The Family Development Focus Group

Hey Everyone,
I know a lot of people have been curious about the Family Development Center channel. I am putting together a focus group comprised of players from current and past times based on our families 5 different playstyle branches:

PvP, PvE, Crafting, Roleplay, and Casual

We will be using this channel to discuss ways to help improve these areas scout out new areas and help us build a better Gaiscioch. We will be involved in various projects which will not be discussible and I've asked each of the participants to keep what we discuss behind closed doors only.

What I can tell you is we have a lot of exciting things on the horizon and with this teams help I hope I can build us a better Gaiscioch. Once we have the opportunity we will start involving more of you in the program but we need to establish the foundation first. The players I have chosen both met the requirements for each genre and also vowed to give me a 100% attendance set time meeting schedule. We will be conducting weekly meetings, assigning tasks, and requiring time commitments from all of these members. When they are in the Family Development Channel please use chat if you need one of our attention. Please realize that nothing we discuss in that room can or will be discussed publicly yet.

I know the issue of "Why wasn't I approached" will pop up, and I want to remind you that there are 2,600 Gaiscioch. This team is comprised of 20. It would be nice to involve everyone but we really wanted a refined sampling of our family. Not all of them are officers or elders in fact many of our Draio are not even involved. We sampled players of various genre, age ranges, frequent play times, and locations to better pull from each area. I'm sorry, but as of right now, we can not include everyone in these focus groups and keep them productive. Once we get the format down we'll start including more of you in this program.

I need you to trust me and have faith that our families well being is being taken care of. These are exciting times and as we continue to grow we need to be able to plan for our future. Thank you all for understanding.

Foghladha

» Edited on: 2011-12-05 13:09:49

Can hardly wait to see what's on the agendas! :)

That sounds wonderful. Thank you all who are working toward a better Gaiscioch.

Some people were asking about it yesterday so I'm bumping it. I've heard a some complaints that people are upset that they were not chosen for this. I'm asking you to trust me. I had to select people that could be here with 100% attendance twice a week. I also had to select a mix of playstyles and age ranges. Trying to line everything up based on how often i see you and what times you play are not easy. I did my best to choose a wide range of players new and old for this and I really wish I could involve everyone, but right now were just setting up the format so we can expand over time. As soon as I can involve more I will. I'm sorry this is so cloak and dagger, but the task at hand requires strict digression and we can not speak openly about it yet. We will when the time comes.

@wolf come talk to me with your concerns.

Listen I will tell you all what this is about: It's a secret pie-recipe-sharing group. They are hoarding all the pies for themselves! Even the ones with meringue! I think we need to stage a counter group where we exchange cake recipes.

Hey Fairy, you know if you still want your invite to the knitting club you better keep this quiet. No selling us out! Marges recipe for blueberry cookies was amazing. And that quilt I'm knitting could have only been done with Don's help. Shush you :P

Speaking of the quilt, I want it back....it cold over here :P

As I said when the day comes that we can talk about it we will. Right now we are not able to do so. It's hard as hell not to share this with others and I really don't need the whole "Daddy loves you more". I'd challenge any of you to choose 20 out of 2,600 and not have someone feel left out. I did my best to select a wide range of past and present players from all age ranges and skill levels and play styles. What I can tell you is that this is not Rift Related, It's family related. Outside of game. It has NOTHING to do with RIFT and is not a Guardian vs Defiant thing so please drop the conspiracy theories. I know a some of you think it was this focus group that wanted to close the Defiant branch and quite honestly that hurts. They had nothing to do with that and RIFT is not even a topic were talking about. This isn't about games, it's about player experience within the family. It's about the preservation of our family name and the continuation of our successes. We're trying to plan for the future of the family and build a better house we can all enjoy not just pvers or raiders or crafters but all of us. Remember guys, the Gaiscioch is NOTa Rift Guild, we are a Family that currently plays Rift. As years come and go the games we play may come and go but the Family is forever. The medium we use to grow our relationships with each other will change through time. Some will come into the picture some will fade out of the picture and some will find themselves coming back years after they left. Life goes on and so does the family. This focus group is about our Survival and Growth Potential as a family and optimizing it for maximum success. Please don't make this some kind of contest or who likes who more. When the time comes that we can share what we're up to, trust me you will all know and all be invited to participate. Until then, please remember why you joined this family, why we have grown to this magnitude, and why we all love this family. None of that would have happened if it wasn't for my last "Focus Group".

Works for me!

I happened to get a hold of a top secret picture, that shows what exactly this quilt looks like. I was trying to be good and not leak it to the public, but how can I? Got to say that Ben has some skill and I can only imagine Don on a cold night.

» Edited on: 2011-12-15 15:32:49

<3 Hello Kitty

I got picked because I have a secret picture of Don wearing an Oregon State jumpsuit. True story.

ok thats gross Bentmer. Think you stepped in a steamy pile of shame there :P

Bentmer, don't lie. You used the pic of Fog wearing the pink Tutu. The real true story.

