Oukbok and the Petrichor Guild
In this month’s community spotlight, we will be talking with Oukbok, an active community member who has always been positive in their community interaction and thoughtful with their testing feedback. In addition to their contributions there, they are also heading up an EU Guild for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, Petrichor, to gather up fans who want to join others who play non-NA hours but still want the full guild experience.
Hello Oukbok! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk about yourself and the guild that you are working with for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. Tell us about yourself, Oukbok as a person and as a player. What’s your Gaming history?
My first MMO as a teenager was Everquest where I played Oukbok, an Ogre. That was back in 2003, and although the name was from the in-game name generator, I liked it and kept it. Since then I have played all different types of games and genres, including a few more MMOs, like Vanguard or Everquest 2, which I’m actually playing again right now on a TLE (time-locked expansion server). In real life I now am a high school teacher in Germany, trying not to be more silly than my students.
Hey, there is nothing wrong with a silly teacher, those have always been my favorite! How did you come to learn about Pantheon?
I found one of the early gameplay streams from 2016 and it showed about 2 hours of gameplay. While the game itself didn’t look very polished, I immediately enjoyed the speed of the game. It wasn’t as fast-paced as most modern MMOs are, you didn’t have to spam button over button and you had time to socialize between fights. My pledge was sealed once I learned about the people behind VR.
That’s true for a lot of people. Pantheon has an impressive developer pedigree, for certain. Your guild is an EU-based raiding guild? Could you tell us about the guild and your members?
Absolutely! We will be raid oriented, meaning that we want a strong foundation of raiders. However, at the same time, we also welcome any casuals that prefer crafting or grouping over raids. The guild’s goal is to unite people who vibe with each other and have similar goals and interests within the game. As of today most of our members live in Northern/Western Europe. After some fun times in the Pre-Alpha sessions and we also grew in the US, meaning that we will have to figure out how to deal with the different time zones once the game goes live. A suggestion has already been made to have a cousin guild in the US/Canada/SA so we might think about that. Until then we’re patiently waiting for the game together.
That is fantastic! One of the unique features of MMORPGs is the fact that they are so socially global. Here I am, in the northwest US, getting to know you, a fellow gamer in Germany.
Your guild page shows that your guild is very community-focused, which I just love because Pantheon is a very player-centric game. Could you tell us a bit about your philosophy regarding leading a raiding guild that instills community values as a foundation?
An MMO guild is a very interesting accumulation of human beings, especially a new guild in a new game. There’s a huge pool of personalities from different walks of life, with ethical beliefs, cultural backgrounds, and political views, that are contemplative of joining a guild. I try to find like-minded people with similar ideas to create a healthy, positive community. We shall treat ourselves and others with respect, fairness, and honesty while having a good time in the game. By publishing these ideas on our website, I hope to attract like-minded people early on.
This is one of the reasons that I wanted to feature you and your guild. When I read up on it on the website, it really struck me as an inclusive and open-minded guild that felt so welcoming. Has your guild been involved with other MMORPGs?
We as a guild have not, since Petrichor was founded for Pantheon. Some of our members however have been playing MMOs since the early days of EverQuest, while others have played more recent titles like World of Warcraft and Elder Scrolls Online.
It is always fun to play with people who have never played the older style of MMORPGs as the games can be so different. How did your guild members come to learn of Pantheon and what made them decide to get involved early and follow the game’s development?
Just out of curiosity we actually ask all of our members about their previous MMO experience. It seems that many of them found out about the game through word of mouth or through online communities and forums dedicated to MMOs. Quite a few were looking for games like Vanguard or EQ and they were drawn to the game’s focus on group content and the potential for a challenging and rewarding experience that requires coordination and strategy.
Being a guild leader isn’t for everyone, what makes you want to take that initiative?
I guess there are two main reasons. Firstly, I am very excited to play Pantheon for (hopefully) a long time and I want to do this with a great community from day one. Secondly, leading a guild can provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in building a successful community. I’m quite passionate about organizing things, too, and enjoy it when they turn out as planned.
Yeah, that sounds like it plays right into your strengths as an educator. What are your goals in Pantheon as a player and as a guild leader?
As a player, I want to adventure through and learn all about Terminus and my main character shall make himself known as a reliant and strong adventurer. As a guild leader, I want to shape the culture and atmosphere of the guild, creating a positive and supportive environment for all members.
As a Community Manager, it does my heart good to read words like these. MMORPGs are only as good as their players, and we are so grateful to have your support. Is there anything we haven’t covered that you would like people to know about your guild? Here is your chance to shamelessly advertise!
Advertising sounds great! We’re constantly looking to grow, so if you feel like you want to be a part of us, visit us in our Discord. You can find everything on our website www.petrichorguild.eu.
If you are looking for a guild that is aiming for EU hours of gameplay, please check out Petrichor. Thank you so much, Oukbok, for allowing us to get to know you and your guild and we look forward to seeing you in-game!
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is a game being made by a small, independent studio. If you would like to show your support for Pantheon, please check out our website for game details, community, and ways that you may be able to get the word out about our work here. For those committed to the success of Pantheon, we urge you to Pledge so that you may have a hand in crafting what we hope will be a community-driven game, unlike any other.