Interview with Francine Susanti August 18, 2012

Toni Stradling: I am very thrilled to be here today with the queen herself of our realm, Francine many thanks for finding the time to be with us today

Francine Susanti: My pleasure

Toni Stradling: Perhaps we could start by asking what appealed to you about the empires game which helped you to decide to not only join it but to take such an active role?

Francine Susanti:  Actually, I think I just wanted to be in the "in" crowd, like be accepted by some of my friends. So when I was asked to play Tiny Empires, I accepted without thinking.
Francine Susanti: The active role? well.. I like to "help", I like to be the "assistant" so.. I kind of just fell into the role naturally I think.

Toni Stradling: when you started to play this game did you at once have an ambition to do well in it or did this grow over the time that you played it?

Francine Susanti: I never had the ambition for myself. I wanted to help Rexx, to make him proud of me, our line, our organization, and then finally our realm. 

Toni Stradling: yes my question was badly worded, would you say that being in Empires has increased the enjoyment of second life in general? 

Francine Susanti: I don't think that your question was worded poorly, it was a good question, I needed to really think about it. First one too! Tiny Empires has given me a reason to sign into SL every day. To come back for more. So many of my friends (past and present) have an involvement in Tiny Empires, some because I pulled them into the game, others because of the common enjoyment of it.

Toni Stradling: Many I have interviewed have commented on how much they prefer The Charm Kingdom to others they have been in and commented on your role in a positive manner, may I ask you what you think are the main characteristics needed to be a good queen or king of an Empires realm?

Francine Susanti: That is a tough question. I've heard so many stories about other realms...
Francine Susanti: and how they are.. But I wonder if it’s just the personalities that need to be matched
Francine Susanti: King Rexx, Queen Blaize, some of our other friends that started playing Tiny Empires with us, just have fairly laid back personalities. The players that have stuck with us are our friends, have the same kind of personality I think.
Francine Susanti: For all those who have stayed we've had just as many leave.
Francine Susanti: Our line in Tiny Empires was mostly a bunch of people who were already friends, starting up a new thing in SL basically.

Toni Stradling: If people leave do you ascertain the reasons for why they do this, or do you just adopt a philosophical approach?

Francine Susanti: lol i don’t understand the question :)

Toni Stradling: if someone leaves the Charm Kingdom do you try and find out why they took that decision?

Francine Susanti: In the past I did, sometimes I'd follow up at length with them. Many times they just seem to have more ambition and want more help to be successful in the game than we are able to provide.

Toni Stradling: Other than persuading me to play this game are there any other things that you now regret about your involvement in Empires?

Francine Susanti: LOL silly man. Quite the opposite. Very happy that you were willing to put up with me so many years ago, so late at night (well for me) to learn the game. Now let's see do I have regrets?
Francine Susanti: I kind of wish I ascended early in Tiny Empires. For no reason other than notoriety I think. Other than that, Tiny Empires has only increased the adventures in SL.

Toni Stradling: Would you care to enlarge on that? Did you have the opportunity of ascending earlier or are you referring to not completing the royal path as quickly as possible?

Francine Susanti: Oh I could have ascended before the path to royalty.
Francine Susanti: I just didn't.. was a bittersweet idea, to leave playing for Rexx and Charm and move onto our own realm. Part of me was afraid everyone would leave to go back to Charm, the rest of me just didn't know if it would be as exciting if we were on our own
Francine Susanti: Keeping Charm in top 10 or top 12 was also important to me. If I had left, and everyone stayed with me, Charm wouldn't have held it's same rank. The thought of that truly bothered me. Like all that work we did together would be different in one click (ok maybe 2)

Toni Stradling: After you did take this difficult decision were there any times when you  wished you had not?

Francine Susanti: Was there a time that I wished I had ascended? Sure!
Francine Susanti: Always had that urge.. What if.. What if we just struck out on our own.. we could decide what we wanted to do, how we'd do it.. Etc  
Francine Susanti: I even reserved a name with the Emperor in case I decided to ascend.
 
