Trader!

TRADER!

If someone yells that and you think they are accusing you of betraying them, you probably haven't been playing enough Tiny Empires. The mysterious trader is the stuff of legends... everyone looks forward to his coming (usually, at least), and everyone talks about him- both good and bad.

But for someone who is the tall, dark, mysterious stranger of so many dreams, exact information about what he does isn't always as well known. The trader is here, what do you do? Well, there are various things that you have to do, depending on what he gives you (assuming you managed to pay his rather high price.) How well you like doing it depends on how much time and attention you can devote to it. Call it your "activity level". (I know of some people who have several alts on to catch the trader... ouch. That activity level is definitely above mine!)

So, assuming that you have a certain activity level, which alternatives will stress that level more than others? Ranked in order, here are the possibilities. We'll start with the most stressful and work down to the least:

For one year, your land is worth more than usual.

This one will keep you hopping! You can sell land for more than it costs you to buy. This means that for twelve months, you have to page through and click yes on TWO offers- one to buy, and one to sell! The gold you earn by doing those two clicks every month is definitely a profit over what you pay, but you earn it. Some people propose just selliing land, and not buying back at the time. I've yet to analyze the situation closely, but I suspect it comes out about the same either way. What is known is that most people both sell and buy every month- two clicks! Total: 24 clicks (plus paging through)

For one year,your generosity will be richly rewarded.

You get a chance to give away acres! For eleven months, when you give away land, you are rewarded with gold the next month. (That's why you can only do it for eleven months- if you give the land away in the last month, which it lets you do, you won't be rewarded because the next month is after the 'trader year'.) This may be only one click, but it also involves finding someone to give the acre to! Indeed, this fact alone can arguably make this the hardest and most active and stressful option... but once you find someone, it is only one click (give land to that person) every month- and for only eleven months at that. (Some people recommend finding a different person each time, saying that it gives better rewards. If you do that, I'd say this is inarguably the busiest option!!) Total: 11 clicks

For one year, you may buy land at a very low price.

For twelve months, you have to click yes to buying land. While it's more clicks than the generosity option (one per month- buy land!) you don't have to find anyone else to give land to. You can sit there and click ONCE each month. (If you don't have enough gold, the clicks can be more, since you both buy AND sell in some months to get gold.) Total: 12 clicks (minimum)

For one year, purchased land is likely to contain surprises.

Buy land for eleven months! In the next month, when it is purchased, you find a prize on the new acre. This is one click per month- but only eleven months, not twelve. It has the same caveat as the gift of generosity- the reward shows up in the next month, so you get a chance to buy acre number twelve, but you don't get any prize on it (or are only as likely to as you ever are- no guarantees). So,just buy, buy, buy.... Total: 11 clicks

A book appears as if from thin air. It is locked. He gives it to you. (Fed Hud Only)

This one has no clicks in the "trader year". So, it's low stress, and low activity, in this year... but it's a lot more clicking and work later on, as you complete the quest of how to open and interpret it. It's also a fair amount of money. So, not much activity up front, but more later. Total: 0 clicks up front, plenty later

He gives you a bag of Golden Seeds, and your land production skyrockets. (Fed Hud Only)

No clicks necessary! You just stay online, and watch your gold pour in. (Check your accounting tab). This one is fun. Nothing to do except one thing: just stay online and active. This one is low stress and fun to watch! Total: 0 clicks over 12 months

One gold increase in land production for evermore

No clicks necessary! And not only that, there is no further quest to worry about, and you don't even have to stay online after you see it! If you want to, you can read it, say "great", and just log off! All it means is that your land now produces one more gold per acre. This one pays for itself over the long run, and is the lowest of the low in activity level. Nothing to do, no commitment to make, just read it, and enjoy at your leisure. Total: 0 clicks over 0 months.

So, from high stress to low stress, these are your options. If you'd like some more information on them, and the Trader in general, I highly recommend reading the Tiny Empires wiki.

The new standings

So, for those of you who haven't looked lately, the Standings Page has been redone! I recommend you look at it, on http://tinyempires.com/standings and then read further....

Here are the major differences, roughly in the order you will encounter them:

• The standings pages come up in a pop-up window when you click the map, rather than as a new page. That can be remedied by right clicking it and choosing to open the link in a new tab or window.



• There are no separate pages for each 'section' of a tree... a whole kingdom is in one page, no matter if it's got three people, or two thousand. (Try it- go to Avalon's page, open it up...)



• It's not laid out as a "tree" anymore, it's in an outline format. Each section on the outline can be collapsed or expanded.



• Each line has more information. Rank is a jewel, the title is given in gray, and icons after names indicate other things about that player.



• Doing a search from the main page gives you a trail that consists of hyperlinks for every person. Clicking on any of those names will pull up the standings page for that kingdom, go directly to that person, and show you where they are by flashing it in blue.



• As you move your mouse over names, the upline for each person is shown with a darker brown or tan background.

For reference, the icons that I have seen so far after names, and their meanings:

Mounted Knight:

has won 10 jousting matches

Book:

has completed the Trader's locked book quest

Sherrif's badge:

has finished researching crime

Stalk of wheat:

has finished researching famine

Red Cross:

has finished researching disease

Oval with 'GV':

Grand Viceroy/Vicereine

Oval with 'V':

Viceroy/Vicereine

The ranks are indicated by jewels, as follows:

Prince/Princess:

Light blue diamond

Duke/Duchess:

Round purple amethyst

Marquis/Marquise:

Round blue sapphire

Count/Countess:

Red heart Ruby

Viscount/Viscountess:

Oval Green Emerald

Baron/Baronness:

Square Orange (??)

Knight/Dame:

Square Yellow (Topaz?)

Squire/Squiress:

Pink Heart (?)

Peasant

(unknown)

Wanderer

(unknown)

Reaction has been, to say the least, mixed. Many have been very vocal in their dislike for it. I pointed out in chat that there was more information, and one reply was that it was just more lag (as if SL didn't have enough of that already, etc...) This made me go back and examine the pages more carefully, and consider what the true size of before and after might be. It's hard to do an accurate comparison, since the old pages are gone, but I can get close. I believe the pages are larger. The old large files (pictures) are gone, but each and every name is a picture! There is no text within the page. (So there's no use in using your browser's 'find' feature to jump to a specific person, etc...)

I suspect this was a deliberate design decision. It does result in significantly larger downloads, but it also means that automated scanning of the pages for information is basically useless, since there is no text to scan. (It's like those twisted pictures of letters that you have to squint at to prove that you're human... you have a chance of figuring it out, but the computer doesn't.)

And speaking of people deciphering information from pictures, this is the main complaint, I believe. "It's harder to see where everyone is at." In other words, it's easier to see who is under, over, or beside someone else when it is laid out in a two-dimensional chart. The outline is more compact, but the old straight vertical lines are now horizontal stairsteps. (and at first, not even the stairsteps were showing!)

To my mind, it is a better tool, and while I regret losing the old layout when it comes to quickly seeing who is where by shape- not by name- I'm sure I'll get used to it in time. I do love the new information. Oh, and since each name is a graphic, this means that you can save a kingdom's webpage to your computer, and check the number of pictures it has in it to get a count of how many people are in it. That won't be exact, of course, but it will be close. Just make sure you have a bit of room. Avalon's picture folder is 6.35 megabytes of pictures-- all two thousand, six hundred and seventy nine of them!

Tiny Empires' Tree Ring

I remember learning how trees form their rings, and how come they have one ring per year. As the seasons go by, the spring and summer see fast growth. The tree grows quickly, and it forms lighter, softer wood. As fall and cold comes, the tree's growth slows, the wood is thicker, harder, and darker. That dark ring is formed by the winter. And people can often gauge the overall climate by the variation in those dark and light patterns.

As in trees, so perhaps in Tiny Empires. I was talking with a friend and subject, and he was discussing about the "what to do" problem that many Tiny Empires players face. Here is the tree ring for Tiny Empires:

Wanderer to Prince-- lots to learn and do. Land improvements, housing upgrades, and rank to achieve. Hopefully subjects to get, as well.


Monarch- the final rank before Emperor. A number of options in caring for your kingdom, with special titles, tracts of land, even punishment options if you deem those necessary.

And recently, Viceroys and Vicereines.

Now, what is between those? For the Prince or Princess, with a thousand acres in total holdings, to the Prince or Princess who may have a hundred thousand (certainly less than twenty thousand), they are one among a growing number. They've achieved high rank. There won't be any higher rank unless they ascend... and they may not be able to, or as much or more often, not be interested, for whatever reason. What is there for them to do?

As a Princess myself in that area, I find fulfillment here, on the blog, or in discussing the game. More often, I engage in passing land, advice and encouragement to those under me. Even in having land parties to help someone. But for myself, personally, I'd be facing near terminal boredom.

Why this huge lack of "anything new" between becoming a Prince and becoming a Viceroy?

The history of Tiny Empires may offer a clue. The game started with all of the options from Wanderer to Prince. All of the housing upgrades, land improvements, rank increases, were all there basically from the day things started. The distance from a prince to a King (and the original King was Ultralite, there were no other kingdoms) was not that great. The top ten landholders automatically got a chance to become a direct subject of the King. And as late as November of 2007, that distance wasn't all that great- Ellie Bearcat (later to become Queen of Caledon) was getting offers to be a direct subject of the (then) Emperor when she only had total holdings of five to seven thousand acres. That seemed like a huge amount then, and it was at that time. The first kingdom was formed when Celty Westwick had the huge total of twenty thousand acres.

So, we start with the options of Wanderer to Prince. Then we have Monarchs, and the King becomes Emperor. Much later (in game terms) we have Viceroys. But the huge expanse in the middle has opened since then- a lot of Princes and Princesses at a thousand acres to twenty thousand (or more), and there's not a lot for them to do, it seems. The Federation HUD helps the situation, with its festivals, and possible other chances of gaining gold, with allies, citizens... even disasters can stave off boredom. But a lot of players are facing the problem of "what now?" when they become a Princess (or Prince.)

