https://www.uoguide.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Tanglewood 2026-09-06T10:20:36Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.26.1 https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Tanglewood&diff=50140 2011-03-11T09:16:42Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Counselor Updates */</p> <hr /> <div>==Counselor Updates==<br /> Thank you for adding all that information to the [[Counselor]] and related articles. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 10:00, 9 March 2011 (PST)<br /> <br /> No problem. There is still more that I can add, but I want to make sure that I remember it as correctly as possible. What I wrote may also need editing in the future too as there is also another position within either the counselor or seer programs which I haven't mentioned. It was identifiable via a purple robe, but I just cannot remember what that position was. It would be great to be able to maybe get a bit of a discussion board up about it, because I am sure that there are other ex volunteers who played the game back in the beginning who reminisce and would visit the site from time to time. Cheers - Tanglewood.<br /> <br /> And feel free to edit whatever I've written, particularly if you feel some bits would be better if placed in other sections.</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50139 2011-03-11T09:07:45Z

<p>Tanglewood: </p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> Initially the game commenced with a more simple volunteer program, but then evolved as the game grew to become more complex with the addition of extra positions. The companion program was the last of these programs to be put in place. A volunteer could both participate in more than one program, but this simultaneous participation typically involved being part of the companion program and either the counselor or seer program in order to share the highly sought after volunteering positions around. A volunteer also may have held a position on more than one shard and this was particularly the case for those with a higher rank due to the extra duties involved. However a single character could not hold more than one volunteer position.<br /> <br /> Volunteers had different commands, or &quot;powers&quot; so to speak, dependent upon their rank. All volunteers, except for the companions, had the ability to hide or stealth in varying degrees and they could remain unseen from the larger gaming community (as well as being able to choose to remain unseen to other volunteers of lesser rank). It was common for there to be a volunteer(s) of some rank that would be descretely observing populated areas within game such as Brit West Bank. All volunteers, including the companions, also had varying degrees in the ability to teleport. The lesser ability being where the player had a command that allowed them to teleport to a specific character (a young character for example or to a character that placed a help request), and this teleporting command became more advanced as one moved up the hierachy to the point where highest ranked volunteers could teleport to any chosen coordinates within the game. <br /> <br /> As a player advanced through a hierachy they were given greater responsibility and had more tasks assigned to them, typically administrative tasks which could involve (depending upon the position) rostering, scheduling, holding meetings, and training, monitoring and appraising other volunteers.<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program became heirachically organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. The rank of elder was that below the rank of seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was subsequently changed to the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on occasion they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50124 2011-03-10T14:25:53Z

<p>Tanglewood: </p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> Initially the game commenced with a more simple volunteer program, but then evolved as the game grew to become more complex with the addition of extra positions. The companion program was the last of these programs to be put in place. A volunteer could both participate in more than one program, but this simultaneous participation typically involved being part of the companion program and either the counselor or seer program in order to share the highly sought after volunteering positions around. A volunteer also may have held a position on more than one shard and this was particularly the case for those with a higher rank due to the extra duties involved. However a single character could not hold more than one volunteer position.<br /> <br /> Volunteers had different commands, or &quot;powers&quot; so to speak, dependent upon their rank. All volunteers, except for the companions, had the ability to hide or stealth in varying degrees and they could remain unseen from the larger gaming community (as well as being able to choose to remain unseen to other volunteers of lesser rank). It was common for there to be a volunteer(s) of some rank that would be descretely observing populated areas within game such as Brit West Bank. As a player advanced through a hierachy they were given greater responsibility and had more tasks assigned to them, typically administrative tasks which could involve (depending upon the position) rostering, scheduling, holding meetings, and training, monitoring and appraising other volunteers.<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program became heirachically organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. The rank of elder was that below the rank of seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was subsequently changed to the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on occasion they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50123 2011-03-10T14:20:53Z

<p>Tanglewood: </p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> Initially the game commenced with a more simple volunteer program, but then evolved as the game grew to become more complex with the addition of extra positions. The companion program was the last of these programs to be put in place. A volunteer could both participate in more than one program, but this simultaneous participation typically involved being part of the companion program and either the counselor or seer program in order to share the highly sought after volunteering positions around. A volunteer also may have held a position on more than one shard and this was particularly the case for those with a higher rank due to the extra duties involved. However a single character could not hold more than one volunteer position.