New Members - FA Leadership

[Broin]

Greetings to all the new members...  

Just to let you know a little about myself.  My name is Broin, I'm second in command here in the faction.  As we go along I'm sure many of you will get to know me better.  Many of the new faces that are showing up I am very very pleased with and I think all of you have the potential to fit in perfectly.

Tbone pretty much runs the show and he works the faction in a democratic way.

As a new member please take time to realize that you are coming into a group of people who have been together for more than 4 years now and we have our own personalities that each of us have gotten use to over this time.

Also realize as a new member that you may not know all the ends and outs of how we run things and I understand that.  But please be respectful with each other and the existing members.

If you are not quite sure about the status of the member you may be addressings check out the rank by their avatar.

Thanks and everyone have a great day.

[Fuse]

I'd also like to welcome the new members. It's good to see fresh faces - or names at least.

[Broin]

It wouldn't be a bad idea for our senior staff and old memebers to post a small little intro about themselves here... What their roll in the guild has been so far etc.  

Feel free to be as forth coming or as reserve as you would.  As those who have been here for sometime know... I'm a bit reserved  :p  

Well until it's time not to be  

[Tbone]

Broin brings up some good points.

It's been a while since we've done new recruitment, so we're used to everyone just knowing how things are run. I will try my best to respect all of your opinions and input, as I consider the faction to be a tool to serve its members. That's why you'll see a lot of polls and threads asking for content.

That respect is a two way street, however. I won't always agree with you, and you won't always agree with me. But I promise to make things as fun and easy for you if you promise to try and make things fun and easy for me.

This is especially going to be important once we get in game. I assume you are all here because you want to be a part of something big...something that can accomplish huge tasks and leave people with a sense that they just saw what they always wished they could be a part of. Acting and moving as one when there are a lot of us comes down to everyone coming along for the ride, regardless of whether you think it is the best idea or not. Again, opinions are always welcome, but especially on the battlefield, it will come down to one voice making the calls. I won't always be around, so as Broin mentioned, make sure you know the chain of command.

This brings me to another point. Leadership restructuring is in the works. As soon as we get in Darkfall, I'll start looking at the way the chain of command system is set up. Currently we have a leader (myself), a few special councel positions (some working in game, like Broin, and some working out of game, like Lithium), and MxO Captains.

We will be needing new captains for Darkfall, and I don't really expect them to be the same captains we had for MxO. I'm looking for these people to be extremely active, have a very level head, be extrodinarily patient, and fiercely loyal. At this point I'm not ruling out new members...obviously older members I can depend on to be more loyal so I'll initially be looking to them, but being active and having a deep understanding of the game is an absolute necessity.

What are the perks of being a Captain? Honestly, it's a selfless position. You are there to serve the guild. Recruitment, helping new members, crowd control, leading in the game, adding content, etc. You'll be in charge when myself or Broin is not around, you'll get a nice (SA) by your name in TS, possibly have some mod powers on TS and the forums, and have access to our super duper secret staff forums. But the goal isn't to be an authoratative dick about things...well, unless you need to be.

Anyway, I veered a little off topic here. We'll be discussing leadership positions at a later date. For now, just familiarize yourself with our current leadership who are here to help you as long as you help us.

[Tbone]

Sorry for the double post, but since most of our new members don't have access to our Matrix bios, I figured I would post my stuff here. It'll let you know a little bit about my past as well as the past of the guild.

TBONE

Real Name: Cory

Birthday: April 28, 1984

Location: Washington, DC

Occupation: Professional Actor

Contact Information:
Email - tbone@followtheangel.org
AIM - Tbone42884

Online Gaming History: The first game I really got into was Tribes. After playing Tribes for a while, I was introduced to a mod of the game - TribesRPG. I eventually became admin of a server and moderated the community forums. After a few years of that, I got tired of it and moved on to bigger games. Not wanting to actually pay money, I began to play open betas. I played Endless Ages, El Kardian, and Runescape. I tried a few of the newer games only to find that my specs were now out-of-date. I returned to my old classic, Tribes, and was comfortable there until I discovered MxO. I then instantly decided that I would, for the first time, pay monthly for an online game. While my gaming experience may not be "mainstream", I have been in and have led online gaming communities for years. I've now been the leader of the Furious Angels for nearly five years, and our group has gained a legendary reputation. The next chapter of the guild is about to be written for Darkfall. The ability to adapt is important to survival, so I am eager to see what changes Darkfall brings for us!