It would be interesting to ask what meaningful changes could open up to a Prince or Princess... the possibility of engaging in trade, to temporarily boost land production, or improve sagging land production? There are a number of options, but the ring in the tree, I think, can be accounted for by that single growth pattern. Things were put into place at the bottom on day one. Things were put into place at the top as things developed. But the huge growth in the middle hasn't had a lot put into place for it.

Ideas? Anyone?

The Trader and an Emperor at Play

It would seem that the fun did not end with the Huds coming back to life... it was only beginning.

Shortly after I posted that the huds were dead, they did come back to life. And before long they went down again for another hour or so (more work).

When they came back, things were a bit... interesting for a while.

For starters, my first month or two back, I was not
"La Reina Zorra Vulpine Eldrich
of Caledon"

anymore. Instead I was

"The Eternally Patient Vulpine Eldrich
of Caledon"

But as if that weren't enough, several months later, I became

"MoLove's Minion Vulpine Eldrich
of Egypt"

This is where you hit the panic button. I checked my companion, and it said I was in my usual line, within Caledon. But the hud said... wait, there must be some sort of database malfunction here. Maybe I've been confused with someone else. So I send Mo an IM, asking him who 'MoLove's Minion' is. His reply? Apparently, everyone! Hmmm....

The next month, I was back in Caledon with my proper title, though the smile on Mo's face lasted for hours. Oh, but things weren't finished yet. A couple of months later..

"La Reina Zorra Vulpine Eldrich
OMG! Where is your land?"

Well, the land line read "0 acres (0 personal)" which would have been worrying earlier... but I'd decided by this time that I really couldn't believe what I was reading. So I waited. Sure enough, the next month it was

"La Reina Zorra Vulpine Eldrich
Ok, back to normal now..."

Well, the line about my land was normal, but the date wasn't. It didn't say Feb. 1110, it said Feb. 2009. Who ever heard of a crazy date like that?

But the day continued. Queen Ellie got a chance to give away a tract of land- for free. I'm sure all of the other monarchs did as well. Then the trader came-- to the whole Empire! He hadn't done that in ages.

The Emperor was testing his new server, and had decided that the best way to load test it was to send a Trader to every kingdom at the same time. He was right. Unfortunately, his server didn't do so well. The Trader came, true, but afterwards a lot of us started missing months. "Your Tiny Empires Hud seems to have missed a turn..." well it wasn't my fault, it was the server not getting back to it in time!

The Emperor admitted his server had a few bugs it needed to get worked out. And life resumed its normal pace for a while.

But the next evening, more special messages appeared. Apparently, if the Emperor got an IM from at least one person whose name started with every letter of the alphabet- within that month- then the trader would come. He was flooded with IM's, and must have been kept very busy tracking them (between laughs). But at the end of the month, he was still missing three letters. (O, X, and Y, I believe) So no trader. But then he proposed a riddle, in which two kingdoms were referenced. If the riddle was solved, a trader would come.

The riddle was solved. (The kingdoms in question were Mysterious Woods and Devonshire.)

This was in the evening, so a lot of people were on. And with the games beforehand about "maybe a trader will come", interest was even more piqued than usual. Not surprisingly, a new load test happened! The emperor declared that the server was getting and handling more than thirty five requests per second. Apparently that's good- it's certainly good enough to keep an empire-wide trader going at prime time week night.

This time, the Trader year did not have a problem- no reported missed months, and lots of people enjoying his benefits. The Emperor announced himself satisfied with the server's performance. Well, in a way. His exact quote was

"This server appears to be kicking several different kinds of ass, in many interesting ways, using several martial arts techniques"

So, what new changes are around the corner? Obviously new hardware is in place, with an upgraded performance enabling lots of fun things. And, also obviously, we have an Emperor who is not at all hesitant about playing with his powers to shake things out of their usual routines. One obvious possibility is an empire-wide trader, again, for good. It's happened twice now, and server limitations may not be a problem anymore.

Time will tell. And, I suspect, not too much of it will be needed!

The day the Huds died

Yesterday morning, the Emperor stated the following:

[8:41] Ultralite Soleil: Good morning/afternoon/evening all. I want to let you know the Tiny Empires game server will be going down for some scheduled maintenance today. If all goes well, it should be back up after a few hours. If it goes poorly, it might be down for a day. For part of the work, I will be at the mercy of the techs at the server hosting company, so there's a bit of an unknown factor with how long it will take.


Now, nearly twenty four hours later, things are still down. This morning, there are rumors of some sims that have working huds, so maybe there is hope. But in the meantime, all our huds are getting is "Connecting...."

The Tiny Empires site states "It's working!" but we're informed that simply means there is a default Apache webserver running there.

I have to say, in my more than a year of playing Tiny Empires, this is the longest down time that I can remember. It's odd, being able to go places without worrying about scripts, or checking on the Hud every few minutes....

Miss Doe's Interview

On a day not too long in the past, I donned a black dress, black wig, hooded black cloak, and black deer mask. Thus suitably disguised as 'Miss Doe', I proceeded to an undisclosed location to talk with Prince Q of Kingdom A and Princess R of Kingdom B. These two nobles have engaged in an intriguing but possibly risky practice known as 'trader jumping'.... Here is what happened...

Princess R, Miss Doe, Prince Q

Miss Doe steps into the darkened area, and peers around uncertainly through the smoked glass eyes of her mask. "Q? R? Hello?"

Prince Q: Hello Miss Doe.

Miss Doe: Oh, Q... where's R, did she make it?

Prince Q looks back at R

Princess R: R is around, ;)

Miss Doe looks around the corner

Miss Doe: Oh there you are... good! Are we safe, here then?

Prince Q: As safe as one can be on non-restricted land.

Miss Doe: Oh, good point. Well maybe we can make it quick. What's this 'trader jumping' thing about, anyway? It sounds wild...

Prince Q: It's a method to experience the trader more frequently than every other day.

Princess R: sometimes twice in the same day

Miss Doe: Wow.... how do you manage it?

Prince Q: When the trader is first sighted, you have six months before you have to pay. You can change lieges in four months.

Princess R: Three months if you get the timing right, like if he shows while we are together.

Prince Q: And after you pay the trader, you can jump right back to your old liege, and the trader year continues.

Miss Doe: So let me get this straight. Since you're in two kingdoms, the trader is visiting each on his own schedule. So with some fine timing- and 6 months warning with 3-4 months to switch is fine timing- you can get him no matter which kingdom he's in?

Prince Q: If you have a friend of the right rank in the other kingdom waiting to TP you, yes.

Princess R: yes, and we have. ;)

Miss Doe: So, Q, you go under R when he visits her kingdom, and R, you go under Q when he visits Q's kingdom.

Princess R: yes, although Q has things set up a little simpler than myself.

Prince Q: There are a host of issues to resolve.

Miss Doe: How so?

Prince Q: Well, you're up-line has to be accepting ...

Miss Doe: Starting with one's immediate liege, I'm sure.

Princess R: and your current liege needs to be online.

Prince Q: When I jump, I take 20k acres with me, and that can freak a prince out.

Miss Doe gulps and imagines a full kingdom disappearing in a heartbeat.

Princess R: It can freak a monarch out, too.

Miss Doe: I can... see why. R, is your jump as dramatic?

Princess R: We both have over 20K total acres.

Miss Doe gives a muffled whistle.

Prince Q: But we try to not jump if it means we'll be gone for census.

Princess R: Yes, that would be bad. The whole up-line would suffer.

Prince Q: Don't want your up-line to lose all their citizens. It's a bit easier for me, because my liege is an alt of mine. So I can always bring him on to take me back at the right time.

Miss Doe: and he's very understanding about it...

Prince Q: Yes, it took a while to get him 1000 personal acres ... but now he's (chuckle) quite understanding.

Princess R: My direct liege isn't always available. However, I do have an understanding and sympathetic higher up, who can take me back.

Miss Doe: But you have to pay to leave your old liege (granted, Q, your alt benefits) and pay again to return. Is it really worth paying twice to get the trader once?

Prince Q: Personally, I don't gain a whole lot. Changing lieges twice takes a lot of gold. But my down-line loves me.

Miss Doe: I can imagine. How many people usually get the extra trader?

Prince Q: As many as 20 have been on once. And as few as 5.

Miss Doe: So personally, you don't gain much land or gold (net), but if you get about 10 people with cheap land or something similar, you could get a hundred more acres in holdings that you wouldn't have gotten any other way.

Prince Q: That's correct. But even more, I get a down-line that is reluctant to leave for other kingdoms.

Miss Doe: Except when they find themselves in the other kingdom... I suppose that's as good a way of yelling 'trader' as any.

Prince Q: Yes, they only get a month or two notice. I use the general Kingdom chat.

Princess R: lol, yes, that does work, the down-line doesn't get much warning.

Prince Q: But the first time it happens, someone in the down-line is always worried in the 4 months we are away because their title starts to fade.

Miss Doe: Oh, good point. How long does it take a title to fade away?

Princess R: Most of a day, sometimes longer.

Prince Q: And we're only gone 4-5 months.

Miss Doe: Not even close to a day. But if they haven't experienced it before, I can see how it would be alarming. What other problems are there with this?

Prince Q: By the time the trader year is over, everybody is happy.

Princess R: It can cause a major change in the kingdoms’ rank.

Prince Q: If your liege doesn't have at least one other subject, his citizens will drop to zero -- no waiting for census.

Miss Doe: Ouch. Has that happened to your alt?

Prince Q: It did the first time.

