The Spy Who Manicured Me

Cue spy music from TV series, “Get Smart”:

Duh-de-duh-duh.  Duh-de-duh-duh. Duh-de-duh-duh. Duh-Duh-De-Duh. Duh-Duh-De Dum!

Doors of a bank vault, jail cell, and others slam behind me as I walk swiftly down the long hallway of my spy offices.  I enter the magic movement room—some would call it an ‘elevator’—that deposits me on the Kingdoms Live street above.

I pull out the invitation from my robe.  It’s pink, decorated with feathers and pearls, and smells of delicate daffodil blooms.  It seems my chum Ayla Blue has decided to invite me for a manicure at her new shop.  Of course the shop is clearly a cover for Ayla’s spying operations.  She is too closely connected to other powerful players for it to be anything but. Afterall, her KL wall is covered with well wishes from Dana, Knight Lee, Essa the Golden, and Goldmarie.

I have to say that the invitation is the strangest one I’ve received so far from an interview candidate.  But, since it’s from a long-time KL pal, I don’t mind. 

Ayla was one of the first KL players to make it to my Palringo contact list.  She and another KL player helped run Praetorian Guard just a few short months ago.  She was instrumental in helping me see the social value of KL with her witty comebacks, and good playing advice.  And, when clan direction changed and new leadership arose, Ayla was astute and gracious in passing along the reigns of power to a new generation.

I arrive at a pink door and go inside.  Ayla is there immediately, patting me on the back, pulling my hand over to a nearby table.  Her voice is pleasant and she’s dressed well in the surprising way that iron & chiffon, leather & lace, pink & rust go together.  I see her many Crusader’s Grand Aegis shields and her Blessed Pilgrim Staffs hidden in a nearby room.

She asks me to remove my gauntlets and begins cleaning my fingernails one by one.  She begins answering my questions immediately, but I figure this is all a spy cover so I don’t mind.

She says, “I first started playing last April/May....I initially started with Vampires, and then this game popped up and I downloaded it as well.  I play on a daily basis, though the past couple of months I’m ‘camping’ to prep myself for the move up to 200." She chuckles.  "I'll be here a while... and no, I am not ‘Camping Naked’ either!  So get that thought right out of your mind mister! Oh, and there’s another term for your dictionary!

 

I make a mental note to add ‘camping naked.'  I ask, “Was this your first multi-player online game?”

 

Ayla smiles, happily sanding my nails now.  “No, I've played various other MPG/RPG's.  Ooh! More for the vocab list!  Games on the computer, also XBox Live.  Pretty much the same as the other online games that are out there, strictly game only speaking, but nothing compared to an XBox Live where you're actively speaking with others while you're actively playing.”

 

 “I haven’t played those, but hear they are great.”  I ask, “Do you regularly make wall posts, or just every once in a while?  What motivates you to post on another player’s wall?”

 

Ayla’s spy persona comes out briefly.  She looks behind me and around the room.  She whispers: “Yes I have…but rarely.  It leaves a hard link back to you.  That hard link can then be used for nefarious means by the unscrupulous.  If I have posted, its pretty much just a social comment among people that are my personal friends.  And, occasionally I've acted as a mediator for a truce.”

 

I ask, “Do you think of KL as being a creative outlet for you?”

 

“Nope,” Ayla quips.  “Its a war game plain and simple—my artwork is part of my real life, not my game life.” She pauses and smiles: “As creative as I get is sometimes with the speech, or role play of my game character which is an Elf Mage specializing in healing.”

 

“Since I know you from a clan, tell me about how you came to be so much involved in it,” I offer.

 

Ayla says, “Yes, I was actively recruited for a clan.  I ignored all offers for some time, not really knowing anything about clans, and was just having fun playing.  But, finally started doing some research, and gave in eventually.”  She laughs out loud.  “That was with the Praetorian Guards.   I wasn’t looking for help, and didn’t need any, but I was interested in learning more about the game.  Instead I got the social interaction that was totally unanticipated.   I made good friends there.  There are people that I have become friends with in real life and we socialize in real life.  I really didn’t learn all that much about the game, but just bits and pieces eeked through.  I was invited to become a moderator, and then an administrator, and was then asked to become Clan Co-Leader with Knight Lee the founder of the Praetorian Guards.   In January of 2010, due to personal reasons, Lee was going to close down the Clan.  I had my own real life things going on as well, so was fine with the closure.   Then another player, "Boomer", offered to take it over versus closing it.  And, Voila!”  Ayla plunges my right hand into another liquid and begins trimming the nails of my left hand.

