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Better than the most friendly bot, newbie Guides are essential to the addictive games produced by Iron Realms Entertainment! New characters almost always meet a Guide at some point, but who are the people who fill these important roles? For this article I interviewed Romeo*, the most dashing newbie helper in all Achaea.
“So Romeo,” I asked my lifelong crush, “I can’t imagine helping newbies for hours...on purpose. Some people I know avoid them altogether! Why did you become a guide?”
Flashing a grin worthy of a toothpaste commercial, Romeo replied, “Why, to help the newbies, of course!”
“Really?” I tittered, feeling girlish.
With a deep, rumbling laugh he admitted, “No, not really! Someone said it would be easy credits, so I applied.” Easy credits? Before I asked, he grimaced, “And if anyone tells you guiding is an easy way to get credits, they’re lying!”
“It’s a real job, and not always fun,” Romeo patiently explained. “Some things that I thought would be frustrating aren’t, like explaining newbie information repeatedly. New players arrive every day! Even though today I explained properly storing gold and which denizen inducts into what city, I might explain it to different newbies this week. And the week after that. And perhaps every week, for as long as I’m a guide.”
“Why do you keep doing it?” I asked, glancing at my notes to avoid ogling.
Romeo’s eyes sparkled with merriment and he warmly answered, “It might sound cliché, but watching their excitement at progressing, whether gaining a level, or completing a difficult quest...it’s rewarding. No amount of payment compares to that!”
“It sounds like super mentoring,” I grinned. “Do you get any kind of fantastic, godly powers?”
“Not really! There are a few fun abilities, but they’re only there for purpose of teaching RPG game basics to newbies. If we ever used them for anything else, it would anger Divine,” he informed. Seeing the mischief in my smile he sheepishly admitted, “Yes, even Guides suffer Divine punishment. I know one who suffered a zap just last week.” Giggling, I asked who.
“It was Juliet**,” Romeo deadpanned. He chuckled at my expression and added, “Don’t tell her I said that!”
I winked, then playfully teased, “So you just sit in one spot, answering questions with in-game help scrolls? That doesn’t sound any harder than mentoring.”
He shook his head and clarified, “No, we aim to give a basic answer, using the help scroll as a reference point, so they’ll know where to look next time. We aide newbies in the intro tour. Sometimes non-newbies ask questions, and depending on the question and how busy it is, I either answer or point them close to the answer. During down time, sometimes Juliet or I play games with the newbies, mostly quizzes or treasure hunts. Those are great to keep us on our toes about newbie information, as much as it teaches them.”
What advice would Romeo give to an IRE-addict aspiring to Guide newbies? “Do things as your character that show you are newbie-friendly. Listen to the newbie channel, especially when QWHO fails to display a guide in the realm. If you’re a mentor and can answer a question, don’t be afraid to reply when Juliet and I are at rest.”
He paused, then added, “And if Juliet or I, or any of the other IRE guides, answer wrong or seem snippy, it’s nothing personal! We have things going on behind the scenes and lives outside of the game just like everyone else. We’re eternally grateful for patient RPG players who catch us in those moments, but overall we try to approach the job with the best possible attitude.”
My last question was to ask, what kind of RPG player makes the ideal guide? Romeo smiled softly, “Someone who is patient, and can appear cheerful and calm under pressure; can handle prioritizing when multiple newbies ask for help at once so each receives it; and can answer basic newbie questions without having to look it up every single time. And Penelope?”
“Yes, Romeo?”
He winked and whispered, as if reading my mind, “I think you’d make a lovely Juliet.”
I blushed.
* not his real name
** not her real name, either
“So Romeo,” I asked my lifelong crush, “I can’t imagine helping newbies for hours...on purpose. Some people I know avoid them altogether! Why did you become a guide?”
Flashing a grin worthy of a toothpaste commercial, Romeo replied, “Why, to help the newbies, of course!”
“Really?” I tittered, feeling girlish.
With a deep, rumbling laugh he admitted, “No, not really! Someone said it would be easy credits, so I applied.” Easy credits? Before I asked, he grimaced, “And if anyone tells you guiding is an easy way to get credits, they’re lying!”
“It’s a real job, and not always fun,” Romeo patiently explained. “Some things that I thought would be frustrating aren’t, like explaining newbie information repeatedly. New players arrive every day! Even though today I explained properly storing gold and which denizen inducts into what city, I might explain it to different newbies this week. And the week after that. And perhaps every week, for as long as I’m a guide.”
“Why do you keep doing it?” I asked, glancing at my notes to avoid ogling.
Romeo’s eyes sparkled with merriment and he warmly answered, “It might sound cliché, but watching their excitement at progressing, whether gaining a level, or completing a difficult quest...it’s rewarding. No amount of payment compares to that!”
“It sounds like super mentoring,” I grinned. “Do you get any kind of fantastic, godly powers?”
“Not really! There are a few fun abilities, but they’re only there for purpose of teaching RPG game basics to newbies. If we ever used them for anything else, it would anger Divine,” he informed. Seeing the mischief in my smile he sheepishly admitted, “Yes, even Guides suffer Divine punishment. I know one who suffered a zap just last week.” Giggling, I asked who.
“It was Juliet**,” Romeo deadpanned. He chuckled at my expression and added, “Don’t tell her I said that!”
I winked, then playfully teased, “So you just sit in one spot, answering questions with in-game help scrolls? That doesn’t sound any harder than mentoring.”
He shook his head and clarified, “No, we aim to give a basic answer, using the help scroll as a reference point, so they’ll know where to look next time. We aide newbies in the intro tour. Sometimes non-newbies ask questions, and depending on the question and how busy it is, I either answer or point them close to the answer. During down time, sometimes Juliet or I play games with the newbies, mostly quizzes or treasure hunts. Those are great to keep us on our toes about newbie information, as much as it teaches them.”
What advice would Romeo give to an IRE-addict aspiring to Guide newbies? “Do things as your character that show you are newbie-friendly. Listen to the newbie channel, especially when QWHO fails to display a guide in the realm. If you’re a mentor and can answer a question, don’t be afraid to reply when Juliet and I are at rest.”
He paused, then added, “And if Juliet or I, or any of the other IRE guides, answer wrong or seem snippy, it’s nothing personal! We have things going on behind the scenes and lives outside of the game just like everyone else. We’re eternally grateful for patient RPG players who catch us in those moments, but overall we try to approach the job with the best possible attitude.”
My last question was to ask, what kind of RPG player makes the ideal guide? Romeo smiled softly, “Someone who is patient, and can appear cheerful and calm under pressure; can handle prioritizing when multiple newbies ask for help at once so each receives it; and can answer basic newbie questions without having to look it up every single time. And Penelope?”
“Yes, Romeo?”
He winked and whispered, as if reading my mind, “I think you’d make a lovely Juliet.”
I blushed.
* not his real name
** not her real name, either
Written by: Becky James as Penelope Swain
Read articles about all the Iron Realms games on their website!
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