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Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

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Page 1: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4
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A WORD FROM ADMIRAL

Special Thanks: • Suunee

• Albino Pikachu

• Gaia Interactive Art Department

T’was two months after Christmas and all through the site, the users were bustling to put their inventory right. A heartsbane for Henry, a bouquet for Sue; there were so many valentines from Diedrich, no one knew what to do.

The Admiral was scrolling, separating legit PM’s from spam, when upon reading a message from Meji, all plans went KABLAM!

‘Greetings, my friend,’ his partner did say, ‘I am back on the scene and working today. While you were gone, we’ve made a few changes. I fired some staff and designed cover pages. I was also informed, to my relief, that the zOMG! Team is back, which is beyond belief. The Editing Team has gained new members, though some other features are burning in embers.

However you view it, we’re back and to stay. Boy, aren’t you happy? Hip, Hip and Hooray! However, my friend, there is still one thing more. You better have a seat for what is in store: After thinking things over – and I’m sure to the core – GOM needs enthusiastic leadership, and I don’t care anymore. So, here’s the key to my office, the one for the car, the key to the safe, and the key to the bar. Keep the magazine going,’ our founder did say, ‘and please don’t hate me – it must be this way.’

There Cochrane sat; Meji’s words had been haunting – the amount of work for he and his staff would be daunting. Announcements and Join requests, enough to amaze – he’d ‘read’ through them all; give their credentials a gaze. Acceptions to all and to all a good night. We start projects tomorrow, so to go to bed and sleep tight.

As for Cochrane himself, he had an introduction to write. A piece telling of features new to the site. Dumpster Diving, Tiles, and Coliseum Battles galore – these were a long time coming, and HQ was still designing more! So, GaiaOnline Magazine was back, and he would be co-hosting. That’s all for now.

Good Night & Good Posting.

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COVERIMAGE

It sure has been awhile since the last issue, huh? And just in time for Valentine’s Day, too! While this issue isn’t completely focused on the Day of Love, we do have some articles you can check out.

Also featured in this issue of GOM is a wonderfully crafted short story about Jack Frost, an explanation of Meji’s fi-nal disappearance, as well as articles on zOMG!, GaiaHQ, and much more! And with that, I can proudly welcome you to the fourth issue of Gaia Online Magazine! I hope you enjoy this issue and stay tuned for the next one!

The cover image depicts the item Checkmate.

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Gaia Online Magazine Issue 04Created and designed by Admiral Lord Cochrane & his lovely CREW

This a fan-made magazine.

CONTENTSof ISSUE 4

• Intro - page 5 •Crew page 5 • Meet the New Designer page 6 • Stability of GaiaHQ page 7

• Community - page 8 • Love Valentines? page 8-11

• Art - page 12 • Art Shop Spotlight page 12-13

• zOMG - page 14 • In a Park Without a Map~ page 14 • Save zOMG!~ page 15 • No Love for zOMG! ?~ page 16

• Special - page 17 • Want a Chance at 1 Million gold? page 17 • A Bitter and Frosty Winter page 18-21 • Om Nom Nomables page 22-23 • Sudoku page 24 • Advertisements page 25

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INTRO

COMMUNITY

ART

ZOMG

SPECIAL

• zOMG - page 14 • In a Park Without a Map~ page 14 • Save zOMG!~ page 15 • No Love for zOMG! ?~ page 16

• Special - page 17 • Want a Chance at 1 Million gold? page 17 • A Bitter and Frosty Winter page 18-21 • Om Nom Nomables page 22-23 • Sudoku page 24 • Advertisements page 25

CrewCrew

Nymph of SpringCo-captain, Financial/Contests

Admiral Lord CochraneCo-captain, Lead Editor

slothiiiey*Entrepreneur

The Devotion*Editor

ecopper12*Journalist

jzmajor*zOMG! Specialist

Samurai Takeo*Graphic Designer

Meia15*Editor

Levenn*Admiral’s Assistant

ANY OTHER

NEWS?Since the last issue, there have been several changes in the crazy train known as GOM CREW. People have gotten off at their stops; others got a ticket and joined us for the ride. Just in case some of you don’t know the new faces, we’ve added a * next to their names.

The Masked Musketeer*Entrepreneur

Waldo McFishLead zOMG! Specialist

Lord i-dcJournalist

DjIanfull*zOMG! Specialist

le c l o u dLead Journalist

KytonazOMG! Specialist

Aileeya*zOMG! Specialist

TheMejiConsultant

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Come join Gaia’s most prestigious Avatar wearing, creating, and designing guild. Newly started and looking for members with great Avatars!