<br /> <br /> Volunteers had different commands, or &quot;powers&quot; so to speak, dependent upon their rank. All volunteers, except for the companions, had the ability to hide or stealth in varying degrees and they could remain unseen from the larger gaming community (as well as being able to choose to remain unseen to other volunteers of lesser rank). It was common for there to be a volunteer(s) of some rank that would be descretely observing populated areas within game such as Brit West Bank.<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program became heirachically organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. The rank of elder was that below the rank of seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was subsequently changed to the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on occasion they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50122 2011-03-10T13:53:36Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, gold, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in one case under special circumstances) which meant that they had to fill out their regional counselling duties via their &quot;counselor character&quot; on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers retained their roles within the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> This action was pursued by only a few Counselors, with the majority of volunteers not sharing the same sentiments. Aside from those few people, the community was dismayed with the whole scenario and disappointed with the decision to have the volunteer program shut down.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Tanglewood&diff=50121 2011-03-10T12:48:01Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Counselor Updates */</p> <hr /> <div>==Counselor Updates==<br /> Thank you for adding all that information to the [[Counselor]] and related articles. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 10:00, 9 March 2011 (PST)<br /> <br /> No problem. There is still more that I can add, but I want to make sure that I remember it as correctly as possible. What I wrote may also need editing in the future too as there is also another position within either the counselor or seer programs which I haven't mentioned. It was identifiable via a purple robe, but I just cannot remember what that position was. It would be great to be able to maybe get a bit of a discussion board up about it, because I am sure that there are other ex volunteers who played the game back in the beginning who reminisce and would visit the site from time to time. Cheers - Tanglewood.</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Tanglewood&diff=50120 2011-03-10T12:43:47Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Counselor Updates */</p> <hr /> <div>==Counselor Updates==<br /> Thank you for adding all that information to the [[Counselor]] and related articles. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 10:00, 9 March 2011 (PST)<br /> <br /> No problem. There is still more that I can add, but I want to make sure that I remember it as correctly as possible. What I wrote may also need editing in the future too as there is also another position within either the counselor or seer programs which I haven't mentioned. It was identifiable via a purple robe, but I just cannot remember what that position was. It would be great to be able to maybe get a bit of a discussion board up about it, because I am sure that there are other ex volunteers who played the game back in the beginning who reminisce and would visit the site from time to time. Cheers.</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50090 2011-03-09T12:25:34Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Seer Program */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program became heirachically organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. The rank of elder was that below the rank of seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was subsequently changed to the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on occasion they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Talk:Counselor&diff=50089 2011-03-09T12:23:45Z

<p>Tanglewood: Created page with &quot;It would be fantastic to get a proper listing of all the volunteer positions within all the programs. I have tried to remember the hierachy and colour of the robes associated wit...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>It would be fantastic to get a proper listing of all the volunteer positions within all the programs. I have tried to remember the hierachy and colour of the robes associated with rank, but I feel as though my recollection is not entirely correct: So far I have:<br /> <br /> counselor:royal blue<br /> Senior counselor: gold/yellow<br /> arch counselor: light blue or silver.I'm pretty sure it was light blue. 2 per shard I vaguely remember?<br /> Regional counselor: light blue or silver? I'm pretty sure it was silver. Correct me if I am wrong.<br /> <br /> Seer: Green<br /> Elder: Initially black, subsequently changed to brown.<br /> Entrance position to seer program. Purple robe? Does anyone remember the name of this position?<br /> <br /> I remember seeing the purple robe, but cannot remember which volunteer position it identified as this was a position I never experienced. Does anyone remember which rank the purple was assigned to?</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50088 2011-03-09T12:13:14Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Seer Program */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program became heirachically organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. The rank of elder was that below the rank of seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was subsequently changed to the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on occasion they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming. When the program became more regulated, a player first entering the seer program was awarded with a purple robe. This position may have been that of the Troubador<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50087 2011-03-09T12:07:00Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, gold, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in one case under special circumstances) which meant that they had to fill out their regional counselling duties via their &quot;counselor character&quot; on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> This action was pursued by only a few Counselors, with the majority of volunteers not sharing the same sentiments. Aside from those few people, the community was dismayed with the whole scenario and disappointed with the decision to have the volunteer program shut down.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Companion&diff=50086 2011-03-09T11:50:04Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Non-Robed Companions */</p> <hr /> <div>__NOTOC__[[Image:Companion.gif|frame|Image permission pending]]<br /> '''Companions''' were [[player]] [[volunteers]] in [[Ultima Online]]. Unlike [[counselor]]s, companions were solely aimed at [[young]] players and robed in red. The official patch description for the &quot;Companion System&quot; was as follows:<br /> :&lt;i&gt;Player volunteers called &quot;Companions&quot; are available for new players. When a player from a new account logs on for the first time, a Companion will be paged to welcome them.