3 Years Worth Of Kudos!

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SneakyDaCat
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Joined: Tue May 19, 2020 12:54 am

3 Years Worth Of Kudos!

Post by SneakyDaCat » Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:39 am

Hello everyone, I hope you're doing well and are enjoying a fine Summer if its Summer in your stretch of Earth.

I've was introduced to NWN and Arelith around the time that the enhanced edition came out by an amazing friend who I still rp alongside today. In the ~3 years I've been apart of the community I've never written kudos to anybody! But today I hope to change that.

I've met hundreds of really unique people and characters during my time in Arelith. But I really wanted to narrow down and give kudos to those who really have influenced and have inspired me. In order to do so and at the same time avoid boring anyone. I've narrowed this kudos down to just 9 people. 4 who I thought had a big impact on roleplay, 3 who really inspired me to be the character builder I am today, and last but certainly not least 2 staff members.

Keep in mind, this is throughout my entire time within Arelith so some of these players are still active, others not so much.



-Roleplay-
Roleplay comes obviously first and foremost in the server, so I thought it was only fitting it comes first here as well.

Ari-Satiah (TabletopDM) - When I first entered Arelith, other than playing the campaign for one hour. I had little to no knowledge of DND lore and lesser knowledge on how to play the game. I was overwhelmed to say the least. Despite all that there will still players who were able to get me wrapped up into intricate and fun roleplay storylines. Ari-Satiah was a well thought out and influential character who was able to do just that. In Arelith there are plenty of times where you can walk about and interact with other players. But it really takes something special to make other characters feel as if they're wrapped up in something bigger than themselves.

I didn't exactly roleplay with this unique character very long. But as a new player it was great to see how powerful and fun roleplay could be when it was done right.

Einar Skaldbreaker (Pemander) - When players fully engage themselves in their roleplay. It is easy to get immersed into the world and feel almost as if you were there. Einar was one of those characters that really reeled you in and kept your eyes glued to the screen. Everything from the backstory, to the accent, and even silly moments were so well considered and crafted that you could probably relate Einar to someone you actually knew in real life. In my time in Arelith, I still have never met a character as authentic.

Naturally this led to a lot of awesome scenarios I don't think I'll forget anytime soon. Tragedies and hardships Einar faced made you feel sad and pity for him. When great things happened you felt a genuine happiness for him. All the elements for a great immersive experience were just there and I know Pemander is still active. So if you get a chance to stumble into one of his characters I'm certain you are in for a fun time.

Emily Bitterbloom - I typically don't engage in political roleplay. I find that it often takes up a lot of time scheming just for things to not be impactful. However, Emily Bitterbloom was a perfect example of a political figure done right. Emily was constantly interacting with the community she aimed to serve and if you needed some strings pulled or something lined up she could have it done in a timely manner with no hiccups. Emily was a prime example of how much weight and influence a character could build just by helping and being dedicated to a settlement on the server. And the fact the community came together to make something like that possible is really cool.

Emily had solid character design backed by really impactful roleplay. What more could you ask for in a role model PC?

Huron (Al) - On my current character whenever I bump into Huron we always end up engaging in some form of threatening to beat each other up, actually beating each other up, or finding something else to go beat up which is...awesome?

Seriously though, I haven't spent that much time roleplaying alongside Huron but the idea of having a constantly changing dynamic relationship between characters is not something I've experienced to this extent on the server before. As odd as it is I actually find it really refreshing. There are times when I frankly don't know what to expect when roleplaying with Al. Which really helps the roleplay not just be...more of the same every time we bump into each other.

Overall, I think that concept of a constantly changing relationship is really cool and I'd love to see more of it on the server. So if you haven't had the opportunity to roleplay with Al and you are reading this. You are missing out!



-Building-
Full-disclosure: I love building character sheets in NWN. It is so much fun piecing everything together to find that character and that unique combination of classes that fits exactly to your playstyle.

Wandering Poet - Poet was the first player I met who really showed me how cool and fun building can be. I remember sitting there on my first character in the PGCC who was a stealthy AA setup I was given by a friend when Poet came into the testing area and whipped out his spellsword build. His cool glowy sword, flashy magic, and tons of utility left me in awe.

Futhermore, Poet was kind enough to let me see his sheet and use the build myself. He was patient with me and answered the hundreds of questions I asked.

Garrbear - Garr, if you're reading this. I want to start of by saying you have the patience of a saint. Seriously, I asked you /soooooo/ many questions so often. Why does this do this and why would I take this? I had no idea what I was doing, and looking back on it so many of the questions I asked seem like common sense to me today. I distinctly remember asking you what AB was...yeah it was bad.

You helped me learn the basics of DND combat when you didn't have to. Explained the most basic concepts over and over again when I got confused, and even showed me how you could add some fun variety to builds and still be effective. I'm extremely thankful for all the time and dedication you put into helping me as a new player, and I think your dedication and honesty as a contributor shows how much you really care about the community.

Barky - I know this is likely to be unpopular. But my favorite class to play by far is monk. I've played DOZENS of different class combinations and characters and nothing is quite as satisfying to me as running up, hitting a enemy with a flurry of punches and downing them with that cheeky roundhouse kick animation.

When I first started playing monk it wasn't played as much as it is currently. At the time the class, while still very effective. Had been nerfed 2 times with a gear nerf on the way. So players weren't to inspired to pick up the class. But that didn't stop Barky from churning out some awesome monk builds that still inspire and influence my characters today. I don't believe Barky is active in the community anymore (I may be wrong) but his builds and the building concepts he taught me still inspire me today. Which is pretty cool.



-Staff-
Where would we be without them? I don't want to know.

DM Avalon Soul - DM Avalon Soul is a great example of someone who has dedicated a lot of time and energy to helping players, but also respects the systems that the DM team has in place to ensure every player and every request brought to the team is handled fairly. When I was new and even today, whenever I need clarification on a rule and specific events Avalon Soul has always been willing to clarify and explain how rules are understood and enforced. Whenever I needed help learning how to apply for PrC tokens or where to request a relevel. They have always directed me to the appropriate resources.

The DM team is understandably heavily bogged down with so many reports and request I wouldn't be surprised if being a DM simply felt like a second job. I think it can lead to sometimes players and the DM team getting frustrated. I have always felt comfortable approaching Soul with a question. Which serves as a testament to why they are great member of the team!

Trenn Muddynose (DangerDolphin) - You had the pleasure of joining me and 2 other players in our first adventures in Arelith. I think every player can probably recount their first run through of the menacing Cordor Crypt or the vile sewer rat gang! I can only imagine how funny, yet frustrating it might be to rely on a team of 3 new players who know absolutely nothing about what they're doing. That being said much like a mother duck you were patient and guided us through our rough beginnings of the server until we were ready to waddle off on our own. I am super thankful for that, and some of Trenn's art still lurks in the server years later. How neat!

On top of being a fun, patient, and helping. You are also a great addition to the contributor team. You have in my experience always made well considered changes that improve the experience on the server. I have faith that any changes that you will bring in the future will be great!


-Closing-
I don't want to make this post much longer. I hope these kudos are well received and wanted to end off this post by thanking the entire Arelith community. I'm not disappearing or anything and still plan to play frequently. But none of these great memories and stories I've enjoyed would be possible without the players, staff, and the people who went above and beyond to help and influence me. I hope everyone can take something from this post and truly appreciate the special environment that Arelith offers.

I look forward to roleplaying and interacting with you all in the future.

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