"Alice" in Wonderland - and - Alexander "Alex" Jackson The Ship Has Landed We all remember our arrival on Calypso or CND, and looking smart in our OJ’s. Well ok, maybe not so smart-looking after clothing decay was introduced. The thing is, for those beginning their journey with very little, repairing standard issue clothes is not always an option when far more important things are critical with regard to survival. Repairing clothes, or even purchasing new ones later on becomes the goal for some, but it doesn’t prevent them from becoming easy prey as a result of limited knowledge upon arrival on Calypso, because there are those more creative (read unsavory) types who take advantage and offer to repair the standard issue clothes for more than full condition value. Every colony has its rogue criminals. However, the citizens of Calypso are vigilant in not only giving fair warning to new arrivals, but they also often fight hard and long to get rules or laws changed to be more protective of the colonists, and more punishing to those who take advantage of them. The spirit and comraderie of taking care of one another resonates throughout the colony, and while first stepping foot in this strange new environment might seem rather exciting and even inspiring, the immediate lesson learned is that it takes a whole lot more than just being present to navigate this new land that we are now calling home. In The Name of Survival The continued existence of a colony is directly related to efforts in mastering survival. Whether it’s a team effort, or personal perseverence, the end result affords us an opportunity to advance in our quest to become more familiar with the terrain of the planet. Moving forward is always the goal, but some often find themselves struggling, lacking required tools and resources to do so, and at times have even found themselves running from local creatures. Some Calypso citizens offer their services to keep the creatures at bay and give new colonists an opportunity to extract the much sought after sweat from them without being trampled to death. Two such citizens are Kiri and Pez from the NBK Legion society who methodically herd and take great effort to corral the creatures at the stable near the Swamp Camp in order to protect sweating colonists, but there are times when the efforts are for naught, and someone meets an untimely death. Not every arriving colonist is fortunate enough to have Earthly possessions, or financial means to underwrite the beginnings of new exploration in a strange and unknown environment. Therefore, many are dependent upon the generosity of others to help support personal efforts to not only survive, but become self-sufficient in their continued growth and advancement in the colony. Starting off on Calypso has been less challenging for some new arrivals than for others, due to a familiarity and connection to one or more of the colonists awaiting their arrival. Those more knowledgeable were not only able to guide their friends and family members, but also to offer assistance in the way of acquiring the necessary items for survival. Even before the official Guides were employed to greet and assist new arrivals at Port Atlantis, there were those who made efforts to be helpful. Random acts of kindness also found new citizens beneficiaries of gifted items, and a means to forge a path for themselves. It wasn’t long before mentors and benefactors offered services and guidance to help new colonists become somewhat established in their new surroundings. The colony soon found itself with inspired citizens who gave of their time, effort, items, and often even PEDs to help those less fortunate. Some of Calypso's Guardians Calypso’s existence to date has seen many citizens step up and pay it forward. Perhaps it’s because at one time or another in their travels across our planet, someone stepped up for them and assisted, or maybe it’s just out of the goodness of their soul that they offer help to those in genuine need. Yes, our colony has seen its fair share of beggers, and those who demand assistance, but this approach often backfires in one’s desperate need to survive. There are many who give back to the community through personal time and effort, and become the unsung heroes we rarely get to applaud. However, there are those who stand out, not only because of a consistency in their community involvement, but also as a result of producing written documentation in the way of guides that continue to be of assistance to newly-arriving colonists. “Alice” in Wonderland, member of the Rising Potentials society, is one such person who immediately comes to mind. Alice is an incredibly dedicated citizen who has now mentored more disciples than any other (at last count, 50 had graduated as of April this year). Alice has also taken dedication above and beyond mentoring new colonists by developing a written Guide to Entropia that has not only been beneficial to those newly arriving, but to all citizens of Calypso. It is not uncommon to find Alice at Port Atlantis working hand in hand with the official Guides to help new members of the colony get started. She may be sporting a new or different hairstyle now and then, but it's not too difficult picking her out of the crowd in her usual Ambuli skin signature outfit. Another dedicated citizen who has taken great interest in helping new colonists is Josh “BAGMAN” Kinsmen, member of the Chicago Hardcore Gamers (CHG) society. In a statement he made recently, he brought to light “How quickly we forget those who join our big happy family, and like busy little bees set about sweating anything with two and four legs to supply the more established colonists with ingredients for mindforce.” He said he “likes hanging around them and supporting them,” because he was “helped by two fine German ladies by the name of Alice and Sam” when he first started. Bagman is one of those exceptional examples, like Alice, who take the time to pay it forward as a result of remembering what it was like for them when they arrived on Calypso. It’s not always easy navigating a strange new environment, and a lending hand can go a long way. There are many within our colony who give back, and who make an effort to help new arrivals in whatever way they can, but also unconditionally so that an individual has an opportunity to move forward without the