The following is an interview with Lilithelle on 9/21/03, while she was in her alt, Inama. Lilithelle is one of Sojourn's most active players. She is always figuring out new and better ways of doing things. Lilithelle is a helper, and also the leader of the Shadows of Imphras guild.


Y: To get started, tell me about how you first got into mudding. Please include the year and name of the mud.

Inama pulls out her unused thinking cap, and begins to think.
L: I think it was about 1996, might have been 1995. It was Toril
L: a co-worker suggested it, well its what he did from work and I was curious so I tried it.
L: I didn't get very high in level, tried all the different good races, drow, a few different classes. Then tried Duris and got hooked, I played there till early in 2001. I didn't like the direction it was going, had been going for a while so finally I quit and came back here.
L: Been here ever since.

Y: This co-worker who introduced you to Sojourn...is he a player anyone might recognize?

L: I'm really not sure, he stopped working for the company about 1998 and I have spoken with him since. Since I was on Duris I lost all track of him mud-wise too.

Y: There are a couple thousand MUDs listed, what is it about Sojourn that has caused you to stay here?

L: I've tried a few other muds, when Duris or Sojourn has been down. Most of them seem to lack maturity. Its alot of the little features that make the mud good. And I absolutely love the druid class. They'd have to wreck druids to drive me away :)

Y: You are the leader of the Shadows of Imphras guild. Could you talk briefly about your guild?

L: I'm not really sure what to say, Dornax started the guild very early on in the wipe got a bunch of great players.
L: His style was a bit different than mine, but when he lost interest in the mud and all but stopped playing someone had to take things over or the guild would die. And we like each others company too much to let that happen!
L: I don't really have a direction, I'm not much of an RP player. But I like to zone and help people, so I try to zone and help the folks in the guild out.
L: I saw on Duris, that things like unfair splits can cause hard feelings between people and the guilds that do that sort of thing. And there that could result in guild wars, which I loathed. So I try to be as fair as possible, I'm not sure if I succeed but I try.

Y: You are (or were) a helper. Could you tell me about the work you've done as a helper?

L: Lilithelle is a helper, I petitioned once for Inama to become one but no one answered so I let it go. Nothing grand, I try to give out eq to newer players, especially weapons to mages since its so hard to kill with a starting dagger.
L: and I try to point elves in the direction of kobold village and where to kill in kv since its so hard to find and enter for new players.
L: I help elves mostly, having an appreciation for what its like starting on EM.

Y: From my observations, I would say that you enjoy thinking of new ways to do things; new battle strategies for difficult fights, etc.
Y: Is there any technique you developed on your own that you are particularly proud of, and can share with us?

L: Gods sometimes don't appreciate innovation, so usually I don't talk about the techniques I use. I will give one though, it seems after a fight sentinal mobs (mobs that don't wander) always seek to return home and for them it is a higher priority than even tracking.
L: so if you lock a sentinal mob in an area from which its unable to go home it just sits there and stops tracking. Very useful for doing tracking mobs in runs.

Y: I have heard from a variety of sources that if someone figures out a better way of doing something, and then posts it on the public BBS, the staff will often make changes so that it can no longer be done that way.
Y: Do you have any examples of this?

L: Numerous, the entrance to the citadel in ribcage has 3 skeletons guarding the way. One of them used to hold the key to the door they were guarding.
L: So I'd kill them for it, lure paracs out and run him around till he was seperated from the lichs then locked them on different sides of the door so I could solo paracs in peace.
L: so they changed the skeletons to not have a key and simple block the way when you try to enter the citadel. They changed paracs and his followers to not be agro to pets, just players, and the changed the skeletons the same way.
L: I'd also lure out senator ivlium and his githzerai followers out and lock them up so I could solo Scour. So they changed Scour to follow the senator, and made all four not agro to pets. They also changed the githzerai from not being agro and merely assisting, to being agro.

Y: In the years that you've been here, what is the most interesting thing you've seen?

Inama pulls out her unused thinking cap, and begins to think.
L: I can't really think of a good example at the moment.

Y: You are one of Sojourn's more skilled zone leaders. How did you get into leading?

L: I guess I first started leading exp group, and that was because too many people on Duris did it badly. Then I started playing soloing classes, like necromancer and learned alot of different zones. So I started leading small eq and eventually whole zones. Probably mostly because there was a need for it
L: it wasn't the pkill that kept me on Duris, it was helping people re-equip after being killed. Giving them eq I'd solo, and leading zones.

Y: When you are recruiting people for a zone, what kind of people are you looking for?

L: I guess I've been spoiled over the years, having the opportunity to zone with some really great mudders. So I usually look for certain people that I know play their classes well. And of course each zone has its required set of classes, so I look for whats needed first and then fill in the rest.

Y: Soon Sojourn will be divided into two MUDs, one hosted by Miax and the other by Sheverash and Cyric.
Y: What is your opinion on this?

L: It will be destructive, it will damage the player base by splitting it. It may cause unhealthy competition, each mud offering things to lure players. But changes that make things too easy downgrade the mud long term. If you don't have to work for what you get it loses meaning.
L: I hope one or the other mud will use the opportunity to try to increase the player base. There are muds out there with thousands of players and aren't any better than sojourn, if at all. It would be nice to see Sojourn grow into an even greater mud.

Y: How will you decide which game to play?

L: Primarily by where my friends go, where the guild decides to go. A poor link on one of the muds could well be an over-riding factor.

Y: Sojourn has been around for many, many years. When was the best time to play Sojourn?

L: Since I only played for a short time on Sojourn until this wipe I can't really comment on the previous incarnations. Except that I like druids far better on this version than what I've heard they were like.
L: During this wipe, perhaps a few months ago before they started the slow silent downgrade of elementalists. When ever they add a new zone to explore is a good time too.

Y: In regards to the times you have been playing, when was the worst time to play Sojourn?

L: Whenever a good friend stops playing, I miss Amemna and Aedyra.

Y: If you could change any aspect of the mud, what would it be?

L: I'd make Evermeet more friendly to new elves, maybe eliminate say peace to unlock the gates. Change the pathways so your naturally lead into low level exp zones. Remove the agros from Kobold village.

Y: This will be the final question.
Y: Where do you see yourself in the future?

L: On the mud, I guess in a very similar place. I'd like to write some zones for the mud to leave my mark, provide a place useful to players. Something accessible to most players, not an elite high level zone. And to continue my role as a teacher, I try to help people learn zones.

Y: Ok we're all done, thank you :)


interviews

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