Miss Doe nods in understanding

Miss Doe: So are you afraid the Emperor will find out? I mean, it seems hard to believe that the fame of this hasn't spread at least among your two kingdoms. He's certain to hear of it eventually.

Prince Q: I believe he already knows. He knows everything doesn't he?

Miss Doe maintains a discreet silence.

Princess R: hehehe

Miss Doe: So how did this all start?

Princess R: It started as a theory, 'What would happen if ...'

Prince Q: We started thinking about this almost as soon as the trader started to come to different kingdoms at different times. I used to be R's subject before an ascension pulled us apart. We've remained close. And this needs a bit of trust to go the first time or two.

Princess R: I used to be a direct of Q's Monarch before they ascended.

Miss Doe: A bit of trust on the part of everyone, it seems... up-line, down-line, and personally.

Prince Q: Yes, but the rewards are good for everyone too, up-line, down-line and personally.

Miss Doe: Well, the down-line gets more traders. And I guess the up-line gets more acreage, just as you do, as long as their hearts hold out.

Prince Q: I've tried to recruit others in other kingdoms to jump to. But without a personal connection, it doesn't seem to work.

Miss Doe: So it's just the two of you doing this?

Princess R: There are a couple of others who have helped.

Prince Q: Another in R's kingdom when R isn't online. And I've jumped once to a different kingdom.

Miss Doe: Did your down-line question why it wasn't the usual 'alternate' kingdom when you did?

Prince Q: No. By that time, they'd learned to enjoy the ride.

Princess R giggles

Miss Doe: and the trader lol...

Prince Q: yes ... so my down-line tries to always keep trader money available.

Miss Doe: So how often does this usually happen?

Prince Q: Well, not so much over the holidays, but we're going to start up again.

Miss Doe: A good point. The two of you must be online together a lot, then.

Prince Q: R is online more than me. My RL is starting to squeeze me. But, we are online together quite a bit.

Princess R: Not so much recently, but, with the right offline message, Q can be on quite quickly.

Miss Doe decides not to ask about the other secret methods of communication

Prince Q: Oh, this is too good to not share. I have my group notices sent to my gmail account, and if the notice has the word TRADER in it, it gets sent to my cell phone as a txt message. So, I almost never miss a trader -- though it's a bit tougher to get online in time to jump.

Miss Doe: You must be near a computer at all times, then.

Prince Q: Most of the time, I'm within 30 seconds of my keyboard.

Miss Doe: R, do you have that sort of ability, or do you leave it to Q to be available anywhere almost instantaneously?

Princess R: I'm lucky in that I still live with my sisters, and one of us is almost always at home, so, 'I' can be online a lot of the time

Miss Doe: Ah, a good point, and a goodly amount of trust.

Prince Q: Yes, trust is important.

Miss Doe: So since both of you have enough to be your own kingdom, and since I hear that the Trader comes more frequently to smaller kingdoms... have either of you thought of ascending? Q, if your alt was a King, you could catch the trader in his kingdom, in Kingdom A (assuming someone there would take you) and in Kingdom B. Trader surfeit!

Prince Q: I'm not online enough to be a good monarch.

Princess R: And I don't want the responsibilities, and drama, that goes with being a monarch.

Prince Q: So this is what we do instead of giving out titles, and assigning vice-reigns.

Miss Doe: I gather that the drama from the trader jumping has more or less died down to an acceptance and even enjoyment, then.

Prince Q: I haven't heard from anyone who objects, once they know that it's okay with our monarch.

Miss Doe: And your monarch approves in both kingdoms, I take it?

Prince Q: Mine certainly does.

Princess R giggles

Miss Doe giggles as well

Miss Doe: So it's full speed ahead with more traders. Do you have any active plans for recruiting more people from other kingdoms, or do you just do it between the two of you and mention it now and then to see what happens?

Prince Q: When I get in a good conversation with a prince/ss or monarch, I'll ask, but I'm not looking around for the purpose of finding a new jumping partner.

Princess R laughs

Miss Doe: R? Are you content just to do trader jumps with Q?

Princess R: I tend to just go with the flow. If it's convenient, I'll go for it, if not, I don't.

Miss Doe: So if someone else decided they wanted to do this, do you have any advice at all?

Prince Q: Make sure that your liege is online before you jump away.

Princess R: check with both your up and down line, and especially with your monarch first.

Prince Q: The down-line can get restive if they're not back where they belong quickly. Oh, and what R said.

Princess R: Make sure that you have enough gold ;)

Miss Doe: You must spend all your time saving gold, between multiple switches and traders.

Prince Q: I keep 20x an acre price to make sure I have enough for both jumps and the trader.

Miss Doe: I can believe it.

Miss Doe looks around at the darkened sky

Miss Doe: Maybe we'd better leave before anyone else notices us. Was there anything else I needed to know about this?

Prince Q: There's always something, but I think you have the most important details.

Miss Doe: Great. Good luck jumping and if you get a call from another kingdom, well... you know :)

Prince Q: It was a pleasure to speak with you.

Princess R: What Q said, ;)

Miss Doe: Take care, Prince Q, Princess R :)

Prince Q: Take care.

Miss Doe slips away back into the shadows, giving a last goodbye wave to her new friends

Cordova Decosta Interview

Holly Honi, Cordova Decosta, Vulpine Eldrich

Vulpine Eldrich: Hello everyone! I'm here this evening with King Cordova Decosta of the Kingdom of Misfits, and his 'Queen by Association,' Holly Honi. Thank you, both of you, for taking the time to host me here in your home!

Cordova Decosta: you're welcome and welcome :)

Holly Honi: welcome

Vulpine Eldrich: So, I have to ask, what on earth inspired you to be the King of Misfits? Or is this something that comes naturally?

Cordova Decosta: Well, I think we are all in sl because we are in a sense misfits. So the name fit, and everyone loves it. Everyone else is just in denial. lol

Vulpine Eldrich: lol, and how would you define the term 'misfit'?

Cordova Decosta: Well, honestly, it would be someone who "isn't normal," so everyone is a misfit in their own way. To be honest, normal is boring.

Vulpine Eldrich: So with a name and attitude like that, have you had an interesting Tiny Empires career in reaching this elevated rank?

Cordova Decosta: I never thought of it as a career. It's a game, a fun one, and a great way to meet people, get invited to formal parties, and have fun.

Vulpine Eldrich: How many kingdoms have you been in before reaching this one?

Cordova Decosta: Due to up-line ascensions, this will be my 8th and last kingdom.

Vulpine Eldrich: After that, do you run out of lives? Don't answer that if you don't want to! Seriously, it sounds like you've had quite a lot of experience within different kingdoms. What, in your opinion, is the most essential ingredient(s) in making and keeping a kingdom together and happy?

Cordova Decosta: To me, the most important part isn’t the upper tiers of a down-line. It’s the mid level and below. They are the ones who keep lines and kingdoms growing, so they are the ones you should pay most attention to. Make everyone feel like a part of the kingdom, and let people know that even if you are a prince, and they are just starting, you are there to help them understand the basics.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you're still there for your people to help learn the basics, monarch and all. How and where do they meet, communicate, and get a chance to beseech you for your wisdom?

Cordova Decosta: Well, my IM is always available to anyone who needs anything. I’ve made and/or collected and edited a lot of notecards. I give them the links to the wiki and your blog, for example. There is group chat, and we plan to have parties and events to give everyone a sense of community :)

Vulpine Eldrich: So where will these group parties be held?

Cordova Decosta: Some will be here, and we have a princess who has very graciously allowed us to use her sim, The Point, for larger events.

Vulpine Eldrich: So will you have a chance to help organize these events, Holly, or is he going to be a solo act?

Holly Honi: We plan most stuff together. I like giving 'social' input

Vulpine Eldrich: Such as....?

Cordova Decosta: She's the wonder woman behind the scenes ;)

Holly Honi: We talk about whether to have live entertainers and who. If there should be a theme, and if we should open it to people outside of the kingdom.

Holly Honi: Of course, it's not always just MY input. He gets opinions on some stuff from other members of the kingdom too, because it's really THEIR (OUR) events.

Vulpine Eldrich: Right, and speaking of members, how did you manage to put the kingdom together in the first place? Something that size doesn't happen by accident.

Cordova Decosta: lol Well, ummmm… my old title was the royal schmoozer, and as Holly said, I am pretty good at that ;) But a lot of my down-line are people whom I knew from other kingdoms. They ended up joining me because we remained friends. And then they get their friends, and it just starts to grow.

Holly Honi: Which is how WE met.

Vulpine Eldrich: So how did you two meet?

Cordova Decosta: I bribed her.

Holly Honi: and schmoozed

Cordova Decosta: And then tried to talk her into moving under me the next day. From there we became friends, and the friendship grew.

Holly Honi: But we were friends for a long time.

Vulpine Eldrich: And how long did it take you to play Tiny Empires before you decided you want to be a King?

Cordova Decosta: I swore I’d never, ever, EVER in a million years ascend. But as I started taking the steps to be grand viceroy and consulting with members of my down-line , they intimated that I should consider ascension. So I thought about it.

Vulpine Eldrich: And after you thought about it, what happened?

Cordova Decosta: It was a very hard decision to make. My former queen was very good to us, but then I IMed her, and spoke with her. She was, and still is, very supportive.

Vulpine Eldrich: Which Queen was this?

Cordova Decosta: Queen Calypso of Treasure Island.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you're saying she deserves some of the credit for helping create the Kingdom of Misfits?

Cordova Decosta: Well, in truth everyone who was ever a part of my up-line and/or down-line deserves some credit.

Vulpine Eldrich: And if any of them- or anyone else- wanted to come meet you in world, hang out together, and do things together, where would they go and what would they find themselves doing?

Cordova Decosta: We like to hop all over all sl and see a lot of live singers, and I dj, so they could come hear great music, whether I’m playing it or someone is singing. Or they are always welcome to come to our house.