Oh my! You guys are hilarious. =D I'm actually glad I'm not in this secret group no matter how much I want to know what's going on and help the family keep going wherever it does go. Why? One, I can't say that I can be as regular as Ben needs one to be for such a thing. Two, I've been in charge of too many things in my life, I rather just get thrown a job when there is one. =) Three, if we go GW2 please count me as one of the crazy people with too much time who would love to be in on the beta. 'Nuff said. Now for that secret cake recipe crew. Fairy, I have an easy to-die-for, rich and moist chocolate cake I can give you. It has four generations of approval in my family, maybe even five! HA HA!

mmmmm hungry. must eat cake!

<3 Cake..

I am proud to represent New Zealand at competitive knitting. I will bring the wool!

Just in case that somebody was sitting and saying to them self "What does a guy in a pink tutu look like"

Self Portrait Booie?

No Don, I found Shinobii in Ironpine peak dancing around like this. Very odd and I didn't ask any questions.

Bob Carey, the model/photographer in the pink tutu is absofreakinglutely brilliant. I love the serenity of that snow shot, it's beautiful.

Thanks to everyone working hard on this! I'm excited to see what is on the horizon :)

Okay, will share the cake recipe: Chocolate Cake 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 2/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt 2/3 cup vegetable oil 4 tablespoons vinegar 4 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups water Preheat oven to 325 degrees Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Make three wells in the dry mixture. Put oil, vanilla and vinegar each in its own well. Put the two cups of water in on top of it all. Mix well. Pour cake mixture into a 9x13 greased cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes, check with toothpick to verify middle is done. Depending on if you use glass or metal pan and how well your oven works it may take a bit longer to bake, but checking it at the 30 minute mark has seemed to work as a gauge in all the crazy places I've lived. =) Makes a dark, moist cake that is moist enough it is even good without frosting. Simple Vanilla Frosting Milk Crisco Vanilla Confectioners Sugar No, I do not have measurements for this. Usually we throw a cup or so of crisco in the bowl mix in sugar and vanilla to taste, use milk for the right consistency and then slap it on the cake. Note: This frosting is two soft for fancy decorating. Always tastes good on this cake even if its a lot of fudging around to get it not too sweet. Anyway, this recipe has definitely been used a LOT in my family over the past century or so for the cake. Frostings used have varied though.

» Edited on: 2011-12-17 08:33:23

Leave it to Briseadh to actually post a cake recipe. :P Let the recipe wars begin!

These brownies are absolutely evil they're so good. There is a reason I make them once a year and give them all away. Mint Brownies Brownies 1 C melted butter (2 sticks) 3 1oz squares unsweetened choc, melted 2 C sugar 4 eggs (mix in one at a time) 1 1/2 C flour 1/2 t salt 1/2 t mint or peppermint extract 3/4 C chopped nuts (optional) Pour in greased and floured 9x13 pan, bake at 350 for 32 min. Cool Completely Green Filling 6 T creamed butter 4 T evaporated milk 1/2 t mint or peppermint extract 2 C powdered sugar 2 drops green food coloring spread on brownies and refrigerate 1/2 hour (at least) Chocolate Topping 6oz package chocolate chips 3 T butter stir until just melted (I do in double boiler) put on in dabs, spread evenly on top work fast store in fridge, take out 1/2 before serving

But of course! And now we also have mint brownies! Now we're talking!

I am so proud of not being able to cook! I am pretty sure my mum taught me that cooking is for people you pay, right? Take out and restaurants ftw!

We in america call that economic stimulation Mijjah. ;) I'm a proud supporter of the local restauraunts and pizza parlors in my area. Mmm

Here's my cake recipe: buy Betty Crocker's pudding-in-the-mix super moist cake mix. Bake, add frosting from a can. Tada! Cake.

You gave away the secret Z!!! /cry

Hmmm... Arenanet in need of sucking up to for Guild Wars 2 Beta access... secret recipies being shared behind closed doors... I like where this is going.

» Edited on: 2011-12-19 06:24:41

It will be interesting to read the results of this focus group.

I recommend lots of chocolate to go with the results reading when they do become available. Or maybe that's lots of chocolate during the wait of awesome results that will take some time in the making. =) Nah, it's BOTH! Bring on the chocolate cake and brownies!

By: FairybellaFawny Here's my cake recipe: buy Betty Crocker's pudding-in-the-mix super moist cake mix. Bake, add frosting from a can. Tada! Cake.

Astraiel, I usually put quotes at the bottom of my posts. I still haven't figured out why they make ALL the text quotized. Ben built these forums by hand (almost...literally) so maybe that's why there's no buttons? Not sure really.