Toni Stradling: Would you care to outline the circumstances from ascending to your own kingdom to the situation we have now with you being The Queen of all of Charm?
 
Francine Susanti: Well.. it really comes down to the same situation. Do I ascend, and leave behind all the work we all put in together for Charm and start over?
Francine Susanti: Or, do we stick with Charm, and I hold onto it until Rexx comes back (if ever). After speaking with the other direct players under Rexx, we decided we all would rather stay in Charm and make a go of it. Keep the name alive. We are an old realm, none of us wanted to see it disappear.
Francine Susanti: See, maybe its important to say.. but Rexx and I kind of had a 50/50 split with the acres. If my line left, just us alone, Charm would be 1/2 as powerful as it was.
Francine Susanti: Now, that could have made things really interesting.. Rexx would likely bounce back and be on top again, but if he didn't I'd always feel guilty for leaving.

Toni Stradling: I am sure it must have been quite difficult for you to take over from him, may i ask how you think the changeover has gone?

Francine Susanti: Oyy tough question lol. Yes it was difficult. At first I didn’t mind just playing with an absent monarch, it was ok with me, and seemed to be ok with others. But then, we started to lose many acres.. lost 20K , then another 15K, and that really upset me.
Francine Susanti: Then, another monarch started to message me, telling me to leave Charm, it was a dead realm, I was doing my downline an injustice
Francine Susanti: and well that just pissed me off :)
Francine Susanti: So thats why the transition for me to become a monarch, because if that monarch was annoying me, he must've been annoying others
Francine Susanti: and I wasn't going to tolerate that. At least not without a fight :)
Francine Susanti: so my sadness that Charm was sleeping was overridden by trying to bring us back to where we were.
Francine Susanti: I think I got off track there. Sorry about that.

Toni Stradling: Yes I think we can all appreciate that but maybe for the benefit of newer players you could explain how the kingdom loses areas if the monarch is not active?
 
Francine Susanti: I think it goes back to wha t I said about personality. Like I got angry when someone said I was doing an injustice to my downline
Francine Susanti: because we had an inactive monarch.
Francine Susanti: Someone else might have thought.. hey yeah you are right, I should be somewhere else. So they leave to go somewhere else.
Francine Susanti: Taking their acres with them.

Toni Stradling: ahhhh I see and people were actually leaving because we had a monarch who could not come on anymore?

Francine Susanti: yes

Toni Stradling: Thank you for explaining that..

Francine Susanti: I think you explained it lol

Toni Stradling: On the net I found some comments of yours about your personal relationships on here I wonder if you would comment on if you feel being so active has helped or hindered these, some for example say that it creates a problem if their partner wants to go somewhere where the hud does not work?

Francine Susanti: I only had one relationship affected by Tiny Empires. He didn't want to play, didn't like that I was playing.. Etc. It was an abrupt break up. About a year later he was a monarch in Tiny Empires, so.. go figure.

Toni Stradling: how very odd

Francine Susanti: People are odd. Can't explain them, just got to ride the wave :)
Francine Susanti: For years I've been avoiding places that don't allow scripts (where the HUD wouldn't work). It has become completely second nature to me.

Toni Stradling: I imagine that a person in your position finds it hard to have a private life on here, in the sense that you have to be available all the time to deal with any Kingdom issues have you adopted to this?

Francine Susanti: My SL has been like that since I put the HUD on, so like what.. 5 years? I don't remember a time that I wasn’t “on call". It helps to have understanding friends around you, or those who are also caught up in the madness.

Toni Stradling: Well you seem to be very good at it you know if I receive two instant messages in the same week I find it hard to cope with; may I ask you about this land?  Could you explain how it connects with Charm and who it actually belongs to?

Francine Susanti: The land we are standing on where the castle is? It belongs to King Rexx, his friends from AMS (his group) and myself.
Francine Susanti: The connection basically is that it seemed common practice for realms to have a place to meet, greet, hang out with other members of the realm. So Rexx and some of his friends got together and purchased Charmed Beach Isle. We've had many Charmer's live here for a time, and anyone can come and wander around if they wanted.