burden of obligation, and when the time comes, hopefully will be in a position to do the same for others they may find struggling. Along with fellow citizens stepping up and lending a helping hand, Calypso’s official Guides at Port Atlantis have become more involved in this effort as well. After the construction of the Entropia Universe Information Center in the new arrivals zone, Guides Simon and Emma have expanded their interaction within the community by not only providing instructional information about getting started on Calypso, but also by creating events that give newly-arrived colonists an opportunity to learn more about Calypso, not to mention some much needed enjoyment along the way. Be forewarned though that these two can turn into a comedy team at any given moment, though it's a fun thing because it engages the locals in some laughable activity that makes the more serious struggle for survival more tolerable. How You Can Help There are several ways that a citizen of Calypso can pay it forward. One of the most common is providing a healing service to the colonists who sweat the local creatures at places like Swamp Camp a short distance north of Port Atlantis, or any other popular sweating location, such as Nea’s Place on Amethera. Focusing also gives additional protection against attack by a creature that has the tendency to break the sweating cycle. During your travels across Calypso, hunting loots from lower maturity creatures sometimes include items like armor, weapons, and other things that are suitable for new colonists to enhance their survival efforts. You might want to consider storing these items, and at such time as you have a nice supply, then do something like Bagman and others have done … scatter them about the outer perimeter of Port Atlantis, or other areas, and make a fun treasure hunt out of it. Hold contests like running races that were held at Camp Phoenix in the past with prizes for the winners. Create a team at Port Atlantis with someone (or a few people) who can help run new arrivals through various places on Calypso to acquire the necessary teleporters to make travel easier. You can also offer guided tours of the more interesting and scenic places on our planet, which is yet another activity that would help familiarize arriving colonists with the terrain of Eudoria and Amethera. Besides, isn't it fun showing off our homeland to someone new, and listening to (or reading in chat) the Oooo's and Ahhh's? Come on, you know it is, and it also gives you an opportunity to share your wealth of knowledge. Many like to give new colonists a chance to explore our planet, rather than hanging around home base, so we often see creativity rise to the occasion. One such activity that did just that was Bagman’s Noob Death Match. He says, “I like to see Noobs get out and explore the planet, rather than just hang around the sweating areas and fall prey to the idea – ‘it’s all too hard’ – much like others in the community.” These types of activities and events certainly lend themselves to giving opportunities to new colonists to gain valuable items and assistance in their quest toward become self-sustaining. Then there are those like “Seven” from The Disturbed Ones (TDO) society who started the Newbie Beacon Missions that introduce new colonists to yet another aspect of survival against robots, not to mention the adrenaline-pumping fun. Many have neither the means nor the skills to engage in something of this nature, but with the guided efforts of TDO members, new colonists can experience part of the planet culture that might otherwise take much longer for them to be introduced to, and in the process gain valuable lessons in the art of survival. It gives new citizens of Calypso a level of confidence in their ability to take on new tasks toward achieving self-sufficiency, along with a totally unique and fun experience. Beyond Activities In addition to the multitude of activities and citizens that provide assistance in the way of time, effort, items, and even Calypso currency, many offer written guides that aid not only new colonists in navigating our planet, but veterans as well. Mentioned earlier was the incredible Entropia Guide presented by Alice, but many have taken the time to offer more specific guides such as Harald’s Survival Maps, and Falco’s New Entropia City Maps. Another tremendously valuable guide is the Complete List of Teleporters with Screenshots presented by Pirx Danford, and encompasses not only the Eudoria and Amethera continents of Calypso, but also the Crystal Palace and Club NEVERDIE as well. JohnCapital gave us Storage Basics and Tips, while Spud Striker provided us with Spud’s Sweating Tutorial. Any number of specialty guides have been offered, and they continue to be added to the list of those already mentioned, like the Basic Fruit, Stone, Dung Walking Guide by kosmos, and derek666’s Noob Guide to Creatures Near Teleporters that have helped even the most veteran of players at times. We also have Silver Ice’s Weapons Statistics: A Line-by-Line Explanation which has been a tremendous help to many in understanding the dynamics of a particular weapon. There are many within our community who, in their own way, have given back, and it is with this kind of generosity, insight, and goodness that supports the colony's efforts to provide a means to enjoy and grow, rather than just exist and become stagnant. It also gives the less fortunate an opportunity to learn through guidance the value of working toward a common goal ... success overall for the colony, and promoting hope and anticipation for our future as we move into the next dimension. Going The Distance There’s no mistake that it takes more than just showing up on our planet in order to advance to the level of self-sufficiency. We all don’t arrive as equals, other than the opportunity given to utilize whatever resources are available to us in order to survive and navigate a strange new environment the best we can. Therefore, anytime someone extends a hand to another in genuine need, it promotes a spirit of good will, and chances are, that those whose lives you touch, may in turn make the consideration to … Pay It Forward No, this is NOT what we had in mind. Photo, courtesy of: "Alice" Graphic Header Artist: "PINKY" Thank you MsPinky for bringing my concept and header design to life! ***
