SLARPD Is Formed
April 1st, 2012 -- The Syndicate® (www.LLTS.org) is pleased to announce today that we once again push the limits of what services we offer to our members. We have long maintained that we are not a gaming guild. Rather we are a virtual community that exists for our members and online gaming is a common mechanism we use to grow those friendships. Syndicate members spend a great deal of their gaming time focused on RPGs and FPS games. Within that space, we are constantly on the lookout for new and exciting ways to build shared experiences and to grow the team dynamic. With the "R" in RPG standing for Role-playing one idea seemed to leap forward as the obvious choice.
So today we are now thrilled to offer a new, mandatory community building activity for our members. Effectively immediately, we will be forming the S.L.A.R.P.D. which stands for Syndicate Live Action Role Playing Division but its far more fun just to say you just got SLARP'D!
The SLARPD system works as follows:
* Every Syndicate member will be assigned a role within SLARPD that best suites their individual talents or stature (dorfs aren't tall yo!).
* It is mandatory to "have fun" and as such everyone must embrace their role with a smile on their face. Failure to "have fun" will result in a role-play trial and live action role-play prison sentences that must be served in character.
* As we adopted a micro-transaction model within the guild on April 1st, 2011, we will leverage that model by offering certain more prestigious SLARPD roles for a small fee. Certain classes like "peasant" and "fighter" and "merchant" are open for everyone to utilize but things such as Wizard and Necromancer and sexy Hutt Palace dancer are all offered via micro-transactions.
* If a member is unhappy with their choices we have solutions for that as well. Much like many gaming companies do, we will also offer "class changes" and "character renames" for a fee. We are even considering piloting vanity pets and special mounts, for a fee of course.
* Costumes are the responsibility of each member. Designs should be submitted to the SLARPD review committee for approval and each member will have 30 days to complete their costume design. The review committee considers originality; how well the costume suits the assigned class; and how much skin is showing. For some of you that means please don't show any skin!
* Once a costume is approved by the SLARPDRCFC (Syndicate Live Action Role Play Division Review Committee For Costumes) the costume must be worn during all gaming sessions with random video chat screenings occurring to ensure compliance. Failure to comply carries the same penalty as failing to have fun.
* At the annual SyndCon event, there will be SLARPD training for all attendees. Sessions will be scheduled for important topics such as: How to react when hit by a fake lightning bolt; How to talk like a dwarf; Why dark elves hate everyone and how to live with them; How to role-play being taller than you really are; Costume design and maintenance; and the all important: Which micro-transactions should I invest in to get the most out of my SLARPD experience? This year's SyndCon will also feature John Smedley's private session on "How to win at SLARPD pvp". A mouthpiece and a helmet are recommended for that session as there will be interactive labs.
Dragons, the chief DICtator for The Syndicate, expressed his thoughts about this new, cutting edge, Syndicate offering by saying, "The idea really came to me because of the world's shortest squad leader known as Monk. He role-plays a dwarf so convincingly and has found a way to stay in character 24x7 that one day it dawned on me we could implement this in the guild and make money from it! errr.. I mean have a great time doing it!"
The Syndicate continues to push the boundaries of what an entity, founded within the online gaming space, can achieve. With a lengthy track record of success; a motivated, mature and professional membership; and a strong vision for the future, The Syndicate now moves into an era where the lines between the virtual world and the real world blur. Before long everyone will be saying "I just got SLARP'D!"