Personal History: I have a degree in acting. After traveling the country for a while performing  and doing 6 month gigs here and there, I am now based in DC and do most of my performing there. Currently I have a few jobs to keep the money flowing when I am in between gigs. This makes for a pretty sporatic schedule, so while some weeks I have a lot of free time, other weeks I have no time at all.


DARKFALL BIO

Tbone and the Furious Angels

Born in Mirendil to a Mirdain elflord couple, Tbone grew up around diplomacy and bureaucracy. His attention quickly grew towards combat, perhaps in a rebellion against his roots, and so his training started at an early age. Tbone was promoted through the ranks of the Mirendil Military rapidly, and became known for his combination of extreme eloquence in social situations coupled with a fierce and unmatched strength in battle. In the prime of Tbone's military career, however, he simply dropped off the map.

The truth of Tbone's whereabouts were unknown for quite sometime. Now, however, we know the story...

Fed up with the softness of the Grand Parliment and feeling that corruption was overtaking the Mirdain way of life, Tbone left the military. Months later rumors surfaced that a powerful team of Mirdains were traveling the land, attacking criminals and those suspected of betrayal. When onlookers would inquire about the group, the only reply would be something like "We are your Furious Angels." As quickly as they appeared, they would take flight again.

Finally it was recognized that the leader of these Furious Angels resembled the young hero Tbone. At first the Grand Parliment rejected this rogue group, presenting a bounty for their heads. As crime decreased and enemy forces lessened in Mirendil, however, a meeting was called with Tbone and the Aran.

The result is what the Furious Angels are known as today - an elite taskforce sanctioned by the government to gather intel and punish those they deem a threat to a peaceful way of life. They do the dirty work for the greater good. Not officially part of the government, the Parliment keeps their hands clean while the Angels get things done.

Word of the Furious Angels' success spread to the Human and Dwarf leaders, and soon all three governments were working with the Furious Angels to combat evil and corruption, with humans and dwarves alike joining the Angels' ranks.

To this day little is actually known about the Furious Angels. Some see them as blessed by deities, possessing powers and strength unmatched. Others view them as simply a thorn in their side. Everyone can agree that they seem to move as one, striking with precision.

A chance to speak with Tbone is a rare opportunity, as the Furious Angels are near impossible to track down. The secretive group is very protective of their organization, thoroughly vetting potential recruits before even apporaching an individual.

But this is simply the beginning of the story... I imagine the shape of things to come will largely be defined by Tbone and the Furious Angels. In some ways, they are our hope for the future.


THE MATRIX ONLINE BIO

Name: Tbone

Age: 24

Age Freed: 8

Current position: Commander of the Furious Angels and Captain of the Libertas

Journal Entry from Post-War:

I was freed at an early age...almost too early to remember. Supposedly I harnassed a great understanding of the Matrix. I was freed because some believed I could be the one. After seeing the Oracle, however, I was told that I was not the One but that I would be put to great challenges once the One was found. With this knowledge, I began working hard for Zion.

Initially I worked on repairing things. After I had a basic understanding of how things worked, I began working on building things for Zion's fleet. I learned about everything there is to know about hovercrafts through this. When I turned 18, I joined Zion's army. A part of me was eager to be assigned to a ship, but another part of me knew that it wasn't my time yet.

After working for almost two years doing tedious patrols and lots of maintanance runs, I heard a rumor that the One had been found. At first I thought it was too good to be true, but when I saw him step into the city, I simply knew it was him.

After I met him, everything sped up. It was as if everything I had been waiting for all my life was happening at once. We received word that the machines were on their way to destroy the city. I was quickly promoted to a small leadership position of a squadran. Evidentally my unusual power in the Matrix and my knowledge of machinery made me a prime candidate for this position.

The war was awful. I hated it, but at the same time I knew I was at home. When the dust had settled, I had lost count of how many machines I had taken down and how many lives I had saved. My entire squadran remained intact. We were the only fighting squadran that had no casualties.

