Here at Strange-Earth, a counselor is a player volunteer who serves as a helpful resource for other players within the game. The role of a counselor can vary depending skill sets, but generally, counselors are responsible for providing assistance, guidance, and support to other players.
- New Player Assistance: Counselors often help new players by answering questions, providing guidance on gameplay mechanics, explaining game features, and helping them navigate the world of Ultima Online.
- Troubleshooting: When players encounter technical issues or have problems with the game, counselors can offer basic troubleshooting steps and direct them to appropriate resources for further assistance.
- Rule Enforcement: Counselors may assist in enforcing server rules and policies, helping to maintain a positive and fair gaming environment. They can report rule violations or disruptive behavior to the appropriate staff members for further action.
- Mediation: In situations where players have conflicts or disputes, counselors may act as mediators to help resolve issues peacefully and foster positive interactions between players.
- Events and Community Support: Counselors often organize and facilitate in-game events, such as tournaments, quests, or social gatherings, to promote community engagement and enhance the overall player experience.
Game Master (GM) is an individual who is part of the shard staff and is responsible for overseeing the game world and providing support to players. Game Masters have elevated privileges and abilities compared to regular players, allowing them to perform various administrative tasks and interact with the game in unique ways. Here are some of the responsibilities and duties typically associated with Game Masters:
- Player Support: Game Masters act as a direct point of contact for players who need assistance. They respond to in-game petitions or help requests and provide guidance, troubleshooting, and solutions to player issues.
- Rule Enforcement: Game Masters enforce the game's rules and policies to maintain a fair and enjoyable gaming environment. They investigate reports of rule violations, monitor player behavior, and take appropriate actions, such as warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent bans if necessary.
- Event Organization: Game Masters often create and run in-game events, such as quests, competitions, or special encounters. These events are designed to engage the player community, provide unique challenges, and offer rewards or opportunities for advancement.
- World Management: Game Masters have the ability to monitor and control various aspects of the game world. They can spawn or remove NPCs (non-player characters), adjust spawn rates, manage loot tables, and make other changes to enhance gameplay or address balance issues.
- Bug Testing and Reporting: Game Masters are often involved in testing new features, patches, or expansions before they are released to the player base. They help identify and report bugs, glitches, or balance concerns to the development team, contributing to the ongoing improvement of the game.
Administrators, often referred to as admins, are individuals who hold administrative positions within the game. They are part of the shard staff and have significant responsibilities in managing and maintaining the game environment. Here are some key tasks and responsibilities of administrators at Strange-Earth.
- Server Maintenance: Administrators are responsible for the technical upkeep and maintenance of the game servers. They ensure that the servers are running smoothly, address any technical issues or server downtime, and apply updates or patches to improve performance or address bugs.
- Rule Enforcement: Administrators enforce the game's rules and policies to maintain a fair and balanced gaming environment. They investigate reports of rule violations, monitor player behavior, and take appropriate actions, such as warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent bans if necessary.
- Player Support: Administrators provide direct support to players, addressing their inquiries, issues, and concerns. They may respond to customer support tickets, handle billing or account-related matters, and assist players with technical problems or gameplay questions.
- Community Management: Administrators oversee the community aspects of the game. They interact with players through forums, social media platforms, or in-game communication to foster a positive and engaging community. They may organize events, contests, or promotions to encourage player participation and build a sense of community.
- Game Updates and Development: Administrators work closely with the development team to implement updates, expansions, and new features into the game. They provide feedback, report bugs or glitches, and participate in testing new content before it is released to the player base.
- Policy Creation and Enforcement: Administrators help develop and enforce the game's policies and guidelines. They collaborate with the development team to establish rules for player behavior, game mechanics, and other aspects of the game. They also handle disputes, appeals, and investigations related to policy violations.
Developers are professionals who are responsible for designing, creating, and maintaining the game. They are typically employed by the game's developer or publisher and play a critical role in shaping the overall gameplay experience. Here are some key tasks and responsibilities of developers in Ultima Online:
- Game Design: Developers participate in the initial design and conceptualization of the game. They contribute to creating the game's mechanics, systems, and overall gameplay experience. They collaborate with other team members to determine the game's features, progression systems, character abilities, and itemization.
- Programming: Developers write and implement the code that brings the game to life. They use programming languages and development tools to create the game's functionality, including player interactions, artificial intelligence, quests, combat mechanics, and more. They also optimize code for performance and efficiency.
- Content Creation: Developers are responsible for creating and implementing game content. This includes designing and building game worlds, crafting quests and storylines, creating non-player characters (NPCs) with unique behaviors, creating items and equipment, and balancing gameplay elements. They work on expanding the game world with new regions, dungeons, and other areas for players to explore.
- Bug Fixing and Quality Assurance: Developers identify and fix bugs, glitches, and issues that arise during the game's development and after its release. They conduct testing and quality assurance to ensure that the game functions as intended, resolves issues reported by players, and implements patches or updates to improve the game's stability and performance.
- Expansion and Update Development: Developers work on expanding the game through expansions, updates, and downloadable content (DLC). They design and implement new features, game systems, and content to keep the game fresh and engaging for players. This can include new playable races, classes, abilities, items, and additional game modes.
- Community Engagement: Developers often engage with the player community through forums, social media platforms, and live events. They gather feedback, respond to player inquiries and concerns, and actively participate in discussions about the game. They may also collaborate with players on test servers or public betas to gather feedback and make improvements.
Developers play a crucial role in the ongoing development, improvement, and maintenance of Ultima Online. Their work is vital to providing players with new content, enhancing gameplay experiences, and ensuring the game remains enjoyable and engaging for the player community.
The owner of a shard has significant responsibilities and decision-making authority over the server. Here are some key aspects of what a shard owner does:
- Server Configuration and Management: The shard owner is responsible for configuring and maintaining the server hardware, software, and network infrastructure. They handle the technical aspects of running the server, ensuring its stability, uptime, and performance.
- Customization and Modding: Shard owners have the ability to customize various aspects of the game, including mechanics, rules, features, and content. They may develop custom scripts, quests, events, and unique gameplay systems. These modifications can range from minor tweaks to significant overhauls that differentiate their shard from the official game.
- Community Management: Shard owners engage with the player community and create an inclusive and enjoyable environment. They establish and enforce server rules and policies, manage player disputes, and handle disciplinary actions when necessary. They often communicate with players through forums, social media, or in-game chats to address concerns, gather feedback, and promote a positive community atmosphere.
- Event Organization: Shard owners organize and host events, quests, competitions, and social gatherings within their shard. These events can range from small-scale in-game activities to large-scale community-driven events. They aim to provide unique experiences and rewards to engage and entertain the player base.
- Staff Management: Shard owners may recruit and manage a team of volunteers or staff members to assist with server operations. This can include moderators, event organizers, technical support personnel, and developers. The owner oversees the activities and performance of the staff, ensuring they adhere to the server's vision and goals.
- Server Promotion and Development: Shard owners promote their server to attract and retain players. They may create websites, forums, or social media pages to showcase the server's features, events, and community. They also work on server development, implementing updates, fixes, and new content to enhance the player experience.