Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 news15 Minutes of Fame: Care packages spur renaissance of community spirit
by Lisa Poisso 
Sep 22nd 2011 at 2:00PM
All we need to introduce the topic of this week's 15 Minutes of Fame is a simple realm name: Moon Guard. Aha! I see some of you out there have been paying attention ... That's right, Moon Guard's the realm with the reputation for, shall we say, a somewhat more exotic (or was that erotic?) playstyle. Ready to go behind the scenes with a leading realm figure who'll give us the inside scoop on what really goes down on Moon Guard?
Well, hang on there, Hoss -- because this ain't yo' mama's Moon Guard (or even your creepy Uncle Harold's). This is a decidedly more respectable Moon Guard. This is a Moon Guard that helps out new players with free care packages, no strings attached. This is a Moon Guard that's building an entire YouTube channel to spotlight interesting realm personalities. This is a Moon Guard whose players josh around with an in-character advice column run by a goblin. This is a Moon Guard boasting a recent player-run roleplaying event that virtually exploded onto the forum scene.
Meet Venita, who's spurred on a huge part of this renaissance of community spirit with a wildly popular care package program for realm newbies plus an upcoming community spotlight program making its debut next month on YouTube.
Main character VenitaGuild Salvation
Realm Moon Guard (US-A)
15 Minutes of Fame: Care packages on Moon Guard, of all places -- what a project! What inspired you to get out there and create the care package program?
Venita: The big inspiration came from the community itself. You see, Moon Guard had been hit hard in the recent months with waves of people mocking our server and really putting us on the map for the not so lovely places. It was really putting a damper on the community as a whole, and everyone seemed to be a bit bitter over what was being broadcasted. I was also a little fed up, but I didn't want to sit around and just wait for things to change. One night, I just started writing up how I felt about Moon Guard, what I've observed and how I can help give the community ideas to pull together.
From there, it was history. People really liked the idea of the care packages and wanted to support it. This was a chance for our server to show people who wanted to invest time on here that the community is strong, kind and incredibly generous.
How exactly does the program work? How do new players who really need the stuff find out that it exists?
New players can easily find out by the program from in-game and out-of-game sources. I have a very detailed thread on our server forums about this, and I also have a lot of friends helping post our ad in general and trade. Sometimes, we fly out to lowbie zones and just advertise in general there or go up to them personally for a roleplay experience.
Whatever way the new person finds out, the ad is very simple to follow. They would contact the person listed for the faction by in-game mail. We ask [that] they include their level, class, spec, professions and also their toon's gender, for RP clothing purposes. From there, they just simply wait as the request goes to get process.
But it must take so much stuff! Where do you come up with all the items and the gold that you give away?
The goods come from a collective effort from the community. On the care package thread, you can see a list of the donors who have contributed in the smallest and biggest of ways. I cannot supply this all on my own, and because of the push to do something good, people are steadily donating to support the cause.
How do you screen out the jerks who are just looking for a free ride? Is there much of a problem with leeches?
Usually, you can tell through the letters. Most people looking for a free ride will demand a high amount of gold. Sometimes they lack the information we are seeking, and occasionally someone will pester me nonstop about their package and needing specific items when they are at a higher level.
Surprisingly though, there's not a problem with this. I am sure someone has slipped through the cracks, as I cannot always screen someone needing a package, but mostly everyone seems to acknowledge it would be pretty lame of them to take advantage of a service meant to give back to the community.
It took me awhile to count my list, but the number of people we have helped has been 8,264. That number climbs with each passing day. As far as gold goes, it can take anywhere from 7 to 10k per week and per faction. Mind you, that's total goods calculated as well.
Are there versions of the program for both factions?
Yes, of course. For Alliance, my alt Adaira runs it, and then for Horde, my alt Ladania.
And as if the care package program weren't enough, now you're working on a new program called Spotlights. What's that all about?
You are aware of all the bad press Moon Guard gets, yes? All the blogs, videos and server trolls who come to MG to make a mockery of something they have little knowledge about. The server has grown tired over the years and years of bad press. With the wave of support for building a new community, I had an idea to really portray to people about Moon Guard. We are certainly more than what the blogs, videos and so on say.
Beyond Goldshire is a very alive and thriving place where the RP is everywhere to suit any sort of desire within a story. Not to mention, our PVE and PVP teams have picked up in speed and making some major progress in competitive gaming for the server firsts, etc. So, with all that said, I decided it was time to start up a video project for Moon Guard, a dedicated channel to promote the server for the positive, not the negative.
It was sort of a chance to bite back at the haters and show them a side of the server they failed to see. In the Spotlight, we are working out a schedule of a weekly program. I know we are going to promote individuals, guilds, events and so on to bring attention to them, much like your 15 Minutes of Fame. The Moon Guard Spotlight!
As I mentioned, the server was being highlighted for the bad. Another one of my ideas was to make a dedicated Moon Guard YouTube channel showcasing the awesome on our server -- and by awesome, we wanted to make promotional videos for guilds, ads for special events going on for the month, start up lore/server/WoW-related discussion and also give some of our very talented writers/actors their own days to respond to RP mail they may get. There's also a player of ours named Blammy who does an in-character advice thread, and he will have his own show on the channel to respond to the mail he gets from that thread.
