Hello AP, here's my application for membership.

[LordIce3]

I've enjoyed reading your public forums and have found them very informative. I've read your Code of Conduct and agree to adhere to it; it's very similar to how I try to be in real life. I've also read your Org Chat recommendations and agree to follow them as well.

About me:

My name is John, I live in the USA and also in the great state of Texas. My time zone is Central Time which is GMT -6. I'm mostly retired so I spend way too many hours on the PC, so I can be playing anywhere from 8 AM CST to 6 AM CST; about 8 - 12 hrs a day. Week days I'm on when either the wife is at work or asleep; if she's home my time is her's! ( A happy wife = a happy life! ) Week ends I'm not on very much, only if she's asleep or wants some "girl time" with friends or is cuddling up to a nice book.

I've been playing AO off and on since 2001. I usually have 2-3 paid accounts and 5ish froob accounts. I've been in several guilds over the years and currently I'm in Ascension. I joined them after having been off AO for a while because I met one of their members and played with them a few weeks and had fun. The problem was they stopped playing and no other members ever seemed to be on, so I took another year off. So I'm back looking for more people to play with.

I typically dual, triple, or quad log. I do this so I can self buff my characters, pull team missions, trade things back and forth, for crafting, or for helping the character I'm leveling with healing or a heal pet. I don't multi-box or use any exploits or macros, I've just found the game more enjoyable this way, especially if I have to level up solo. I haven't read anything on your website against this, so I hope this isn't a deal breaker. I find it challenging to ALT-Tab back and forth between characters and if I die because I'm too slow, it's a just reward.

I don't have any "power" characters, none with the best gear or uber items. I don't really use the GMS ( is that the name of the player item store ?) much, and have pretty much found or made all my own gear. I used to know a good bit about the game, but as I'm old I've pretty much forgotten it, but I'm sure I'll pick it up quickly. I play mostly for fun and for the comradery, life is more fun shared with friends. I usually help people out as best I can and try to never be "too busy" to help someone who needs a little assistance. As long as it's something fairly simple, ie. blitzing items, buffs, leveling, some crafting. I've only done a few alien ships, can't remember doing any alien play fields, typically just solo the alien missions. I've done a few things in Shadowlands, gotten 1 character to inferno if I remember correctly where you need the boots, several to Pen, most to adonis, gotten the garden keys I could get solo. Like I said pretty basic. I went on a few "raids" ( is it ? ) with people but honestly I don't remember much and always felt I wasn't really doing much to help in those situations. It's been my experience that since I'm not uber, the people who consider themselves to be uber just don't have much use for me unless it's helping them level their alts, or blitz them things, or craft them something, or give a buff or two. From what I've read on your forum AP seems to be different, and in this case different is good!

Here are some of my characters:

Amberangyl 207 Crat
Hotpynkangyl 212 MP
Rainebow 204 Trader
Redangyl 200 Adv
Yellowangyl 200 MA
Ebonyangyl 199 Fixer
Ripaclipoff 171 Sold
Doubletap 151 Agent


I forget my doctor's name and level ( 150? ), have a 100 MP and Engy for Foreman's, another 175 Soldier and Agent that I forget their names, and an Enforcer 140? that I can't remember either. I'm usually on Hotpynk as my follow/healer if I'm playing an alt, or any character really if I'm just playing. I get bored easy it seems

I hope that explains my situation enough, hope to see ya'll in AO and have some fun. Ta Ta For Now and I wish you well.

[noobas]

Howdy John,

Welcome to AP forums.

Thank you for such a complete and thorough application.

I think your reading on the forums has served you well. AP, indeed values friendship and camaraderie over elitism in all cases, but that is not to say there is no value in having a "uber" character.

I would like to reflect on some of your words, but first here are some basics to completing your application:

First in game try to get into our org channel, you can do this by asking in OA or on clan OOC for an AP, and someone will invite you to our bot.

After which, you are free to join in any level/gear relevant activity, whether it be in org, or via the alliance. We encourage you to try to integrate - if your preference is solo play, there is no problem, in that case just try to listen to the chat and try to add something constructive or join in.

You can see who is online by typing !online, and this will give you an idea of how busy it is and whether there is an administrative member online who can help you with an interview.

Don't feel put off if there is no one for an interview immediately, most officers are busy all the time, but we will always try to make time for applicants - but sometimes it just doesn't happen that quickly.

After which, depending on who does the interview, you may be invited right away, or go into a brief holding period while other more senior officers observe the chat log.




Now, just to reflect a moment on your gameplay and progress. AP will never judge you for progressing slowly, as long as you are maintaining standards of gear and capability. This is a goal for all players, both new an veteran. Myself, personally would rather see slow progression paired with intelligent play and marked capability, both in player and character. It greatly enhances AP's reputation when people team with AP's who are capable, polite and help carry the team, as opposed to people who are incapable, rude, and leach from the team.

