements when you are in both agreement and disagreement. There is a very big difference between "I feel that this idea needs more thought" and "This is a bad idea". 

6. Have a strong opinion, but understand that most of the best ideas come from compromise and combined effort. Also, understand that other people will have strong opinions too. 

7. Always have a moderator present if you feel like things may get out of hand. The moderator's job is to look at the situation objectively and interject in areas that they think are right or wrong. The moderator is not out to get either side. 

8. Understand that in a team setting, everything is a give and take. Ideally, the ideas would come from a combined effort, but often, time does not allow the courtesy. 

9. When in doubt, ask if you have hurt someone's feelings or did something that bothered them. Be honest in your reply. Holding a grudge without letting the other person know is both unfair and problematic. 


In that light, admins and jr a's will no longer handle disputes over skype.

This is the protect both us and you. When we chat over skype, we can type without thinking, don't give ourselves time to breathe, and often say things we don't mean/regret. By asking that all disputes go through the Helovia PM system, we force both ourselves and you to think about what we want to say, and craft a response that we can be proud of and stand behind. We will of course still chat and answer questions, but if there is an issue, please PM our admin accounts or Official. We remind the community to be courteous and polite, even if a dispute arrises. Non-compliance will be given an official warning.

Helovia NEEDS to be a place where we can all relax and have fun.

Thank you,
The Admin Team.

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: Stealths are written by one person PSA ::


Hello Helovia,

It's come to the attention of the admin team that one of the long-standing stealth rules is not entirely being followed. Per our Guidebook's stealing section:

Quote:
2. A steal must be of your own writing, but can allude towards or briefly quote something written by someone else.

What this means is the single person/character creating the stealth is the only writer of that stealth. No one else should be reviewing, suggesting, or editing the stealth in any manner.

Thank you,
The Admin Team.

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: Stolen items can be taken back from characters on extended absences ::

A new rule is being added to the Guidebook regarding stolen items.

"If a character has a stolen item and goes on an extended absence, the original owner of the item may steal/challenge it back after the 4 month time limit, regardless if the player is marked absent or is in absent abyss. This rule only applies to extended absences or complete disappearances from the site where it has been 4 months or more, consecutively since their last IC post."

Thank you all for participating in the discussion of this new rule!

-- The Admin Team

Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
:: KAOS KNOWLEDGE ::

Welcome to the first phase of the Kaos SWP!

Below I am going to compile a list of public knowledge about Kaos, and knowledge that you will have to gain IC. Because so much of what is happening surrounding Kaos has occurred in individual threads, I don't want anyone to feel left out. Feel free to activily seek out certain characters to gain valuable IC information!

PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
This is knowledge you may assume that your character has if you want.

1. Kaos is an amalgamation of the 4 Gods who were brought over from the Rift and killed.
2. Kaos first appeared in Helovia posing as 'Kisamoa', which was an anagram for "I AM KAOS".
3. Kaos has promised that although he has lied in the past, he will be honest going forward. He also says he's here to help.
4. No one has seen Kaos' true form yet
5. Bad things seem to be happening on patrols
6. The Moon Goddess seems to be the only one to know something about Kaos (she helped him on the beach); Sunny sent Aithniel away to investiage the rift, Sparky offered no advice to Roskuld, and Earthy left the Falls.


NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
This is knowledge that only certain characters have. Feel free to try and discover this information from them IC!

1. Kaos has been offering free healing, in exchange for future favours! So far, he has healed Oizys, and has spoken to Ru and Sacre.
2. Yael has translated the words on the altar, since she speaks Hebrew! WELL DONE YAEL! They translate to, KAOS WILL SAVE, PEACE, POWER, and FOREVER
3. Nice things seem to be happening in the marshes, near where Kaos' altar is.
4. Kaos is giving out special necklaces to his followers! They are onyx stones with a glowing teal eye.

OTHER INFORMATION

1. Currently you cannot use a VOTG pass or a VOTG chat to summon Kaos. However he does seem to show up for healing requests, and might interrupt a VOTG request too.


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