[Community News] Focus on Factions: Alexia of Origin

[watchertoo]

<blockquote> <font size=+1.5>Focus on Factions: Alexia of Origin</font>

Welcome to our next Focus on Factions article. Since I began playing factions about a year ago, I have met some fascinating people. Without doubt some of the most intriguing are the women who choose to participate in this aspect of UO. I hope these articles will enlighten and encourage other UO players to try factions.

What is your UO name?

<blockquote>Alexia

</blockquote> How long have you played UO?

<blockquote>5 years and counting

</blockquote> What do you consider your home shard?

<blockquote>Origin

</blockquote> What keeps you playing UO?

<blockquote> Friends, the unending array of things to do, there is no monotony in UO

</blockquote> What do you think of the new templates, soul stones, insurance, etc.?

<blockquote>Interesting..it keeps things fresh. Insurance.....iffy on that one...I like the SP idea of blessing one item....the game to me has become more of what you have then how skilled you are..sure it's just pressing keys on a keyboard but...if you don't have an *ubar* suit you really need to think about what you're doing. Soulstones....I like...you don't have to be the same person from day to day. I personally don't use them all that often but it's a nice thing to have.

</blockquote> Have they helped or hurt?

<blockquote>It depends on your point of view I guess....personally I wasn't around before soulstones and insurance so I can't really say either way. If I had to play without, I wouldn't mind.

</blockquote> What is your favorite type of character?

<blockquote>Archer...I have a straight archer and a Bushido Archer, both very fun templates.

</blockquote> How did you start playing Factions?

<blockquote>I stumbled across the faction stone in Mag one day..3 years ago? I read up on factions and it sounded very intriguing. I have had one major faction battle in my 5 years of playing and it was a blast. Factions aren't what they used to be, that's for sure, so now I just run sigils by myself and have fun with my opposing faction mates.

</blockquote> What faction do you belong to and why?

<blockquote>True Brit because I wanted to be close to the Great City, I really had no clue what factions were when I started and I figured TB was a good one. After I joined I started doing my homework! *laughs*

</blockquote> What do you think caused factions to “slow down”?

<blockquote>Lack of interest, wasn't fun anymore, no point to it...alot of people join factions for the cheap reg vendors....the *true* meaning of factions got lost in translation and it needs to be revived.

</blockquote> What do you think we can do to revive factions on your shard?

<blockquote>Wow.....first we need more people in general on my shard*grins* then a HUGE campaign promoting factions and why people should play them. I think alot of people really just have no idea, like I did, and if we inform the people, maybe more would join.

</blockquote> What would you change or add to factions? (and why?)

<blockquote>Hmm...tough question. The skeleton of the faction system is awesome. I'm sure it was great fun when it was introduced....stealing sigils, getting back to base and waiting. Faction battles used to be spectacular, now if you see one you're lucky. I'm really not sure WHAT I would add..but something to spice it up..something different. Maybe have a special monster spawn in the captured sigils town base or something...enemy guards surrounding the sigil you want to steal....an alert that's sent to all opposing faction members online *Alert, Alert* just make things more interesting and maybe *force* a battle just to get people into it again.

</blockquote> Do you see a difference in play style between men and woman?

<blockquote>Most definitely. *Most* not all, men, are harder...fiercer. blood-thirstier (If that's a word)

</blockquote> Have you seen any notable strength a woman player brings to factions or UO?

<blockquote>Women players have always brought a certain strength I think. I know from personal experience that alot of people are surprised that I do more then crafting and growing plants *grins* That's not to say ALL women are passive players, but as a rule women are more gentle and caring, nurturing mothers and to get down and dirty and shed some blood is something alot of women just don't do, so people are surprised when they come up against a female in a game, my opinion anyway.

</blockquote> What is your favorite part of factions? Ie, stealing, defending, etc?

<blockquote>Stealing is by far my favorite part, it's why I think it needs to be more interesting. The way it is now, at least on my home shard, there's nothing challenging about it, stealth in, steal. stealth out.....*yawns* The more people in a faction, the more people that KNOW a sigil has just been stolen, like the aforementioned alert system, would make it MUCH more exciting and more challenging.