Yay I bake the same way! *le sigh* I give up trying to quote, use BB codes or in any way make my posts more interesting on this site. :P Grrr why can't we just have buttons to push to put the tags around selected text? lol

I built this forum as a temporary forum 6 years ago. It has no js requirement and the little buttons traditionally use js and sometimes have browser issues. Sooner or later ill rebuild the forum system.

Is that deaths per attempt, or bosses down? I think all 5 branches have a valid place in the guild, and all are equally important :) The PVE focus group looks after end game raiders and end game pve, so all are catered for.

» Edited on: 2011-12-21 00:22:38

Cinder, just cuz I know you, like you, and miss busting on you, but here's my 20 bucks on how I see game play. Two cents wouldn't cut it. =D (you know I'm verbose) I would put myself at casual becuase I don't go hardcore for one thing or another or try to have the best gear. I play to have fun and I'm an altaholic because if one thing is annoying me to play I can do something else. Besides I swap things between chars in every game I ever played. I would say RP is one of the hardest things to really keep going in an MMO. Why? We are human and it can cause more drama than the usual stuff that happens. =D However, I can say I've had a lot of fun RP in most games I have played. I haven't done serious RP in Rift, but I do some goofy stuff to get guildmates laughing. I'm the goof who will RP the happy dog with reindeer ears running around the manufacturary making sure fellow guildies have a bouncing, licking, biting dog helping them. All guilds I was in on Warhammer as an officer or even the lead were all RP guilds with even message boards for those of us who loved to write things when not able to get in the game. Actually one of my boards for a destruction oriented guild is still up for a few friends that still use it and actually still play Warhammer more for their fun RP and time together. I don't see crafting as a necessary evil. I find it interesting to do. Then again I am goal oriented and sometimes a bit OCD. LOL! I guess this is why in RL before being disabled I was an engineer and a project manager in both IT and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. I are a nerd. I may not have endgame recipes in Rift, but I blow my money on making three different mats as much as possible for those who do put them on the marketplace. So I'm one of those people who caters to the 'necessary evil' though I am on your list of 'not existing', so I'm thinking you can't 'run me out with my arse unfire' (no matter how big it is). Hehehe! ::tackle hugs and then flees giggling madly::

» Edited on: 2011-12-21 06:39:51

That's the beauty of what were planning cinder. You will only be with those that share the same views. Bottom line: play HOW you want, when you want, as long as you like.

The whole point is to be inclusive rather than pretend your way of gaming makes you better than other people. How they choose to spend gametime is up to them. I would say casuals comprise the largest percentage of Gaiscioch members,so questioning their existence would exclude half the guild. I would consider myself as a casual player because for me rl wins over gaming most of the time, so I log on casually and cannot commmit to showing up at a set time every week. That is why most people choose Gaiscioch, as there are no attendance rules or minimum requirements.

Bri! You can still bust me. I'm still playing. And I wouldn't dare run you out with your arse on fire, Even I'm not that brave I just can't help tweaking Fog whenever I get a chance. Mijjah, don't hate the game. hate the playa. That always works for me. muhaha! ::runs back to the raid to kill Darktide again:: :;eeeeeeevil grin::

Don't die in fire on your way back now will ya :P Life is too short to hate, and gaming is too much fun these days! I just laugh at the sad old hatas of this world, I kinda feel sorry for them. Exciting new things to do, life to live and all that good stuff. Sooo many awesome games out at the moment it is hard to know where to start! Im looking forward to an exciting New Year for the guild and will contribute as much as possible to the raid/pve setion of the Development Group. Yay it is almost Xmas time in the sun, if I don't post again, Merry Xmas guild :)

» Edited on: 2011-12-21 22:53:18

I need two more recipes folks.

That's the beauty of what were planning cinder. You will only be with those that share the same views. Bottom line: play HOW you want, when you want, as long as you like. I hope this expands some to include, within the MMO world, -what- you like too. There would need to be requirements for a new game title to qualify as a viable 'chapter' for the family, but if they are met I would love to see support for it. Over the past 10 years there have been many many big MMO titles, far beyond just 3.

