This is not meant to troll. This to show the reality so we realize that old (yeah I know) gamers like me just can’t keep up as we did 20 years ago.
When do we add new blood and when will be given some responsibility to others so that some old shoulders would feel less heavy?
Most of these guys probably have families and responsibilities. Expanding out the templarate to include new members is a good idea.
I don’t like to do that kind of post, especially when I include myself in the peoples that have a family and too many responsibilities. Although, we have to face it. We’ve been waiting forever for some of the athas.org product for 15 years. It’s about time we get them out and ideally with the same (or at least close) quality we know with the athas.org team.
You want to do some numbers crunching: sign here.
You want to do some proofread: sign here.
You want to do some setting validation for inconsistence: sign here.
You want to do some document layout: sign here.
You want to do some art (maps or pictures): sign here.
You want to be part of it, but you don’t know what you can do? Please tell us!
That’s what I’d like to see.
“A burden shared is a burden halved.”
I’ve been offering off and in for years to at least do proofreading and check for inconsistencies for years now.
I’d be happy to become a junior Templar (or even just be allowed to help out)…
I will bring back some old post asking for help and create some new posts.
My previous project was in the proofreading realm. I’m open to more of that. I tend to include a mild degree of fact checking by default when I notice something odd.
Depending on the details, I may be open to being some of that new blood as well.
I was part of the templerate at one point, but was removed over the years for some unknown reason (names credited on a few athas.org products).
That said, I can assist with some projects.
Since some of the templars and councillors have recently posted, I will manifest Retrieve on this thread, to raise attention to it.
Joining in the retrieval effort.
I’m still around, even if it’s for a little help. I’ve tried in the last few months (and in the last decade) to shake the coconuts tree with bare hands… With not much success. Thanks to Pennarin who came with a mekillot and made the nuts fall!
Now we hope the templars will come to investigate what happened in the last 12 years in their plantation.
I propose we post or link writing samples here so that everyone can get a feel for our abilities, including the templarate and the overcouncil.
I shall start: https://twinseraphim.wordpress.com
A couple of my finished stories are behind passwords, I’ll wander over and unlock them later on today. The above site is a collection of my various ideas in various stages of completion. Four of the stories, all of the artwork, and one of the projects are available, the rest are placeholders, just so you know. The Status column should guide as to which is which.
As to myself, I was raised nomadic style, having lived in three countries (America, Europe, Asia), and visited many more. As such, libraries were my refuge, and I developed an average reading speed of 700 pages a day, with a record of ~11xx. Needless to say I have read literally thousands and thousands of books total from America, Europe, China, Japan, and Korea. Mostly translated into English, lol. Thus I have a broad, inclusive, and eclectic view of the world which is beneficial to creative projects. I also have a strong background in document creation.
I’m a super fan of psionics and have been roleplaying for over 30 years, a couple of my still ongoing campaigns are 25+ years at this point. I am frequently consulted by DMs for ideas for their own campaigns. Mechanics and rules would be considered my strong suit.
So, that’s a bit about me, and a bit about my qualifications to be “new blood”.
To be honest both in sentiment and words, the work stopped or stalled because people got old, got lives, there weren’t good (enough) writers to take over existing projects, and we didn’t need one or two applicants but a dozen, even two dozen. Unpaid, without firm deadlines because the above unpaidness.
AFAIK good, dedicated writers wanted nothing to do with us and our project needs, and for 12 years there were but a few blips of reaching out.
Correct me if I’m wrong, fellow templars.
If the fans now clamor to see projects after a hiatus of 12 years of not caring much about athas dot org (who would, with the release of not one but two editions, including a DS official release) it should surprise no one that little of the work has progressed, as there never was a passing of the torch to new blood. Unpaid people can stay productive for only so long before burnout.
@Pennarin Thank you for that insight into the historical reasons behind the current status! I appreciate your memory and how you are still with us.
Do you happen to have any additional insights or general comments regarding the current group of people who are willing to help, and what sort of qualification and/or vetting process needs to happen before one or more of us could take up said torch, or at least share the burden of said torch?
For example, I have some project ideas that I would have interest in doing or helming, but this is the only site where they could be done, and I don’t have access to the site nor reliable access to the people who do have access to the site, because everyone has lives as you mentioned above.
Flip controls both the site and is on the overcouncil, i.e. is admin to both. Start with him. His email is everywhere.
We are discussing this now. I’ll share info as soon as we have a plan
Thank you, I have in the past. But, in light of Raddu’s comment…
Nice, I’ll just be a little more patient then. ( ^-^)b
I started out as a templar and ended up on the Overcouncil - for me, the main reason I stopped being involved is that I stopped playing D&D 3rd edition and went back to AD&D2e as my D&D system of choice. I would be happy to provide copy-editing (I am an editor by trade) and lore/world input, but I no longer have anything meaningful to contribute from a mechanical perspective.
As for me, I started as a French-Canadian with English (and still) as a poor secondary language. Even if I managed to get a little easier to understand, this skill always kept me away from being really useful to the official site.
I’ve always been around, known as THE Silly Frog 
, and giving few thoughts here and there. I played Darksun since it’s arrival ( 2nd, 3rd, 3.5e, 4e, but not 5ft ed).
I like giving short thoughts, comments and ideas. I helped on the Terrors of Athas layout (it was where I’ve put the most time on a athas.org project).
I started multiple small projets which never went through completion. The only things I finally got out was my project on slaves : “Working Too Hard”.
The activity I have been doing the most in the last 10 years was to bug the templars of athas.org to find a way to revive what was left of 3.5e. I never imagined that there was sooooooo much project near completion or on a very final state in existence. So I was right to ask.
Have fun!
Was made a templar back in 2007. Have my name credited on several athas.org products.
Athas.org went into a holding pattern with the inception of 4e and never really found itself again since. Unsure what they could do under the new OGL.
As Pennarin has eluded too, a lot of the better writers would rather put their efforts to creating 5e content for DMs Guild and make a few bucks than free content (can’t really blame them).
I’d be willing to give some time to produce 3.5 content again. Strengths lie in mechanics and DS lore.
