Clayez Reelected Governor 2

Clayez has been reelected for his third term as Governor of Bonta.

Clayez Elected Again.

This time, however, the majority is lower. It should be pointed out that there are fewer voters compared to the previous election.

Interview with Sauron

Behind the Sewing Workshop

For those who do not know, Sauron is the Treasurer of Bonta. He is an avid crafter, with three Profession skills above level 60 and another two above 50 at the time of interview - he may have stormed through another few levels since.

I met with Sauron at the Sewing Workshop beside Nina Richa on 5th Bond Avenue on the afternoon of the 28th of March. I was told that it was his favorite workshop. We sat at one of the tables at the back, where there was a beautiful view of the azure waters surrounding the trade bridge.

We talked a bit about his guild Mystic, where he was an officer. He mentioned that life within the guild was lively with many active members. There were always hunts and events runs going on.

Sauron had played Wakfu since the beta, since the beginning of beta late in 2007. He had played Dofus before that. When Wakfu came around, he jumped at the chance to be a part of something new. He had witnessed Wakfu's development over the years, with more islands and nations added.

Our conversation then turned to crafting. Sauron excitedly mentioned that it was his favorite feature of the game. "Professions have always been my forte," he said. He had been crafting in Dofus and in the beta of Wakfu.

When asked how he had achieved such high levels in the crafting profession, he said, "What got me so high is careful planning." It involved planning the right amount of material to gather for the best efficiency, time and money-wise. Whatever he had planned must have worked for him to raise his Profession levels so high with the server active for less than a month.

He mentioned that he gathers around 90% of the materials himself, with the rest from trading with other players. Harvesting for hours may be tedious, but what got Sauron through was music and the goal at the end. He would play music in the background as he worked.

We talked a little about farming, where some ingredients just required harvesting, while for others, it was a three-step process of harvesting seeds, cutting the plant, and replanting. The trouble was when players leave out the first and last steps of the three-step process. He shared ruefully that there were players who just reap what they needed and left.

I asked about the best part of crafting for him. Was it the items produced, the XP gained, the sales made or the actual crafting?

"I guess everything has a charm to it," Sauron replied. There was the pleasure of selling a high-level shovel or reaching a new level of crafting. There was also the smell of iron of the first Conquered Raziel, a legendary sword with a history extending back to Dofus, that was made for a friend.

Having achieved the milestone of crafting the Conquered Raziel, Sauron's next aim is to craft the Crobak Bow implemented in the latest patch. One day, he hopes to max all professions.

We then discussed about politics. As the Treasurer of Bonta, Sauron managed the treasury. It involved allocating funds so that they would be available to be spent on challenges, the ecosystem and the weather.

Unfortunately, the government had experienced a bug while messing with the climate (the warm weather at the time of the interview was natural and not a result of climate control). Because of that, they had decided not to spend more Kama on weather until they were sure that the bug was gone.

In addition, the treasury was not deep enough to justify buying challenges with vanity rewards (those that gave pretty statues to put in Haven Bags). Thus, there was little work in managing the treasury until the economy picked up. Hopefully, no expenditure would be necessary to repopulate areas depleted of wildlife and plants.

I asked about his thoughts on Bonta's development.

"Bonta has grown to be the most populated nation with the most funds and the strongest economy with an organized government, and a rich ecosystem," Sauron said. He was optimistic that there are many Bontarians who did their part to build the nation. He opined that many players had joined Bonta because of the many advertisements on the forum for Bonta-based guilds.

Our discussion turned back to crafting since it was our mutual interest. We talked about the long time it took to craft large batches of products. Sauron usually did something while waiting for the products to be done. It could be chores around the house, checking the news, watching a series or going to the store.

The recent patch had changed a lot of recipes, to which Sauron exclaimed, "Ouch, that hurt!" The new recipes had messed his plans. It made stockpiles of certain materials unnecessary. On the bright side, some of the new recipes were easier to gather material for. That would make it easier to train crafting professions.

I ask about Sauron's goal in Wakfu.

