User:Numaris/DPBio

Greetings! As you may have gathered, I'm currently in the running for the position of Demi-Pharaoh. Since I'm probably not as widely known as some of my opponents, I thought I'd jot down a little information about myself to give folks an idea of who I am and what I'm about.

Ok... Who are you?

Though I did play briefly in Tale 3 (about a month) before quickly burning out, I generally consider this my second telling.

In Tale 4, I lived in a remote corner of Shabbat Ab (that I dubbed "Oasis Valley"), there setting up a modest camp. I pursued mostly a small-time solo playstyle, though as the telling went on, I expanded my social horizons, and by the end of the telling I had taken over primary responsibility for maintaining the facilities for SACFAR, one of the largest public works organizations in Egypt. I achieved my primary personal goal of becoming Oracle of Thought. My secondary goal, leading the Monument of Thought, was rendered impossible due to low population.

Having done pretty much everything I wanted to do solo, I returned in Tale 5 with the aim of being a bit more social. I set up a camp near the University of Thought in Alcyone with my spouse RosieRazor. I'm being more casual about Tests in general this telling, and concentrating more on the side systems like Beer, Chemistry, and Genetics. While I was quite busy early in the telling keeping up with the breakneck pace of technology, I'm finally settling in to an easier pace where I can have more fun and be more involved in community events and projects. And, of course, run for Demi-Pharaoh.

But why are you running for Demi-Pharaoh?

Because I'm now in a position to give it the attention it requires, and because I think I would be good at it. That latter bit is of course up to each voter to decide for himself/herself, and everyone has their own opinion of what makes a good Demi-Pharaoh.

When I vote for Demi-Pharaoh, there are two main questions I ask myself:

• Do they adequately represent my view of how the game's social system should run?
• Do I trust them?

The first is the reason for this document, and the second leads us to...

Why should I trust you?

Good question. You shouldn't. At least not from anything I say. Anyone can spout warm fuzzies during their Demi-Pharaoh candidacy and make themselves sound great. I know we all prefer to think that everything is always positive and everyone tells the truth, but that's not always the way it works.

The best way to build trust is with personal interaction over time. That's great, but if you don't already know me, that's not going to happen in a week. The next best thing is to talk to people who you *do* know and trust who have dealt with me. I think I generally leave a positive impression on people that I work with, so I would invite and encourage you to do so. (Especially if you know anyone who lives in Alcyone, as I'm more active within the region.)

Ok, but... who ARE you?

Note: The purpose of this section is simply to try to give an impression
of what sort of player I am. I don't intend to imply that I will make
anything here into a Demi-Pharaoh issue.

I'm a guy who enjoys the game, especially the more complex systems. I like working with people who are interested in learning some of the mechanics, and get a lot of positive comments on my ability to teach. I'm always happy to help folks with alloys, wood/metal treatment, chemistry, and marble prospecting, among other things. I have a special fondness for the design of Thought tests, though I'm sort of taking it easier on those this telling so that I can concentrate on stuff I haven't done before.

I am somewhat of a gaming purist. I don't use alts, and I don't use macros. I don't think that makes me better than anyone else, and I don't look down on those who do use them. I simply find it more satisfying to meet the game's challenges in the manner in which I think they were intended.

I enjoy both the cooperative and competitive aspects of the game. I support anyone's right to play the game in their own style as long as they don't unduly hamper anyone else's playstyle. This is a huge gray area, and is the major source of drama in the game. Two examples that illustrate my own philosophy:

• Obelisk Queues. The rules set out for the Test of the Obelisk are pretty simple: hold the largest obelisk for a prescribed length of time and you pass. Queues are a valid way to pass the test, but no more valid than skipping the queue and overbuilding the current highest. Queue jumpers, in my opinion, don't deserve the bullying and social pressure they often receive.
• Conflict Gaming. While the rules for the actual play of Conflict games are also well laid out, those for how to conduct matching up with opponents are not. A number of players subscribe to the "I'm not breaking any rules, so my playstyle is valid" theory when they play fixed games against alts or friends to artificially boost their ranking for prize determinations. In this case, however, I think common sense needs to win out. We're all familiar with similar competition formats in real life (i.e. any sort of game/sport tournament), and any hint of collusion in those events is met with scandal and consequences. It should be no different in Egypt.

I hope the above is enough to give you an adequate impression of who I am. I will be happy to answer any further questions you have in a chat. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to vote!