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;ref&gt;<br /> UO Live Access Patch. August 26, 1999. http://update.uo.com/design_25.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Companions filled a role that is currently occupied by automated new player help systems and [[quests]]. Where most customer support encounters last for minutes at best, companions would interact with a single player for far longer. In one interview, a former companion speaks of assisting a young player for more than an hour, while explaining, &quot;everything he needed to know about his profession.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor. &quot;Exclusive Interview with Sundancer: Arch Companion for Europa and Drachenfels.&quot; Online Game Trader. Undated. Accessed 4/6/2008. http://www.onlinegametrader.net/index.php?action=disp_news&amp;news_id=173.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Training==<br /> Prospective companions were required to participate in special training classes. Such classess were conducted both in-game as well as via Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Special commands accompanied the position and needed to be explained and tested.<br /> <br /> ==Non-Robed Companions==<br /> According to an interview, some non-robed companions were recruited into the program, also. The program shutdown did not include the non-robed companions. While they were not official representatives anymore, they still maintained their special commands. &lt;ref&gt;Ibid.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Most of the non-robed companions (which were a minority) were in fact volunteers in positions within the counselor or seer programs. Veteran volunteers tended not to wear the red robe due to having already experienced the excitement of being granted special robes in their other positions and also because they preferred to not look like &quot;wanna-be&quot; GMs as the red robe was traditionally that which was assigned to the GMs alone. The non-robed companion was typically a player's predominant &quot;playable&quot; character (if they were blue player), which they played when they were not fulfilling their counselling duties on other shards. The player still wished to help in a somewhat official way but without so many restrictions being placed upon their character.<br /> <br /> ==Demise of the Companion System==<br /> The volunteer programs were closed as a result of a lawsuit initiated by former volunteers who sought compensation. On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act. &lt;ref&gt; Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Volunteer Reaction==<br /> Player volunteers were informed of the volunteer program's closing the day before it was implemented. While some were informed via email by their responsible Origin/EA-staff, most found out about it by reading the news as posted on uo.com. In short, volunteers were shocked and dismayed.<br /> <br /> Former participants lamented the impact on in-game service. Desribed as a &quot;whole system crash,&quot; one companion stated that, &quot;OSI hasn't really found a way to bring it back to where it was before... There are simply too many calls for the handful GMs.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor at 2.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Companion System volunteer program no longer exists.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]s<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]s<br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Companion&diff=50085 2011-03-09T11:46:25Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Non-Robed Companions */</p> <hr /> <div>__NOTOC__[[Image:Companion.gif|frame|Image permission pending]]<br /> '''Companions''' were [[player]] [[volunteers]] in [[Ultima Online]]. Unlike [[counselor]]s, companions were solely aimed at [[young]] players and robed in red. The official patch description for the &quot;Companion System&quot; was as follows:<br /> :&lt;i&gt;Player volunteers called &quot;Companions&quot; are available for new players. When a player from a new account logs on for the first time, a Companion will be paged to welcome them.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;ref&gt;<br /> UO Live Access Patch. August 26, 1999. http://update.uo.com/design_25.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Companions filled a role that is currently occupied by automated new player help systems and [[quests]]. Where most customer support encounters last for minutes at best, companions would interact with a single player for far longer. In one interview, a former companion speaks of assisting a young player for more than an hour, while explaining, &quot;everything he needed to know about his profession.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor. &quot;Exclusive Interview with Sundancer: Arch Companion for Europa and Drachenfels.&quot; Online Game Trader. Undated. Accessed 4/6/2008. http://www.onlinegametrader.net/index.php?action=disp_news&amp;news_id=173.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Training==<br /> Prospective companions were required to participate in special training classes. Such classess were conducted both in-game as well as via Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Special commands accompanied the position and needed to be explained and tested.<br /> <br /> ==Non-Robed Companions==<br /> According to an interview, some non-robed companions were recruited into the program, also. The program shutdown did not include the non-robed companions. While they were not official representatives anymore, they still maintained their special commands. &lt;ref&gt;Ibid.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Many of the non-robed companions were in fact volunteers in positions within the counselor or seer programs. Veteran volunteers tended not to wear the red robe due to having already experienced the excitement of being granted special robes in their other positions and also because they preferred to not look like &quot;wanna-be&quot; GMs as the red robe was traditionally that which was assigned to the GMs alone. The non-robed companion was typically a player's predominant &quot;playable&quot; character (if they were blue player), which they played when they were not fulfilling their counselling duties on other shards. The player still wished to help in a somewhat official way but without so many restrictions being placed upon their character.