Olivia Answers Your Questions

I have been asked all sorts of questions over the last few months so here is a brief list of them along with some answers. If you have any of your own, feel free to comment or drop me a mail and I will answer it as soon as I can!

How did you get started in gaming?

Since I was young, I had been playing video games on Nintendo. I would often play with my brother on the Sega as well. My sister wasn’t really into video games so she never played with us. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up so we weren’t able to get the more expensive videogame consoles. We really had to make our videogame systems last.

How did you get the Saint Olivia name?

The saint part came from a fellow STO player who called me a saint once while I was doing the giveaway and it stuck. The name Olivia was something I took from a book I was working on for a client. I liked the character so I just used the name while signing up for the game. People started calling me Olivia in game and since it is part of my @Handle, I figured them using it would be fine.

What was your first MMO?

 I know I’ll get some crap for this but my first MMO was World of Warcraft. My first character was a mage. At the time, mages were very powerful so I figured I might as well choose something that would be easy to level up.

How did you start doing the giveaway?

I used to be a packrat and items would just gather in my bank. One day I decided to empty out most of the contents since I was never using it. After I had used all my spaces on the exchange I just started giving things away. I got a very positive response. The next day I decided to do it again with another character. Again, I filled up the exchange and then started giving away random items to people. Some of the people from the previous day realized I was doing a giveaway. Ironically, as a joke, I asked for donations just to see what some people would say. A few people actually contacted me asking how they could donate items. I started receiving items in the mail. I couldn’t in good conscience keep them so I decided to go ahead and post them all in Earth Spacedock Chat just as I had done with the items from my bank. Most people seemed to really like it and asked if I would be doing these again. It was then that I saw the potential of the giveaway. Not only was I helping players out, but I was inspiring others to pass along unneeded, but useful items to others as well. As the day moved on, I thought about how bad the community had gotten in STO and it annoyed me. When I had first started playing, people were very helpful and kind and over the year and a half since I had started, things had seriously gone downhill with trolls taking over chat almost everywhere I went. I thought about all that and figured that if I could bring the community together by doing another giveaway, it might, just might, improve the quality of the playerbase by letting others know that it is easier to attract bees with honey than with vinegar.

Why don’t you keep items that are donated to you for your own use? Surely you have invested a ton of EC into the giveaway.

It would not be right. I have plenty of EC and it is easy for me to earn dilithium. I have plenty of C Store ships and also lockbox ships that I can play with so there is really not much that I actually need. I know a lot of new players come into the game and they don’t know how to get ec or dilithium easily so it can be a struggle. I think the reason why I didn’t have such a hard time was because I had played MMOs before and I had a basic idea on how to earn levels, items, money, etc. In all honesty, I have probably invested somewhere along the lines of 500m EC into the giveaway, but I think it is money well spent. If it can bring the community together, I do not mind taking the time to continue the giveaway.

Why do you do it?

To keep the community on an improvement track. As I said, trolls have infested some parts of the game and I want people to know that we are not all like that. Most of us are kind and helpful and just want to have a little fun.

How do you handle the harassment?

At first them harassment was really bad. People accused me of being a scammer and spamming chat. I tried my best to not let it bother me because I knew I was doing the right thing. I know that in the journey to get to where I want to be inside my mind there would be people everywhere telling me I was dumb or stupid, accusing me of all sorts of things. After a period of time, I convinced myself that there was nothing I could do about the ridicule so it was best to just let all that go so I did. I started placing people on ignore at the first sign of trouble. I have to say it was the best thing I could have done not only for the giveaway, but for my state of mind. I think some players forget that there are real people with real feelings and emotions behind our in game characters so they just bash you endlessly under the veil of anonymity. In a way, I feel bad for the people who abuse others in this way. It makes me think they themselves have suffered abuse.

How do you handle trolls?

I ignore them. Once I see someone is just looking to get a rise out of me or to harass me and those participating in the giveaway, I just ignore them and move on. If the abuse is extreme, I will send in a GM ticket and let them handle it. Trolls are simply not worth my time and energy. As soon as I see one coming along, they are ignored.

How many people have you ignored?

Probably hundreds. I do clear my ignore list from time to time as I feel second chances are important. While some have continued to try and harass me, a few have actually come and apologized to me for acting as they did and we have since moved past the original event. I won’t name names as I feel that should stay between me and them, but it has happened at least 4 times. All of them have even become regular donors to the giveaway so the community has benefited.

How often do you empty your ignore list?

At least once a week. Sometimes I will get messages second hand from players I have ignored, asking me to remove them from the list. I often remove them, but I make note of who they are and keep an eye on them just in case they are trying to play me.

Do you ignore anyone else for any other reason?

Sure. Just a few days ago some people were going a little too far with a conversation in a public channel so I started ignoring them. I know the game is ESRB rated Teen, but there are still certain topics that simply have no place in the game. Highly sexualize chat and politics, to me, does not belong here. If they want to ERP (Erotic Role Play) they can take things to a private channel. Politics is just pointless in the game. It eventually devolves into people arguing about nothing more than personal opinions. I never understood people like that. I logon to the game to escape the real world, not to argue about it.