INTRO

FINALLY, THE 4TH ISSUE OF GOM!

BUT WHY THE DELAY? T’was two months after Christmas and all through the site, the users were bustling to put their inventory right. A heartsbane for Henry, a bouquet for Sue; there were so many valentines from Diedrich, no one

knew what to do.

The Admiral was scrolling, separating legit PM’s from spam, when upon reading a message from Meji, all plans went KABLAM!

‘Greetings, my friend,’ his partner did say, ‘I am back on the scene and working today. While you were gone, we’ve made a few changes. I fired some staff and designed cover pages. I was also informed, to my relief, that the zOMG! Team is back, which is beyond belief. The Editing Team has gained new members, though some other features

are burning in embers. However you view it, we’re back and to stay. Boy, aren’t you happy? Hip, Hip and Hooray! However, my friend, there is still one thing more. You better have a seat for what is in store: After thinking things over – and I’m sure to the core – GOM needs enthusiastic leadership, and I don’t care anymore. So, here’s the key to my office, the one for the car, the key to the safe, and the key to the bar. Keep the magazine going,’ our founder did say, ‘and please don’t hate me – it must be this way.’

There Cochrane sat; Meji’s words had been haunting – the amount of work for he and his staff would be daunting. Announcements and Join requests, enough to amaze – he’d ‘read’ through them all; give their credentials a gaze. Acceptions to all and to all a good night. We start projects tomorrow, so to go to bed and sleep tight.

As for Cochrane himself, he had an introduction to write. A piece telling of features new to the site. Dumpster Diving, Tiles, and Coliseum Battles galore – these were a long time coming, and HQ was still designing more! So, GaiaOnline Magazine was back, and he would be co-hosting. That’s all for now.

Good Night & Good Posting.

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COMMUNITY

ART

ZOMG

SPECIAL

STABILITY OF GAIA HQ By The Masked Musketeer

Gaia Online has long since been the home to over twenty-three million people worldwide, but after all this time, has Gaia HQ hit a brick wall? Due to recent incidents at the head office, Gaia Online has finally begun its long trail onto the internet mountain. Cut backs and site welfare have begun to get questioned, though is it really necessary for the general public to be concerned? Back in the first issue of Gaia Online Magazine, we asked the community how they could improve Gaia Online. The response was mostly positive, but there were a few issues raised, like the amount of moderators. Although the concerns were mainly on the cash shop, was it a sign of things to come? Here at the Gaia Online Magazine, we wanted to know more on the situation so we went straight to the heart of the Gaia HQ, the developers, to find out more information. My search began by going to Narumi Misuhara, a developer who spent a lot of time working on the Dumpster Dive from way back in March. After being tipped off by a most helpful staff member, I did my research on what Miss Misuhara had said about the recent set-backs in her own journal, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a positive outlook to it. Though a little saddened by the loss of her colleagues, Miss Misuhara seemed to give off an air of ease about the whole situation. With my mind at rest about the seriousness of the cut backs, I set about finding out more. According to members of Gaia-HQ, the stability of Gaia is moving on at much the same pace as always. Some believe that Gaia Online is actually in a better position than before, even to the point of putting user communications at top priority. Given the circumstances, members of the Gaia staff are not aiming to recruit new members, but rather to encourage existing members to stick with the tough times and come out on top as with the staff. This brought me onto the subject of the recent layoffs that the staff seemed to be undergoing, and sure enough, it was a setback that would have a dramatic effect on certain site features and the overall user enjoyment. However, the need to worry is not necessary. The layoffs have been confirmed as a decision not easily made by the staff, and one that is necessary to reevaluate and reorganize the vastly growing community based site we all know and love. As with all setbacks, there are pros and cons. Sure, Gaia-HQ will be able to reorganize, but what about the user experience? Would customer service be slackened, or would it indeed be improved to cling onto the members who still enjoy being on the site? I asked Narumi Misuhara in particular. The answer she gave seemed to be rather positive and yet honest at the same time. “Yes the public is being treated differently, but only because our customer service department today is far better than it was a few years ago. They definitely have had their challenges, but I do not believe overall service has gotten worse because of it. We still have an amazing moderation team (all volunteers) and though not perfect are invaluable at assisting both us and you the users.” Only one more thing was left to find out before my search for an answer would be complete. Various reports reached Gaia Online Magazine about the Lead Staff’s overall competence, which is a serious accusation to have had thrown at the creators of our community. I began to look more deeply into this than I had at any other point. My question was thus “How do you feel about the Lead staff’s competence being questioned? Do you feel it is justified, or do you feel the Gaians need to give Gaia-HQ a chance to sort out its own internal affairs?” Far be it for me to be the devil’s advocate, but a question as serious as this doesn’t need sugar coating to hide the concern. Instead of hostility, I was greeted with positive comments, which I appreciated greatly. Certain members of staff believe it is good that the leadership is questioned, as it “ensures those leaders are always thinking carefully about the decisions they make.” Of course, as with everything, there is a limit one can scrutinize without being insulting. Further to this, there are cases that members of staff believe there have been some tough calls to make, but the decisions have been made with the future and prosperity of Gaia in mind.