"My goal is the same as ever, just have fun!" he said. He found enjoyment in crafting, from playing with guildmates and from just enjoying life in Wakfu.

For budding crafters out there, Sauron's advice was to be patient. "If you invest time and effort, just like everything in life, it will pay back."

"And keep an eye on the bargains on the market," he added with a smile. He pointed out that there were rare occasions when there were good bargains.

Lastly, to all players, Sauron urged, "Just have fun. After all, this is just a game. Remember there are bigger things to worry about. And treat others how you would like them to treat you. Be fair and enjoy."

Baking Industry Picks Up

The recent maintenance on 27 March 2012 has brought a boost to the Baking industry in Bonta.

The maintenance had brought about a change in recipes, including some for the Baker profession. These changes made the crafting of bread much easier. However, existing Bakers were inconvenienced when they suddenly found that stockpiles of certain ingredients are no longer necessary.

In addition, the reduced HP regeneration has created demand for bread. This led to an increase in price for the product.

With easier recipes and better sale prices, the Baking industry is begining to develop with more Bontarians taking up the Baker Profession.

Cania Swamps Drago-Express Open

Cania Swamps Drago-Express open for business.

The Drago-Express in Cania Swamps is now open.

Special thanks should be given to Zplinter, Ecologist of Bonta, for organizing the efforts to raise funds for the Drago-Express.

Drago-Express Development 1

I decided to visit the various Drago-Expresses around Bonta to see their state of development. I found that the Drago-Express in Bonta Ruins had been completed.

For two Kamas, I assume that the Drago-Express will take me to any other Drago-Expresses in the nation that I have discovered.

Bonta Ruins Drago-Express, complete.

My next stop was Cania Plains. Unfortunately, the Drago-Express there is incomplete for the lack of funds.

Canis Plains needs Kamas.

The Drago-Express in Kara also has a lack of funds.

Kara needs more Kamas.

The Drago-Express in Cania Swamps needs both Kamas and Planks of Ashwood.

Cania Swamps needs Kamas and Planks of Ashwood.

The Drago-Express in the Thicket of Yurbut too requires Kamas and Planks of Ashwood.

Thicket of Yurbut needs Kamas and Planks of Ashwood.

During my travels, I came across an interesting island in a lake.

Pixel island?

I also noticed that Bontarians are taking advantage of the warmer weather to cultivate Barley. Barley grows best at 10° to 30° with a sunny weather.

Ideal weather for Barley in a gloomy land.

The hot weather is expected to last three days, so it is best to stock up.

Barley everywhere!

Do watch out for barley thieves who would cut down Barley without replanting them. They would even do it while you are right there standing in the middle of the field glaring at them.

Stoodeep Mine Exploration

The other day, I heard a rumor of a plan to 'blow up Atto Grotto'. I thought I would go take a look at how the Stoodeep Mines beneath Atto Grotto looked like after that.

In Stoodeep Mines level 1, I easily found the new path down.

The path down at the bottom right of the screen.

Level 2 of Stoodeep Mines.

There were more Primitive Iron on level 2, but most of it was still sealed up. Exploring the various paths, I came across the stairs down.

Stairs down in level 2.

Level 3.

I found Primitive Iron and Finest Sea Salt on level 3. The way to the stairs down was lit brightly.

Stairs down on level 3.

Level 4.

As soon as I stepped onto level 4, I noticed a problem. There was no blue circular tile indicating the portal to another level. It looked like I would have to find a Zaap to get out. Or /suicide.

The stairs down was nearby.

Stairs down.

Level 5.

In a large cavern on level 5, I found a dungeon entrance.

Dungeon entrance on level 5.

In addition to the dungeon, there were a couple of other exits. I decided to try one of them.

I tried that exit.

On that level, I found a Zaap. Looked like I had found a way out.

Amakna Zaap.

I decided to explore further by climbing more stairs up. I went all the way back up to level 1. However, at level 1, I could not find my way out. So I made my way back down to level 5.