» Edited on: 2011-12-27 09:53:08

Wildflower, The Gaiscioch family is highly controlled publicly. I personally oversee it's public relations and see to it that we keep the name we've built over the past decade. We are not trying to be Syndicate here who branch into every game. The reason being is when you have thousands in all different games, there is little to no control over public image. Gaiscioch is a brand and it's my job to protect it's brand identity. I can not risk opening up a door when I don't have eyes on the prize. Thats as simple as it is. Bottom line is if I'm not there to supervise it's not going to be a branch. Yes I know that sounds selfish but I can not risk the namesake we've built on a chance that someone else will run things as I do. If things go bad in a game right now all the blame falls on me. The Brand I've built gets punished. I can not allow a branch to open and risk losing our relationship with the media, the game developers, and the public. Now the reason Guild Wars 2 is targeted as Chapter 4 is based around many key points the game offers. 1. No Subscription Fee - This allows our seasonal players who usually go dark during the winter months to continue to play with the family without the financial burden. It also allows us to use it as a Base Camp where all Members can connect and explore other games together and know they still have a home to come back too a couple nights a week. 2. Supports: End Game Skilled PvE (Raiding), Craftings, RvR/PvP, Roleplay (2 Novels with a 3rd on the way, expansive lore), and Casual Gaming pickup and play. This is the only title on the market that is set in a fantasy world that fits all 5 playstyles within our family. 3. It is set in a Fantasy world. 4. Complete Web Inter-connectivity - I can maintain the family on my cellphone and do promotions etc. I can even send messages to players in game from my cellphone. They're working on an API for the game to allow me to feed the games data directly into our site. No more promotion people, no more vault managers, everything can be automated. 5. Community - The infrastructure of a game must possess the ability to arrange large scale community events. As our family is well known by our events (and even has our Ventrilo sponsored because of them) we must be able to run and operate large scale activities. Guild Wars offers many tools for community building from being in multiple guilds to their very large scale events like the dragon battles, random town assaults, etc. These activities will be very fun in large groups. Most importantly you see EVERYTHING on your screen. Characters don't disappear, you can see them off in the distance. I've seen screenshots of 200+ in the same frame. Having both PvE and PvP options for large scale activities is an added bonus. In all honestly Guild Wars 2 is the home we've been searching for all along. In DAOC our PvE players suffered. In WAR our Crafters & PvErs Suffered. In Rift our PvP/RvR people suffered. GW2 brings forth a product that allows each of them to "DO what they want" and level up and gain bonuses and contribute to the world as a whole. Now I know a couple of you really want a Star Wars branch but that's simply not in the cards. We are a focused family on 1 game. Rift having 2 factions is a lot like trying to focus on 2 games and it's bleeding our eldership dry. Now we have had some discussion about creating a namesake that can be recognized by members and members can create the guild name on other games to draw other Gaiscioch toward it. But it would have to be unofficial and not related to our public image. Think of it like this. If Lotus had a guy that used to work for them and he wanted to form another car company in America using the same name but using american parts do you think Lotus would let him keep the name? Without quality control over your product it can be 1 decision that sends the whole house of cards to the floor. I can't risk it. If this family is going to fail it's going to be my doing and no fingers will pointed anywhere else. I have to accept full responsibility over our product. If things go wrong I wont get invited to visit development studios, or get interviewed about our family, or be approached by TypeFrag/UGO for free vent hosting in excahnge for us running large scale public events, or get beta/alpha keys way before anyone else. I wont get invited to the social parties or be able to be on game developers facebooks and linkedins. That whole hidden side you don't see gets shut down. The Gaiscioch is much bigger than just a guild in rift. Our real world ties are much stronger than our in game ties. The bigger and more stable we get, the tighter our community, and the impact we make on businesses in time will be a major player to our overall success. Doors will open and opportunities will present themselves. But we cant pull that off if we scatter our image and allow just about anyone to drive our car. We have to retain control over it. Thats while I spent the money on legal documentation to protect the namesake, thats why I've taken the time to build branding, marketing materials, press releases, and even a press distribution system. Being focused allows us to have a more intimate setting and allows players of new and old a clear place to find us. We didn't set out to do the shotgun approach like Syndicate, that's just not who the Gaiscioch is. Plus trying to build a website like this for more than 1 game at a time would be a full time job. I already spend way too much time working on it with 1 game. Fog

» Edited on: 2011-12-27 11:22:15

Yes, Gaiscioch, is definitely more than just a guild in a game and it is something Fog started and wants to keep going the way he invisioned. Now the cool thing is he has this focus group of people to get insight into keeping things going towards that vision. I like how Fog runs things because he works on a community approach even as he works on a brand name. So we are here because we liked the product. Either we stay and help the product continue the vision of the leader or we move on. We have a focus group because Fog would lead nothing without having people involved. He wants the family to be able to move on when it is time and wants a crew to help with solid and constructive opinions. No, we don't always agree, but discussion towards what can be done to alleviate the disagreement makes things move forward. He wants something that will fill in those areas he sees as the most prevailant in the gaming community over the past 10 years of running this family. He is also right about what he has said about the games that have made it hard for various parts of the family to feel like they have something to dig into. Some games killed the PvE side and some the PvP side. I'm a person that likes both, but I found Warhammer PvE stale very very fast and I found PvP in Rift like scenarios in Warhammer, which were the PvP part that annoyed me. However, I would do the part that annoyed me if with Gaischioch and working to help members of the family out. It's always more fun with this family. The other thing that happens is new games do come out and people do move on. As long as a game stays robust enough with enough population we can do what Gaiscioch does best, mass community events. To keep this family going the way Fog invisions requires a lot of research to keep the family in a game where our massive community involvement can keep things hopping and that includes for a game. How many crews do you know organize such huge things with a story line to boot and can carry that mentality into whichever game is the groups home at the time? I only know of Gaiscioch doing this to this extent and even out beyond the game. I'll be sticking around to help whatever way I can to keep the Gaiscioch going the way that makes it hit the vision Fog has no matter where we go.