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COMMUNITY

“Lovesickness has overcome me. … The carpet is now all grody. I’m sorry... Your turn to deal with it…” - A concerned citizen

“So, I herd u like Mudkipz.” -A Monkey With Glasses

“A ball of yarn rolls past your feet. You look down and spot a kitty with a not attached to its collar. You take the note and read, ‘Kitty Mew loves you forever and ever and will never leave you.’” ~Kitty Mew~

“I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You’re scum between my toes!” Love, Alfalfa.

“Remember that time we spent together down at the beach, how I ran from the waves in the surf and we giggled as we buried our toes in the sand? Yea me neither, I must have been dreaming about you again” *~.~*AppleBottom*~.~*

This Valentine’s Day with GaiaOnline is definitely one to remember, and it’s all thanks to a small group of people called anons.

Several Gaians searched high and low for anonymous users to send them crazy, fun, creepy, and entertaining messages.

All the messages filled you with love or, in some cases, distaste and hatred.

During the event, our crew gathered a ton of these anon letters, and we thought these were the best to share with you guys.

Enjoy!

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INTRO

COMMUNITY

ART

ZOMG

SPECIAL

“Valentine treasures are people who

have often crossed your mind,

family, friends and others, too,

who in your life have shined

the warmth of love or a spark of light

that makes you remember them;

no matter how long since you’ve actually met,

each one is a luminous gem,

who gleams and glows in your memory,

bringing special pleasures,

and that’s why this Valentine comes to you:

You’re one of those sparkling treasures!”

- Love Blossom

“I hold you ever so carefully Gently stroking your beautiful hair. Gazing at your peaceful face as you slumber I reach down and kiss your cheek softly. Slowly I make my way down to your neck And kiss it passionately... then I sink my fangs into you... I love you...” ~The Lusty Vampire~

“My sweet, you are as lovely as the sun and the moon. And I... huh. Did you hear that? What’s outside the door... Carl? Carl what are you… OH GOD. OH DEAR GOD. NO, PLEASE NO AHHH! THE PAIN! THE PAIN! HIS HOOVES HURT SO MUCH. OH DEAR GOD. MY LIVER! HIS ANTLERS WENT CLEAN THROUGH! OH NOT THE WALL, OH THE HUMANITY! Oh he left... Oh good god. The pain. The PAIN. Oohhhhh *sob*” -Anonymous Benefactor

“Such a sparkle in your eyes, and it’s not for this Knight? Oh how they have wronged you, those ones in the night Follow the love that is of truth and right And your valentine’s day will be that of might!” -White Knight

“You want a creepy message? My dear, I’m not sure you really do You see, love is far greater Than a creeper’s smile and creepy words I think what you really need Are words of love and devotion Words that speak of true love Present and Past Words that have nothing to hide Words that show you that beauty is everywhere Words from me, telling you how deeply I care for you Don’t you see how much better that is? Be my Valentine instead of some creeper’s” -The Hopeless Romantic-

“Underwears, I loves! One by one, They’ll disappear, Until none are left For you to wear. [Steals a pair of panties.]” ~THE Panty Thief

“Things between Belle and I didn’t work out. Surely it was because she couldn’t handle being around someone as handsome as I. I mean, come on- look at me. ♥ Well, anyway, I suppose this means I’ll have to settle for the second most beautiful girl in town. P.S. - You’d look better in my kitchen. ♥” - Gaston

“I see you in the window. I troll you left and right. You can’t stop me. I own the internet. Guess who I am.” - Troll face

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Love Valentines Day? Or maybe you hate it?