Toni Stradling: Thank you I did not realise that people lived here, and thank you for your airplane on the space game, may I ask you about that game. How involved are you and how it compares with the original Empires game?

Francine Susanti: hold on its getting dark I gotta turn on a light :)
Francine Susanti: ok. back
Francine Susanti: I am very involved in Tiny Empires 3000 (or TE3K). I play it just as much as I do regular Tiny Empires. I happy to say I've been able to right a wrong from years ago and now play for Blaize Korobase, who was my first liege in the regular Tiny Empires game.
Francine Susanti: I think the space version of the game is much harder than regular Tiny Empires. You need a lot more support (downline) than in regular Tiny Empires. Definitely a better game for a group of people than an individual.

Toni Stradling: May I ask you to tell us what that wrong was that you mention and if you would also like to "ascend" on the 3000 version?

Francine Susanti: The wrong: I left my original liege (Blaize Korobase) because I didn't understand the game enough at the time that she ascended. Had I understood, I could have prepared my downline for the change, and asked enough questions to know whether I should stay with Blaize or run home to Charm. See, when you ascend, one of the fun parts is that you get your realm name on the map. But to stay on the map you must keep 20K acres. When I left Blaize to go back to Charm, her new realm fell off the map because they dipped under the 20K mark. I always felt bad about that. So now, I play for her!
Francine Susanti: Yes I do want to ascend in 3K. But like I said it takes a lot of people to help, and its taking me a long time to get to where I want my players to be before I ascend.
Francine Susanti: Also.. don't want Blaize to fall off the map again!!

Toni Stradling: right I had better buy a ship then, clicks his hud.  You recently re started the Charm parties which I for one do enjoy when ehm my alarm works, May I ask you what the aim is of these are they a method of recruitment or a place to meet other Charm members?

Francine Susanti: The parties are mainly a way for Charmers to be social together.
Francine Susanti: The parties are open to anyone who wants to come, and sometimes we do get new comers. So that's always fun.

Toni Stradling: Indeed, are there any changes you would make to either of the empires games if you had the opportunity to do so?

Francine Susanti: Actually one of them would have been what Ultralite just did, give people who aren't interested in recruiting or cultivating a downline another way to continue to be involved with the game.
Francine Susanti: I just wish it would allow a way for people who were capped with acres and gold a way to continue to grow or assist the realm itself somehow

Toni Stradling: Sorry I have missed this what has Ultralite just done?

Francine Susanti: He has added a quest to the game.

Toni Stradling: ahhhh yes of course it must have ehm slipped my mind. May i finally ask you about the future Francine, What do you hope for in the game?

Francine Susanti: To be the Number 1 realm of course!! LOL kidding!!
Francine Susanti: Seriously I hope that we continue to grow as a realm, enjoy our time together and cultivate stronger friendships. My friends in TE are a very important part of my regular day to day life; I look forward to their company, their stories and sharing our SL/TE experiences together.

Toni Stradling: Francine many thanks for sparing the time to answer these questions i hope that you will continue your involvement in the Empires game for many years to come.

Francine Susanti: Again, pleasure is all mine. I appreciate the time that you take out of your SL to conduct the interviews
Francine Susanti: and hope that we can continue to find out about our entire fellow Charmers in future interviews.
Francine Susanti: Have a good Sunday!

Angels and Demons Party - Nov 17, 2012

Took awhile for us to get this one together, mostly because of pesky Sandy (hurricane), but we did, and had a blast! Corvan and Lundy were our DJ and hostess, 91 took care of the decorations  and they all did a smashing job! Thanks as always! And now, on with the photos :)

 91

 Corvan

 Francine

 Gina

 Lundy

 Mb

 Poldi

 Rorke

 Toni

 Overview of the dance floor - day

Overview of the dance floor - night

Interview with MissGina Box - September 18, 2012

Toni Stradling: ok I am here on the beach today with MissGina Box who has kindly given up some of her time to tell us something about her second life and her playing of the empires game.  Gina welcome

MissGina Box: Thank you Toni
  
Toni Stradling: may I start by asking you if you have been in second life all the time since you started here in 2007?