Vulpine Eldrich looks at her map.

Vulpine Eldrich: “Nueva vida.” What does that mean?

Cordova Decosta: “New life” – A new beginning.

Vulpine Eldrich: So in this new life, both here in Second Life and in Tiny Empires, what have you kept from the old life that's helped you get to where you are at?

Cordova Decosta: Well, obviously memories and loyalty to my friends and subjects, because they helped me get here. The most important thing is that I always remember that behind the avatar— no matter whether its human, robot, tiny, furry etc—there's still another human being who has feelings, and the words I say to them impact them, whether good or bad.

Vulpine Eldrich: Very good! So you've become a King, you've got a group of loyal people, and a Queen to help you go from here. What other plans do you have for your Tiny Empires future, beyond Kingdom events?

Cordova Decosta: Well, my ranking on TE doesn’t really matter, so I don’t really plan to become one of the top ten. It is, after all, still just a game, and it should be fun. So I guess I plan to help others understand that as well. And to have fun—this is sl, it’s supposed to be fun.

Vulpine Eldrich: And what do you do when you find people in TE, underneath you or (before now, I suppose) above you, who are determined to spoil your and other people's fun here in SL and TE?

Holly Honi: Cord has always been awesome at talking things out.

Cordova Decosta: I talk to them and try to work things out. But if that doesn’t work, you can't let them get to you. If you do, then they win.

Vulpine Eldrich: And, would I be right in saying that a parting of the ways often follows in those cases?

Cordova Decosta: Maybe a brief parting, but I’m always open to giving people a second chance.

Vulpine Eldrich: Very good. So as you look at the game of Tiny Empires, what would you most like to see added to it, or changed about it?

Holly Honi: How long do you have?

Cordova Decosta: Ohhh, well what I want to see won’t be too popular. I want it to be more a game of chance. For example, an evil trader who gives tainted seeds instead of gold seeds, so that you only get half your land value. Instead of sabotage, I think you should get the acres if successful and not investigated.

Vulpine Eldrich: So, it would be more accurate to call it theft instead of sabotage in that case.

Cordova Decosta: And then there’s commandeering land like they did in feudal times. But the most important change is for some to lighten up about it. It’s a hud, a great way to meet new people, and make friends. It should be just that—a fun thing, not a competition. There's really no "win" here.

Vulpine Eldrich: So when you send a bribe, you apparently follow up with more than just a bribe offer on the hud, to judge by the story of you and Holly. What sort of things do you tell a prospective bribe target to get them to join you?

Cordova Decosta: Well that varies on the person. Usually, I tell them I’m sending a bribe, that we have a no drama kingdom, everyone gets along with each other, we have fun joking in group chat, and that to me they wouldn’t be just a number of acres.

Vulpine Eldrich: But sometimes they aren't quite 'real people', are they? Or how do you consider alts in the game?

Cordova Decosta: I have said this many times. I do have an alt (only one alt to get new players into the game), but I think that if you have a lot of alts to help your line advance, you take this silly little hud entirely too seriously.

Vulpine Eldrich: So how many alts are in the Kingdom of Misfits, or would you have any sort of reasonable guess on that?

Cordova Decosta: Not that many, but I wouldn’t have any real way of knowing for sure, except in a few cases.

Vulpine Eldrich: Probably not. And if your Kingdom were a movie, what would its rating be?

Cordova Decosta: PG-13. We are adults and adult chat is allowed, but for the most part we just like to have fun and pick on each other.

Vulpine Eldrich: And how often, now, does the term 'misfit' get used to help pick on each other? Have you got any good examples for us?

Cordova Decosta: Hmmm we've never called each other that, unless someone wants the name misfit in their title.

Holly Honi: I use it to bribe sometimes. When someone has an unusual name, I say they sound like they would fit in with us well.

Vulpine Eldrich: "Come join us, we're misfits, we have fun, and you will too?"

Holly Honi: Exactly.

Cordova Decosta: That works. You just gave me my next bribe speech ;)

Vulpine Eldrich laughs

Holly Honi: Cord always has had a gift for fun and banter, and he can get the chat going well.

Vulpine Eldrich: So besides telling people to lighten up, and remember that we're all human (more or less), what would you tell someone as advice when they're just getting started in Tiny Empires? What to do or not do?

Holly Honi: I just have to say if it wasn't for Cord, I would hardly know the first thing about TE. He always takes the time to explain what things mean and NOT just to people in his kingdom.

Cordova Decosta: Save gold as often as possible, and if they aren’t happy in the spot they are in, talk to their liege and go up the ranks. If someone isn’t happy in my kingdom and wants to move, I’ll help them find a kingdom they are more suited to, because I want everyone who plays this game to enjoy it and not get lost in the shuffle.

Vulpine Eldrich: Very good! And can either of you think of something I missed in our little discussion here?

Cordova Decosta: You forgot to ask if we were a tree what kind would we be and why. Lolol, just kidding. You did well at poking into our heads.

Vulpine Eldrich: All right, what tree are you? A tall sturdy oak, or a tough cherry, or just a nasty prickly thorn tree? lol, seriously, thank you for your time and hospitality, both of you.

Cordova Decosta: A weeping willow, because it bends down to protect ;)

Holly Honi: I will say from the time I met Cord, it was easy to see that he was suited to be in this game of te to help people, which would be a natural leader and King. He has been the 'go to' person for me and many others.

Cordova Decosta: Thank you for coming to our humble abode.

Census Time

So you're happily playing Tiny Empires, and someone mentions the term 'Census'... but you don't know what they mean. Or perhaps you're playing and suddenly a message pops up in the Offers tab, saying that a census was taken and that you got gold from it. Nice! Now, what happened?

First off, Censuses occur in January of even-numbered years... so you get gold once every two years of play (assuming you aren't coming on and leaving at just the right or wrong times). But before you can participate in a Census, you need one thing:

Subjects.

That's right, subjects. You get so many gold for each DIRECT subject you have. So, if you have zero subjects... no census for you. On the other hand, if you have ten direct subjects (you can't have more), then you get a nice lot of gold! The amount of gold you get per direct subject is based on how much you pay per acre. I get 1/60th of an acre price. (So with ten direct subjects, that would mean I get 1/6th of what an acre costs me in each Census.)

Now the fun part begins... the Federation Hud.

Do you have the Federation Hud? If not, then you won't see this next part.

As a Federation HUD user (who has subjects!) you not only get the normal census gold, you get one piece of gold per 9 citizens in your Federation HUD population. (Remember, these are NOT real people- real subjects- just the Population number on your hud.) As you handle disasters (or not), your citizen population goes up or down acccordingly. Handle them well (costs lots of gold) and you get more citizens. Handle them poorly (or not at all) and you lose citizens. But getting citizens means you also get more census gold.

So if you get one gold for every nine citizens, just keep handling disasters well. You can pile in as many citizens as you want and keep going, the sky is the limit, right? Well, not quite. You can never have a citizen population amount that is higher than 5,000 percent of your "capacity". Capacity is determined by all of the subjects below you- what rank they are, and how much land each have. More land and more high ranking subjects means more capacity for you... giving you the ability to get more citizens in the census! And since you can have 5,000 percent (or fifty times) your "capacity" amount in citizens, small changes in capacity mean a lot more or less citizens, and more or less census gold.

As an example, I can count on gaining 6,000 citizens in capacity when a Duke or Duchess under me becomes a Prince or Princess (yes, it goes the other way, too!) That 6,000 increase in capacity, multiplied by 50, means I can squeeze in 300,000 more citizens into my population number before overcrowded conditions wipe me back down to my 5,000 percent maximum. Now, in the census, I get one gold for every nine citizens, so 300,000 divided by 9 means 33,333 gold in census money every two years.... just because I have the Fed Hud and someone under me became a Princess!

Note that the exact formulas for how capacity is determined are probably unknown to anyone but the emperor... I suppose if someone systematically worked at it, they could determine it, but if they have, I don't know of it. (Anyone???) It really doesn't matter, since the basic point remains the same: get as many high ranking subjects in your downline as possible, with acreage, and you get more gold in the census because you can get more citizens in your population.

....and that's about it for the census... from your first direct subject to a line filled with Princes and Princesses and a Fed Hud... it's all yours for the working!

2008 Review, 2009 Predictions

As we start a brand new year, it's only natural to wonder where it is going, and to look back to see where we've been. So, in the spirit of inquiry, I have set out to be a good enquirer and make some predictions about this next year, based on past history, plus a large dose of crystal ball gazing (wait, is that a crack? oh well, too late now...)

How many kingdoms will there be?

Dracheheim was kingdom number 24, and was created right at New Year's, 2008. Currently there are 128 kingdoms, for an increase of approximately one hundred. Therefore, I predict that 2009 will see one hundred new kingdoms, or approximately two per week.

How many empires will there be?

In 2007, there was one empire created. In 2008, it was named, but no new empires were created. This averages out to one empire every two years. Therefore, for this trend to continue, there will be one half of an empire created in 2009, and it will receive a name in 2010.

How big will the biggest kingdom be?

At the beginning of 2008, the largest kingdom was roughly 200,000 acres. At the end of 2008, the largest kingdom was roughly 500,000 acres. This is an increase of two and a half times. Therefore, I predict another two and a half times increase, thus making the largest kingdom two and a half million acres at the end of 2009. (Please note, these figures are very very approximate and are not based on direct inside information.)

How many 'alt' accounts will there be?

When things first began, new people flooded in by droves, and some started playing alts. As things have 'matured' through 2008, the use of alts has become more extensive. Anecdotal evidence from giving and receiving bribes suggests that there are about as many alts as there are actual players at the current time. Therefore, I predict that by the end of 2009, there will be an average of four to five alts per real player, and that a number of the hundred new kingdoms will have monarchs that are alts of other monarchs.

