Wot About You Wednesday: Janielle

Hey everyone! Welcome to Wot About You Wednesday! Today, we are welcoming Janielle, from the Illian Companions. Welcome Janielle!


How long have you been a part of the WoTMUD community?

I started in WotMUD around June of 2011. So a little over a year now.


Tell us a bit about yourself irl. (for ex. age, sex, job, hobbies, anything not-WoT related.)

I am 22 and finishing up my acting degree in New York. I am planning on taking the LSAT in the Fall and law school next year. I bartend in Manhattan when I don’t have an acting gig lined up. I am an avid reader, gamer (PC and Playstation all the way!) and play soccer in what little free time I have.


Most memorable "newbie" experience?

Hmm. I have no idea who it was, but I remember being like level 12 or 13 on my old female channeler. Had never played a MUD or knew anything about pk. I war RP-ing with a friend our journey from the Two Rivers to Tar Valon for me to go to the White Tower and him to train as a Warder. Neither of us knew anything about pk, or this being a pk mud or that becoming a Warder/Aes Sedai was REALLY hard. We we in Caemlyn for the first time, reading room descriptions and getting excited when we killed things like elk. Then a bunch of DS show up and attack our 3 person party of newbs. I try to weave, not knowing that it is near impossible at that level against actual players. I ended up dying. When I left the circle, there was a player (again so sorry I forgot the name!!!) who had heard that I was killed and collected a spare set of equipment for me for free. That sort of thing always stuck with me (except for names....).


Name one thing you miss about being a kid.

I miss Halloween, like where you could actually leave at 6 and not be home until midnight and no one cared or tried to give you apples with razorblades in them or abduct you. Halloween was awesome.


What is your favorite part of the mud (ie, pk, rp, questing, smobbing)?

I like all of it really. Except in the biggest pks, I try to keep most of my actions on the mud in character, so I like when pk and smobbing can be extension of your RP. I remember a mobraid that Tlaloc ran in Caemlyn and he had the mobs yelling things at us, shouting orders to troops and it was one of the best things I have done on the MUD. Mob raids are relatively easy to fight, but grouping up and fighting off with Tlaloc doing what he does best made it so incredibly immersive.


What made you decide to join the Companion clan? 

I joined the Companions mostly because an old friend of mine in the game recommended them. They were essentially a dead clan when I joined, it was only me, one friend, and off and on the Councillor Atienne. Eventually we built up and now the clan is pretty active. I loved the Companions from the book series, so since I cannot make a female Warder I thought the Companions would be a lot of fun to join.


What's the best thing about your clan?

The thing I love about the Companions is that it is small. I know all of the clan members well, talk to them often, and everyone is willing to help. We have a myriad of pkers, RPers, smobbers, questers, and no one cares. It is not a clan that devotes to pk, so for people like me who are only moderate at pk it is really nice to be in a clan that doesn’t demand it or that you are good at it. There is plenty of pk to be had and we go out in smob groups quite often. There is just a great sense of friendship amongst the clan.


Why should people join your clan?

The Companions are relatively low key. You can really do whatever you want, pk wherever you want and you don’t have to jump through hoops to get in or stay in. We help each other out as much as we can, giving gear or smobbing to get it, teaching pk and such. There is no pressure to rank quickly or slowly, or to be out pking. You really can play your character however you want and that more than anything is what I love about us.


What should they know before they apply?

We might not be the most well-respected or prestigious or bonused clan in the game, but if you are looking for a nice, welcoming atmosphere with a group of fun people, the Companions are definitely worth giving a look into.


Candy or ice cream?

Candy. Hands down. Milky Way. Or sour gummy worms. Key to my heart.


What is your biggest accomplishment in the game?

I primarily play this character, so each time I rank Janielle I find it really rewarding. I hope to go for Master (rank 7), but that will likely take me a few years. I have been a Councillor for the Companions for a while now, and I think my biggest personal accomplishment has been being able to help administrate the clan as it became more active again. It had like 3 active members when I started in the clan, now we have upwards of 10 or 11. Not saying that was my work that did that, but just seeing the clan that I love come back is incredibly rewarding.


What are your goals in the game?

I have always wanted to have a Master character and an Aes Sedai. I started the game playing a female channeler and played with the intention of only having one character, an Aes Sedai. So I still hope to maybe wear the shawl one day, but a more realistic goal is to master Janielle.


If you could change one thing about the mud, what would it be?

One thing to change....I would want to find a way to pay our Immortals. They do a phenomenal job with the access to the code they have, the time constraints, and even the low number of them. They do all of this without any sort of compensation. I think that if we were able to pay them it would show how much we do appreciate their work (even if all we do is moan and whine on forums) and we would hate for the game to stop running. And if they were paid we could attract more Immortals and their time would be rewarded, so they would burn out at a lower rate and be less tired when doing the work. Could be way off base and I am pretty sure you are not able to do it, but I think that would really help the MUD.


What is your motto in life?

When life gives you lemons, you say ‘f*** the lemons.’ And bail.


What advice do you have for newbies just starting out?

Don’t be discouraged by the difficulty of this game! It is very hard and takes a long time to get acquainted with, but it is a great game. And there are plenty of people who will help you with equipment, game mechanics, or the map. Just stick it out and this game can be really fantastic. I know I have considered quitting a lot, but I am happy each time I did not.

Thanks for taking the time to share with us, Janielle! Good luck with the LSAT! If you guys have any questions for Janielle, leave a comment below and we'll try to get those answered. If you are interested in being featured on Wot About You Wednesday, contact me on the forums or by emailing me at wotmudnewb@gmail.com.