There is a saying "Jack of all trades, and master of none". I agree with Ben not branching off into every game that comes out because that would be setting us up to fail. It seems hard enough to manage a guild this size, splitting off and factionalising just causes a whole heap of headaches, and anyone who has been in management/leadership positiions irl will identify with that. Stuff ends up not being done right, people then get upset and drama ensues on all sides. Have you ever seen "Undercover Boss" on tv, where the CEO ends up apalled by how far from the goal/vision the front line has become? Where he / she is freaking out going "holy shit how did it ever get this bad?". Or if you like war stuff, the armies who have failed miserably by fighting their battles on too many fronts. There is great benefit to all of us in doing one game really well, having leaders who people know and can play alongside us, and who are approachable and not 6 degrees removed from everyone else. The real positive is that you can make friends in Rift and eventually GW2, and take them with you to play other games as you feel the need (like many of us have in Star Wars). No MMO will ever be perfect for eveyone, or satisfy you forever. There will always be something shinier on the horizon to get wrapped up in, but usually boredom takes over at some point. That is just life! Wouldn't you rather be outstanding in one MMO, than mediocre in many?

» Edited on: 2011-12-27 17:45:54

ROFL Mijj you made me remember the last big project I was on at work before being disabled. I got on the project at least six months in. Six months later they are talking of how the robot moves totes around as the product is produced. I floored them all with, "Where does the product go when a full tote is being moved out and an empty one moved in to keep this system going non-stop?" I got a lot of blank stares and silence. Answer was that with the current design it went right on the floor in a big mess! Talk about adding money and time to a project already going over budget. So glad I was not the project manager on that one, but a quality engineer. HA HA! So anyway, don't really pay attention to all the ins and outs needed to reach a goal, you will find yourself dumping things wastefully on the floor. Which is why one main game at a time should be enough with research on how things are going and where they should go on the side. Already did make my point, but still laughing about the stupidity of that project and how it relates to a point Mijj made. =)

one of the attractions for me w/ this community is a community that outlasts the games. all games have a life cycle. it is tedious to have to always try to find a decent community in a new game. i'd rather have my good community join me in a decent game :)

Well said, Malle.

Imma gonna bump this with a recipe. Prepare to be enlightened! Irish Carbomb Cupcakes Cupcake 1 cup Guinness 1 stick, plus 1 tbs unsalted butter 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 cups dark brown sugar 3/4 cup sour cream 2 eggs 1 tbs vanilla extract 2 cups flour 2 1/2 tsp baking soda Frosting 1/3 cups butter (a little more than half a stick) 1 tbs milk Powdered sugar (to taste. We used 2 cups for a more glaze-like texture. Can use up to 4 cups) 4 tbs Bailey's Irish Cream 1 1/2 tbs Jameson Whiskey Cupcake: Preheat the oven to 350; line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar (Whisk, don't use electric mixer). In a bowl, whisk the sour cream and the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold in the batter (again, don't use mixer. It will kill the texture of the cupcakes). Pour into muffin molds (about 3/4 full) and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack. Frosting: Allow butter to reach near room temperature then cream at high speed with an electric mixer (yes, now you get to break out the power tools). Add in milk and 1 cup of the powdered sugar to create a wet and thick mixture. Add in the remaining liquids and mix until frosting is spreadable. Add more powdered sugar until at desired consistancy.

» Edited on: 2012-01-04 14:47:04

paja - those cupcakes look like the bomb. wow

Well Paja you just gave me the excuse I need to buy a 12 pack of Guiness, bottles of Jameson and Baileys, and... What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, I love booze!

Man this clubs got it all... Knitting, baking, and drinking. Sounds like were having a party with betty crocker and the red hat club. :D :

And when you are waiting for the cupcakes to bake. Irish Car bomb Ingredients 3/4 pint Guinness® stout 1/2 shot Bailey's® Irish cream 1/2 shot Jameson® Irish whiskey Instructions Add the Bailey's and Jameson to a shot glass, layering the Bailey's on the bottom. Pour the Guinness into a pint glass or beer mug 3/4 of the way full and let settle. Drop the shot glass into the Guinness and chug. If you don't drink it fast enough it will curdle and increasingly taste worse.

» Edited on: 2012-01-05 12:46:25

Mijj's cake recipe This was handed down to me by my Mum :P Drive car to bakery, get out of car and go in. Browse yummy cakes. Choose your favourite. Give appropriate money to bakery people. Drive home and eat your cake, or alternately eat on the way! So quick and easy!!