I decided to try the other portal I had found earlier.

The other portal I had found earlier.

Weird, no level number.

Near the place where I entered the level, I found another Zaap.

The famous Sufokia Zaap.

I had also found the stairs up. So I decided to climb up to see how far I could go. I made it all the way to the surface.

That place did not look familiar.

I easily found the mine exit.

I was in Sufokia!?

My guess is that the Stoodeep Mine is connected to all four nations at level 5. The first path I had taken earlier probably led to Amakna.

Found where Albatrocious may be hunted.

Saint Patsick Celebrations

The celebration of Saint Patsick in Wakfu was on March 16 to March 18. During that time, local fauna of levels 15 and above dropped Four-Leaf Clovers. In addition to that, there was a chance for a Saint Patsick Cloak or the Saint Patsick Bucket to drop.

The Four-Leaf Clovers may be used to craft Clover Root Beers and Clover Cookies. Crafting 5 of each will earn the player the title of 'Luckmeister'. The recipes for these items are available elsewhere on the web so I shall not post them here. Not that the recipe will be of any use now since Saint Patsick is over, unless there are leftovers of the non-transferable Four-Leaf Clovers.

Saint Patsick items.

On the evening of Sunday, 18 March, I went to the 5th Bond Street marketplace to see how everyone was celebrating Saint Patsick. Maybe I could spot some people with the Saint Patsick equips.

Guess everyone is celebrating offline.

More Broken Facilities

It appears that the epidemic of broken facilities has spread to Canis Plains.

Another Facility infected by Brokenness.

Previously, there were already broken facilities in Bonta Ruins. Since then, only the Wells had been fixed. The main trouble with fixing the other facilities is that the gathered resources disappeared after server maintenance (twice so far). It would probably require a coordinated effort to get any of these facilities fixed.

Attacked in Canis Plains

Even with active steps taken to protect Bontarians, crime still does occur. When attacked, Bontarians should report to the Head Guard. Preferably with screenshots.

Less than an hour ago, I was attacked while I was harvesting a Tofurby in Canis Plains.

Attacked!

They were taking their sweet time so I grabbed another screenshot.

Poor Tofurby behind the window will never be harvested.

As it can be seen in the screenshots, I was attacked by three people so it was not even a fair fight. May swift justice fall on them.

Clayez Reelected Governor

Clayez, leader of Mystic, has been reelected Governor of Bonta in a landslide victory.

Clayez Reelected.

Clayez has been very diligent in his work of running the Government of Bonta to make the game fun for everyone.

He has taken steps to ensure that resources are available for everyone. He has protected the ecosystem with the Disobedience Law, along with replanting crops and trees where necessary. Under his leadership, mines have been opened.

Unseen is all the negotiations and diplomacy where he deals with guilds and other nations. But because of his unseen work, Bonta has developed, along with providing the more 'active' players and outlet for mass PvP.

So let us all support him in his second term as Governor. That means no spamming his chatbox with unnecessary business.

Bonta's Population Distribution 1

Bonta's population has grown. Or at least migrated towards 5th Bond Avenue.

Local celebrity spotted on 5th Bond Avenue!

The 5th Bond Avenue marketplace is lively with many players checking the Auction House. There are also lots of Haven Bag shops. Player sometimes hold PvP fights there.

Members of the government are sometimes found there. Note Sauron, the expert crafter, Treasurer of Bonta, in the screenshot.

Marketplace at Pancake Bridge.

In contrast, the marketplaces, and the territory, of Pancake Bridge and Arms Way were almost empty.

Marketplace at Arms Way.

Bonta Expanded Borders Again

Just a note that Bonta captured Caustic Cove.

This territory gives a bonus, though I am not sure whether it is a bonus to Lock or Dodge. My Nation interface ('N' key) says 'Lock' but hovering the cursor over my bonus says 'Dodge'. The latter is likely more accurate.

