How to successfully request Divine assistance/interaction

Arien

Hello everyone,

I'm wondering what tips or protocol we have for how to go about requesting help from our wonderful Divine upstairs. I know many of You are busy with Ascension at the moment, but I would love to hear from You on how we as mortals can get your attention for things, without appearing to look like we're nagging. How is it done?

Portius

I've historically had good results by just showing up at their fulcrux and politely asking for them. Prayers, if it's something slower.

If you want them to animate an NPC, my understanding is that you say TO the NPC and all the admin will hear it, but I'm not 100% certain on that.

Isune

For me personally? Messages are preferred for OOC matters, such as patron duties etc. I might request an email detailing the matter if it's a particularly lengthy item.

Prayers are IC matters. Depending on my level of activity, Isune is available at Her Fulcrux for conversation. If however you can handle a matter with a player in the Order, it might be faster to just talk to the higher up than to go to the Divine directly, so keep that in mind, too. (We are busy, and sometimes we're logged in but have to ignore the Fulcrux due to whatever we're working on. Sorry!)

Letters are good too but sometimes they decay before we receive them, so be aware of that when you're mailing if it's urgent.

Other matters that are non-godrole-oriented are best directed elsewhere. For example, HELP ISSUES and HELP BUGS explain how to get across concerns about the game itself, whether they be typos, bugged quests, etc. For design clarifications, you may message the Charites directly.

Sometimes an admin is just busy. Sadly in those cases no matter how much you try to reach us, we may be out of touch for a bit. I know I've been on break before and come back to a whole slew of messages and strange news. ("Since when has this person been in my order? Wait, so-and-so quit? To join THAT god? How dare they.") 

In general, when it comes to contacting a patron or your Divine about something, it helps to be patient and to understand that we wear a lot of hats. We do try to respond in a timely manner, but if you fear we're not active enough to meet your org or your guild's needs, it's okay to change patrons to someone who is more responsive. In fact, it's encouraged!

Portius

You know what would be useful for this, now that @Isune mentions it? A list of which gods are open to OOC messages for that sort of things, and which would prefer we didn't do that. I feel awkward OOCing people I haven't met in an OOC clan already. Guessing some godly types would rather avoid that, though. It'd be convenient for me, at least.

Marcella

When I message Morgfyre, it literally brings back his message-text as "Morgfyre considers messages OOC."

Isune

Every god, to my knowledge, considers messages OOC. Patron duties by their very nature are OOC. It's much easier to say 'Is it possible for you admin folk to make a super awesome telescope that shows the whole galaxy, it'd be sweet' in a message where I can say 'Um sure dude but the guild will have to pay X amount of gold and you might need to wait awhile, I have an exam,' than it is to dress it up in mortal and Divine terms. Though it is possible...

"Most glorious Elder God, I prithee, bestow upon us mortals a fantastic telescope that shows the entire galaxy. Verily, forsooth, etc."

"Very well, shard, I shall contemplate your request. Perhaps if you appease Me with X amount of gold I shall do as you ask. Though I shall do so at My leisure."

You can play along that way if you like, and I have on occasion. It's just more straightforward to speak OOCly!

Steingrim

Isune said:

...

[@Isune said in part:]

Letters are good too but sometimes they decay before we receive them, so be aware of that when you're mailing if it's urgent.

...

Maybe that could be looked at? One preference would be letters in the mail not decay at all. I suppose it might be a problem with players who never login again (but there could be a mail system check to delete letters > n days). Perhaps, letters only to admin wouldn't decay? Or behinds the scenes letters to admin could be set to 180 game months (aprox 6 RL months)? Seems there might be a way to make the mail take into account admins who are taking a short break.

I usually try to follow up a letter with a prayer, but it is a bit awkward to refer to letters as "watermarked with '234242'".

I wonder if it might be useful to allow people to search letters/stationary by seal? Then I could say I sent a letter bearing my seal and have more confidence it wasn't being lost in a stack of letters.

P.S. If you get a letter with a hummingbird in it, I'm only returning your creation. Unfortunately, seems I have to kill it first to get the postmaster to take it.

Isune

Steingrim said:

Isune said:

...

[@Isune said in part:]

Letters are good too but sometimes they decay before we receive them, so be aware of that when you're mailing if it's urgent.

...

Maybe that could be looked at? One preference would be letters in the mail not decay at all. I suppose it might be a problem with players who never login again (but there could be a mail system check to delete letters > n days). Perhaps, letters only to admin wouldn't decay? Or behinds the scenes letters to admin could be set to 180 game months (aprox 6 RL months)? Seems there might be a way to make the mail take into account admins who are taking a short break.

I usually try to follow up a letter with a prayer, but it is a bit awkward to refer to letters as "watermarked with '234242'".

I wonder if it might be useful to allow people to search letters/stationary by seal? Then I could say I sent a letter bearing my seal and have more confidence it wasn't being lost in a stack of letters.

P.S. If you get a letter with a hummingbird in it, I'm only returning your creation. Unfortunately, seems I have to kill it first to get the postmaster to take it.

Let me rephrase:

Sometimes I have so much spam I don't notice a letter has arrived.

And then the letter decays in my inventory and that's wildly embarrassing.

Letters themselves actually cycle back to whoever sent them if it's been...I want to say ten days, without a log in from the receiver? (Belated thank you to @Iosai)

Steingrim

Isune said:

Let me rephrase:

Sometimes I have so much spam I don't notice a letter has arrived.

And then the letter decays in my inventory and that's wildly embarrassing.

Letters themselves actually cycle back to whoever sent them if it's been...I want to say ten days, without a log in from the receiver? (Belated thank you to @Iosai)

Thanks. I think that reply is worth two hummingbirds! ::ducks::

Sakaki

Isune said:

Steingrim said:

Isune said:

...

[@Isune said in part:]

Letters are good too but sometimes they decay before we receive them, so be aware of that when you're mailing if it's urgent.

...

Maybe that could be looked at? One preference would be letters in the mail not decay at all. I suppose it might be a problem with players who never login again (but there could be a mail system check to delete letters > n days). Perhaps, letters only to admin wouldn't decay? Or behinds the scenes letters to admin could be set to 180 game months (aprox 6 RL months)? Seems there might be a way to make the mail take into account admins who are taking a short break.

I usually try to follow up a letter with a prayer, but it is a bit awkward to refer to letters as "watermarked with '234242'".

I wonder if it might be useful to allow people to search letters/stationary by seal? Then I could say I sent a letter bearing my seal and have more confidence it wasn't being lost in a stack of letters.

P.S. If you get a letter with a hummingbird in it, I'm only returning your creation. Unfortunately, seems I have to kill it first to get the postmaster to take it.

Let me rephrase:

Sometimes I have so much spam I don't notice a letter has arrived.

And then the letter decays in my inventory and that's wildly embarrassing.

Letters themselves actually cycle back to whoever sent them if it's been...I want to say ten days, without a log in from the receiver? (Belated thank you to @Iosai)

Yup, 10 days.

Marcella

When I sent those anti- @Darvellan letters to everyone important in the Basin, i got them bounced back after 10 IG months of that guy not logging in.