LMAO @Booie and @Mijjah :) Now thats what I call baking

Booie knows how I bake...HaHa Hey! waste not, want not. Besides, it makes the waiting more...enjoyable. =D On a serious note here. I wouldn't worry too much about being spread too thin. With the core of this community being together for 10+ years and the majority of the community supporting the multiple game idea, I feel there isn't too much to worry about. I've been a part of several gaming communities that harbor the same principles and ideals that we do, as well as having roots in multiple games on several platforms, and they're still chugging along without any problems. The Old Timers Guild, Deephallow Brewers, and The Older Gamers just to name a few. Great folks too (just like all of you). I know this is cliche, but if you build it...they will come. My 2 coppers... Now back to waiting for muh cupcakes!

You have said 'we are a focused family on 1 game.' I'm starting to get the feeling that almost everyone is going to jump ship from Rift to GW2, and suddenly those of us who either cannot or don't wish to follow, will be cast adrift because you don't want the Gaiscioch name used without your supervision. I sincerely hope I am wrong about this, because I joined this family guild because of it's outstanding reputation and cohesiveness, I am proud that my chars sport the Gaiscioch/Gaiscioch Na Nuada tags. I've worked hard to contribute any way I can, to religiously attend the weekly community events, and to uphold the values we stand for in all my in-game doings. I will never be a top player in any game because there are just to many 'issues' I have to deal with, one of them being an almost paralyzing fear about interacting with others, even in a game environment. This family has been a haven for me, and has been instrumental in bringing me out of my shell part way. If the family leaves...I will not join another guild. I've been in too many that ended badly. Just please, remember that some of us may not be able to move on with you, and don't strip us of our foundations so that we crash and burn in Rift.

Greetings Astraiel, I understand your feelings and trust me I know your worried as are several people. I will give you a bit of insight as to how this has gone in the past. Our family is like a traveling circus. We entertain people, build communities, and hold extravagant parties. As long as population continues to attend our events we'll continue to host them. However when population drops below a level where we are making an impact in a game thats when we depart. We go to where the public demands. Now you might be skeptical of GW2 and thats perfectly ok. However I can tell you that out of every game we have taken a look at and had some hands on time with Guild Wars 2 is the most promising canadate as a long lasting central hub we have ever come across. Even more so that DAOC, WAR, and RIFT. It has something for everyone and doesn't cost a monthly subscription. This allows us to have a hub to operate out of and then on off nights we can explore other games such as Rift or what have you. This way people aren't commited financially to 1 game and can go enjoy many all the while having a community they can be a part of. This move was not taken lightly, and was not just a spur of a moment decision. We have been evaluating GW2 for 4 years, building relationships with developers, and traveling hundreds of miles every year to get hands on time. We planned to go into GW2 before we went into WAR. When RIFT came along WAR was dead, boring and we were bleeding members out. We jumped into RIFT to keep us together, to buy us time, and to make new friends and experience a bit of adventure in the process. However, Several major issues have prevented the community from flourishing there. I can tell you that activity within our family has dropped significantly. New membership is down, and RIFT is hemorrhaging badly right now. Our Character inactivity Doubled in November from Octobers activity level, and now Decembers activity levels have tripled over that of November. Since October our family has seen over 2500 characters go dormant. Without a new stream of incoming people and a continuous downward trend by August - November of next year we will be talking server merge unless Trion can pull a rabbit out of their hat. Bottom line is RIFT is not doing so good atm. I haven't found any new players to the game, heck Im still sitting on 30 Free copies of RIFT and I can't find people to give them too. I love the game but really without things like Alliances and being able to see more than 60 people around you and with nothing large scale that requires a community to work together to overcome it's going to be an uphill battle. Now I've got a lot of friends over at Trion and I've been bouncing ideas off them but they can only work so fast. I've gotta look to the future and ensure that our family is taken care of. That's my role here and thats what I intend to do. If you don't want us to give up on RIFT the solution is simple. Don't give up on RIFT. When population drops below 20 attending our community events it's going to be time to throw in the towel. Survival is our focus and right now we're not getting new blood and the old blood is leaving at an alarming rate.

» Edited on: 2012-01-05 16:09:36

Star Wars, Skyrim, and other things are taking people away atm, but give it time. Rift isn't dead. Between the holidays and the "new shinies", things make look like it, but it should revive somewhat.

