New titles

Congratulations to Royal Healer Zany Ostorsetzer, TinyTeacher Princess Clowey Greenwood, and Seeker of New Worlds Kat Burger!

Random notes

There are a few new titles to acknowledge: Assimilated Rogue Borg Copperfield, Steampunk Duke Otenth Paderborn, and Good Morning Sunshine Beeswing. The list of prospective title recipients is a little thin now, so applications are welcome. I don’t mind titling alts — someone asked me about that.

A slowdown in titles has allowed me to put gold into acre buys. I’m finally over 1200 personal acres. It will be a long time before I cap at 2000 — on the whole I’d just as soon spend gold on amnesties, titles, and bulk land grants for all of you.

Which gives me an idea. If everyone who is a prince or princess gave me just one acre ih a week, that’s a savings to me of close to 100 million gold versus buying acres myself. And 100 million gold can title 8-12 candidates (with the associated 50 acres gained!) or pay for 20 or more amnesties or land grants depending on timing. Something to think about.

And something else to think about — Princess Tascha Klees got her 1000th personal acre last night. This gives her one of the three requirements she needs to become a Vicereine in our kingdom. The other two are completing 16 of the 17 Path to Royalty steps (stopping just short of coronation) and reaching 20,000 total acres (she’s over 15,000 now). I would be very happy to have one of my first three recruits as our first Grand Vicereine. WTG!

A royal proclamation . . .

Her Majesty Valentine Janus, Queen of New Deseret, Governor of the City of Enoch, first Green Jello Princess, and Dame Commander of the Order of the Black Thorn,

PROCLAIMS:

• That the Central Square of the sim called Adam ondi Ahman and the establishment called Brother Brigham’s on the sim called Bountiful are declared TE-FREE ZONES;
• That from this day forward Her Majesty’s subjects must not discuss in open chat the business pertaining to the games Tiny Empires and Tiny Empires 3000 in these TE-free zones, that the harmony of the community may be maintained;
• That the open wearing of Tiny Empires-related titles, apparel, and other items that may exist or come into existence in these TE-free zones is strongly discouraged.

We also request that the subjects of brother and sister kingdoms who become aware of this declaration honour its provisions voluntarily.

Given under Our Hand and Seal in Court in the City of Enoch this eighteenth day of April, in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine,

Valentine Janus.

(SEAL)

(The enthusiasm of Tiny Empires players for this highly habit-forming game does not always sit well with our neighbours. In particular, it has been known to hijack social occasions instituted for other purposes. By asking the kingdom to limit TE-talk at the two places in our larger community that host most social events, I hope it will establish our goodwill and help others to enjoy their Second Life as well.)

Twenty-five and counting

Since returning to the ranks of the major kingdoms not quite one month ago, it has been Her Majesty’s privilege to grant 25 custom titles to her subjects. The newest grants are to Ancestor Hunter Austin Shepherd, Sweet Soft Tiny Melody, and Green Jello Beret GeneralX Titanium.

New title applications are strongly encouraged. Custom titles add to the fun, and the acres received with a first title build the kingdom relatively inexpensively. From an earlier post:

Anyone ranked Baron or higher may apply for a title by sending me a notecard in-world with the title you want. (I set the minimum to Baron so we know that any grantee is on the full HUD.) Titles are a maximum of 20 letters and spaces, and they replace (on the HUD) your ordinary game rank. They must be PG — no problem for us! — and the Emperor frowns upon titles that would increase drama through direct jabs at other individuals or kingdoms. If I don’t think your submission will be suitable I will work with you privately to tweak it.

While the order in which the titles are requested is respected, since the process requires that the recipient, the Crown, and a HUD offer all be online together the actual order of grants is often dictated by who is available now.

Keep those creative ideas flowing!

Come play with us!

We have several opportunities to play together coming up soon outside our beloved TE. If you have any questions, just ask!

Crarting Competition: Crarting is a team game where teams of three create a piece of art — or something — one prim at a time, each player adding a prim in rotation. Contest runs now through Monday at the north end of Western Avenue. Contact the Poets of Zarahemla (Ingeborg Apfelbaum, Mathoni Zuhrah, or Seth Troell) for more information.