There's just so much we are doing with the Spotlight program. Our ultimate goal is much like the care package one, just to bring the community together and stand stronger.
Well let's get the word out, then. When will the new program debut?
Oct. 1, 2011.
Over my years spent on WoW, I've been in every role imaginable. I had been given promotions to officer and veteran ranks over the years until I began my guild leading experience. I have been a guild leader for a little over three years now, so I like to think I have enough invested time at this point to offer solid advice.
As far as topics, I cover a variety of different things. Since Salvation is an RP/raid guild, I get to mix it up what I can cover and provide interesting advice, stories and moments relating to either aspect. One day, I may cover a raiding topic and then on the next, I am talking about how to strengthen your guild's storyline.
Venita, you pour such an incredible amount of time and effort into your guild and your realm's player community! What do you do in real life?
What's real life?! Ha, I kid. I actually work as a video editor for various companies and YouTubers. Sometimes I oversee projects of partnered YouTubers before their videos are published and things like that. It's a very awesome job.
Kudos to Venita on all her hard work, which seems to be paying off in spades as Moon Guard's players revel in the community spirit flooding their realm. Look for more 15 Minutes of Fame on Moon Guard's community renaissance in upcoming weeks!
"I never thought of playing WoW like that!" -- and neither did we, until we talked with these players, from a player battling Alzheimer's disease to Game of Thrones' Hodor (Kristian Nairn), gaming industry insider Liz Danforth and El of El's Extreme Anglin'. Know someone else we should feature? Email lisa@wowinsider.com.
Filed under: Interviews, 15 Minutes of Fame
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
arcady Sep 22nd 2011 3:02PM
"Spotlights" looks like it handles one side of the concern I'd mentioned. Showing a positive-conduct angle.
I'd expand the Care Package concept to with something to help new-transfer that are old-users. These are the kinds of people not looking for gold and items, but for social info: 'where is the guild for me?' sorts of help.
A few years back during all the free transfers my alliance toons all landed on the same server - what I'd hoped was a chance to get them consolidated to one place so I could find a good community. I then spent 2 years wandering though guilds that didn't do anything I desired and kept breaking up; making it very easy for me to 'table' those toons and focus on my horde server.
If some new person lands on Moonguard from transferring - are your care packages ready to assist them in the more 'non-material' elements they'd be likely to need?
Bellajtok Sep 22nd 2011 3:13PM
....Wow. I can't even describe how unbelievably selfish that sounded after everything else you've said. Moon Guard has already proven, through this effort, that they are now an incredible community.
Your personal interpretation of whether they meet your moral standards is irrelevant. Yet you continue to promote that they should "attack that negative image", despite the fact that for most people who just read this column, that "negative image" was instantly replaced with one of the most positive images I've ever seen for a server community.
And now you would like them to send you whatever it is you want, for transferring over? Why would you be transferring anyway? Just so you can get the care package? No. No, I suspect you would not receive any assistance with that attitude.
arcady Sep 22nd 2011 3:35PM
@Bellajtok: You've completely failed to see or get what I typed in that message.
Moral standards? Where are your reading that from?
I'm not sure if its possible for me to rephrase what I said in a way you'd understand, as I'd assumed it was clear enough - but your comment then went on to address -none- of my actual post that it was replying to, only a different post.
Its seems more motivated by me having highlighted what the bad rep of Moon Guard is in a -different- comment from the one you replied to. If you don't want me highlighting that, note that in the comment where I'd done so, not in -this- one which was unrelated.
Lets see if I can simplify:
1. Spotlight: This sounds like a good way to show a good side of your server.
2. Care packages: sounds good for the new folks. Does it have an angle on the old-hats to help integrate them into the community?
Since the column addressed the question of screening out old-hats who try to abuse the care packages (and notes that so far it seems like no one has tried, which shoes good character on the part of those approaching the program).
... That made me consider the old-hats who drop by not trying to abuse it, but for 'advice / help' of other natures.
And then - what would an old-hat honestly need or want? Hmm... probably help finding new friends (a guild for example). That's always tough when you join something established.
lisapoisso Sep 22nd 2011 4:05PM
Veteran players looking for resources know to turn to the most obvious, public resource of all: Moon Guard's official realm forum. There, you'll find threads and links to all the things mentioned in this article:
"This is a Moon Guard that's building an entire YouTube channel to spotlight interesting realm personalities. This is a Moon Guard whose players josh around with an in-character advice column run by a goblin. This is a Moon Guard boasting a recent player-run roleplaying event that virtually exploded onto the forum scene."
Hope this clarifies some of your concerns. Thanks for reading and commenting to bring attention to Venita's fantastic resources.
Molly Sep 22nd 2011 3:29PM
Well, you can count your positive publicity a success with at least one person. I've been interested in dipping my foot into RP, and had written Moon Guard off my list of possible servers due to the bad reputation it has. After reading this, as well as some threads on the server forums, I'm in awe of the community that exists and wants to fix the bad rep.