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COMMUNITY

In celebration for the day of love, we asked our guild members the following question:

“Are you for or against Valentine’s Day?”

66% of the members were for Valentine’s Day and 33% were against it. Here is a fun pie chart for you to love. :)

“I voted for Anti valentines day because I see it as a way to make money plus I have had bad experiences with that date, I used to be pro but then a few years a go my boyfriend broke up with me on V-day.” -Nerdodactyl

“I am Pro-Valentiner - I love the ideas associated and the hope it brings. It makes me go totally googly-eyed, and I love sending valentines, too.” -Josephine the Harpist

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ART

ZOMG

SPECIAL

“Pro all the way! I love this time of year, single or not. I’m always able to share the love, whether it be with my significant other or with my friends. So either way, I never feel lonely. I’ll always have my friends and shower them with my love!” -Meia15

“I voted Pro because I actually feel pretty good at this time of the year and the more heartfelt gift I’ve gotten was from a great friend that wrote: ‘You are the color in this monochrome world and I got you this umbrella so you won’t fade in the rain’” -cygnus the dark star

“Can I be in the middle? xD

I think it’s a silly hallmark holiday. You should love your partner every day, and express that love everyday, instead of focusing it on ONE day.

But, I also believe that you should go completely and utterly romantic on this day. You can love them everyday, but let Valentine’s Day be where you try to top yourself in every way.

I hope that made sense.” - Samurai Takeo

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Featured: Art Shop

RoChan:

What is your favorite thing to draw? While I like to draw a mirad of things, I have to say my favorite things to draw are interesting avatars and original characters. They can be cute or brightly colored but as long as I find them fascinating then I love and enjoy drawing them. What do people seem to like to buy in your art shop? Chibis and Headshots are my most popular. I suspect that it’s because my headshots tend to be cheap for their quality and my chibis are more detailed than most to the point that they’re sometimes called mini fullbodies. There’s also my popular Nekkid Chubs which are sexy little chibis with X shaped tapes covering their most private of parts. What are your prices? This is a little more difficult to answer… I generally always try to price my drawings towards cash shop prices so that Gaians are aware of the value of the drawings so they can be valued from $5 to $10 for chibis and headshots. Waist ups can range from 2 mil to 4mil depending with 4 mil sometimes being a bargain for experimental waistups. My auctions though typically generate 15mil+ for extravagantly detail waist ups and animated chibis. Do you have any real life art accomplishments? I have graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting. I have won numerous awards in galleries for best of show, judge’s choice award, and student’s choice award for my fine art drawings and paintings. Currently I am back in school to further my art career towards Animation so wish me luck! Do you currently have an art shop separate from XHA? If so, could you provide a link? Xiao Hwen Artists is the only shop I have. I’ve tried to keep up with multiple shops and that is too much for my plate! Do you have a deviantART account as well? If so, could you provide a link to that as well?

Hey there art lovers! For this issue, the crew searched high and low to find you some great art to fea-ture! We sent out our little Art Elves, who brought us pictures that simply took our breath away. (Thankfully, the staff here is certified in CPR.) They brought us gold… in the form of the joint art shop, Xiao Hwen Artists! This art shop has many talented artists and we’ve decided to feature a few!

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ART

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Scyerline :

What is your favorite thing to draw? young women or animals!

What do people seem to like to buy in your art shop? I typically sell various styles (my experiments) and chibi drawings

What are your prices? it varies, depending on what is being ordered. Because Xiao is a bribe shop, we have minimum prices for people to base how much they want to bribe. Typically it is around the 500k-1mil for chibi, over 10mil for my detailed painterly style and my experiments can range around 500k-2mil depending on how long it takes me to draw them.

Do you have any real life art accomplishments? I went to an art school in Minnesota and won “Best of Show” at my graduating portfolio show. I was an illustration intern at a graphic design firm while I was in college and now I just started graduate school in San Fransisco!

Do you currently have an art shop separate from XHA? If so, could you provide a link? Nope

Do you have a deviantART account as well? If so, could you provide a link to that as well?