Disobedience Law Enacted

Clayez, Bonta's Governor, has enacted Article 87 of the Enlightened Prometheus, a.k.a. the Disobedience Law. The result of this law is a penalty of 3 Citizen Points for performing an action against the Clan Member's wish.

This law has been implemented in response to the many players who harvest Bonta's resources without replenishing them. It has been a serious problem for some time with people chopping forests of trees and harvesting fields of crops without replenishing the stock. Hopefully with this law, there will be less rampant damage to the ecosystem and natural resources.

Word has it that the law is temporary, just to teach players to respect the efforts of Bontarians who care for the ecosystem.

In other news, a major operation will soon take place to open up more of Atta Grotto mine.

State of the Economy 2

There is a serious shortage of Gatherers.

Checks at the Auction House reveal that many resources for Crafting were not available. Those that are tend to be overpriced.

It is possible that many players are more focused on the martial aspects of the game. Players more interested in the production side of things tend to Gather in order to advance their own Crafting Professions.

A pack of resources that I offered on the Auction House had quickly been sold. Players could make a lot of Kamas gathering resources for popular crafting products and selling them at suitable prices at the Auction House.

Weekly Clash between Nations

The Governors of the four nations of Wakfu have organized a weekly all-out free-for-all war over The Lord's Pastures. The first of such event was held at 7PM GMT on March 10.

There was a report of an ambush at the arrival point at the island. Guess 'safe conduct' does not apply.

Training Crafting Professions 2

Crafting goods take a lot of resources. So much that my Gathering Professions are overleveled. Because of that, I hardly gain XP from gathering resources, if any at all. In addition to that, gathering is a tedious monotonous activity.

It would be better to buy the resources I need from the Auction House.

Unfortunately, there are not much resources available in the Auction House. Those that are available, and which I need, tend to be overpriced. Considering that I have trouble selling my goods, I have to price them cheap. Because of that, I cannot afford high prices of natural resources.

So it is back to gathering resources the hard way.

Atta Grotto Mine Development

The Atta Grotto mine in Canis Plains have been developed. Blocks have been cleared to allow access to the mineral deposits within.

Mine Entrance.

The top level of the mine has deposits of Primitive Iron, Finest Sea Salt and Classic Carbon. The deposits for the latter two minerals are found further back in the mine. A short distance from the entrance is the stairs to Stoodeep Mines, Level 1.

Stairs to Stoodeep Mines.

A route has been blasted in Stoodeep Mines connecting several deposits of Primitive Iron. The place is not well lit, so one will be left groping in the dark if one does not bring some light.

Start of the route.

Primitive Iron along the route.

At the end of the route is a Phoenix and a door that leads back to the upper level. There is also one final Primitive Iron deposit next to the door.

End of the route.

The Kandee and Craft mines in Canis Plains have also been developed. The Kandee mine has deposits of Primitive Iron, Finest Sea Salt, Classic Carbon, Bright Copper and Shadowy Cobalt. The Craft mine has deposits of Shadowy Cobalt and Bronze Nugget.

Training Crafting Professions

At the time of writing, people hardly window shop at the Haven Bags. Instead, they usually buy from the Auction Houses.

I would prefer to sell stuff from the Haven Bag because there is no time limit. And since I put my Haven Bag within Bonta, it is more likely that the citizens of Bonta will benefit from my wares. Unfortunately, no one seems to want to buy.

This is bad for my Crafting Professions since I have no one to buy the items I create while training those Professions. No money from my work means less motivation to train.

What I do is to craft items that are greater than my Profession level. That way, I will get more XP for each successful craft. There is a risk of failure, but since I cannot sell the items anyway, the risk is acceptable.

Training Leather Dealer.

Training Baker.

Maybe I should consider putting up my stuff on the Auction House instead.

Update 9 February 2012:
It seems that items on Auction Houses are only available on the Auction Houses of the same nation. If that is true, then items I post on the Auction House will still be restricted to Bontarians. One less excuse for me not to use the Auction House instead.

War against Brakmar

Recently, Brakmar declared war on Bonta. The purpose for the war was apparently 'for fun'.