Once the machines stopped, it was quickly realized that Neo had done his job. At last we were at peace - at least for the moment. I was named a war hero and began to help in rebuilding the city. At last I was able to get a ship back to condition to operate. There were many people who were ready to be freed, but we had no way of reaching them until a ship was fixed. Once the ship was fixed, one of our few remaining captains took it out to free some coppertops. I kept repairing ships. Meanwhile we had heard rumors that some of the freshly freed could not handle the reality that we had given them. They wished to live like cowards in the fake Matrix world.

I couldn't believe it when I received the transmission. The "Machinists", as we now call them, had hijacked our only operational ship, killing the captain and crew. The Zion Council knew that something had to be done fast. They came up with Operation Furious Angels. The name means that they need a task force that could both free more minds, being angels, but also get rid of the growing Machinist thread, hence being furious. They looked at who they had to lead this special operation. Even after the great number of casualties we had had in the war, I could not believe that I was at the top of their list. They remembered me as a hero of the battle and also recalled my amazing abilities in the Matrix. Because of my vast knowledge of both technology and the Matrix, I was chosen to lead this operation. I also heard a rumor that Morpheus had some input on the decision after consulting with the Oracle.
     
My assignment is clear. I am to be given as many ships as needed to be repaired and sent out to the Matrix. I am to recruit whom I believe are the best people Zion has to offer. Since we do not know who is for Zion and who is for the Matrix, the operation must be kept underwraps and my recruitment must be done in very vague hints through random transmissions. By the time the ships are repaired enough to enter the Matrix, we should have an army that will make Machine City tremble. I have made my choice and taken my path. Zion will not fail.

Official Entry in Operative Dossier:

Organization: Zion
Faction: Furious Angels
Skill Classes: Master Knife Thrower
Personality Traits: Mysterious, Commanding, Influential, Strong, Rational, Heroic, Honorable
Location: Unknown
Nemesis: All who oppose Zion and the freedom of humanity

Tbone is the leader of the Furious Angels, an elite organization tasked by Zion to control the growing Machinist and Merovingian threat while freeing the human race. Tbone, whom when first freed some believed could be the One, became a young hero of the War for Zion. When the sabotage began from redpill operatives who had aligned with the machines, the Zion Council tasked Tbone to secretly recruit promising operatives to fight back against the traitors to Zion. The operation was given the code name Furious Angels, a reference to the unique freedom given to the new organization to use as much force as needed to accomplish their benevolent missions seemingly without needing the permission of Zion officials.

Due to the amount of treachery within Zion, Tbone operated in a hidden facility which later became the home for New Zion. Secret transmissions were sent out to test potential operatives’ intelligence, loyalty, and aptitude. The result of this recruitment is the Furious Angels known throughout the Matrix today as Zion’s best – a force that makes even the most powerful entities in the Matrix show fear and respect.

Today the name “Tbone” is as recognizable as the old heroes of Zion. While this seems to give Tbone a great deal of influence within the Matrix, he is also one of the most hunted of Zion’s leaders. The Assassin who killed Morpheus was to kill Tbone after eliminating Niobe and Ghost before he was stopped. Tbone, however, continues to remain aloof and mysterious. A public appearance usually means a huge battle or a great speech. To many of Zion’s faithful, Tbone continues to represent the spirit of Zion and the hope of freedom for the human race. To the enemies of Zion, however, Tbone represents an eternal and undying force that most consider their gravest threat.

[Runjun]

I'll crank out a bio once I get to see the game on my machine.

Real leadership roles in guildes are thankless jobs, hope the right people get them.

[Anonymous]

We will be needing new captains for Darkfall, and I don't really expect them to be the same captains we had for MxO. I'm looking for these people to be extremely active, have a very level head, be extrodinarily patient, and fiercely loyal. At this point I'm not ruling out new members...obviously older members I can depend on to be more loyal so I'll initially be looking to them, but being active and having a deep understanding of the game is an absolute necessity.

This might sound extremely over-ambitious, but if I'm not currently being considered, please tell me what I can do to get my name on that list. I'd love to be more than a plain 'ol Furious Angel member, and if that means selflessly serving other players and the faction as a whole then that's just an added benefit.

Now that that's out of the way, I just posted my character bio. I hope it's satisfactory.