MissGina Box: No I took a couple of years off, I've only recently been back, say a month or two

Toni Stradling: ahhh I think many also take a break and then come back

MissGina Box:  I used to play with my husband but things went a little bit wrong on that front...  I decided to stay out of the way for a while

Toni Stradling: I see and when did you start to become involved in the empires game and how did you hear about it?

MissGina Box: The short answer is 91 Luminos
MissGina Box:  I do have a longer one if you want to hear it :)

Toni Stradling: of course we do

MissGina Box: OK then.  When I returned I went back to working in clubs and going to the places I used to...
MissGina Box: but I wasn't really enjoying that side of SL anymore, so I started drifting about checking out new places
MissGina Box: I wandered into a castle that I rather took a shine to and rather cheekily asked if I could stay there for a bit
MissGina Box: The owner was kind enough to agree and turned out to be a very niice person indeed...
MissGina Box: he gave me a trial HUD and although I was a little less than enthusiastic at first, once I started playing I was immediately hooked  
MissGina Box: So yes, after avoiding the game for years, I immediately became addicted,probably why i avoided it in the first place

Toni Stradling: well I think certainly at first it can be very addictive
Toni Stradling: and this fine upstanding young man was 91?

MissGina Box: Yes, it was.

Toni Stradling: and how has playing the game changed your second life Gina?

MissGina Box: It's certainly given me something to do when attending some of the more tedious events lol
MissGina Box: Indirectly it has led to my new SL career, which is another long and convoluted story...
MissGina Box: one perhaps not to share

Toni Stradling: well our readers love long and convulted stories
Toni Stradling: ahhh let us move on then

MissGina Box: oh no, it's nothing sordid, it involves some strategic options I've adopted

Toni Stradling: oh do tell if you wish to

MissGina Box: Oh ok, it's probably quite obvious to anyone that cares to look that there are some alts in my downline

Toni Stradling: ahhh

MissGina Box: I know, it's a controversial subject, I didn't want to use them at first myself
MissGina Box: but you have to fight fire with fire
MissGina Box: I found another use for them as actors in my theatre productions,  if they happen to play a bit of TE in their breaks who am i to say no

Toni Stradling: As you say this issue is very controversial, but in your case from their names it is clear to everyone that they are your alts so that is an honest way of doing it

MissGina Box: oh yes, I really don't approve of using them for anything sneaky, they even look just like me
MissGina Box: I did spend a long time actively trying to recruit subjects with no success
MissGina Box: It's a lot more fun with real people in your line

Toni Stradling: this is very true and I think we all understand the difficulty of recruiting people for here
Toni Stradling: may i ask you about those theatre productions you mention, are they for the public or are they just private things?

MissGina Box: At the moment I've yet to successfully complete a rehearsal, I've been having problems controlling several alts at once
 
Toni Stradling: well as anyone will tell you I am very fond of drama on here so please consider me for a small role sometime

MissGina Box: That would be fantastic! I need as much help as I can get right now
MissGina Box: I need actors, set designers, scriptwriters etc etc
MissGina Box: It's a new venture and I have no real idea of what I'm doing, just trying to pick it up on the way

Toni Stradling: Perhaps this is the beauty of second life that it gives us a chance to do something we can not in our real one

MissGina Box: Indeed,  It's a safe way to try something different, I think if I tried to run a theatre in real life I'd be bankrupt in no time

Toni Stradling: unless Andrew Lloyd weber writes the music for you.  Returning to the Empires game are there any changes you would make in it if you had the power to do so?

MissGina Box: Hmm,  I think it would be interesting if there were more opportunity to sell land at a profit, oh and the ability to poison your liege and immediately capture their line of course lol

Toni Stradling: well I am told that 91 has a number of antidotes available due to his success recently in the quest so your efforts could be in vain

MissGina Box: oh but wouldn't it be fun?  Possibly more historically accurate too

Toni Stradling: You do have a good point there but I think in medieval times they tended to marry them first before poisoning them and maybe that is not a good idea on the Empires game

MissGina Box: Wasn't that some unwritten rule in the game at some point?
MissGina Box: You had to perform services for your liege?