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COMMUNITY

ART

ZOMG

SPECIAL

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ZOMG

In a Park Without a Map? By: jzmajor It looks like we’ve been left behind: Gaia’s train has left the station, and the conductor has forgotten to connect zOMG!’s carriage! WhenIaskedaboutthisterribleaccident,theconductortoldmethatthecarriage’sfinediningandbeautiful artwork are costing too much to maintain. Furthermore, unless this zOMG! carriage picks up a larger amount of ticket sales, the carriage with lots of potential will stay in the same old yard with only a couple of caretakers, who can only work so much on its development; if the whole project (zOMG!) becomes too burdensome, it may just as well be sent to the scrap yard. Ifindthispredicamentamusing.It’sa“Catch-22”:GaiaHeadquarterssaysthatunlesszOMG!getsalargeruserbase,itwillstaybrokenandunderdeveloped.However,theserversthatzOMG!runsondonothavethecapacitytohandleallofthepeopleneededtofulfillGaia›srequirements.NottomentionthefactthattheheadquartersofGaiaOnlinewillnotgivethedevelopmentteamanymorefundingtomakethegame better. Gaia obviously doesn’t see a strategy that has been around for millennia: make it better and the peoplewillcome.Onlythenwillmoneyflow,becauseweallknowthatGaiaisoneforthemoney.Theprocessissimple,really.Takethemeparks,forexample.Ticketsalesarelow,theplaceisamess,andpeoplearefindingithardtogetaround.Nottomentionthecompanyisnowdeepindebt. So,whatdoesmanagementdo:giveupandputitsmoneyelsewhere?Thoughthisisanoption,itshouldbethelastresort.Theycontinuetheirinvestmentandcleanuptheplace.Theybuildmorerides,buymoreland,andextendtheridestheyhave.Thiskeepspeoplecomingbackformore,andevenbuyingmulti-daypasses,becausetheyenjoybeingthere.Nowthecompanyishappy,andsoisthebank. Sure,zOMG!’suserbaseisdeclining.Butthatisbecausepeoplehavelostinterest.Thereareonlysomany Shallow Seas speed runs one can do, you know. zOMG! does get boring after a while, and people are starting to leave because of that. When they leave, it’s not just zOMG! they are abandoning, either; they areleavingGaiaOnlinetoo!Thebadgesystemdoeskeepafewpeopleactive;however,badgesarenotforeveryone, and, after a while, get about as boring as the Shallow Seas speed runs. So, realistically, what can Gaia do? Addingnewcontentwouldbeagreatstart.Thesenew“attractions”willallowplayers(newandold)toadventure,hangout,farm,andsetoutonanexpeditionin,appealingnotonlytoveteranswhohavesincelostinterestinzOMG!duetoitssheerboredom,butalsotonewplayerseagertoexplorethegame.Butjustaddingnewareaswithmonstersshouldn’tbetheonlythingGaiaHeadquartersdoes;backingthisupshouldbemorequests,NPCs,andmaybeanincreaseinChargeLevel. Tyingthegameinwiththemainsitecouldbeanotheroption.ThisincludesstreamliningzOMG!withthemainsite,makingiteasiertogetintothegame.ThismightalsoincludeincludingtheGaiastorylineinthezOMG!storyline.Thiswouldenticeplayersthatarealreadyonthatsite. You’re probably thinking: this renovation project doesn’t look very attractive to Gaia. I mean, what is in it for them? But you have to admit that this is a start. If Gaia Online backs this up with more projects thatbringinmoney,thentheycouldberealhighflyers.MonetizationshouldincludeproducinglucrativeitemsthatzOMGaianswanttobuy.ThereisareallygoodthreadinthezOMG!Forumthatisburstingattheseams,fullofideasthatpeoplewouldbewillingtopayforthatusershavesuggested.Nottomentionthefact that the weekly Developer Meetings, in game, bring up really good user suggestions.

So, what do you say, Gaia? Should we sit in the station for a little while longer, before we’re taken to the scrap yard, or should we get this train kicking?

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ZOMG

SPECIAL

Save zOMG!By Waldo McFish

zOMG is in a state of crisis.

GaiaHQseeszOMGasaninvestment,sothey’vebeenlayingoffdevelopersto cut the cost of operating the game because there is no return of investment. Sincepower-upslikeGhiAmpsandDoubleOrbhavenotbeensellingwell,Gaiahasbeenpayingthedevelopersoutofpocket.Thisissue’sthemeis“SavezOMG”tohighlightthepotentialthatzOMGhas.Imean,lookattheColiseum,theBuccaneerBoardwalk,Pets,andtheUndermountainthataresoontobereleased!TheMMOhassomuchpotential,buttherestillisnoreturnofinvestment.That’swhy the developers have been selling items like the headstart tickets and pets for GaiaCash.

