BECOMING A MEMBER

Guidelines for Joining The Amazon Basin

To become a member of The Amazon Basin, you must be recommended by members already in our community. This is accomplished by spending time playing with our members in games and posting/interacting with others in our forums - both here and (especially) within the forums for the game that you are currently playing.

Since this process is carried out by The Amazon Basin members as a whole, please understand the length of time involved in getting a recommendation may be longer than four to six weeks. We are always looking for new friends to play with. Time spent playing with current members and posting in our forums is never ill spent. It's the time you spend doing these things that help you and us get to know each other better.

Playing in an Amazon Basin Game - Etiquette

The Amazon Basin does not have a set of rules and regulations. However, our Main Page states that "We serve as a safe haven against cheating, racism, bigotry, hatred, and unfair gameplay". Whiners, hoarders, and loners are no fun to play with in cooperative games, so bear that in mind as you play in our games.

Many online games are populated with players who are "no fun" - and if there's any doubt as to what's "fun" and what's "no fun", don't be afraid to ask. Members of this community find a spirit of consideration and cooperation in Amazon Basin games that is unparalleled in 'pubbie' games. Many of you may not have experienced this in online games, so if this is you, we hope that you find Amazon Basin games as rewarding as we have. Remember though, you're in these games (at the beginning) to check us out as well. Don't feel the need to be someone you're not. Relax, enjoy yourself, and have fun while playing - we always do!

Membership - The Process Explained

• Get to know us - Play games with us online. Be sure to introduce yourself. Be yourself in the game. Have fun, chat with others, and help those in your group. Frequent the forums here. If you have experience with any of the guilds within our community, post info on your experiences there as well. Make friends. Get to know us. Make sure you understand what we're all about, and that a large part of what brings us together as a community goes on right here on these boards. We are widely known as a fair and honest group of people. If you think you will fit in, keep reading.
• Want to join us? - Done with all that? OK, go ahead and post a request for membership in the Membership Request forum. Unless one of our members has a question about you or your membership request, there won’t be much activity in this forum after your initial request as the voting itself does not take place here.
• We get to know you - Once we’ve had a chance to get to know you, the next part of the journey that you can see will take place in the Membership Progress forum. This is where you can keep track of how many members have vouched for you. The initial post may take some time, especially if you are new to the community. Aside from the vouches/votes themselves, there won’t be discussions in the Membership Progress forum. Any discussions which take place concerning your membership request will take place amongst members in forums you don't yet have the ability to read.
• Getting a Sponsor - Eventually someone that has played with you (and thinks you'll make a nice addition to the community) will start your Voucher Thread. Once you get 7 vouches (please remember, this may take some time to accomplish) from current members, your thread will be locked and you will remain under discussion. Your thread will remain locked for one week to give time for someone to cast a possible 'No' vote. If any member feels strongly enough to cast a ‘No’ vote, a discussion will take place within the Members Only Forum about the problem they have. The result of this discussion will either be that your vote thread will continue, or a PM from an officer will arrive in your inbox letting you know that you were not granted membership. If you are granted membership, the person who started your Voucher Thread will send you a PM and post a welcome message on our boards - letting everyone know your new status.
• Slow Going? - If you don't seem to be getting enough attention, seek us out while playing. Get to know us better. Don't forget to introduce yourself to other members who join games while you are playing. Post in the forums! We want to get to know you! The more familiar we are with you the easier the process will be for everyone. Our membership process can take time. Don't let it get to you. We like our family close-knit. Once you're in, you'll really learn to appreciate that fact!
• Things not to do - Do not ask members for vouches! It will lessen your chance at getting them, and in extreme cases, may keep you from becoming a member at all. Just be yourself! The rest will take care of itself.
• Time limits - Membership Requests - if no voucher thread has been started, Membership Requests will be deleted after 30 days. A Private Message will be sent to the Petitioner explaining what happened and why. If this happens, a Petitioner is welcome to try to get to know more of us and reapply.
  Voucher Threads - if a voucher thread does not have the required 7 votes after 60 days from the day it was started, it will be archived, a Private Message sent to the Petitioner and also to the sponsor. If a sponsor or a Realm GM requests additional time, we will let the thread stay longer. Again, Petitioners are always encouraged to reapply.

If you have additional questions about what type of players we are looking for, any additional requirements we may have, or are interested in what others have said about our community and our game play, please drop by our forums. Many non-members have posted their take on the community as well as stories about the games they have played with us.

Hope to see you in our forums and in our games,
TPJ • Founder, The Amazon Basin