Bonta responded in force. The reason for the enthusiastic reply was apparently 'for fun'.

There were a few raiders from Brakmar who in the chaos of war attacked the regular citizens of Bonta. Bonta's army moved to protect its citizens.

At the time of writing, war is over and everyone is apparently happy and at peace. It is a peculiarity of Wakfu where wars are started for fun and result in making people happy. Probably the only people who were not happy were players who were not online to take part in the 'fun'.

Interview with the Governor

Clayez has recently been elected the first Governor of Bonta. He is the leader of Mystic, the largest guild of the nation. He has graciously set aside some time from his very busy work of running the government for this interview.

We met in the afternoon last Saturday (3rd March 2012) at the throne in the newly redecorated Bonta Headquarters. The place looked lovely with the Palmito and Perfumed Clover orderly planted. Further below, there are also Wild Mint to add to the greenery, which makes me wish that I could smell the plants.

The interview at Bonta Headquarters.

Sadly, no one knows who the gardener who decorated the place was.

I find that Clayez was friendly and easy to talk to. Any nervousness on my part quickly dissipated with his relaxed nature.

The first question I asked was about the requirements to run for the position of Govenor. 1000 Citizenship Points and 100 Kama are not easy to get within 40 hours of the server starting.

"I have amazing guild members who helped me with that," said Clayez. He especially gave a shout-out to Sauron and Vivaloca.

Clayez has been playing Wakfu since the Closed Beta in 2008, when he survived the French server. He had not been a Governor during the beta. However, he had learned from the leaders of that time.

We discussed about how years in beta (and bugs) along with the pay-to-play may have caused many beta players to stop. Then our discussion turned to the economy. Specifically, the taxes. The tax in many territories had been set to 15%, above the start rate of 10%. What does he plan to do with the collected Kamas?

We paused for a moment for a passing Bontarian as he bowed to express respect to our Governor.

Clayez pointed out that since the server had just started, there was no funds. His priority at the moment is to excavate the mines and develop the Drago-Express transport system. His immediate plan with the funds is to sponsor the 'bomb challenge'.

I asked about the 'bomb challenge'.

The 'bomb challenge' is a challenge available in the Thicket of Yurbut. The reward for the challenge are bombs, which can be used to open up mines.

His plan is to develop the mines so that Kama can be minted and be easily available. Once that is so, it would be easier to gather the money required to develop the Drago-Express.

Sadly, the nations coffers cannot be used to build the Drago-Express. This is where the help of Bontarians is needed for the development of the nation. Bontarians can help by obtaining bombs to develop the mines. They may also mine and gather funds for the Drago-Express.

Clayez is actively working with the guilds of Bonta to help build the nation.

Then we turned to the subject of wood. Wood as a resource have been unavailable at times, with large patches of Gnarled Barklee's Forest completely devoid of trees.

Clayez pointed out that the environment is transient with people planting and harvesting all the time. But he does actively direct people in his guild to replant trees when necessary.

We talked for a moment about the Enutrof's monopoly on Ghostoplasm. "We can only blame Ankama for making them such good looters", he replied.

I asked about expanding the borders of Bonta. Clayez responded that he does have plans.

(The plans must have been successful. At the time of writing, two days after the interview, Bonta has already conquered The Lord's Pastures.)

Lastly, Clayez expressed hope that all Bontarians work together to build Bonta into a respectable nation. The government alone cannot do it without the help of its people. Fellow Bontarians can help with the opening up of mines and donations to the Drago-Express.

"I also hope that everyone can have a great time playing Wakfu, because after all, that's why we play games!" he added.

Also, if there are any incidents of random Player-Killing, please report to the authorities. Press the 'N' key for details of the government where the name of the Head Guard may be found.

Bonta Expands Borders

Just a note to say that Bonta has expanded its borders today by conquering The Lord's Pastures.

At that time, I was busy wrestling with a combat bug that had an invisible, intangible Green Piwi attacking me. It was probably caused by a communication error with the server. It was likely that my client says that the Green Piwi is gone but the server insists that the Green Piwi is still alive.