</blockquote> Thank you for joining us for the first interview of a "woman in factions". I hope to be posting interviews/articles more regularly now that my new job has settled down a bit. If you are a faction player, male or female, and would like to be interviewed for this ongoing series, please email me at [email protected]. I am especially curious about your finest and not so finest moments in factions ... like the time I accidently bumped my heal button while stealthing out between a mass of guards....and it fizzled as they all hit me at once. It was a lovely monotone run to the healers....

Watchertoo

 

[Jaimes]

<blockquote><hr>

As a rule women are more gentle and caring, nurturing mothers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, if you do your research, there is no biological basis for this. It's not a rule, but rather a product of cultural indoctrination. I'm male and this interviewee's response kind of offends me...

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Actually, if you do your research, there is no biological basis for this. It's not a rule, but rather a product of cultural indoctrination. I'm male and this interviewee's response kind of offends me...

[/ QUOTE ]Since you've obviously done your research on the matter, cite your sources.
For one thing, there has been no conclusive research on the subject (since the study would be in a decidedly morally grey area).
The matter is certainly not as black and white as you would like it to be, since both factors play a part in it. There is a strong social part for it, but also, the female body is largely evolved to directly raise a child from conception to weaning.

More than social pressure, hormones significantly affect behaviour. An example being the businesswomen who take Testosterone, to make themselves more aggressive and driven. This wouldn't be the case, if it was all social indoctrination.

 

[Guest]

If we want to get technical, I think woman are more gentle, caring, nurturing mothers. As compared to men, who, anatomically, cannot be nurturing mothers.

 

[xxEvolusxx]

Ahem...changing the topic.

Good interview Alexia. I enjoy factions. I got my first solo pk the other day! Whooo!

 

[Experimental]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Actually, if you do your research, there is no biological basis for this. It's not a rule, but rather a product of cultural indoctrination. I'm male and this interviewee's response kind of offends me...

[/ QUOTE ]Since you've obviously done your research on the matter, cite your sources.
For one thing, there has been no conclusive research on the subject (since the study would be in a decidedly morally grey area).
The matter is certainly not as black and white as you would like it to be, since both factors play a part in it. There is a strong social part for it, but also, the female body is largely evolved to directly raise a child from conception to weaning.

More than social pressure, hormones significantly affect behaviour. An example being the businesswomen who take Testosterone, to make themselves more aggressive and driven. This wouldn't be the case, if it was all social indoctrination.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, there HAVE been studies done that point to the fact that not all women are naturally gentle nurturing mothers:
1)Ivy Kennelly - Secretarial Work, Nurturing, and the Ethic of Service - NWSA Journal 18:2 NWSA Journal 18.2 (2006) 170-192

2)Stu Maddock's 10 year study published in 1999 in the book "Challenging Women: Gender, Culture and Organisation" (her evidence refutes the concept of a "naturally caring and nurturing predisposition that is innate in ALL women")

3)An article written by Sasha Feoktistov and published in the Orbis (Vanderbilt University) in November 2005 with conclusions of a study done by Karen Walker that states that Western society has established that the ideal man is aggressive and the ideal woman is nurturing and concludes that "men and women will often generalize their behavior to be concurrent with socially constructed ideals, yet when asked about specific behavior men and women will quickly contradict themselves and will describe behaviors not consistent with gender stereotypes..."

These are just a few of the studies found by googling the subject. If women were "naturally gentle and nurturing", then why is there violence perpetuated by women and why don't all women choose to have children?

 

[Larisa]

Again it says...
"As a rule women are more gentle and caring, nurturing mothers."

There are always exeptions to every rule...right?

Not ALL men are aggressive and not ALL women are nurturing, but as a RULE women, as child-bearers have the tendancy to be more gentle and caring...not ALL but MOST.

 

[imported_dexdash]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

As a rule women are more gentle and caring, nurturing mothers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, if you do your research, there is no biological basis for this. It's not a rule, but rather a product of cultural indoctrination. I'm male and this interviewee's response kind of offends me...

[/ QUOTE ]


hahahahahahahahahahahaahaahahaha











































hhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahaaha

are you for real?