<br /> <br /> ==Demise of the Companion System==<br /> The volunteer programs were closed as a result of a lawsuit initiated by former volunteers who sought compensation. On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act. &lt;ref&gt; Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Volunteer Reaction==<br /> Player volunteers were informed of the volunteer program's closing the day before it was implemented. While some were informed via email by their responsible Origin/EA-staff, most found out about it by reading the news as posted on uo.com. In short, volunteers were shocked and dismayed.<br /> <br /> Former participants lamented the impact on in-game service. Desribed as a &quot;whole system crash,&quot; one companion stated that, &quot;OSI hasn't really found a way to bring it back to where it was before... There are simply too many calls for the handful GMs.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor at 2.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Companion System volunteer program no longer exists.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]s<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]s<br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Companion&diff=50084 2011-03-09T11:43:45Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Non-Robed Companions */</p> <hr /> <div>__NOTOC__[[Image:Companion.gif|frame|Image permission pending]]<br /> '''Companions''' were [[player]] [[volunteers]] in [[Ultima Online]]. Unlike [[counselor]]s, companions were solely aimed at [[young]] players and robed in red. The official patch description for the &quot;Companion System&quot; was as follows:<br /> :&lt;i&gt;Player volunteers called &quot;Companions&quot; are available for new players. When a player from a new account logs on for the first time, a Companion will be paged to welcome them.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;ref&gt;<br /> UO Live Access Patch. August 26, 1999. http://update.uo.com/design_25.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Companions filled a role that is currently occupied by automated new player help systems and [[quests]]. Where most customer support encounters last for minutes at best, companions would interact with a single player for far longer. In one interview, a former companion speaks of assisting a young player for more than an hour, while explaining, &quot;everything he needed to know about his profession.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor. &quot;Exclusive Interview with Sundancer: Arch Companion for Europa and Drachenfels.&quot; Online Game Trader. Undated. Accessed 4/6/2008. http://www.onlinegametrader.net/index.php?action=disp_news&amp;news_id=173.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Training==<br /> Prospective companions were required to participate in special training classes. Such classess were conducted both in-game as well as via Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Special commands accompanied the position and needed to be explained and tested.<br /> <br /> ==Non-Robed Companions==<br /> According to an interview, some non-robed companions were recruited into the program, also. The program shutdown did not include the non-robed companions. While they were not official representatives anymore, they still maintained their special commands. &lt;ref&gt;Ibid.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Many of the non-robed companions were in fact volunteers in positions within the counselor or seer programs. Veteran volunteers tended not to wear the red robe due to having already experienced the excitement of being granted special robes in their other positions and also because they preferred to not look like &quot;wanna-be&quot; GMs as the red robe was traditionally that which was assigned to the GMs alone. The non-robed companion was typically a player's predominant &quot;playable&quot; character (if they were blue player), which they played when they were not fulling their counselling duties on other shards. The player still wished to help in a somewhat official way but without so many restrictions being placed upon their character.<br /> <br /> ==Demise of the Companion System==<br /> The volunteer programs were closed as a result of a lawsuit initiated by former volunteers who sought compensation. On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act. &lt;ref&gt; Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Volunteer Reaction==<br /> Player volunteers were informed of the volunteer program's closing the day before it was implemented. While some were informed via email by their responsible Origin/EA-staff, most found out about it by reading the news as posted on uo.com. In short, volunteers were shocked and dismayed.<br /> <br /> Former participants lamented the impact on in-game service. Desribed as a &quot;whole system crash,&quot; one companion stated that, &quot;OSI hasn't really found a way to bring it back to where it was before... There are simply too many calls for the handful GMs.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor at 2.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Companion System volunteer program no longer exists.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]s<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]s<br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Companion&diff=50083 2011-03-09T11:41:32Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Non-Robed Companions */</p> <hr /> <div>__NOTOC__[[Image:Companion.gif|frame|Image permission pending]]<br /> '''Companions''' were [[player]] [[volunteers]] in [[Ultima Online]]. Unlike [[counselor]]s, companions were solely aimed at [[young]] players and robed in red. The official patch description for the &quot;Companion System&quot; was as follows:<br /> :&lt;i&gt;Player volunteers called &quot;Companions&quot; are available for new players. When a player from a new account logs on for the first time, a Companion will be paged to welcome them.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;ref&gt;<br /> UO Live Access Patch. August 26, 1999. http://update.uo.com/design_25.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Companions filled a role that is currently occupied by automated new player help systems and [[quests]]. Where most customer support encounters last for minutes at best, companions would interact with a single player for far longer. In one interview, a former companion speaks of assisting a young player for more than an hour, while explaining, &quot;everything he needed to know about his profession.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor. &quot;Exclusive Interview with Sundancer: Arch Companion for Europa and Drachenfels.&quot; Online Game Trader. Undated. Accessed 4/6/2008. http://www.onlinegametrader.net/index.php?action=disp_news&amp;news_id=173.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Training==<br /> Prospective companions were required to participate in special training classes. Such classess were conducted both in-game as well as via Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Special commands accompanied the position and needed to be explained and tested.