Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

JoBildo: I’m here with Roses and Zodiac from The Kinship, one of Champions Online’s premier Supergroups. They've also got branches in Age of Conan and the newly launched Aion.   Guys, welcome to Ten Ton Hammer, and thanks for taking time out of your busy day beating bad guys to do this interview.

ROSES: I want to thank you once again for having us here on Ten Ton Hammer, it is always a pleasure to take time out to chat with you.

JoBildo: Tell us (that is the entire world or at least those reading this) a little bit about The Kinship.

Zodiac: The Kinship is a family. We have formed friendships that go past any game we play together. We strive ourselves in honesty, and loyalty. We take pride in our gaming and take pride in the community that we game with.

JoBildo: How would you guys classify yourselves?  Are you a tight-knit role-play guild, a PvP focused group?

ROSES: The Kinship is a guild of everything. The Champions Division is more PvP Based and the Aion Division is more PvE Raiding based, and the Division of AoC is both. We have some role-players as well as some PvPers. We do not like to classify ourselves. We are all well rounded and love to jump in on some great PvP or stroll on down to a role-playing event. We also hold our own events within The Kinship for PvP and for Role-playing. So those whom do not like to PvP so much and those whom don’t like to Role-play so much can experience the fun that all of us have on a daily basis.

JoBildo: How’s the Supergroup run?  I mean, is it managed a certain way?  What’s the leadership like, and how do you guys delegate authority?  Basically, as I used to ask the Age of Conan clans, are you more Hitler or more Gandhi when it comes to how things are run?

ROSES: I have to say this is one thing that I truly enjoy about our guild. We have our main Guild Master Zodiac who oversees all games that we play. He is the Community Leader of the Guild and the Founder. In the games we play we have Guild Masters whom are the GM of that Division, with officers under them, and the rest of the guild. So for example in Champions Online The Kinship has Zodiac as the Overseer of the division however I (Roses) am the GM for the Division of Champions Online, and have several officers under me. When there is an issue in any division the Kinship plays in, we can handle it on our own for the most part unless it is something that desperately requires Zodiac’s attention. We have always done it this way and it has worked wonderfully.

JoBildo: How many Kinship members are there these days?  Do you guys spend time across more than one game?  Zodiac Talon (another member) tells me that you’ve started up in Aion too?

Zodiac: We have a total of about 70 tight-knit Kinship Members. We are blessed to be able to hold Divisions in Champions Online, Aion on the Lumiel (RP) Elyos Faction, and Age of Conan on the Wiccana Server. We have members whom play all 3 Divisions, and then of course we have members who focus on 1 or 2 Divisions. No matter what Division we play on we all hang out together in Ventrilo, and all hang out together on our website. We enjoy each other’s company immensely and this remains one of the motivating reasons we stay together through the years.

JoBildo: One of the trends we see with some of the larger guilds in most MMOGs is the hosting of server or guild-wide events.  Is that something the Kinship ever does?  Are you very active in the community, or do you mostly keep to yourselves?

ROSES: We love attending, and holding events. Unfortunately right now in Champions Online there isn’t a big need for events just yet, but I am keeping up hope that there will be a need for them. I know that the Division of Aion there was an event that our members were looking forward to sponsoring. The game has just released and we are helping to make our new community a great one for everyone!

JoBildo: If you guys are recruiting new members, can you tell us what exactly it takes to become one of the Kinship?  What’s required of a prospective member?

Roses: We require you to fill out an application on our comprehensive website www.kinship-guild.com. Currently the Age Limit is 21. Exceptions can be made if you have older family/friend members that have joined Kinship and can vouch for you. Players should converse in a higher standard of communication (NO "leet" or "dewd" language). 

**Players should have a friendly, social, and a strong drive to work as a team member**  

• Must fill out an application and use/visit the website on occasion.
 

• Must be willing to follow guild rules.
 

• Not so much a rule, but we encourage our members to use Ventrilo for guild grouping (PVE/PvP) at the very least. If you are not comfortable with Ventrilo, that’s fine! Download it, join up and just listen in for guild grouping. This will be much more effective and easier for everyone! While we do suggest it highly, Ventrilo is NOT a requirement for The Kinship! 
  

Zodiac: We will use the 'common sense' rule to determine if you will remain in the guild. Generally our thoughts are about a week or two depending on your level (This is to ensure our members are motivated to be social with the guild and not a 'solo only' player.)We are always seeking like minded folks and are very strict with our ‘quality of quantity’ rule. It’s easy to send out blind invites, or try to recruit 100’s of members but that does not give the guild any flavor or purpose..it’s just a sea of humanity without a direction. Normally guilds of this variety die out in a few short weeks or months. We strive to create and maintain an intimate experience.

JoBildo: One more question, and this is the all-important one for fans of the game… what do you think are the most pressing issues in Champions Online today?  What, since we know Cryptic’s out there listening, would you request they work on before anything else?

ROSES: We would love to see more group content, as well as a Global PvP Area. Right now I can understand Cryptic is trying to balance classes so things are being nerfed, stealth-nerfed, and some things are getting buffed. It’s a bumpy road, but a road that I am sure is to be smooth and even more enjoyable in the near future. Champions Online is like no other game that I have personally played out there, and I am still enjoying myself no matter what they have done to date.

Zodiac: I would have liked to have seen some more in-depth and challenging PvE dungeon content. What is in place right now needs a little work! What lairs they have are kind of quirky and buggy. Also, the ability to have a super group organizational system (make notes and comments) is essential. Unfortunately they do not have that in place as of yet.

JoBildo: Alright, that concludes this Champions Online Supergroup Showcase.  Thanks so much Roses and Zodiac for taking the time to answer these questions and letting the community know everything they could want to know about the Kinship.  See you in Millennium City!

ROSES: I want to thank you once again for showcasing The Kinship. We look forward to fighting alongside all of the other Supergroups. See you in Millennium City!!

Zodiac: Thanks Jo! Always a pleasure! For Elysea!