How many huds will there be?

In 2007, there were two huds released, and in 2008 there were no new huds released. This averages to one per year, so I predict one new hud in 2009. This new hud, like its predecessor, will change how one gains high rank, and will be used by the half emperor of the new half-empire that will be created.

How many new products will there be?

At the beginning of 2008, the only thing you could buy was the Tiny Empires HUD, in its two flavors. Now, we have two more products- a titler, for 149L, and a Tiny Empires Companion, which is subscription based. Therefore, I predict two new products in 2009. One will be relatively cheap, once up front payment, and more for fun than anything serious. The other will be a subscription based add-on that lets you find out almost anything about your target TE player, and it will be available for only 500L per month.

How easy will it be to transfer citizens?

At the beginning of 2008, Federation allies could transfer citizens, and lose approximately one third of them in the process. During 2008, a new option- embassies- was created, which allowed more citizens to be transferred at once and decreased the amount lost to one fourth. It costs roughly as much as five acres of land. Therefore, I predict another option in 2009 which will reduce loss to one-fifth, and which will cost as much as ten acres of land.

What is the future of riddles?

During the year of 2008, the riddles were changed roughly three times. At the end of that time, they consisted less of mathematical formulae, and more questions based on one's personal statistics. Also, some provided no immediate clue as to what they were asking. Another change is that the amount gotten for answering a riddle correctly was cut by about a factor of five. Therefore, I predict that in 2009, the riddles will change three times. In the last set of riddles, one of them will be 'what is your gender?' and answering correctly will yield you the grand total of one gold piece.

What is the future of disasters?

Disasters came with the federation HUD in 2007. There were three types of disasters. During 2008, a new research option opened up the possibility of handling one type of disaster automatically. Therefore, in 2009, I predict that another disaster will be taken care of automatically. For those pessimists who say that I've not taken all of the facts into account, I'll also add that there will be three new types of disasters.

What about limits?

In 2008, limits were put into place on how many personal acres someone can have, and how much gold someone can have. As this habit of setting limits will continue, the end of 2009 should see a limit on how many hours per day a person can play TE, thus helping to ensure the sanity and health of the players...

What about special titles?

During 2008, the use of special titles rose dramatically, and a rule that let special titles 'fade away' when someone left a kingdom was enacted. Therefore, I predict that by the end of 2009, every player older than a month will either be inactive, have a custom title, or be clinging to their generic rank description because it marks them as different and special.

What about monarch responsibilities?

At the beginning of 2008, a monarch was forced, by peer pressure, to stay online as much as possible and keep tax rates low. This burden was eased by new rules which let a monarch ONLY provide a tax amnesty once every twenty four hours. At the end of 2008, a new position, that of Viceroy, was created. This let Princes and Princesses under the monarch assume royal duties such as giving out titles and purchasing tracts of land. The emperor has dropped hints that this is not his final word about viceregal powers. I predict that as this freeing of monarch duties continue, monarchs will begin to consider abdication out of boredom, since there will be nothing left to do but go fishing in the royal moat.

What is the surest prediction?

In 2007, there were people playing and enjoying Tiny Empires. During 2008, people played and enjoyed Tiny Empires. Therefore, during 2009, I predict that people will play and enjoy Tiny Empires.

The King is dead

...long live the king.

Early this morning, the player behind the King Chester Capalini passed from the TE throne of Heaven to his real life reward. Various in-world memorials are being made, anyone wanting more information should contact Queen Spunky Young of Phoenix Rising.

The Kingdom of Heaven is currently ranked 15 among the kingdoms in size, apparently having never risen higher than rank 11. For tomorrow, another act of respect is being planned by Queen Alamiga Anatine of Angels of the Empire and King Swankhaven Blitz of Swank. They will temporarily combine forces and send part of their kingdom to nobles in Heaven to boost it to that top ten mark.

If anyone would like to join this for a day, contact your own liege and make whatever arrangements are necessary. I'm sure that Queen Alamiga and King Swankhaven would be glad to help you find where to go in this.

Queen Alamiga will be sending about half of her kingdom to the Kingdom of Heaven. "[I] think it would be nice for Angels to be in Heaven for a day," she said, adding that she had never heard a bad word said about King Chester.

This isn't the first time a monarch has passed away in real life. King Luz Susenko did so as well. A lot of kingdoms had a "no touch" rule concerning the kingdom afterwards, and it has only slowly dropped in rank, becoming a minor kingdom relatively recently.

Taken the next day...

January 1st, 2009...

Interview with Valentine Janus

Queen Valentine Janus (left) and blogress Vulpine Eldrich (right)

Vulpine Eldrich: Good evening everyone, and Merry Christmas (which it is right now). I'm here with Queen Valentine Janus of New Deseret. Thank you for giving up part of your holiday to talk with us, Valentine.

Valentine Janus: Thank you for interviewing me.

Vulpine Eldrich: So, what or where is 'New Deseret', and why do you think it describes your kingdom?

Valentine Janus: We got started in a nine-sim community founded by Latter-day Saints, or Mormons. The name comes from one of those sims. It reflects our origins, although we certainly have branched out beyond one small part of the grid. Also, the word Deseret itself means honeybee--kind of a nice metaphor for a TE kingdom, unity and industry.

Vulpine Eldrich: I seem to recall that a coin minted by the Mormons in Utah had a honeybee on it. Not an accident?

Valentine Janus: Not at all. The beehive is still in the state flag of Utah.

Vulpine Eldrich: So how many in your TE Kingdom of New Deseret are from Utah, or are Mormons, in real life?

Valentine Janus: Not that many from Utah. I'd guess slightly over half are LDS. Of my five direct subjects, only two share my faith.

Vulpine Eldrich: How has it affected your kingdom, its growth, how the word gets out about your group, others joining or leaving from elsewhere within Terra Aurea?

Valentine Janus: I think it is mostly a positive influence. People can join our kingdom and know that the standards will be PG in Second Life terms. Some, of course, won't want that. One of the great elements of TE is that you can find many different styles among the kingdoms. If you don't fit into one place, another will be available.

Vulpine Eldrich: So true! So do you have- or plan to have- any sort of central meeting place here in Second Life?

Valentine Janus: As of mid-October, I own two of the nine sims I mentioned. We have a group hangout on the City of Enoch sim, with ready access to a lot of recreation facilities. I have been a recreation center operator since my first month in SL. We also have a kingdom website out-of-world, http://newdeseret.wordpress.com

Vulpine Eldrich: Ready-made for a kingdom's social events! How have you found that career helpful to your TE Kingdom building?

Valentine Janus: It's one more way to have fun -- and TE has the added advantage that the game mechanics force players to interact with each other, to get together. I spend more time with interesting people that I might have barely met otherwise. One reason I think the game took off in our community is because many of us are a close-knit bunch with a lot in common; TE built on existing relationships.

Vulpine Eldrich: I've seen that happen more than once, myself. So now that you're the Queen of this Kingdom, where do you go from here?

Valentine Janus: First, we get back on the map. One very successful princess was at home in Camelot and did not want to leave. So we talked it over. Sje and all her people stayed to see the kingdom formed, and went back at a small send-off gathering the next day. Beyond that, just continue to grow, meet people, have fun. One day my other personal goal is to spin off a daughter kingdom.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you knew before you became a Queen that you were destined to start out as a minor kingdom, and you still did it... why now? Why not wait until later, or have tried to do this sooner?

Valentine Janus: I didn't know until I was in the 16,000 acre range that there would be a split. Once it was clear, we decided that it would be best to finalize things rapidly rather than possibly have lingering sentiments fester. Everyone had plenty of opportunity to go where they would be happy. And the limits on a minor kingdom are really only two: no custom titles, and no map spot. Both are nice, but neither is crucial to our fun and our success.

Vulpine Eldrich: But you do still have plans to become a major kingdom.

Valentine Janus: We do. Our senior princesses are really pushing hard to get back.

Vulpine Eldrich: So do you have any particular ideas or programs to do so, or an estimate of when you think you will be on the main map?

Valentine Janus: Our goal is to return by Easter. Mostly, we plan to do this with the same dedication that took us from zero to kingdom in under six months. I expect to do some special events for recruiting and building spirits, but I think we have been energized by the creation of the kingdom; the 'minor' distinction is a minor distinction.

Vulpine Eldrich: Very good! So what would you tell someone- say a Duke or Prince- who says "I'm considering being a part of New Deseret, but I'm not sure why I should.”?

Valentine Janus: We have a nice community, in a pretty setting, for mature people who don't have a need for so-called "mature" activities. It has ties to a two-year-old SL nation and a lot of committed, very friendly people. Most of us have been in SL for the long haul; we expect that to continue.

Vulpine Eldrich: And the same holds true for Tiny Empires?

Valentine Janus: Yes. Again, the community where this kingdom was born has shaped it -- here an in-world presence came first, not the other way round. But we welcome all in TE, just as the nation has, who want to play nice and have fun. I try to set the tone by absolutely refusing to offer, accept, or solicit bribes, or to sabotage.

Vulpine Eldrich: Do you have any plans to set up fishing?

Valentine Janus: I had a fishing place before I joined TE. I still do. It's busier now.

Vulpine Eldrich: Well let's hope that there are still some big ones left, anyway. So what got you started in Tiny Empires?

Valentine Janus: At heart I am a gamer. And the mix of feudal overtones into a really big game . . . well, I am a dual national of Caledon as well. Princesses and dukes and knights and things resonate with me anyway. The social aspects actually became clear later, as I realized the genius of the design in bringing people face-to-face often.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you started it. How long did it take to decide you would be a Queen?

Valentine Janus: Six to eight weeks after I started, my three largest direct subjects, then two princesses and a duchess, came to me and asked if I would consider it. They both thought that I should and that I could.