Recently,thezOMGcommunityhashadaprettybadscare:GaiaHQsetadeadlinefora certain amount of revenue to be earned with the release of the headstart tickets and pets. Thankfully,thedeadlinewasmet,andGaiaplanstointegratezOMGintothemainsite,butwithonedrawback–Mavdoc,theenvironmentspecialist,waslaidoff.Howmuchsensedoesthatmake,Gaia,tofireyourleadcreatorofnewareas?MMOs,especiallyzOMG,needtohavenewcontentreleasedperiodicallytobesuccessfulandtohavemorenewplayersjoin.Theideahasbeentossedaround,thatiftheintegrationissuccessful,Mavdocwillbere-hired;however,in order for integration to be successful, zOMG is going to need every chance.

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ZOMG

So I’ve been hearing about a rumor about zOMG!’s diminishing popularity, events not withstanding, of course. I suppose it’s like any natural relationship. First, there is the courtship: we meet – oh! a free ring from a small treasure chest, and little ol’ me being rescued by that knight in shining armor. Then there are all of his friends to meet, greet, and fetch the odd drops for. An afternoon here, an evening there, and soon enough, five hours have flown by; we can’t leave yet, because we just need a single piece more of lacquered wood from a Taiko Drum, and we’ll be done with Cheri’s Sister! As long as there is another quest, another ring, or especially a Sinister Scarf yet to be grasped, we are completely enthralled, but what about afterwards? What is there to do, besides events, for the CL 10.0 who has it all? I’d like to put forth the case that anyone with a modicum of true patience could and should stick around, and mentor a few newbs. zOMG! has changed quite a lot, even in the last few months. Big changes, such as being able to buff a whole crew at once, cut out a lot of difficulty for support crew members. The downside is that as playing has become much easier, so has leveling up. Many players who are not nearly as familiar with the game, nor with crew participation and expectations as the first few generations of zOMG! players had to have been before, can easily get to Gold Beach and Shallow Seas. Does Lord of the Flies come to anyone else’s mind? Everyone can agree that optimal conditions for earning the most gold, orbs, or drops occur within a cooperative, six-member crew. Finding six people capable of such cooperation is the point in the game at which the challenge truly lies nowadays. I’d like to offer a couple of suggestions that might make this easier. First, find a clan! There are many to choose from, and population isn’t necessarily an indication of the most activity, so try to choose carefully. You might want to consider taking note when you come across several players you especially enjoy playing with, and after getting to know them a bit, find out if they’re currently active in a clan; if so – voilà! Once you’ve found a “pool” of people to work with, it will then be easier to find at least one or two online at any particular time. One of the main reasons for joining a clan is, of course, the possibility of being able to play with someone at nearly any time of day; thus, I advocate looking for a good-sized clan, not necessarily filled to the gills with inactive members, but one that is large enough to have people from several time zones who are active. Once you’ve found a couple of people who you know you can trust, it then becomes much easier to form a partly random crew. You and your clansmen can then mentor folks less acquainted with the “ins” and “outs” of cooperative play. The whole community is benefited by this passing-on of tidbits of information, demonstration of technique, and not to mention the newest “that’s what she said” punch-lines. TL/DR version: If zOMG! seems less tantalizing, and you have some patience, you might consider one or several of these options: 1) Going for ridiculous badges (5k for all animated up to er, I mean, down to the Lab).

2) Teaching younger, newer, or solo players how to cooperate in crew: a) Make goals and expectations clear by expressing them as soon as the crew is full, and repeating them when new members cycle in; b) Try to have at least two “solid” people in the crew before sending any random invitations. 3) Joining a Clan: a) Larger, more active clans will have people from multiple time zones. b) Good clans will have activities in-game, such as unique challenges, badges and/or contests – if yours doesn’t, make some! 4) Playing a different role than which you usually prefer: if you’re a tank, try taking up healing! 5) Starting all over again, if you’re just a solo player at heart, if you have already got all the rings and the CL 10.0 status, and aren’t interested in farming the Shallow Seas or Papa Saw indefinitely. Make a new account, and start all over! You’ll be familiar with the inevitable updates, and your ring drops, or, rather, the lack thereof, may make for some challenging play.

zOMG! not getting enough love?By Aileeya

Page 17: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? (In GaiaGold of course~)

Many (or none of you) might have remembered a contest I was running to make one lucky reader an Instant Million¬aire.

The entire crew and I would like to apologize to each and every person who had entered that contest, and for the very long (and annoying) delay of getting anywhere with it as well. It’s hard to publish a contest, without a magazine. I’m here to tell you, that today, the contest has been restarted.