En Garde Tournament: Val hosts another Premier Series event for the United En Garde group from 1 pm to about 4 pm on Saturday the 21st. The tourney is single-elimination, random pairings, open to all. Between 20 and 25 players are expected, including several of the world’s best. Entry is L$50; the prize fund is normally at least L$2500.

Neo-Realms Team Fishing League: Either the State, the Kingdom, or Val’s Recreation will be a sponsor of the third season of the Neo-Realms Team Fishing League. The sponsorship includes entry of two teams into the league. Val is expected to fish with Ingeborg Apfelbaum for one team; the other team is open. Team members need to be able to fish together three times a week for 30 minutes each time, but have a lot of freedom in picking times that work for them. The league supplies a special rod used only for league play and practice. Contact Val if you are interested.

Get Your Horses Ready: Val will be reopening her equestrian jumping course soon, probably a couple of hundred meters above the sky castle in another aerial arena.

In other news — Congratulations to Celestial ChristianMormon Kidd, Wisconsin Badger Rickroll Tungsten, Wild Blue Princess Fopper Iwish, and Master Builder Bart Baramm! If you want a title and you are a Baron or higher, let Her Majesty know what you want. Giviing out titles helps the kingdom to grow, as each new title comes with a five-acre grant of land.

Never mind . . .

Apprently there was no change after all; the Emperor IMed me with a note that the change was actually temporary (no edict involved), and upon visiting the standings page I saw that the map has been reformatted with all 112 major kingdoms again in place. Sorry for the false alarm.

Huzzah to Sweet Spirit Candi Streusel and Tiger Princess Talia Rosher!

The Emperor giveth . . .

. . . and the Emperor taketh away.

By Imperial edict of 15 March 2009, only the top 100 kingdoms will now appear on the map of Terra Aurea. The rest of us are now minor kingdoms again — although the powers of the monarch were not changed. I can still grant titles and do all the other fun stuff.

I will concede that I was as mad as I have ever been over a game for about 45 minutes after finding out. I blew off some steam in the Monarchs group, and they talked sense to me. After all, “It’s a game, not a lifestyle.”

You worked as hard as anyone could ask for from the 14th of December to the 7th of March to get back on the map, and you did it. No one can ever take that achievement away.

It’s up to you how hard we want to push to get back now.

Nice party, long busy day

It was a very good day. Thank you to all who came out for any piece of our anniversary celebration, and to all who hosted.

We got off to a rough start. Val slept too long and the start of her fishing tourney was delayed, but nine fishers and a couple of hangers-on were there. SL had a rolling restart in the morning, and both Val and Kelly Chronowire among others got locked out with login issues, blowing up the concert in the park.

But the rest of the events went great. The POZ team had about 10 at the poetry reading (and game!), Myfi’s hosted a half dozen for Combat Cards, Val had a like number for Acrophilia, and at least 15 or so descended upon Barbara’s and Pear’s for a beach party, arcade games, and fireworks.

Four new titles were confirmed: Genealogist Princess Clarise Beaumont, Poet Princess Ingeborg Apfelbaum, Friend to All Di Lowenhart, and Sheriff Bun-Bun Zarahemla Jewell.

And a good time was had by all . . .

Titles and trivia

Three new titles have been granted: Royal Doughnut Maker Myfi Lundquist, Green Jello Princess Andromeda Luminos, and Long Cool Woman Kelly Chronowire.

Some time this evening I will be sending out an AoA Second Anniversary Trivia Quiz as part of the celebration. Everyone gets a little over 24 hours to answer the questions and return the notecard to me. Deadline is 8 pm SLT tomorrow evening. I will announce winners some time after 8:30 during the closing beach party and fireworks. There will be two prizes, one for persons who rezzed their first av less than a year ago and the other for those at least one year old.

Incidentally, that event has now sprawled across the entire east end of Bountiful Terrace with both Barbara Collazo and Pear Dumpling hosting. The fireworks will be visible from almost anyplace on the sim, and probably beyond.

Thank you, everybody

We made it back to the map about 12:15 pm Saturday. Pear Dumpling is now CTR PreciousPrincess Pear Dumpling.

Thank you for all your hard work in getting us back, beating my expectation by more than a month. Let us continue to go forward together!

Val