[Anonymous]

"Speak softly but carry a big stick"

[Tbone]

I'd love to be more than a plain 'ol Furious Angel member

First step is realizing that there is no such thing as a "plain ol' Furious Angel". These guys can tell you - you have no idea how lucky you are. And I say that in a semi-humble fashion...

[Anonymous]

Trust me I realize how lucky I am. Not only being able to join such a well known and experienced group of players, but being able to do so in the easiest way possible. Add to that how hospitable and amazingly welcoming you guys have been to me, and I couldn't feel more privelaged. I couldn't make it more obvious not only how lucky I realize I am, but how lucky I feel.

[Anonymous]

I'm a brown noser by nature, so while it's not my intent to be a suck up, it just happens subconciously. However, rest assured that my previous post was 110% genuine. That was coming from the heart.

[Fuse]

Fuse

Real Name: Brian
Age: Old enough.
Location: Midwest. Grew up in Chicago.
Occupation: Systems Analyst
Contact Information:
Email - Fuse@followtheangel.org - really, just PM me if you need something.
AIM - BSFuse

Real Life
I'm sure if you search the forums enough you'll find out every piece of info about me, so here's a bullet point list of general points about me.
-I am a Systems Analyst for the corporate headquarters of State Farm
-I can not get you a discount on insurance, nor do I care that you just saved a bunch of money by switching to GEICO
-I'm married to a great woman who likwidtek thinks is hot.
-I use to DJ parties in Chicago. I spun a few forms of house and Drum & Bass.
-I've also DJed for many internet radio stations
-Before "Fuse" my DJ/nickname was Rubix. I got that because I made a dirty joke with a girlfriend. Get a hold of me on Teamspeak for the joke.
-My hobbies are my Car (1 2 3), my guitar, music, computers, and flying.
- http://www.lostlocalhost.com

The big news for me lately is that I have recently been accepted into the Air Force for a pilot slot. I'm still waiting on a few clearances for things, but near the end of 2009 I will be leaving for Officer Training School and then I'll be in ppilot training for a year before I'm flying overhead somewhere.
Can read about that HERE.

FA/Gaming Stuff
I became an angel just over four years ago. You can read more about that in the first post HERE. Fuse's first MxO story is HERE. I have played games all my life. I learned my ABCs on a Commodore SX-64. Which for anyone born after 1983 when it came out, is basicly a laptop for the 80's. It was the size of a suitcase and weighed about 25 pounds. My first MMO was Everquest. I was very active in guilds there for about 3 or 4 years. We even spent some time partying together and once even threw a party in Michigan for the guild where we had people visit from overseas. When I ditched EQ I slowed down on my MMO time quite a bit. It was at this point that I started playing more RTSs and beta games. I have beta tested EQ2, PoTBS, Tabula Rasa, a couple others. What got me introduced to FA was the MxO beta. I came into the Beta in August of 2004. I joined FA in Jan of 2005. FA was my first, and only faction. I use to be pretty busy in game and in FA in general. The last year or two I was pretty distant though because my interest in MxO had dwindled. In FA I was always the humor of the group. I like to think of myself as very realistic and fair in games I play and have always been an interesting personality in TS. One of the things I tried to put together was the FA FTP/WEB server. It was a place we could all share files and settings directly related to MxO. It wasn't used enough, so it went kaput. My other claim to fame in MxO was DJing for the first MxO radio station, Radio Free Zion. When that died and turned into Awakened Radio I continued DJing there with more responsibility. When THinkingman Studios finally decided to market AWR and also bought MMO I helped out with the transition and also DJed for YARRRadio; a station made for Pirates of the Burning Sea.

[Lithium]

Alright, let me tell you a little bit about myself, what I do, and what not to do to piss me off.

Lithium

Real Name: Not Terribly Difficult to Find. But Still a Challenge.

Birthday: November 13, 1987

Location: United States of America

Occupation: Part-time Student Programmer

Education: Computer Engineering and Mathematics

Views: Conservative

Contact Information:
Email - lithium@followtheangel.org
AIM/Phone - By Request if You're Special Enough

Online Gaming History: When I was younger I use to play Age of Empires and Rise of Nations over dial-up with my cousin. I then began playing a little known, but awesome MMO, called MotorCity Online. MCO, as it was called was built off the Need For Speed engine and featured nothing but true good old American Muscle car building and racing. I joined a small mature clan and got to know a few people. Unfortunately I lost contact with them after MCO closed down and they went their separate ways. But as they were fissing out someone mentioned MxO and I began keeping my eye out on that game. So maybe 2 years down the road of watching MxO progress I got lucky and by chance stumbled into FA, as one of the very first, in 2004 of course. I have a lot of history with FA, a lot of great stories, a lot of ups and downs and crazy things have happened and I'm still here in all the fun!