Which means, anyone who entered, you need to re-enter. This makes it fair to all those who joined after the contest was first announced. I promise this contest will be done, start to finish this time, with or without an actual published Magazine.

CONTEST GUIDELINES ( and R&R )

Spring Giveaways Instant-Millionaire Contest™

This contest is valid from February 1st, 2011 12:00AM EST to March 31st, 2011 12:00AM EST.Winners will be announced in the April 2011 issue of Gaia Online Magazine, OR by Guild Announcement if there isn’t an issue.

This contest is open to all members of Gaia Online both inside and outside of the Gaia Online Magazine™ guild. Limit ONE entry per account. Mule accounts should NOT be used to submit more than one entry to the contest. Any account found to be using a mule to submit multiple entries will be disqualified from the contest, and will be unable to participate in any other SPRING Giveaway™. Copying, Stealing, “Knocking off” other members entries are prohibited. Any entries that appear to be similar, or to have been copied, will result in BOTH parties being disqualified.Any member found to be “Bribing” or Attempting to do so will be disqualified.

Upon choosing a winner, the Winning entry will be featured in May’s issue of G.O.M™, followed with an Interview with the winner.

All entries will be sent to Nymph of Spring V.I.A Private message on Gaia. Any entry sent in after March 31st, 2011 12:00AM EST will be invalid and will not be included in the contest entries.

All entries must be in the form of “I Deserve This Million Gold Because....” format.. All entries that do not provide logical explanations of why the winning user should receive will be invalid. All submitted entries MUST provide at least ONE (1) reason as to why the winning entrant will receive One Million Gaia Gold.All entries MUST be less than 750 words. Any entries that are found to be OVER 750 words will be invalid.

How To Submit.ALL entries MUST be Private Messaged to Nymph of Spring. All Entries MUST NOT CONTAIN IMG codes, bold, italics, underlined text or color. All entries must be centered to the LEFT, in a Normal (size 12) font.All entries MUST be labeled “I Deserve 1 Million Gold Because”.Any entries that are NOT in regulation with this format will be invalid and disqualified. If your entry is Dis-qualified, you will be notified by Nymph of Spring. Any disqualification is final. You WILL be given reason(s) to why you have been disqualified.

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Page 18: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

A Bitter and Frosty Winter

The world of Gaia: Truly a winter wonderland. From Aekea to Gambino, the wonderful white dust has blanketed every inch of the ground. What could be more beautiful than this? Every year this happened, and each year brought something even more enchanting than the last. This year, the person responsible for such a radiant scene was planning to make this year the best of them all. He thought long and hard about how to top last year’s winter, and he finally came through. “I know what I’ll do! I’ll make it frosty everywhere, even here, too!” Jack Frost was the one who had said those words, and he was responsible for the wonderful winter each year. He set to work, covering all that he could in his magical snow. He made everything beautiful. “I’ll make it frozen here, I’ll put some ice there, and everything that dares to try and melt it, beware!” Jack froze the Bass’ken, and he made it so thick, that not even a very hot day could melt it all in one go. Jack looked around at what he created and decided his work here was done. He had satisfied himself, and he started to return home. “This year will be one Gaian’s won’t soon forget, for when they wake up, my winter will be met!” Jack knew this was true, but as he was walking he saw people lying in the snow, unmoving. He smiled and walked over, and touched one person’s fingers, and gave them a chill that would surely wake them up. When the person didn’t move, Jack did what he was famous for: he made their face unbearably cold.

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Written by ECopper

Page 19: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

When even this failed, Jack became curious. He flipped them over, and almost fell backwards. What he saw was not a welcome sight, as they had no eyes to speak of. “Well, this is bad,” Jack said with a growl, “If they can’t see my winter, no merriment will be had!” He sat there for a bit, wondering what to do, when he thought of the only person that could have done this. Sandman... “That man must have done this, he just couldn’t wait! He had to ruin my best winter to date! I know where to find him; he’s far off to the right. All I need to do is walk there tonight!” Jack did what he said, and he set off for the place where the man would be. As he walked he heard a loud screech, and he looked into the sky to see the source: A giant dragon was flying above him, and Jack shouted, startled. “A Dragon in Durem, what’s that doing here? Surely the people haven’t fainted from fear?” Jack knew that couldn’t be true, as it didn’t explain the eyes. The dragon had to be taking orders from Sandman. Jack looked up again, and almost jumped out of his skin. The dragon was flying right towards him! Jack jumped out of the way, and crashed through a window. “That was a close call... But what’s worse was the fall...” Jack said, groaning. Jack pulled himself to his feet, and rubbed his head. It had hit the ground pretty hard. He thought he saw something move in the corner, so he focused his eye s on that one spot. “Hey, Sandman! I know you’re over there, come out from the corner, come on. It’s a dare.”