Vulpine Eldrich: How hard was it to convince you?

Valentine Janus: Not very. I didn't start out planning to do anything beyond rising to princess. But knowing that you have strong people backing you makes a big difference. Also, I got one huge break early on with a fortunate choice of allies-- an old-line princess of Avalon who just happened to have an ally slot for me. She sent me a few citizens to celebrate. Only 150,000 died of the 600,000 that came to me. That gave me a huge income base for my size. This fueled more rapid growth than I might have had. So I had the people and the resources, and the gamer in me said full speed ahead.

Vulpine Eldrich: In other words, Census Gold. So you took good care and they multiplied. How has the new research option changed things for you and your kingdom in regards to all of that?

Valentine Janus: The only hard thing is deciding which way to go. I am advising people to pick famine unless they expect to have several direct subjects, then disease is an alternative. I researched disease very early on. Knowing that the abbot will be forever half price and always gives to your direct subjects is a useful thing. But if you lack directs, famine is better.

Vulpine Eldrich: Or don't have many, I agree. So what would you say to someone who was considering buying the Federation HUD? Any advice about when or if they should get it?

Valentine Janus: I have a detailed article on the kingdom website about the Fed HUD. My counsel is to get it if you are count or higher with at least one direct subject, as long as you are comfortable with the extra attention it requires. The gold you can earn is worth it, provided you don't miss a lot of turns while online.

Vulpine Eldrich: And as the game continues to develop, what would you like to see added or changed?

Valentine Janus: The viceroys were a much needed addition for the rulers of large kingdoms. Perhaps there are ways to provide specialty involvements for other princes and princesses in a kingdom short of the path to royalty. There is a huge gulf between the many princes and princesses and the much smaller number who can be rulers or viceroys. But overall, Ultralite's work is outstanding; I look forward to seeing what he comes up with.

Vulpine Eldrich: What would you say if he appointed himself god and let kingdoms coalesce into multiple empires?

Valentine Janus: If he develops the subsequent game play as well as he has so far it might be interesting. Whether or not he really wants to be "a god" is a matter for his own personality and values. I think it would be fraught with challenges, but I know that he's done well so far. One thing that might be noticeable is that monarchs have a bit of a community with each other and with the Emperor, notwithstanding in-game rivalries. It operates to the good of TE as a whole. Could this be harmed? I don't know.

Vulpine Eldrich: Speaking of monarchs, there are quite a number now. Did you have any particular insights, experiences, or interesting things to find out when you joined that community?

Valentine Janus: I read everything I could find preparing for the jump. But a lot of things by design are not published. Learning the monarch powers is a matter of trial and error. I have found my brother and sister kings and queens to be very helpful and supportive when asked. I think the large number is mostly a good thing, because it offers players more choices. I know some think that being a king or queen is somehow less "special" with 127 kingdoms. But trust me, it's still a sea-change from being a big princess to being the queen.

Vulpine Eldrich: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to try and make that sea change?

Valentine Janus: Do your homework. Dig up the materials that are out there and read them. People will be turning to you for leadership in a new way, and expecting you to know more. Next, be open with your downlines. Accept that some will not want to go with you, and strive for harmony. Also, be open with your liege and your current monarch. You do not want them to feel like they are being stabbed in the back. Finally, remember that you are nothing in this game without a team of people supporting you. Love your people. They will return it when you need it most.

Vulpine Eldrich: Thank you! Good advice for anyone in a leadership position, I would say. So now, perhaps the best question of all... what did I miss? What thing or things did you want to let everyone know about that I didn't know (or forgot) to ask?

Valentine Janus: I think I should close with our kingdom motto, which originally showed up when I wrote my Q and A notecard about the upcoming ascension: "It's a game, not a lifestyle." Play, play hard, play well -- but play nice and have fun. If it stops being fun, take a break and review where you're at. And you can check us out in-world on the City of Enoch or Deseret sims, or on the web at http://newdeseret.wordpress.com. We look forward to meeting you!

Vulpine Eldrich: And there you have it, straight from the Queen's typing fingers. Thanks so much for your time and consideration, Valentine, and best wishes for your continued career.

Valentine Janus: Thank you for everything you've done for the game!

Yes, Virginia, there really was a Santa Trader

It was mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve. I was wandering through a new store, appreciatively eying a set of Penguin avatars which used clothing layers for much of their effect. As usual, the Tiny Empires HUD was in its upper corner, giving me messages every three minutes.

Then a message came up which I couldn't believe... what did it mean? A mysterious stranger, dressed in bright red, had been sighted? As the messages continued in the next few months, we found that this mysterious stranger drove a sleigh with reindeer, and that he would be available for anyone to sit on his lap.

By this time, I was laughing and enjoying the excitement. Usually jaded senses, dulled by hundreds- nay- thousands- of "same old same old" months were getting a workout on this new twist. It was a Mysterious Trader... but not the usual sort. The messages flying in the chat rooms showed that I was not alone in my speculation and appreciation.

What would this be all about? What would the outcome be?

Finally the last month came, and we met the new stranger face to face. He didn't look at me with a "piercing gaze", he had a bright twinkle in his eye. And gold? Not a breath about it. He simply wanted me to sit on his knee. That was the question it asked- "Sit on his knee?"

What did I have to lose? I said yes.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear but cheap land! It was the usual prize that the Mysterious Trader gave out... but this stranger left with a light and empty sleigh.

This happened twice more on the next day- Christmas day itself.

And from then till now, there's never been a breath about him. But I know he came, because I was there- and I caught him all three times. He never charged me anything, but the prizes were just as good as that mysterious man in the black cloak ever gives out.

But now it's coming Christmas time again. Will it happen again? I have no clue. For those of us who spend much or all of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at home, on the computer, in Second Life, playing Tiny Empires... we will have a chance to find out.

But I do know one thing. Yes, Virginia, there really was a Santa Trader.

Interview with Alamiga Anatine

Vulpine Eldrich: I'm here tonight with Queen Alamiga Anatine of Angels of the Empire. Thanks so much for making time for me, Alamiga :)

Alamiga Anatine: My Pleasure!

Vulpine Eldrich: So, tell me, what particular quality or affinity made you decide your kingdom was "Angels of the Empire"?

Alamiga Anatine: It's from the name of my dance troupe, Angels of Dance. The bulk of the Kingdom was made up of them. The Angels of Dance term came from a deceased friend. I had asked her what I should call my group. She said I was an Angel, and should call it likewise.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you perform dance here in Second Life?

Alamiga Anatine: Yes we go to various venues and dances. It’s donation based, more fun for members to gather, dance, and chat.

Vulpine Eldrich: And play TE while they dance, I take it :)

Alamiga Anatine: Well originally, no. But now many do, though it’s not a requirement to play TE.

Vulpine Eldrich: So what else do the members of the TE Angels kingdom do?

Alamiga Anatine: Many have clubs and their own businesses. I allow them to mention them in group chat, so we can see what others do. Or they can come to Jazz—I have the ballroom, TUX! and the Angel Clubhouse, which is rocking blues. Oh, and 7Seas fishing at the TE Common. (TE Common used to be called Sanctuary Gardens, but a new Kingdom sort of made that confusing.)

Vulpine Eldrich: So Jazz functions as a central meeting place for the Kingdom?

Alamiga Anatine: No, the Angel Clubhouse is for that.

Vulpine Eldrich: I see. And where did it all start in Tiny Empires... I assume you had the Dance group first, then one day- something- got you into Tiny Empires.

Alamiga Anatine: Members of the dance troupe kept bugging me to join. I was resistant to it for the longest time.

Vulpine Eldrich: So when you finally did join, you were a peasant amid friends who were already TE nobility?

Alamiga Anatine: I looked at what the game was about and decided that Queen was my goal, though most of us were low ranks at the time...

Vulpine Eldrich: So the kingdom was formed, in theory, from the moment you first stepped into it. How long did it take from that first step to actual ascension?

Alamiga Anatine: let see... Started trial 2008/02/27, ascended 138 days ago...

Vulpine Eldrich: So, roughly six months.

Alamiga Anatine: Yes, my path to royalty was delayed mid way by Ultra. I had about 490 acres when he changed the requirement from 500 personal to 1000.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you had to stop and get more personal land before continuing. That must have been a bitter moment.

Alamiga Anatine: Yes, it was frustrating.

Vulpine Eldrich: But you finally made it. And now that you're a Queen, what goals do you have?

Alamiga Anatine: To title everyone is one, and to keep Angels happy and drama free

Vulpine Eldrich: Have you ever had to seriously use any of the "punish" options in pursuit of that goal?

Alamiga Anatine: no

Vulpine Eldrich: Has there ever been anyone or anything that made you regret becoming a Queen?

Alamiga Anatine: Not really. There were those dramatic occasions... but they are all history.

Vulpine Eldrich: What advice, encouragement, or warnings would you give to someone wanting to become a Monarch?

Alamiga Anatine: Make sure you have a solid 20k acre foundation, never depend on promises. Starting in the minor Kingdoms is a little daunting

Vulpine Eldrich: Is that what you did?

Alamiga Anatine: I was at about 12k after ascension.

Vulpine Eldrich: And how did you get from there to number 26 in the Empire?

Alamiga Anatine: Well in the minor kingdoms, you have no title powers until 20k, so I used the website as a way to title people and recognize them. It’s something I still do.

Vulpine Eldrich: Very good! So others joined you, and now you have a good-sized kingdom. What's been the best part about the whole thing?

Alamiga Anatine: I get to give back to those who help me

Vulpine Eldrich: And how many people in the kingdom are there to give back to?

Alamiga Anatine: Oh, I really dont have a count! All of them!

Vulpine Eldrich: lol! Have you ever found yourself wishing for any other ways within the rules or features of the game to reward your subjects? Any concrete ideas as to how you'd like to be able to?