I think I'll be rolling up on there this evening. I have an interesting story arc idea for a gnome priest...
iceveiled Sep 22nd 2011 3:58PM
Care package or no, I'm going to roll a new alt on Moon Guard and check it out. Sound like an interesting realm.
Xantenise Sep 22nd 2011 5:24PM
Thank you, Venita. I've been on Moon Guard since it was a baby six-month-old server, and I remember seeing you around for all those years. Thank you for making our server a brighter place.
raposo02790 Sep 22nd 2011 7:02PM
Thank you wow insider for highlighting a positive light in this much maligned community, this being brought forth inspires me to try this on my realm... =) TY venita for being a rolemodel =)
Luke Sep 22nd 2011 7:49PM
This is so awesome.
/cheers
Amaxe Sep 22nd 2011 8:59PM
How's the server population? I am still considering my options to try Horde (waiting on the transferring heirlooms to other servers), but since I have satellite, a population which is too high will tax my connection.
yyanthe Sep 22nd 2011 10:30PM
We're always consistently at full or high no matter the time of day. You should see us on expansion release days!
Blammy Sep 22nd 2011 10:56PM
Heyyyy, I got a mention! Holy crap!
Wuh oh. Incoming enormous backlog? Ha ha!
But yes, yes... If I can help just one sad, pathetic, ridicule-worthy person improve their situation (minus gnomes), then all the better. I'm like a care package, all on my own! Man, am I a great guy, or what?
(But seriously, folks: Thank you, Venita, for the mention of my slice of this project. I'm having an absolutely fantastic time playing my part in getting a pile of people involved in some goofy fun.)
carsuemo Sep 22nd 2011 10:59PM
I transferred to Moon Guard way back when it was a very low population server just because I was looking for a more civil environment than the server I was previously on. I have been very sorry to see parts of it become so degraded.
I think Venita's idea is great. I was unaware of its existence, but now I would also like to participate as well. I hope others will also jump in and help the spread of goodwill instead of ill will.
Pincey Sep 23rd 2011 8:52AM
I have been playing on the Moon Guard server for over three years, and I am quite sure people who do not play there but see only idiotic YouTube videos made by bored people with nothing else to do but find the one, tiny inn full of weirdos and fraps it, ensuring that every teenage mouth-breather who plays Warcraft will roll an alt named Saltybiscuit or something equally 'clever' and hop around naked whilst propositioning people...folks, that's not the Moon Guard I RP on. Is one inn somewhere on YOUR server is the sum total of the game YOU play? I don't think so. My character has a big world to explore and live in, and she makes good use of it, and I also fill my time with dailies, raiding, professions, and everything non-RPers do. Goldshire isn't even on my radar, any more than it would be on any of yours.
It is terribly misguided on the part of some commenters to say that "You all on MG should be doing something about this if you don't like your server reputation!" There have been concerted efforts by people literally sitting in shifts in Goldshire, reporting names and screenshotting the above behavior and putting in tickets to GM's, and perhaps that makes a dent in the overall problem. But when this very web publication and other media cannot make mention of the server without at the very least saying something about it's infamy, that does little to help US, the people who actually have invested time playing there, to eliminate the problem. One need only compare this to the nose dive of celebrities and politicians after some pad publicity, to know that 'fixing one's reputation' is hard enough for an individual, let alone a huge population, most of whom are not responsible for the bad press to start with.
What one doesn't see unless they play there are the server-wide RP events; epic battles of hundreds of players on both Horde and Alliance, with the leaders of each side communicating on vent in order to orchestrate the tide of battle. Or the recent mystery of the Broken Doll, run by a human warlock, which featured letters sent to players of both factions, that ran for weeks. Or the warlock cult beneath Kharazhan, whose activities were considered so dangerous BOTH factions banded together, filling over four raid groups, to bring them down. Those events are STILL talked about even though some took place over a year ago.
If you want to believe that all Moon Guard is is Goldshire, then frankly you are not the sort of person Moon Guard needs or wants. But if you are willing to spend the twenty minutes to level your human to ten and put that scene behind you for as long as you wish because you want to contribute to good RP and have a story to tell, come see us. We'll still be here, having a wonderful time.
Kurz Sep 23rd 2011 12:02PM
I've been playing WoW for over two years now with my primary stomping grounds being Wyrmrest Accord, and in all that time Moon Guarders have been nothing but the most polite, civil, and literate of the entire lot when I'm in a PuG. I swear I automatically relax when I see at least one person from that server in my group, because I *know* they won't be abusive jackarses. So I know full well it's unfair and cruel to judge an entire server by the idiocy of a bunch of morons in one tiny corner of the map.
I've hesitated a long time rolling a chara on Moon Guard (because it's full, not because of Pornshire) but this post changed my mind and I rolled up four last night and got friendly greetings from people on two before even getting out of the starting areas. So here's to you, guys; I stand with you.
Welldead Oct 5th 2011 5:32PM
Thanks to this person Venita, Moon guard improved in my perspective. And im looking foward on asking her if she can help me make a video for my guilds and what not raid/new cata dungeons guide. Cheers!