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Page 20: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

Jack watched as the shadowy figure emerged from the corner, and to his great surprise, Sandman wasn’t even a sandman! She was a beautiful woman! Jack struggled to focus, and he narrowed his eyes at here. “Let me ask you, what’s your deal anyways? You should know winter is something that stays” “No, dear Jack, your winter shall not. This is all part of my grand sleeping plot!” Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “How could you even say something like that? And what’s with the dragon? It almost crushed me flat!” “You mean Fefnir? Ha! He’s doing my will, you’d be surprised what dragons will do for their fill.” “You can’t be serious! This isn’t fair! You can’t let your sleeping dust pollute winter air!” “Oh, but I can and I have my dear Jack, and just tell me why you haven’t yet hit the sack?” “I guess your powder has no effect on the power of ice, but it looks like I too, have to stop playing nice!” Jack jumped up, and ran for the dragon, but the Sandman stopped him before he could get there. “If you want the dragon, you’ll have to fight me, and you won’t win, that I guarantee.” “We’ll see about that! I’ll make sure you cower, you have yet to see my true power!” The two began to fight, and Jack took the lead. He blasted the Sandman with ice, and she fell. When she got up, though, she seemed stronger than before, and she landed an amazing hit to Jack.

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Page 21: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

As he fell to the ground, the Sandman came over to him. “That’s your true power? Ha! What a joke. I told you before you’ll go up in smoke. Look at those eyes, so blue and so deep. It would be so great if I had them to keep!” The Sandman took her hand, and placed it on Jack’s face. She tightened her grip and Jack started to wail. He had to do something, or he’d be dead for sure! “I won’t let you ruin my winter this year; I won’t let you cause any Gaian to shed a tear!” Jack raised his hand, and with the last of his strength, his ripped the blindfold off the Sandman’s face. “Take the last bit of winter I have, and you’ll see, why every last living thing here loves me!” He put the last of his power into the blindfold, and suddenly, everything exploded. It could be seen from almost everywhere, but no one was awake to see it. When the explosion died down, and everyone awoke, Gaia was the most beautiful place anyone could have seen. From somewhere unknown, Jack could be heard saying, “My winter turned out great! And not a second too late...”

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Page 22: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

Welcome to the Om Nom Nomables Recipe Book, where you can find an assort-ment of interesting food to make. In each issue, we’ll feature one of the recipes posted in the Recipe Book forum in the guild. Please post your recipes there if you want to share them, and you may even be featured in one of our future issues!

In this issue, we have featured slothiiiey’s MiniWing Butter Cookies recipe!

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Om Nom Nomables

Page 23: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

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MiniWings Butter CookiesRecipe by slothiiiey

Cookie Cutters

*Miniwing Cut out

*Paper

*Cardboard

*Scissors

*Wax Paper

*Scotch Tape

Cookies

*2 cups of softened butter

*2 cups of powdered sugar

*4 beaten eggs

*1 tsp. baking soda

*1 tsp. lemon juice

*1 tbsp of milk

*5½ cup flour

Directions

Create Cookie cutter.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, blend together butter, powdered sugar and eggs; set aside.

Dissolve baking soda in lemon juice; add to butter mixture.

Stir in milk and flour gradually.

Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut with cookie cutter

Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 8 minutes. Yields 6-7 dozen.

Cutter Design

Instructions to create cookie cutter

Page 24: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

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For those of you that wished for puzzles to be in the magazine, your wish came true! From now on, we will be bringing you puzzles to help you sharpen your minds!

But if you get stuck and can’t solve them, don’t worry! The answers to every puzzle we make will be announced the day after an issue is released.

Puzzle Section

Page 25: Gaia Online Magazine - Issue 4

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Puzzle Section Advertise

A Petition to Enlarge the zOMG! Team

The NSTG’s mission is to provide a safe and educational environment for the fos-tering of newbies to productive Gaians.

Gaia Spirit Week After PartyBored? Need an avatar Idea? Have Gaian Spirit? Come stop By the GSW After Party!

An Adorable Quality Pixel Shop!

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