She continues:  “Lee and I remained on as "Friend of" status versus being members though.  Now I play clanless - but  have made many friends in many of the clans.  So while I may not be a member of any specific clan, I do consider myself a "friend" to all of them.   Will I ever join an other clan?  Probably not.”

 

My hands feel cleaner than they ever have.  I ask, “Is keeping your name in KL important?  Have you changed or altered your name in some way?”

 

“Yes it is!” Ayla shouts. “While it has been 'tweeked' since I started playing, it has remained identifiably me the entire time.  And since I have played long enough—as anyone else who has—you develop your unique gamer personality and identity.  So yeah, own your name and keep it I say!” 

 

I know the answer, but ask Ayla:  “Have you joined a chat group or instant messenger that is dedicated to KL?”

 

“Well yes, of course!” She slaps my hand playfully.  “You don’t join a clan without being able to be in some sort of out of game discussion group!   So yes, I have been on Palringo from when I agreed to join the Praetorian Guard.   Its this sort of thing that makes this game what its become.  The fact that it was taken outside of the game into the internet/chat room/IM situation all of a sudden gave it a much more social aspect and made it very interactive.  There are pluses and minuses to this actually.  On the plus side, it personalized it—gave it a true group play aspect, allowed friendships to form, etc.   The minus—its amazing how many people take it too, too, too personal, and so, so many use it to escape from their real life problems.  Neither can separate game emotion from real life.  I don’t think either of those types need to be playing.”

 

I ask: “Is keeping your personal identity a secret important?  Do you chat about your name, work, family, etc?  What is completely off limits for you?”

 

She smiles: “To a certain degree yes it is important to keep my real life separate.  There are a small core group of people that I've met here that over the months we've developed real life friendships/relationships.  Those naturally do know me personally.  It has been removed from the game—and is now separate from the game.  These are people that I actually see and interact with in real life.   Others are strictly game associates, and depending on the depth of the association, they may know my real name.  Though that is the few.  Others just strictly know me by my game name.   Being female and online, one can not be too careful.  But personality wise, I am who I am in real life.  I don’t have a separate ‘game persona’.”

 

She pauses and points to my hands.  I’ve lost myself in her story so I wasn’t paying much attention to what she was doing.  Ten clean and well-painted fingernails stare up at me.  Painted!  And, they’re blue!

“I can’t believe you painted my fingernails blue, Blue!” I say in a shocked voice.

Ayla chuckles and leans in to whisper, “If you put them under a Blue light, they will reveal my secret message.”

“Oh I say,” still a bit troubled.  What will my minions think if I arrive at work with these?  I continue, “Well, OK.  Let’s finish this up, then.  Um, would you try other similar Storm 8 games?  How long do you expect to play KL?”

“I do and have played all the other Storm8 Games.” She shakes her hair and says, “Although Pets I just find completely lame as an adult—but I see its appeal for the pre-teen market that enjoys Pokemon.  So, I feel that one was probably created more for the iTouch vs iPhone crowd.  And as of right now I see no end to playing KL.  I've not reached level 200 only to be stymied by no further option of growth.  Hopefully by the time I get there Storm8 will have/or be getting ready to open that level up!  If not, by the time I get there, I can see getting bored and moving to a camping mode.”

I wasn’t really paying much attention because I’m still staring at my bright blue nails.  “I really can’t believe you did that Ayla.”

She grins from elf ear to elf ear.  “Just thought I would give you something to remember me by Candel!”

I stand up from the chair and bid my friend goodbye.  I keep staring at my hands and shake my head.  I’m sure there’s no secret message, but decide I’ll check on it later.  In secret.

That concludes my latest Kingdoms Live player interview.  As you can see, there are plenty of “real life” characteristics that seep into playing this game.  Jokes are told, strategies are shared, “wars” are fought, and somehow or another friendships sometimes result.  I raise a glass of frosty beverage to my associates in this game, and offer a hearty “Cheers!” 

Comments

[Blu]

LOL - very nicely done my friend... and I do NOT apologize for the blue nails either! You're manly enough to sport them :still grining from elf ear to elf ear: Tho I know you didnt need 'em to remember me by...... and just so the readers know.. there WAS a secret message .... And yes, as of the posting of this interview.. the salon has been closed since its cover was blown :ahum - glares slightly at the General:

[Psyko]

kant believe you let her paint them blue... what did it say anyway?

[General Candel]

Rather than tell you the secret myself, I would like to hear what others think Ayla's message should be. Please go to my surveymonkey site to complete the 2 questions there. I'd be happy to BC your code if you give the most creative answer!

Follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DQDQVJ8 and be creative!