<br /> <br /> ==Non-Robed Companions==<br /> According to an interview, some non-robed companions were recruited into the program, also. The program shutdown did not include the non-robed companions. While they were not official representatives anymore, they still maintained their special commands. &lt;ref&gt;Ibid.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Many of the non-robed companions were in fact volunteers in positions within the counselor or seer programs. Veteran volunteers tended not to wear the red robe due to having already experienced the excitement of being granted special robes in their other positions and also because they preferred to not look like &quot;wanna-be&quot; GMs as the red robe was traditionally that which was assigned to the GMs alone. The non-robed companion was typically a player's predominant &quot;playable&quot; character (if they were blue player), which they played when they were not fulling their counselling duties on other shards. The player still wished to help in an official way but without so many restrictions being placed upon their character.<br /> <br /> ==Demise of the Companion System==<br /> The volunteer programs were closed as a result of a lawsuit initiated by former volunteers who sought compensation. On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act. &lt;ref&gt; Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Volunteer Reaction==<br /> Player volunteers were informed of the volunteer program's closing the day before it was implemented. While some were informed via email by their responsible Origin/EA-staff, most found out about it by reading the news as posted on uo.com. In short, volunteers were shocked and dismayed.<br /> <br /> Former participants lamented the impact on in-game service. Desribed as a &quot;whole system crash,&quot; one companion stated that, &quot;OSI hasn't really found a way to bring it back to where it was before... There are simply too many calls for the handful GMs.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor at 2.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Companion System volunteer program no longer exists.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]s<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]s<br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Companion&diff=50082 2011-03-09T11:33:41Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Non-Robed Companions */</p> <hr /> <div>__NOTOC__[[Image:Companion.gif|frame|Image permission pending]]<br /> '''Companions''' were [[player]] [[volunteers]] in [[Ultima Online]]. Unlike [[counselor]]s, companions were solely aimed at [[young]] players and robed in red. The official patch description for the &quot;Companion System&quot; was as follows:<br /> :&lt;i&gt;Player volunteers called &quot;Companions&quot; are available for new players. When a player from a new account logs on for the first time, a Companion will be paged to welcome them.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;ref&gt;<br /> UO Live Access Patch. August 26, 1999. http://update.uo.com/design_25.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Companions filled a role that is currently occupied by automated new player help systems and [[quests]]. Where most customer support encounters last for minutes at best, companions would interact with a single player for far longer. In one interview, a former companion speaks of assisting a young player for more than an hour, while explaining, &quot;everything he needed to know about his profession.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor. &quot;Exclusive Interview with Sundancer: Arch Companion for Europa and Drachenfels.&quot; Online Game Trader. Undated. Accessed 4/6/2008. http://www.onlinegametrader.net/index.php?action=disp_news&amp;news_id=173.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Training==<br /> Prospective companions were required to participate in special training classes. Such classess were conducted both in-game as well as via Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Special commands accompanied the position and needed to be explained and tested.<br /> <br /> ==Non-Robed Companions==<br /> According to an interview, some non-robed companions were recruited into the program, also. The program shutdown did not include the non-robed companions. While they were not official representatives anymore, they still maintained their special commands. &lt;ref&gt;Ibid.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Many of the non-robed companions were in fact volunteers in positions within the counselor or seer programs. Veteran volunteers tended not to wear the red robe due to having already experienced the excitement of being granted special robes in their other positions and also because they preferred to not look like &quot;wanna-be&quot; GMs as the red robe was traditionally that which was assigned to the GMs alone.<br /> <br /> ==Demise of the Companion System==<br /> The volunteer programs were closed as a result of a lawsuit initiated by former volunteers who sought compensation. On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act. &lt;ref&gt; Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Volunteer Reaction==<br /> Player volunteers were informed of the volunteer program's closing the day before it was implemented. While some were informed via email by their responsible Origin/EA-staff, most found out about it by reading the news as posted on uo.com. In short, volunteers were shocked and dismayed.<br /> <br /> Former participants lamented the impact on in-game service. Desribed as a &quot;whole system crash,&quot; one companion stated that, &quot;OSI hasn't really found a way to bring it back to where it was before... There are simply too many calls for the handful GMs.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor at 2.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Companion System volunteer program no longer exists.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]s<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]s<br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Companion&diff=50081 2011-03-09T11:31:42Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Non-Robed Companions */</p> <hr /> <div>__NOTOC__[[Image:Companion.gif|frame|Image permission pending]]<br /> '''Companions''' were [[player]] [[volunteers]] in [[Ultima Online]]. Unlike [[counselor]]s, companions were solely aimed at [[young]] players and robed in red. The official patch description for the &quot;Companion System&quot; was as follows:<br /> :&lt;i&gt;Player volunteers called &quot;Companions&quot; are available for new players. When a player from a new account logs on for the first time, a Companion will be paged to welcome them.&lt;/i&gt; &lt;ref&gt;<br /> UO Live Access Patch. August 26, 1999. http://update.uo.com/design_25.