Toni Stradling: Oh I had not heard of that but maybe that explains why The queen makes me clean this castle on a weekly basis

MissGina Box: Ah see!  I have to clean 91's boots every morning.

Toni Stradling: May I ask you about your aspirations in this game, would you like to have your own kingdom?

MissGina Box: I'm not sure... with great power comes great responsibility and I'm not the most responsible of people

Toni Stradling: yes I think it is very time consuming and you perhaps have to be on call all the time

MissGina Box: I haven't thought about anything beyond becoming a Princess, most of my friends are by now and I'm getting princess envy

Toni Stradling: how close are you to achieving that?

MissGina Box: About 462 acres close right now (Editor's note: MissGina has since become a Princess of Charm)

Toni Stradling: well we hope you can achieve that soon.
Toni Stradling: May I ask you if you would like this kingdom Charm to be doing anything it is not at present?

MissGina Box: It would be nice to have some more social events to attend, I do like to meet people in our kingdom

Toni Stradling: good point, but of course the problem i guess is that whenever you hold them is not convenient for someone as this runs 24 hours and we are all in different time zones

MissGina Box: Yes it's the perennial problem of SL especially for those of us that live in Europe, all the fun seems to start after bedtime

Toni Stradling: what kind of social events would you like to see?

MissGina Box: Ah that doesn't really matter anything where there's plenty of people around to chat with is fine by me
MissGina Box: but perhaps some sporting events would be fun, we could have a kingdonwide football league

Toni Stradling: do we have to wear shorts?

MissGina Box: of course you do, theyd be no point otherwise

Toni Stradling: well as long as I am not expected to remove my tie

MissGina Box: I'm wondering how all the alts would fair in the contest though

Toni Stradling: another person suggested princess parties ie a party when someone became a princess what do you think of that idea?

MissGina Box: I think that is a very good idea indeed sir, we should start doing it immediately LOL

Toni Stradling: ha ha or wait till you become one?

MissGina Box: I'll throw a party myself, the whole Kingdom is invited but it could get a little cramped at my place

Toni Stradling: well yes I am sure you have many friends on here to invite, May I ask you how you react if say one of your friends invites you to a place where the empires hud does not work?

MissGina Box: Oh I make my excuses and leave, but seriously it's a pain when you go shopping most of the malls are no script these days and I do like to take my time in such places

Toni Stradling: when I need to buy something on here which is normally once a year I tend to use market place

MissGina Box:  yes, you don't get it do you?  It's the act of shopping that's important not what you buy
MissGina Box: I have an inventory full of things I've brought and never worn

Toni Stradling: I see sorry I am only a man

MissGina Box: no need to apologise, not your fault

MissGina Box: and ehm quickly moving on, You have an interesting profile picture is it the medusa and if so what does it signify about you?

MissGina Box: Oh that thing, it's of no real significance I just thought it looked cool about five years ago, I should change it
MissGina Box: Francine took a good picture of me at the last party, I'll put that in
MissGina Box: I haven't turned anyone to stone for years, I promise
MissGina Box: All in the past now lol

Toni Stradling: Do you play the other Empires game the science fiction one?

MissGina Box: I'm just dipping my toes in the water of TE3000 not sure if I want to commit to it though

Toni Stradling: fair enough, alas i must get ready for my day job soon, is there anything else you would like to comment on that I have neglected to ask you?

MissGina Box: No I don't think so, I've just been rambling as usual, sorry I'm probably not the best of interviewees

Toni Stradling: no I have enjoyed it and I thank you for giving up your time and sharing your thoughts with us.

MissGina Box: My pleasure, it's always nice to indulge in my favourite past time


Notes:  Medusa picture removed from profile now, I'll put it in my Picks tab for those seeking context.    
(After the interview i thought of something I'd love to see in the game:  The removal of all alts (I have no idea how this could be achieved), imagine the state the kingdom would be in after that and what we'd have to do to rebuild it, would be a good honest challenge.)