Since I have been gone a while not intentionally, I am now come back and find alot of people MIA. I havent come back like I want too my Son has been here from California and its our first face to face visit in 15 years. So he has kept me busy. He leaves in the morning and I will be playing more, and hope that I see some of the people that I havent seen much of. I understand people going off to try new things, or for some old stomping grounds. I at this moment plan to play both Guild Wars and Rift. Since guild wars is a free monthly thing I think its great. Some people in this economy can't afford a mothly sub. and this after putting out the initial investment will allow them to stay part of The Gaiscioch Family not just in forums but in actual play time. We have great leaders that care about our quality of play as well as the feelings of others. I have been in many guilds since starting out in mmos and their have only been two guilds that I can say had their stuff together. One is just the shell of what it was now. But this one is by far the luckiest having Fog as a leader and caregiver. Give us all a chance to explore and come home again. Hope to see you all in the field... hugs and much love and thanks for the prayers while I was sick they did help.

Sea, so glad you are better. from my perspective, i was getting ready to cancel my Rift subscription when i found this community. Gaiscioch breathed new life into the game for me - with the friendships and fun activities. i did some raiding w/ some of the nicest people i have raided w/ in any mmo. but even so, more than ever, it's Gaiscioch that is keeping me in game w/ Rift. i think that it's a good game, but the content has not been able to keep pace w/ the needs of the community. server pop appears down overall from what i can tell.

The devs may still rescue Rift...but it does not seem likely. They would need to add a decent amount of content and stop nerfing stuff. Making endgame pve other than HK and ROTP extremely easy was a mistake. I used to like the game a lot, but it became tedious and not challenging. In the end I was only logging on for one raid, and even that became dull. Although some of the decrease in player numbers will be due to holidays and other games being released I think Rift is losing its appeal for many, which is a shame. Bring on GW2 :)

» Edited on: 2012-01-06 10:26:02

I'm currently playing SWToR, played Rift for about a month maybe 2, and haven't been a part of a family event since Warhammer. But I'm still Gaiscioch through and through. There are lots of members still playing Warhammer, and somemay not play GW2 at all. It doesn't make anyone less Gaiscioch than anyone else. Play what you want, when you want, however you want. For me, Gaiscioch has become a state of mind.

» Edited on: 2012-01-06 11:07:56

If you have fun playing Rift, then you should just enjoy it and not worry so much about the future. GW2 is months away from going live. In MMO terms, that is an eternity away. It's not like you have to make any decisions any time soon. That being said, this thread is beginning to concentrate more on what people think is bad about Rift rather than what they think is great about GW2. For the sake of those who still play Rift and enjoy it, let's refrain from bashing it too much please.

Fog I wasn't meaning to question your choice of game to move to, or even that you did choose to leave. I was simply asking that you not strip those of us who remain here of the Gaiscioch tag we are so proud of, by deleting the guild/s. We've striven to help you uphold the family's public image, to bolster our ranks, to conquer the Rift planar invaders, and to support each other in times of need. I for one would be indescribably hurt if I logged on the day you leave for GW2 and found myself without a guild. Nor was I saying I don't want to try GW2. I just plain can't afford the one time box price, unfortunately. It's buy that or buy myself groceries. Which wins, heh.

Astraiel, you make the very point why we are going there in the first place. "I just plain can't afford the one time box price, unfortunately. It's buy that or buy myself groceries. Which wins, heh." This is why we want to make GW2 our base camp that everything else we do stems out of. So that people like yourself can play with us without having to sacrifice groceries. Now I know the $50 hump is hard to get over but at $15 per month that's 4 months of a paid subscription game. Then you could play with us forever and never have to worry about a subscription fee again. Now honestly, I'll still be playing RIFT for a while after GW2 comes out. I've got a lot of friends that worked on that game and am not looking forward to bowing out. I can not however afford to wait until there's no one left to pull the plug. We did that in DAOC and still today I haven't been able to get even a fraction of those people back. Their gone forever. 500 People in the wind. It's a hard choice but there comes a time when you've gotta hold onto those willing to travel with you to a brighter battlefield where the family can grow and thrive and say farewell to those that refuse. It's a sad truth in MMO games but I've got to preserve our family. If things dry up here in RIFT I'm going to have to pull the plug before we have no one left. Does that mean your not in the family? Absolutely not. Once a Gaiscioch always a Gaiscioch. When and if you stumble back upon us you'll be the same rank as you were the day we left. The Guild Tag above your head does not make you Gaiscioch. Being a part of our community makes you Gaiscioch. We've got members who lead other guilds, play other games, or play in raiding guilds that we still consider family. Gaiscioch is very much an Attitude and a way of life. No matter where we go or what we do a Gaiscioch will always be a Gaiscioch regardless of the text above their head. Honestly if RIFT is still going strong in 9 months from now and our community is still flourishing I don't see any reason why we would close it down. GW2 probably wont see a launch until late 2012 so lets not pack any bags yet. Trion still gots some tricks up their sleeve. My inside sources tell me the "Gaiscioch" patch is coming ;).