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Companions filled a role that is currently occupied by automated new player help systems and [[quests]]. Where most customer support encounters last for minutes at best, companions would interact with a single player for far longer. In one interview, a former companion speaks of assisting a young player for more than an hour, while explaining, &quot;everything he needed to know about his profession.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor. &quot;Exclusive Interview with Sundancer: Arch Companion for Europa and Drachenfels.&quot; Online Game Trader. Undated. Accessed 4/6/2008. http://www.onlinegametrader.net/index.php?action=disp_news&amp;news_id=173.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Training==<br /> Prospective companions were required to participate in special training classes. Such classess were conducted both in-game as well as via Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Special commands accompanied the position and needed to be explained and tested.<br /> <br /> ==Non-Robed Companions==<br /> According to an interview, some non-robed companions were recruited into the program, also. The program shutdown did not include the non-robed companions. While they were not official representatives anymore, they still maintained their special commands. &lt;ref&gt;Ibid.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Many of the non-robed companions were previously in other positions within the counselor or seer programs. Veteran volunteers tended not to wear the red robe due to having already experienced the excitement of being granted special robes in their prior positions and also because they preferred to not look like a &quot;wanna-be&quot; GM.<br /> <br /> ==Demise of the Companion System==<br /> The volunteer programs were closed as a result of a lawsuit initiated by former volunteers who sought compensation. On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act. &lt;ref&gt; Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Volunteer Reaction==<br /> Player volunteers were informed of the volunteer program's closing the day before it was implemented. While some were informed via email by their responsible Origin/EA-staff, most found out about it by reading the news as posted on uo.com. In short, volunteers were shocked and dismayed.<br /> <br /> Former participants lamented the impact on in-game service. Desribed as a &quot;whole system crash,&quot; one companion stated that, &quot;OSI hasn't really found a way to bring it back to where it was before... There are simply too many calls for the handful GMs.&quot; &lt;ref&gt;Talazor at 2.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Companion System volunteer program no longer exists.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]s<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]s<br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50080 2011-03-09T11:17:00Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in one case under special circumstances) which meant that they had to fill out their regional counselling duties via their &quot;counselor character&quot; on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> This action was pursued by only a few Counselors, with the majority of volunteers not sharing the same sentiments. Aside from those few people, the community was dismayed with the whole scenario and disappointed with the decision to have the volunteer program shut down.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50079 2011-03-09T11:12:21Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in one case under special circumstances) which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> This action was pursued by only a few Counselors, with the majority of volunteers not sharing the same sentiments. Aside from those few people, the community was dismayed with the whole scenario and disappointed with the decision to have the volunteer program shut down.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50078 2011-03-09T11:06:48Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* U.S. Counselor Program Demise */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in the case of the first regional counselor for Oceania under special circumstances) which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> This action was pursued by only a few Counselors, with the majority of volunteers not sharing the same sentiments. Aside from those few people, the community was dismayed with the whole scenario and disappointed with the decision to have the volunteer program shut down.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50077 2011-03-09T11:04:03Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* U.S. Counselor Program Demise */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in the case of the first regional counselor for Oceania under special circumstances) which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> This action was pursued by only a few Counselors, with the majority of volunteers not sharing the same sentiments. Aside from those few people, everyone else was dismayed with the whole scenario and disappointed with the decision to have the volunteer program shut down.<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50076 2011-03-09T10:57:23Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included stealth, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in the case of the first regional counselor for Oceania under special circumstances) which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50075 2011-03-09T10:54:26Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included invisibility, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,and the potential for abuse, the volunteer was not permitted to have any &quot;playable&quot; characters on the same shard (except in the case of the first regional counselor for Oceania under special circumstances) which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters. <br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50074 2011-03-09T10:39:29Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when they proved their ability or, later, when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them. The further a counselor progressed, the more administrative tasks they were required to carry out.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included invisibility, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,the volunteer was limited to the number of actual playing characters they could have on the same shard, and in most cases were not permitted to have a character at all which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters.<br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50073 2011-03-09T10:36:43Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned (royal blue, purple, light blue and silver). Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included invisibility, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,the volunteer was limited to the number of actual playing characters they could have on the same shard, and in most cases were not permitted to have a character at all which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters.<br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50072 2011-03-09T10:35:26Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned. Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;enhanced powers&quot; included invisibility, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. This &quot;teleporting then pulling&quot; ability was the method used to put people in jail for innappropriate in game behaviour. Due to the significance of some of these powers,the volunteer was limited to the number of actual playing characters they could have on the same shard, and in most cases were not permitted to have a character at all which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters.<br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, a lot of volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50071 2011-03-09T10:30:48Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Seer Program */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program became heirachically organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. A volunteer advanced from being an elder up to a seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was later superseded by the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on rare occasions they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Volunteers&diff=50070 2011-03-09T10:29:00Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Seer Program */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> {|<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; valign=top|[[Image:Counselor_solo.jpg]]<br /> | style=&quot;padding:5px;&quot; |Over the years there have been several '''volunteer''' programs for players of [[Ultima Online]]. Currently, there are no active volunteer programs outside of the Asian [[shard]]s. There has been an Interest Program, Seer Program, and Volunteer Counselor Program. <br /> <br /> Player volunteer positions have included: <br /> <br /> :* [[Companion]]s <br /> :* [[Counselor]]s <br /> :* [[Event Moderator]]s<br /> :* [[Troubadour]]s <br /> :* [[Seer]]s <br /> |}<br /> <br /> The Interest and Seer programs ran at the same time. It appears they were ended at the same time as well. The Seers and Troudabours were under the guidance and direction of the [[Interest Game Master]]s (IGMs).<br /> <br /> ==Interest Program==<br /> The Interest Program provided IGMs who were to interact with player-run towns and establishments in order to enhance their presence, activities, and popularity. They ran events, helped decorate player venues, and created quests. Kazola's Tavern on shard [[Great Lakes]] was the second player venue that was ever helped.<br /> <br /> Criticism of the program involved:<br /> <br /> :&quot;not having enough time or enough IGMs to really make as much of a difference as I wish we could have. For every place we helped, there were dozens more that were just as deserving, but that didn't get anything. I think that a lot of the player venues we helped have had amazing success (and many still do), but I also think that this part of the Interest program essentially failed. It couldn't do otherwise without being able to provide for every player venue out there that deserved an equal chance.&quot; &lt;ref&gt; Farone, Michael &quot;Ignatz.&quot; UO Stratics Interview. April 1, 2002. http://uo.stratics.com/content/interviews/ignatz.shtml.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Seer Program==<br /> The [[Seer]] Program involved volunteer players who were connected to IGMs. Seers offered quests to people on [[shard]]s being supported by the IGMs. They encountered and supported various [[Player Town]]s and areas considered hot spots of a shard's community.<br /> <br /> The Seer Program was also heirachally organised by the year 2000, although the heirachy was smaller than that found under the counselor program. A volunteer advanced from being an elder up to a seer. The elders were initially identifiable from the seers by a black robe which was later superseded by the colour brown due to new players often fleeing away from the volunteer, who undoubtedly looked like the grim reaper, but who was simply trying to engage with the player in a positive way. The role of an elder was to help out the seers but on rare occasions they helped the counselors with assisting players when the demand for in game assistance became overwhelming.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Counselor]]<br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> ==References== <br /> {{reflist|1}} <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50069 2011-03-09T10:00:13Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned. Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;powers&quot; included invisibility, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. Due to the significance of some of these powers,the volunteer was limited to the number of actual playing characters they could have on the same shard, and in most cases were not permitted to have a character at all which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters.<br /> <br /> Upon the closing down of the volunteer program, volunteers joined the companion system until that too was also eventually shut down.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood https://www.uoguide.com/index.php?title=Counselor&diff=50068 2011-03-09T09:56:18Z

<p>Tanglewood: /* Organization */</p> <hr /> <div>{{tocright}}<br /> [[Image:Counselor solo.jpg|frame|left]] Have you ever noticed the large, empty Counselor's Guild halls that are located in most major cities? Well, during certain times of the day they used to be filled with [[Counselor]]s. A Counselor was a [[player]] [[volunteers|volunteer]] who served as both a community liaison and the initial level of in-game customer service. <br /> <br /> Though their positions were voluntary, participants in the program received a free [[UO]] account. To be fair however, most volunteers who received such an account also paid for one or more accounts on their own. In addition to the free account, the top 15 or so volunteers also got a monthly $500 &quot;thank you&quot; from then-owner Origin Systems. From 1997 to 2000, thousands of players participated in the Counselor Program. In September of 2000, there were 500 players enrolled in the program.