Now where did I put my Osamodas Powder?

Hero Wounded

A hero of Bonta is injured and needs the help of fellow Bontarians to help it recover. Sawmill 1 of the Bonta Village Sawmill has been wounded in the line of duty.

Rest there, buddy.

Nameless Handyman 1 has said that the condition is serious and has forbidden Sawmill 1 from performing any work. He also said that Sawmill 1 shall easily be fixed with the required resources, which is 250 Kamas, 100 Copper Ores and 200 Planks of Hazel Wood.

Sawmill 1 is a familiar hero to many Bontarians, tirelessly sawing wood after wood of many kinds into perfectly straight planks. Its dedication to its duty is great and it has graciously helped any Bontarian who seek its aid. Be he or she a lowly newbie or a seasoned veteran, Sawmill 1 treated all of them with the highest quality of service without complain or charge.

May fellow Bontarians donate in order to help speed our hero's recovery.

Update 4 March 2012:
It seems that Sawmill 1 is not the only casualty. There are other facilities of lesser fame around Bonta Ruins that are also damaged.

First, Kama Minting Machine 1 in the Bonta Village Coin House is damaged. Also damaged is the Armorer's Workshop to the north of the Coin House. Each require 100 Copper Ores and 200 Planks of Hazel Wood. Also, the workshop requires an additional 250 Kamas.

There are also damaged wells, one to the south-west of the damaged Armorer's Workshop. The other is to the north of the Bonta Village Sawmill. Each require 50 Humus and 50 Clay to fix. It should be noted that almost half the required resources have already been donated to fix these wells.

There is still a working well to the south-east of the Bagrutte Tavern.

Lastly, Torch 8 to the south of Jonk Lees looked like it needed fixing. However, the facility itself is unselectable. Thus, it could not be repaired at the moment.

State of the Economy 1

Bonta's economy at the moment is still adapting to the recent influx of residents. This has a great effect on the availability of certain low-level resources.

Dawn in Canis Plains.

There had been a shortage of Wheat and its related products but that has stopped for now. The best time to work with the crops in Canis Field is at night while the other players are asleep. However, currently, the temperature is very low at night, which is bad for Wheat.

A small cluster of Artichoke had been spotted in Canis Plains later in the day. Hopefully, that resource shall become more widely available.

There is serious shortage of wood, especially Ash and Hazel in Gnarled Braklee's Forest. Because of the cold weather, trees grow slower. In addition to that, there are a few players who chop forests of trees without replanting them. Gnarl Barklee the Clan Member is no help either, demanding that there be a limited number of trees in the area. Bonta Ruins, where there is no limit to the number of trees, should be considered as an alternative place to grow trees.

It appears that there shall be a shortage of Chestnut soon as Lumberjacks gain the level to work with them.

Plants for Herbalists are plentiful. Crowned Thistle and Plain Flax can be found everywehere.

At the moment, the mines have hardly been excavated. Probably the most excavated mine is Atta Grotto.

Sad to say that this is the most excavated mine.

The marketplace is still 'migratory'. A look at the designated market area on 5th Bond Avenue revealed that it was empty.

Marketplace on 5th Bond Avenue.

Instead, there was a small marketplace at the border between Gobbello Prairie and Bonta Ruins. Most of the items for sale were low-level equips commonly available from the local fauna, which is of little interest except to Craftspeople looking to craft Royal Piwi items. There are little resources for sale at the market. Those that are were expensive.

Nomadic Market.

The best way to find a marketplace at the time of writing is to look around the low-level area at night, when the players are away.

The Governor of Bonta, Clayerz has increased the market tax to 15%. Granted that the treasury is in dire need of funds. We shall see what he intends to do with the Kama.

Update 4 March 2012:
I discovered that there is quite an amount of trade going on. I was probably in the wrong places. Or all the trade could have been conducted in the Auction House (in the screenshot of 5th Bond Avenue above, it is the blackboard in the back).