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Actually, there HAVE been studies done that point to the fact that not all women are naturally gentle nurturing mothers:

&lt;snip&gt;

These are just a few of the studies found by googling the subject. If women were "naturally gentle and nurturing", then why is there violence perpetuated by women and why don't all women choose to have children?

[/ QUOTE ]Perhaps you should put those Google skills to use in looking up the definition of "conclusive".
And, while you're at it, learn a little on the subject, as opposed to finding a handful of citations to prove another person wrong.
Understanding the researcher puts a context on the research and conclusions

 

[imported_dexdash]

wow this is sooooo derailed

 

[Guest]

Just to put my thoughts in...

I'm a female, but I wouldn't fit into the 'nuturing' category, at all. I think having kids is ridiculously over-rated. I mean....what's so great about it? Lots of work and $ invested for very little or no return. No thanks.

Back on topic....I enjoyed reading the interview, I hope that Factions gets some new blood!

 

[Guest]

Hail: UO was built on, and Needs, Good vs Evil, and not just Evil vs Evil in Fel. However, both Factions, and the Order/Chaos systems failed, because it put players into, "PvP", at all times. I remember people quitting both of these systems, after getting attacked/killed while banking, or shoping, or some other thing, when they were not, "Ready to defend themself".

Some players look at the rewards to be gained by being part of a Faction type system, but under estimate the down side of being in the same system. This lack of knowledge, and not being used to having to stay on your toe's is what hurts these type of systems as much as anything else.

So, What to do? Well i disagree on their being NO faction limit. What will happen is you will end up with 2 large factions after a short while, and everyone will quit the smaller ones, as they are so outnumbered, as to have no chance at all. The Big will get bigger, and the small will dissapear.

It comes down to, How much do you want Factions to have an impact on the game? The bigger the impact, the more that will join them But.........the more that will complain that they should not have to be forced to be in a faction to get the same type of benifits. Make the benifts Small, and it is then not worth joining.

I think EA should put up a Poll, with different idea's on this, and get feedback from the player base as a whole. This pole should be a link on the main log in screen for UO. You can not make everyone happy, but if there is a clear majority for a certain type of setup, then EA would at least know what to expect, when they do whatever it is they are going to do. imhop.

 

[imported_dexdash]

i think the reason you are against no limit is the reason i am for it. for most shards 4 factions is to many for the number of active faction players which is why many ask for order chaos back. i think the players should dictate the factions not the system.

 

[Guest]

Pfft, women can't PvP. That's genetic, so there is no trying to prove otherwise...la

 

[Guest]

Balderdash! Want to meet some of the girls I hang with?

 

[Guest]

You just stick up for them cause they make you pee sitting down

...la

 

[Guest]

*raises eyebrow* You created a monster, be prepared.

 

[Guest]

ROFL. Girly man...la

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Just to put my thoughts in...

I'm a female, but I wouldn't fit into the 'nuturing' category, at all. I think having kids is ridiculously over-rated. I mean....what's so great about it? Lots of work and $ invested for very little or no return. No thanks.

Back on topic....I enjoyed reading the interview, I hope that Factions gets some new blood!

[/ QUOTE ]

I have 3 kids and it costs alot to raise but to say very little to no return is laughable my return is a smile/laugh, playin ps3,hanging out, hugs and the unconditional love that is gained with being a parent. I would not give it up for anything.

 

[Guest]

You insult me, Sir?

 

[Guest]

...la

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

Pfft, women can't PvP. That's genetic, so there is no trying to prove otherwise...la

[/ QUOTE ]

I Know some woman on pacific that would noobify ya.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

<blockquote><hr>

Pfft, women can't PvP. That's genetic, so there is no trying to prove otherwise...la

[/ QUOTE ]

I Know some woman on pacific that would noobify ya.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're guys who play female characters...la

 

[Guest]

LoL by the sounds of their voices in ts/vent I hope they arnt guys if they are they wont be pleasing any woman in the near future

 

[Guest]

Yeah, lots of young boys sound like girls before they reach puberty. Just let me suggest not meeting them offline. You might just end up meeting Chris Hanson...la