What is the worst form of abuse you have suffered in the game?

One player felt the need to bash me endlessly for over 2 hours. He was accusing me of being a scammer and was for some odd reason trying to rally people against me. He failed miserably, but he just kept on ranting. I reported him and I did not see him on for several days. Then he was back and as soon as he saw me, he started up again (I thought I had placed him on ignore). I reported him once again, urging the GMs to do something about this. His comments and accusations were highly slanderous and, if said in the real world, could have easily drawn a lawsuit. Again, it felt like he thought that the internet gave him some anonymity. After that second ticket, I have not run into him again, even after clearing my ignore list.

What do you think happened to him?

I really don’t know. Maybe the GMs gave him a scary warning or they actually banned him for a few days and he learned his lesson. They never tell me the outcome of my reports – just that they are looking into it.

Why don’t you have more cats on your website?

Here.

 

Do you sincerely think the giveaway has changed the community?

I would like to think so. I think many newer players have seen that there is at least a line drawn between the good players and the jerks that can sometimes try to tear you down. Many of the new players are choosing to follow me and those I have around me which is good overall for the game.

Has anyone tried to buy their way into getting items from you during the giveaway?

All the time. I think some people still have a hard time with understanding that I cannot be bought. Offer all you want, but I will stick to the rules I set forth for the giveaway. If they keep pushing, I will just place them on ignore and forget about them.

Do you think the giveaway will ever end?

I am not sure. I can see taking a few breaks from it which is inevitable because I do like to take regular vacations and trips out of town. I also like to take a day and not turn on my computer. Sometimes it’s good to just unplug and go outside and work in the garden or go for a nice walk. For a period of time, my work kept me in front of my computer for days at a time so I make sure to get outside at least once a day, even if only for a few minutes just to get some sunshine and fresh air.

What is one of the more difficult things you run into during the giveaway?

Probably people assuming they are the only ones whispering me. There are at least a couple of times per giveaway that I get someone cussing at me because they think I am ignoring them or they think I am trolling the zone by offering items for free when I don’t respond to them. Just the other day I had someone completely lose it with me because I wasn’t responding to them individually. Again, I don’t think they realize I am, at times, getting upwards of 60 whispers a minute. When I post an item, it is very rare that only a single person is asking for it. I hope people realize this and think before making accusations or calling me names.

Do you ever give things away outside of the giveaway?

Sometimes I do. However, I do it out of my own bank because I feel the items donated to me should be saved specifically for the giveaway.

What is something you feel people do not understand about out you at all?

Probably not understanding that the giveaway and my personal business within the game are completely separate. I do not cross the two at all. For example, I have had conversations where people ask me for discounts on certain items like DOFFs or ships. Sometimes they say something like “You always do that giveaway. Why don’t you give me a discount or just give it to me?” I have been very open about my wealth in game. Many people know I am always riding the EC cap. There is a reason for that. I am by no means an unscrupulous businessperson, but I do not go around purposely ripping myself off either. I got to this level of wealth by being smart and taking a good deal when it comes to my attention. One thing I like to say is I can’t giveaway the farm now can I. Besides, a lot of the money I make from some of those business deals go into the giveaway as it is so one way or another, the community is winning.

People have often called you a liar about your sex. What do you think about that?

I really don’t care. People are going to think what they want regardless of what I say. If they want to believe one thing or another, go right ahead. I refuse to get drawn into that argument. I don’t have to defend myself for being who I am. If they feel the need to run their mouth about me, it sounds like it is they who have the problem and not me. Let them go work it out.

So are you male or female?

I’m an aardvark.

Are you really not gonna answer that?

Does it really matter that much? I don’t understand people who treat others different based on their sex. People are people. I don’t care if you are male or female as long as we share mutual respect for each other. I don’t get in the habit of asking people about their age or sex or anything like that because it really doesn’t matter. Now if they act immature or like an idiot, I may begin to suspect that they are younger. Either that or just morons.

Why do you care about what people discuss in chat? Earth Spacedock for example?

Some of the topics are things that simply should not be discussed. The overtly sexual discussions I think are not something that should ever be brought up in a general channel. Politics is also ridiculous.

Have you ever participated in those discussions?

I have in the past. It came to a point where I was questioning myself as to why I was taking part in them. About a year ago, I decided to make a real effort to avoid such things. I may slip every now and then, but I catch myself all the time. In some cases, I purposely excuse myself from the discussion by either leaving the channel or doing something else to distract me. I really started thinking about it when I saw someone cussing in front of their children in public. The kid was probably around 10 years old and his mother was just cussing up a storm. I kept thinking to myself that it just felt so wrong to expose a child to that. I know the game is rated teen, but any reasonable person knows younger people are playing. Because of this, I try my best to not be part of those talks. I try to be helpful and honest without being vulgar. If I am around people I know are adults, I may loosen up a little. I can’t control what others do, but I can control myself. I hope that people may watch me and the things I do and perhaps use me as an example of a reformed player who did walk down that ugly path, but then found her way back. I know the reason I had become so bitter and hateful for a time was because of what happened to me on World of Warcraft. The community there got so vile and repulsive that I have to say that was a huge part of why I quit that game.