Alamiga Anatine: I think things like tracts of land should be more frequent. Abbots who do more than my directs would be great. And a constructive way to give gold would be nice.

Vulpine Eldrich: What about in general- any new features or ideas to add to the game lurking on your Christmas wish list?

Alamiga Anatine: Well Ultra has the Gold Bar thing he’s working on, hopefully that will be a tool of reward.

Vulpine Eldrich: What about the new viceroyalty feature? Have you used it, or plan to?

Alamiga Anatine: I will when I can, but presently I don’t have anyone in position to do so.

Vulpine Eldrich: Do you have any particular person or people in mind for the position?

Alamiga Anatine: Well the one closest to it, but she’s been away, so I haven’t had the chance to talk to her about it.

Vulpine Eldrich: Do you think it will slow the rate of ascensions any?

Alamiga Anatine: Well the position may slow it, but really it’s more of a helper role, their powers only come to life when I’m not online.

Vulpine Eldrich: At present, according to your website, we have 122 kingdoms in the Empire. Have you, or other monarchs, ever wondered if that's a few too many?

Alamiga Anatine: Oh yes, I've heard that complaint from my first day :) I don’t see it as an issue.

Vulpine Eldrich: lol and you were kingdom number what?

Alamiga Anatine: I think I was 70 something. Maybe 80's. I really didn’t pay attention to that when I got there..

Vulpine Eldrich: So, roughly 40 kingdoms created in 138 days

Alamiga Anatine: I’m not sure, Ultra would have the exact numbers. But yes, others and myself ascended en masse after the 1000 acre delay.

Vulpine Eldrich: So amid all of those dozens of kingdoms, how do you make Angels of the Empire unique?

Alamiga Anatine: Well, I run it openly, don’t hide secrets, the kingdom group is open invite, not a secret society like many kingdoms. I try to treat everyone the same, no matter their rank. That’s why I title everyone, as an example.

Vulpine Eldrich: At least on the website, and follow up in the actual kingdom as you can, I assume. What's the greatest number of times that you've given any one person a title?

Alamiga Anatine: Twice, but only because no one else was available. It’s better to title and give the 5 acres than not at all—it’s a cheap 5 acres for the Kingdom. 30M for a title, acres are 12M each for me.

Vulpine Eldrich: cheap at the price! So did you give them the same title over again?

Alamiga Anatine: Yes, you can give the same title, or change it if they wish. I let people pick their own. I think most Kingdoms do that, but many limit titles to higher ranks.

Vulpine Eldrich: In one form or the other, I'm sure they do. So, is there anything else interesting about your kingdom that I've missed?

Alamiga Anatine: Well, I hope people here find everyone helpful. My door is open for all. We don’t sabotage or retaliate, and try to avoid issues with other kingdoms.

Vulpine Eldrich: Well, your door was certainly open for me this evening. Thank you for the time and chat. May you have the best of success in your future endeavors!

Alamiga Anatine: Thank you Vulpine!

Interview with Buckaroo Mu

Vulpine Eldrich: Hello everyone! I'm here this evening with Prince Buckaroo Mu, who not only is King of nothing, but is the former King of Nothing. If that sounds confusing, perhaps he can help straighten us out. Buckaroo?

Buckaroo Mu: I certainly hope so! It's a long, difficult, confusing story, but I think we can get it all sorted.

Buckaroo Mu: A bit of history. I'd been with the Kingdom of Gianfar since before it was formed, technically - I started playing in early January 2008, in the Kingdom of Ayodhya, recruited by a friend of mine. My very first recruit was Soo Novi, a friend through the Dragons of Pern RP group. At the time, the DoP was going through a transition. The person who created and organized it was leaving SL and had given the group over to Soo. She was in the process of building the Gianfar Peaks sims, a 6-sim RP community based on the Dragonriders of Pern books to house the RP. With her help, my line blossomed more than I could possibly anticipate.

Buckaroo Mu: By the time I reached Prince, Soo became interested in having a Gianfar Kingdom - both to help get out the word about the RP, and to help build camaraderie within the RP group (among those who played TE, at least). She spoke to her good friend BigBadaBoom Bing, who was also part of the RP, had been playing TE longer than us both, and was prepared to ascend. He agreed to use the name Gianfar, with Soo's permission, and ascend, giving us the Kingdom we were interested in. We entered the lists at #16 on February 5th. A short six months and one day later, we became the largest Kingdom in the Empire.

Buckaroo Mu: We attributed this leap to the dedication we all put into the Kingdom. Everyone in the Kingdom was intent on helping out new players, and King Big (as we called him) was extraordinarily generous - we led the Empire in the number of Special Titles even before we became #1, he never missed an opportunity for tax amnesty, and we had a place to gather (in the Gianfar sims) for weekly parties, Trader appearances, and other gatherings. We kept alliances with any Kingdom that ascended from us, and some sister Kingdoms - meaning we all agreed not to bribe from each other. We had a strict no-sabotage policy, and banned recruiting from within the Kingdom. We had a HUD fund to help pay for full HUDs for new players.

Buckaroo Mu: I soon become the largest Prince in TE history, with over 350,000 total acres at my peak - at the time, over half of Gianfar's total. I (and many others) petitioned the Emperor for additional powers for high-level non-monarch players, to make operating a Kingdom of this size easier. I didn't know it at the time, but he had recently begun work to implement this via the Viceroyalty.

Buckaroo Mu: Unfortunately, we soon became just too big. We had a large number of people join us simply because we were the largest Kingdom. The group chat lost much of its friendly attitude. Some players began recruiting lines from within the Kingdom, and those that lost acres or rank took their frustrations out in chat. After one such incident, I spoke to the King, urgently requesting that we have more discipline within the Kingdom. By that time, Prison and Banishment had become options. He agreed to use these powers, despite the "negative publicity" it might put on the Kingdom. However, when it came down to it, the harshest penalty ever used was expulsion from the Chat Group.

Buckaroo Mu: Soo and I both spoke to the King several times about Abdication, which had also become an option. Soo still owned the rights to the name "Gianfar", and was rapidly becoming concerned by the negative image being associated with her business name through TE. At several points, King Bing agreed that his abdication, and passing the Kingdom to one of us, would be the best thing to do - but he never arranged it, and changed his mind every time.

Buckaroo Mu: We started losing lines in droves. The drama became thicker than the friendship. One day, I received word that two large lines under me were planning to leave the Kingdom. These were my friends, and they were running away. I convinced them both to stay with me, on the condition that I ascend to remove us from the Gianfar Kingdom. I saw it as the only option to keep us together, so I did it, on November 13th.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you ascended, and chose 'Nothing' for a kingdom name. That sounds like Ulysses telling the Cyclops his name was 'nobody'. Why... 'nothing'?

Buckaroo Mu: There are several reasons for the name "Nothing." First, my last name, Mu, is the Chinese ideogram for "No-Thing". Second, I thought it defined well the object of our Kingdom - no drama, no concern for numbers, no fighting to rise above other Kingdoms. We did not seek fame and fortune. We only wanted to play the game. And lastly, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for all those puns. Besides, when it comes down to it, all TE Monarchs are Kings or Queens of nothing - it's a game, it means nothing in RL.

Vulpine Eldrich: And yet, for something that means nothing, a lot of time and trouble is spent. But now the Kingdom is gone. Why?

Buckaroo Mu: Well, it was probably not destined to last. Being in a different Kingdom, without the name Gianfar, Soo Novi became worried about her copyright on the name of Gianfar. While King Bing was using it with her permission, she was concerned that she could be seen as not defending her copyright. She spoke with the Emperor, and with King Bing, at length about these issues, and about revoking King Bing's license to use the name. Again, at several points, the King agreed to abdicate to her, or change the name of his Kingdom - and then subsequently refused.

Buckaroo Mu: After several weeks of fruitless negotiation, she asked the Emperor if she could ascend using the Kingdom name "Gianfar Peaks", which would provide due diligence for her copyright. She and I spoke at length, and I agreed to support her as she had supported me for nearly a year. I agreed to abdicate and move under her once she ascended - and she agreed to take the core principals of Nothing with her. She'd been my most dedicated subject and a very good friend, I had to support her. On a personal note, I'd like to thank all of my subjects for trusting me, because they all suffered patiently through the abdication and came to Gianfar Peaks with me (despite a flood of recruitment offers from other Kingdoms).

Vulpine Eldrich: And now Soo is your liege. So how has all of this played out within the Gianfar sims themselves, with people - I assume- in two TE kingdoms instead of mostly one?

Buckaroo Mu: There are three types of reaction to all of this. The largest contingent stayed happily in whichever Kingdom they preferred - a lot of swapping back and forth happened in the times around both ascensions.

Buckaroo Mu: A smaller number said nothing - and just followed their liege. Possibly alts, possibly those who aren't playing anymore - or just those without strong opinion.

Buckaroo Mu: Regretfully, there are some people within the original Gianfar Kingdom who continued to stir up problems - starting rumors about Gianfar Peaks, and making personal attacks on Soo and many of her subjects. Soo continued to discuss the problem with BigBadaBoom Bing, who continued to ignore it. Thankfully, the discussions have finally born fruit before the lawyers had to be called into action. King Bing has finally agreed to stop using the name, and has requested that the Emperor change the name of his Kingdom from "Gianfar" to "Paradise", and has created a group for the Kingdom's players and started moving them into it. I am very happy that this situation was able to be resolved without the use of the courts, and regret that it had to come so close to that.

Vulpine Eldrich: So where does the name 'Gianfar' come from?

Buckaroo Mu: Gianfar is one of the names of the last star in the Draco constellation, the tip of the tail. Soo found it while looking for good Sim names for the Dragons of Pern RP group, and loved it. She searched most thoroughly to make sure no-one else was using it, RL or SL, and chose it for her business name as well - clothing, boots, and such. It has become the base name for the Gianfar Peaks estate, and the website where our RP meets.