Obviously, as one more aged than some of the younger players in game you understand the less obvious nuances of human interaction, so I won't go into detail on that, but, what I will say is that if your statements are true, that you are independent and work on gear to build working, capable toons then this attitude is much appreciated in AP.

Lastly, I will only mention this because of the propensity for gameplay to involve higher level players: you will not be excluded from activities - because you have a 207 crat and 212 MP - but, you will, I hope, take an objective look at how you contribute to endgame play. 207-212 is not endgame, but you're on the doorstep. The world of veteran play beckons.

Take time and consider, after you join us, whether you would like to engage in endgame play. You have all the time you need to get there, but if you choose to make it an objective you will find much help in achieving your goals.

Cheers,

Noobas

[LordIce3]

Thanks noobas,

you said "ya'll" and I thank you for making me feel at home. I was able to talk to an AP member while I was on briefly this afternoon and was invited to chat. I wasn't able to do much or chat very much because I had a Funcom technical problem. I was logged in on a froob account and saw a nice doctor hanging out in OA, and told them I was filling out your membership application online. While doing so I decided to re-activate two of my paid accounts. I activated the first, logged in and got a chat invite; all was good. I then tried to activate the second account, and this is where the problems started. I don't have my accounts "linked", I never knew this was an option until today, and the problem is that my Credit Union doesn't like over seas accounts and has strict fraud protection. I'm assuming when the second charge was tried by Funcom my Credit Union flagged the second attempt as a fraudulent charge and it failed. Worse than that, I tried to log in the first account that was successfully logged in earlier today, only to find out that the previous "successful" payment has now also failed. So, now both accounts are "frozen (failed payment)" and unplayable. I hope to get this fixed when my Credit Union opens again in the morning. I guess I'm to be taught another lesson on patience.

As far as being appropriately geared and capable, I usually don't have a problem in teams carrying my own weight. In fact it's usually the opposite, I've always been one of the more capable characters in a party, and have carried many a team. As you have pointed out on several posts, it's not really just about having good gear, it's knowing how to play. Knowing your character's strengths, weaknesses, what role you play in the team, how to manage agro / adds / crowd control, how to pull effectively, how to compensate for missing party abilities, knowing the playfield, knowing the abilities of the mobs you are fighting, etc. Some of this is also the fact that I've not played, or rather just gotten to, end game content. Not having "best in slot" weapons, implants, armor, etc isn't that noticeable until somewhere around level 205 IMHO. I've always enjoyed twinking, so having QL 200 armor, weapons, implants at level 50-70 is pretty much normal for me. I don't have much SL gear, and hardly any alien gear other than a few weapons, and no alien armors or accessories, and only a few items you get with AP points. I have yet to try any of the armor you get with AP, and the one weapon I did get with AP I miscalculated and I'm unable to use! Lol, silly me!

I wasn't trying to say in my previous post that I'm gimped, just that compared to someone that is the same level as one of my 200-210 chars who has spent a fair amount of time with helpful teams to get their items, gear wise I'm not as capable. If two players are about the same in "playing the game" skills, the player with better gear is going to be a "better" team mate in relation to value to the team. Having said that, someone who is kind, helpful, funny, respectful, considerate and "fun" to team with can still be a better team mate than a highly capable team mate that is arrogant, self centered, egotistical or any other irritating foibles you'd care to mention. So, I'm more of a "wow, you do pretty well for someone wearing the crap you are using" type of player. At least I hope to be again. I've forgotten sooo much it's going to take a bit of playing to get back to being a decent team mate. At least as decent as one can be with sub-optimal gear.

Oh well, I'll be on soon and hope to be playing with ya'll. TTFN.

[Chrisax]

Welcome to our forums, LordIce3 and thanks for you detailed posts.

Well it seems you already saw and understood a lot about how to apply and AP in general, so I look forward to seeing you in-game and talking to you.

Based on what you wrote, I'm sure you will find a new warm home with us in AP: we cherish the principles and ideas you worded in your application.

If you can't find an AP for a bot/chat invite, please try to send me (Chrisax) a tell. Or ask some officer or members (only a few names here)
Chrisax / Mekanos
Reapermann / Toughcrat
Stokken / Crazi / Crazishade
Bellatrix / Carpediem
Kinforcer / Kindredsolo / Kindredmp / Kingin
Grind42 / Bobdc / Bobdc2
and Noobas you already know (Jetson, Noobastank, Noobasdoc,...)

About FC's account pages, honestly their system is not great and can become very confusing when they associate accounts (without asking you, just because you mentioned your old accounts when you create a new one).

Anyhow, do NOT perform several actions in a row on FC accounts. Wait to be sure that your previous action has been acknowledged and processed (this means that your payment shows as completed and not "pending" AND that your item / feature / service has been actually delivered/activated).

You'll avoid several nervous breakdowns this way.

[LordIce3]

Update:

Ok, it appears my account situation is fixed. Now I just have to play a bit and remember what I'm doing, how things work, where things are, etc.

Chow!

[Chrisax]

Meet us online again asap Crazi / Stokken will meet you in the next hours from this post if I'm not there