Name: John Albano
Character Name: Seer Flare
Shard: Catskills
John Albano cut his roleplaying teeth with “The Communion of Sages,” a group of friends who used their free time to create quests and events for players on the Atlantic and Catskills servers. But soon, the group was approached to join Origin System’s new Seer Program where they’d be given powers beyond their imagination, and a new stage to perform upon.
Seers also worked to ensure there was plenty of content for players of all skill types and levels. While some quests served as large-scale combat battles with hundreds of players on the screen at once, others focused on problem-solving skills and were restricted to the general safety of a city. By the end of these quests, players had a chance at scoring unique, one-of-a-kind items that would commemorate their participation and success.
“It felt great to be accepted into the program,” Albano said. “There were maybe two Seers per server at the time I joined. I met a ton of other people who had the same interests as I had—the same fascination with people and how they interact.
“The common interest seemed to be a group-wide desire to entertain others. We all seemed to have a dark sense of humor and sarcasm ran wild in the group. I’d say that had a lot to do with what we saw in people, and how we reacted to it.”
Soon, Albano was dedicating 3-4 hours days each week to his volunteer responsibilities. Pulling double duty, he operated as Seer Flare on Catskills and Seer Areiela on Sonoma.
Read more of John Albano’s story in Braving Britannia: Tales of Life, Love, and Adventure in Ultima Online.
BRAVING BRITANNIA 