Words Cristina Peczon
I've been hopelessly addicted to the internet-but only for emailing and surfing. I never chat. The reason:
In the early 90's, I logged on to a Manila chat room and used the nickname "Cristina". At that point, I was
truly an internet newbie who didn't have the imagination to use another name. Trying to strike up a
conversation with the moderator, I identified myself as a newscaster. Within minutes, not only was I
reprimanded for "trying to impersonate a TV personality," I was permanently banned from the chat room!
So much for "name dropping" to get a conversation going.
It's been more than ten years since my chat mishap. Today I have no problems hiding behind a pen name
to disguise the fact that despite being in my '30s, deep down, I am still a little girl who likes to dress up,
catch up with friends, go shopping, and play video games.
Juicy who?
Meet Juicy, my avatar (character) counterpart in Oz World, an online chat game that has kept me up more
than a few nights. Perhaps owing to my first bad experience with chatting, I've conveniently created Juicy to
be someone I wouldn't mind being. Juicy, in Oz World, is a 23-year old single freelance writer from Quezon
City-a really sexy girl in pigtails, skimpy halter tops and mini skirts. She has the sexiest walk as she goes
from town to town carrying a lollipop. I reckon she is far less intimidating than me, running down a hall with
a microphone and tape recorder in my hands while chasing down a source.
That's the beauty of this completely virtual world with Oz, the first ever Filipino Massively Multi-Player
Online Game (MMOG). Level Up!, the first Filipino online game publisher, lets every player express oneself
with an avatar the way one wants to project or reinvent oneself. No more being shy. No more worrying about
not being pretty or tall enough or if you have enough money to take your date anywhere special.
The aim of the game
In Oz world, everyone is created equal-as a "level 1 citizen" who must earn the right to buy new clothes or
a cool apartment. The main community event in Oz World is fishing, where your avatar patiently stands
by various Oz ponds, trying to reel in fish worth selling and turning into gold. This virtual water side activity
is where most friendships are made. Unlike in the real world, Oz fish don't care if the fishermen/women are
happily chatting away while waiting for a bite.
Learning how to catch fish took me almost 2 days. Fortunately, I was joined by Jhepoy, Konyotikz, and
Reignhowe, who were also in various stages of play in Oz. Most everyone here knows how hard it is to be a
newbie. So more often than not, if your avatar stands around looking lost, within minutes, someone will
start chatting with you and help you out.
If your neighbors are too busy to help, Oz World is equipped with guardian angels to help you
while making sure no trouble breaks out. I've met two such guardians complete with Oz angel
wings - *hotdog* and "sweetshandy" - who have answered my questions about how to do this or
that. True to being a game localized to suit to Filipino culture and tastes, my Oz angels were most
hospitable and friendly.
Oz as an online chat game means that you can't win or lose. Your main objective is to build and
maintain new relationships. You "level up" your character by giving and receiving flowers. As your
status in the game increases from an ordinary citizen to a high ranking Duke, you gain access to
better items like cool outfits, shoes, accessories and apartments.
Sounds easy enough, but there's a catch: only one flower can be exchanged between players per day.
This means all players need to interact with unfamiliar neighbors all the time. You also can't play for
one straight streak until your eyes fall out of their sockets. There is a limit to the number of players
you meet within a 24-hour basis. And just like in real life, friendships are built over time.
For your first three days, you'll be given unlimited game time. After that, the same unlimited game
time will cost P200 a month. Level Up! game cards can be found in most popular internet cafes and
computer stores like Electroworld, Netopia Caf? and Mega Cellular. Very soon you can even buy game
cards at www.level-up-games.com with your credit card. Smaller denomination online access game
cards are available, too. And for those who are not as patient to fish to gain gold, you can also use the
same Level Up! cards to buy either Oz World special items or gold coins from the website.