» Edited on: 2012-01-06 13:58:27

@ Fog: What is "the Gaiscioch Patch"? I am intrigued! @ Bentmer: Forums are a place for discussion and expressing personal opinions and viewpoints...this can go either way, and is I think appropriate in this context. People will not always agree, and I think that is the point of having forums! I personally hope they add some stuff to Rift to get players back, as I really enjoyed the game for almost a year, and would play again in the future :) -edit due to being bad at typing QQ

» Edited on: 2012-01-06 16:40:18

I'm one of those people that would heavyly benefit from the no monthly subscription as my husband and I both play sub games, he LoTR and I Rift. I enjoy Rift but I'm ready for something new and GW 2 seems intriguing and something I'm looking forward to. Being older it looks like a game that I would be more interested in. Games have come along way from the text based games that I used to play. I'm waiting but not patiently (LOL) for GW 2. Still going to play Rift and attend events as my health allows. Going to have fun in my late night playing with Mira and friends and my daytime play with the newer people I'm getting to know, since I was moving and very sick for along time. When I went to level my char on Belmont from the October fund raiser Gaiscioh was still my guild. :) Even though I was alone in guild chat I still had the guild with me. Thank you Fog for not deleting the guild on Belmont, it made me feel part of the family even though I was alone. Kittara

My husband and I would also benefit greatly from the no sub game. We are both students (will be for next 2-3 years), with a 3 year old son and are subbed currently to WoW to help our Oceanic guild progress. (I'm a main raid tank). Hubby has been playing a lot of League of Legends, got a few people we play with frequently and want to get a bit more coordinated for a decent pvp game with them. Mainly started playing that cause it was 100% free. Although I had problems getting into GW, due to not actually finding anyone to play with (before I started Warhammer and found the family). I like games that have a real social element to them. Still miss Warhammer sometimes, but looking forward to what the future brings. EDIT: Just hope GW2 runs ok on our current PCs as we can't afford to upgrade. Husband's is about 6 years old mine is years old and weren't state of art when we built them either.

» Edited on: 2012-01-06 20:27:03

It's been said that GW2 is being designed with older machines in mind, trying to make a game that most people can run without having to dish out a lot of money to have the latest and greatest in their rigs. It's yet to be seen if they've stuck to this plan, but we'll see.(And soon I hope.) Those of you concerned about Rift.. Know that when the family left WAR, they did so only after the game(or more importantly the server we were based out of) was near unplayable due to lack of population. Even then, Ben held several more events before finally pulling the plug on the guild there. Will this be the same case for Rift? Who can say, but it's safe to say that the thing that -does- matter is head count. If the players and family members speak with absence, then it's time to move the circus to greater shows. If it's a matter of cost? GW2 is the obvious cheaper route to take. GW2 is not only free to play, it offers something for everyone that calls themself a part of this family, which is -very- important. Not for a single person or single play style, but for the family as a whole. I'll be honest, Iso and I played Rift during the first weeks of beta.. And we didn't even finish with the full beta time. We couldn't stand the game. It felt empty, lifeless, and devoid of any real feel for the characters it had to offer. GW2 has been the plan from back when WAR was still being played, so this shouldn't be a shock or even 'news' that the family had plans to play it.

I still like Rift, but some of it is starting to feel the same. Thankfully I have a char, Ladasach, that is up to being T2 healing ready allowing me more to do with the family when my time meshes with others. I even liked Warhammer alot. I know I disappeared for a bit and I did get back on Warhammer at one point with some friends, but it wasn't the same. So it is definitely the Family that adds that extra spice to the games. The bad jokes, the friendly joshing, and the Bacon! ::chuckles:: But we also talk serious things with each other. We make sure the other family members are okay in RL. We do crazy things like our wonderful cookie zerg because game developers are people, too. We may have come together via one MMO or another this family has been in, but it honestly is not the game that keeps the core together. It's cool to get on vent and find no Rift players hanging out now and then to talk to because they still are family. It felt good but oddly weird at first coming back having figured out Gaiscioch was in Rift. Good because I found the same crew I loved playing with in Warhammer. Weird because of the family atmosphere of caring where I was for several months as an AWOL member. I've played with other groupes through multiple games, but Gaiscioch is the one that really works far beyond the game. And I'm one of those people that would appreciate a free sub for a game. I might be going back to school to learn what I need to for database admin and web design with the help of a state agency for the disabled. Less time to play, but I will want a stress reliever. HA HA. But even if that don't work out, my income goes down after June 2013 and I probably won't know approval of beyond that until the end of this year. Though I keep waiting for a miracle that makes my left arm work right agian. =D At least, I can type walls of text at you all. MUWHAHAHHA! On with the family fun no matter what park we camp in!

Well maybe I'll get lucky and the Easter Bunny will drop a GW2 box copy in my mail slot. Otherwise I'll never get to play the game. I would love to be able to start the same time everyone else does so we can all level together more or less :P

The no sub in GW2 will be a massive plus, and the RVR and PVP will be perfect for the Gaiscioch approach to gaming :)