Personal History: I'm currently working on my Computer Engineering degree with a minor in Mathematics. I've pretty much had an attraction to computers since I was a small child. I can remember playing games on my father's computer when I was 6 years old. And how excited I was when he got a new Compaq with Windows 95. When I was around 13 we got the internet and I quickly got interested in making websites and soon taught myself HTML so I could make a site for my passion at the time, Roller Coaster Tycoon. So picking a major for college was easy, it was either Computer Science or Engineering, I choose Engineering since it is more diverse and explores both Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. I work part time for a communications company as a programmer on their .NET web applications.

Webmaster of the Furious Angels:
As my title states I am Webmaster and a Senior Member of the faction. I am responsible for all the faction's web systems and lead the development on programming projects for the faction. I also run the server that powers the websites, teamspeak, email, and file storage. If there is a problem with anything web related, on our server, I am the guy you need to find and talk to!

Chain of command wise, I'd say I'm #1 cause I can lock Tbone out if I really wanted to! Heh, but in reality I'm probably the #3 guy just below Broin. So don't piss me off--tbone would say its hard not to! So if your being a douche, and it is something you are really upsetting me with I will probably pull you aside and let you know.

[Tbone]

So don't piss me off--tbone would say its hard not to!

This is true. And we try to piss off Lithium all the time, so go for it! Haha!

[Jeyk]

JEYK

Real Name: Just call me �Jeyk� for now.  Get to know me, and you�ll get to know my name.

Online Gaming History:  
I began my console gaming with the original NES, and my first venture into PC gaming was through Doom (Shareware).  Back in 1999, I played my first MMO with some RL friends on a factional PvP server in Everquest, playing on what was simply referred to as �the good team�.  After hitting the max level and being a member of a raiding guild for a year or so, I cancelled my sub with my focus being shifted towards school and work � anyone who has been ever addicted to Evercrack can surely share my joy here.  Afterwords, I remained primarily engaged in console gaming, and I moved on to CoH (beginning with Beta) with three RL friends.  As they faded, so did I.  I had brief runs with Everquest 2, SWG, Anarchy Online, and Vanguard FFA PvP (all with RL friends).  However, aside from SWG and Anarchy Online, nothing could satisfy my yearning for a futuristic, heavily action-based MMO � that is, until MxO arrived.  I applied to and was subsequently accepted into the MxO beta.  With the exception of bugs, I thoroughly enjoyed playing MxO (particularly interlock, Hyperjump, combat animations, and playing with the people I have met in my time here).  At the end of beta, I met the Angels, and joined their ranks after launch.   I am currently approaching my third year of membership here.

While I play nearly every AAA console title release, I have grown very fond of MMOs - they are incredibly relaxing to play, especially with a solid group of individuals.  Outside of this, FPS's, Third-Person Action games, and RPG's are my bread and butter.

Matrix Online & Darkfall Biographies:
I�ve never truly delved into creating a character biography.  I find myself to be a creative individual, but pale in comparison to our strong and very-well articulated roleplayers.  I�ve always enjoyed RP, because it often filters out a majority of the douchebags which you�ll find around every corner within MMO communities.  However, I may have to give my first biography a crack with Darkfall.  We'll see.  I will say that I did begin one with MxO, but it never came to full fruition.  

The Matrix Online Profile:

Name: Jeyk

Current position: Captain of the Evigilos

MxO Captain of The Furious Angels:

In my history as a Captain with the Angels, my role has been to provide input in decision making processes, aid in facilitation of decisions made, lend an open hand and an open ear to members, remain sharply observant, and to and set forth an example to members of how to conduct oneself respectfully.


Official Entry in Operative Dossier:

Organization: Zion
Faction: Furious Angels
Skill Classes: Gunman
Personality Traits: Loyal, Honorable, Reserved, Observant, Empathetic, Optimistic, Supportive