<br /> <br /> Counselors were assigned a minimum of three 2-hour shifts per week. In 1999, scheduled support hours ran from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM local time on each shard. The same character that was just slaying monsters would take their shift at one of the Counselor's Guild halls located throughout Britainnia. Prior to their shift, a system message would alert the character to the imminent change in status, the character would be automatically re-clothed in blue robes, and then transported to a guild hall for duty. Participants had to perform a minimum of six hours of counseling per week. Some players routinely volunteered 40 or more hours a single week. Reports indicate that, &quot;most counselors spent less than four months in the program.&quot; &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Volunteers also received special in-game items, such über-wands or special robes. These items, and [[EM Event|other items]], caused a lot of controversy within the UO community. Charges of favoritism and nonfeasance were regularly heard. These type of rewards were ended in August of 2000, which was prior to the end of the Volunteer Program. Needless to say the then-Counselors were not happy to lose the benefit.<br /> <br /> ==Community Liaison==<br /> Counselors served a crucial function by providing live, in-game assistance to [[young]] and newer players. While they could and did explain game mechanics, they also furthered the online community by encouraging young player to participate in community events, join [[guild]]s, visit player-run towns and housing areas, etc. In short, Counselors were the initial means to accessing the greater community for many new players.<br /> <br /> ==Customer Service==<br /> [[Image:Counselors guild.jpg|frame]]<br /> Current in-game customer service/technical support is provided quite differently than in the past. According to one source published in the Fall of 1997 and during the official U.S. Counselor Program, paging the online Customer Support did not actually place a request for assistance into the Customer Support queue. Instead, your request went into a pre-queue, if you will, that was answered by a player volunteer, or Counselor. If the Counselor was unable to resolve the issue, only then was your request transferred to the official Customer Support queue. &lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> Counselors were of limited ability, the following is a listing of their capabilities and restrictions:&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;3, 4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> * They could teleport anyone from one place to another, including to jail but only after receiving a GM's permission;<br /> * They could &quot;telestorm&quot; people who were disruptive either at role playing events or while they were assisting another player;<br /> * They could appear only to the person that they were assisting or any number of people at their choice;<br /> * They could create inscribed rings for in-game weddings for players. The rings appeared on the ground where they targeted;<br /> * They could follow players anywhere they went in the game except into houses;<br /> * They could tell you roughly where you were if lost;<br /> * They could help you with general questions about gameplay;<br /> * They could report your problems to [the company];<br /> * They could transfer you to a GM; but<br /> **only if you were in the counselor's queue; and <br /> **only if you were the &quot;call&quot; he or she was summoned for. <br /> ----<br /> * They could not access any player's server data;<br /> * They could not stop creatures from attacking;<br /> * They could not physically stop players from attacking;<br /> * They could not tell if a server was going up or down; and<br /> * They could not tell if there was to be a server wipe or not. <br /> <br /> In 1999, [[The Volunteer Counselor Program Changes - April 15, 1999|enhanced Counselors]] debuted with greater powers and mandatory training.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> The program was organized both regionally and hierarchically. In at least one instance, the top position of Regional Lead Counselor managed a team of 90 other Counselors.<br /> <br /> Positions within the hierachy included counselor,senior counselor, arch counselor and regional counselor and they were identifiable based on the different coloured robes they were assigned. Volunteers were able to commence at the bottom of the hierachy and then advance their way upwards when positions became available. As they progressed, a counselor was given further commands in order to carry the extra duties that became assigned to them.<br /> <br /> The Regional Lead Counselor &quot;powers&quot; included invisibility, teleporting to any coordinates within game and to other players,and pulling other players to themselves. Due to the significance of some of these powers,the volunteer was limited to the number of actual playing characters they could have on the same shard, and in most cases were not permitted to have a character at all which meant that most fulfilled their regional counselling duties on a shard different to where they had their in game playing characters.<br /> <br /> == U.S. Counselor Program Demise==<br /> On September 19, 2000, a group of Counselors filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado. In their claim, they demanded &quot;damages equal to three times Plaintiffs' unpaid minimum wage, and/or Plaintiffs' unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, attorneys' fees and costs, and injunctive relief,&quot; claiming that Origin and Electronic Arts were in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State of Colorado's Wage Act.&lt;sup&gt;&lt;font color=#0033ff&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Notes==<br /> * The Counselor Program may or may not be active on the Asian [[shard]]s.<br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> * [[Companion]] <br /> * [[Event Moderator]]<br /> * [[Interest Game Master]]<br /> * [[List of Volunteer Program Articles]]<br /> * [[Seer]]<br /> * [[Troubadour]] <br /> * [[Volunteers]]<br /> <br /> ==References== <br /> &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;Brown, Janelle. &quot;Volunteer Revolt: Tired of Working for Almost Nothing, Community Counselors at Ultima Online File Suit against the Game Maker.&quot; ''Salon'' September 21, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/09/21/ultima_volunteers/print.html&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;Counselor StormFall. &quot;What Counselors Can or Cannot Do: The Counselor's Role in UO.&quot; ''Online Web Site.'' October, 1997. http://www.camlann.demon.co.uk/&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;Ibid.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;Former Senior Counselor Jondolar's personal experience in two years of serving the Ultima Online community.&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;Imagine Games Network Staff. &quot;Revolt in Britannia: UO Counselors Sue Origin and EA&quot; IGN News Web Site. September 20, 2000. http://pc.ign.com/articles/085/085264p1.html <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Community]][[Category:Volunteers]]</div>

Tanglewood