Vulpine Eldrich: So it hasn't been used anywhere but here, at least as in regards to anything relating to Pern.

Buckaroo Mu: Correct. Or, that is, not that we know of.

Vulpine Eldrich: So as you look back, do you ever find yourself thinking "if he did this " or "if she hadn't done that", it could have all been avoided?

Buckaroo Mu: Very much so. I must first say that I have nothing but respect for BigBadaBoom Bing and the Kingdom he helped to build - yet, the lack of discipline, and the fact that it became more about being #1 than being family - these are the real points where things started to fall apart.

Vulpine Eldrich: So what would you do if you had the number one kingdom?

Buckaroo Mu: Hahah - I could never see it happening. When you get that large, too many people come to the Kingdom just to be close to the top - and those are the trouble-makers. If I suddenly were King of the largest kingdom, I would encourage ascensions :D

Vulpine Eldrich: lol, well how many ascensions were there from Gianfar- that you know of, I suppose I should add.

Buckaroo Mu: Big could tell you off the top of his head - he seems to keep records of everything. I would say, if you include ascensions from daughter-kingdoms, it would be on the order of 7.

Vulpine Eldrich: How big was it at its peak, in acreage?

Buckaroo Mu: Such numbers were apparently state secrets. However, I can tell you that when I left, I held over half of Gianfar's total acres, at 350,000. My guess would be on the order of 600,000, at its peak. I can tell you that it was larger than any of us ever anticipated.

Vulpine Eldrich: And now Gianfar (aka Paradise) is #2 and Gianfar Peaks is #13. Do you see either of those ranks changing significantly soon?

Buckaroo Mu: Well, I can't say - nothing in TE is fixed. I can tell you, however, that Gianfar Peaks is not interested in Rank. Our focus is playing the game because we enjoy it, not because we want to "win".

Vulpine Eldrich: How would you define "win"?

Buckaroo Mu: I don't, really. In TE, there is no "win". Unfortunately, some people in TE do have a definition for it - being #1. Being on top of the Empire. Those are, in general, the people who caused much of the problems with Gianfar - by poaching lines from other lieges, even within the Kingdom. I have been at the top. I was the largest prince in TE history, in the largest Kingdom in TE history. If that's winning, I want nothing to do with it.

Vulpine Eldrich: So have you left all of the troublemakers behind, now that you're in Gianfar Peaks?

Buckaroo Mu: I can't possibly believe that we've left all the troublemakers behind. I hope that we have. If someone does cause trouble within Gianfar Peaks, they'll be dealt with - first, by trying to work with them to find out what the issue is. Many of the problems we had in Gianfar were players who were never contacted by a new liege, or whose liege would move lines out from under them without consultation. We're trying to foster communication, and make sure that any move is coordinated ahead of time and with the consent of all involved.

Buckaroo Mu: However, if we find a situation that refuses to be dealt with diplomatically, we will exercise the option of banishment - something that King Bing was loathe to do, because "other kingdoms might use it against us"

Vulpine Eldrich: So if you had the whole thing to do over again, what sort of thing(s) would you have done differently?

Buckaroo Mu: The way I ascended was, I openly admit, horribly under-planned. I felt rushed, and was only able to give any notice to a handful of my downline, and that only a few minutes. Much of my downline was furious - their loyalty was to the King, rather than to their direct liege - and nearly half my line returned to Gianfar within an hour of my ascension. If I could do it again, I would have assured those who wanted to leave that I was ascending soon, but would have given the rest of the Kingdom a little warning.

Buckaroo Mu: Part of me wonders if they would have left if they had realized that, at my ascension, I was larger than what remained of Gianfar. No-one knew this because I didn't show up on the map until the Emperor approved my Kingdom name, and by that time, I had sunk to 19th place. Another, larger, part of me doesn't care - because the people who cared about rank aren't the people I wanted in my Kingdom. And they aren't the kind of people we want in Gianfar Peaks, either.

Vulpine Eldrich: Has there been anything good to come out of this? It seems like so much trouble.

Buckaroo Mu: Yes, there have been good things and bad things.

Buckaroo Mu: Best part: Getting to a place that feels like home. This feels like TE used to, before Gianfar became the #1 Kingdom. Everyone's happy and friendly, and working to help each other.

Buckaroo Mu: Worst part: Losing friends. Seeing people spit out vile lies, rumors, and accusations about what was behind this all. And most of all, seeing some of the same people who caused all of the mistrust and drama gloat about all of those accusations, and prod them further along when things started to quiet down.

Buckaroo Mu: Other best part: Seeing some people recognize what those people are doing, and call them on it. And then there were the puns....

Buckaroo Mu: I tried to come up with a new pun for each tax amnesty (30% of Nothing = Nothing), title/acre giveaway (/me gives Prince Whoever 5 acres of Nothing, because 5 acres of Nothing is better than Nothing), etc. My one regret is that no-one ever followed up an acre giveaway with "Thanks for Nothing!"

Vulpine Eldrich: What would you say if someone else decided to use 'Nothing' for a kingdom name?

Buckaroo Mu: I certainly wouldn't object. I think more people need to see this game as... well, a game, and have fun with it. I would heartily endorse a new King of Nothing (or Queen), but they wouldn't be getting me as a subject.

Buckaroo Mu: They'd probably get tired of me suggesting puns for them, though :P

Vulpine Eldrich: hmmmm perhaps I should tell my PunSlingers group.... no, that would be too much of a good thing.

Buckaroo Mu: Hahahah

Vulpine Eldrich: So it would seem a lot of problems were caused by just too many people and not enough management. How does the new viceroyalty position affect that equation?

Buckaroo Mu: The Viceroyalty is the first step of a long-needed change. The Emperor himself said he never envisioned such "mega-kingdoms", so never envisioned the need for a non-monarch with near-monarch powers. The Viceroyalty is a step in the right direction, and I think he's said he may add further powers to the position in the future. It's going to become necessary. Right now, too many people are at the point where they have no reason to put the hud on other than to pass land down, or ascend. The Viceroyalty gives them further options.

Buckaroo Mu: Just since the Viceroyalty was announced, within hours there were a great number of them given out - which tells you how many people were capped, and ready to ascend, but not wanting to leave the kingdom they were in. That's where I was for a long, long time.

Vulpine Eldrich: So you think it will slow the number of ascensions?

Buckaroo Mu: Definitely. Those people who've capped, who've taken the Path to Royalty but not the Ascension, now have an option to stay with the Kingdom they love (if they so choose), and be of more use to the Kingdom, without risking friendships over ascension

Vulpine Eldrich: I'm told there are 122 kingdoms in the empire now. Have you ever wondered if that's too many?

Buckaroo Mu: Well, a number of those are "inactive" Kingdoms - monarchs who quit playing before abdication was an option, and encouraged their subjects to move to other Kingdoms. At the same time, I'm sure the Emperor never anticipated such growth. The popularity of the game doesn't seem to be waning, though, and with new people joining SL all the time, I don't see it ever "ending". I personally would like to see other options - separate empires, a rank above King.

Vulpine Eldrich: Another Emperor?

Buckaroo Mu: Multiple Emperors. Remove Ultralite from the game, or make him a recognized omnipotent force (rather than just "The Emperor"). I could see a couple of options - don't allow interaction between Empires, which would be like having separate instances of the game itself; or do allow, and just have the higher position as a reward for the best players.

Vulpine Eldrich: Are we talking ascension from Emperor to Diety?

Buckaroo Mu: Yes, make Ultralite Diety rather than sole Emperor.

Vulpine Eldrich ponders what an Ultralite diety would be like, then decides to just ask the next question....

Vulpine Eldrich: So are there any other ideas you have for making things more interesting for TE players?

Buckaroo Mu: I had an idea that the Emperor has ruled right out, but I still like it - War. Right now, there is only one way to lose acres - sabotage. I'd love to see a way for players who've gotten "too big" to be brought down, give them further options for play. Don't ask me how I'd implement it, though. It's just a thought.

Vulpine Eldrich: Still, an interesting idea. So now that you've been through all of this history, is there anything left for you to do in Tiny Empires? Is there any reason to not just sit back and say "I've done it all, have fun everyone"?

Buckaroo Mu: My plans are to stay with Gianfar Peaks until I can't stand to wear the HUD anymore - i.e., for a very long time. Soo would like to reward me for my past leadership with a Viceroy position, and I intend to accept as soon as I am eligible. I am happy to say that, due to the timing of the introduction of Viceroyalty, and the circumstances surrounding my ascension and abdication, the Emperor has granted me the boon of shortening my "Abdication Penalty" from six months to one - meaning I can start the Path to Royalty again at the end of December rather than May, and get the Viceroy position that much faster. I believe he did this because he agreed with me that this kind of position could have prevented, or at least mitigated to some degree, the kind of problem that caused the fracture within Gianfar to begin with. The whole point of TE is to meet people and make friends. The Emperor has said that TE is all about socializing. That's what I intend to use it for.

Vulpine Eldrich: That sounds like a perfect plan to me! So when do I get to chat with your Queen and find out her history firsthand? :)

Buckaroo Mu: I'm sure she'd welcome it, but please! Wait a few weeks. The Gianfar Peaks sims are undergoing renovation starting next weekend, due to the Open Spaces changes. We're going from 2 full/4 open to 3 full/1 open, and that means a LOT of rebuilding. She's swamped with it.

Vulpine Eldrich: Well it sounds like you all have your hands full with everything. Best of luck with it, and thank you for telling me your story! Did I miss anything interesting in it?

Buckaroo Mu: No, I think that about covers all the important parts. I hope it helps people understand what happened, and why.

Vulpine Eldrich: I'm sure it'll be at least a good start.