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August 2018 Dragon Lord Spotlight - ForScience

Get ready, Dragon Lords - Player Spotlights are BACK! And what better way to revive our featuring blogs than with a highly respected and well-known member of the Dragons community: ForScience!

This month, we shine the spotlight on someone who’s made monumental strides for the community on the Forums, as an active participant of WDGeeks, and most recently, as a member of the Gameplay Faction. ForScience (or ForSci as she’s often referred to) has been in and around the Dragons Community for years (!!) and brings plenty of great advice to new players with her community efforts. Read on for all things ForScience!

Dragon Lord Spotlight: ForScience

When did you start playing War Dragons?

October 2016, late into the first season.

What is your current level, team, and league?

Level 244 / Rulith / Diamond II

What initially drew you to War Dragons?

It was one of those “Play until X level” reward ads in a game that I don’t even play anymore; it’s also the only ad I’ve tapped / clicked on before. I had a throwaway name (zzz and some numbers), not expecting to stay in it, but the idea of real-time PvP (and that PG spun up their own engine) and amazing artwork pulled me in, then my first (and only other) team, OzDropBears, solidified staying. I’d be up late too often! I didn’t even realize that Oz = Australia / Aussie until after joining!

Out of all the various things to do in the game, such as collecting dragons, building up a powerful base, forming powerful guilds, ect., what’s been your favorite aspect and why?

I think that the people are the most important part, so keeping up with people and making the team stronger are a big part of that. Next are the Dragons to optimize spell synergies and Atlas infrastructure planning (building out a tool early on) to maximize benefits.

You’re currently the leader of the Diamond II team, Rulith! What’s it like leading a team at such a masterful tier?

It was a little bit intimidating at first, but the team is amazing and supportive; words can’t describe how amazing people are and the willingness they have to step up. We rely on organization and processes vs micromanaging moment by moment, so that helps a lot!

For other aspiring leaders in the War Dragons world, what are some tips you can offer to maintaining a successful team?

Understand the value of a diverse team and value everyone’s contributions.
Lead by example & keep thinking of ways to improve.
Set expectations & be willing to remove people who don’t meet them (or don’t keep the team’s best interests in mind).
People make the team; teams that cull a large swath of their lower levels for higher levels don’t seem to fare too well in the long run. Granted, it doesn’t mean to start accepting everyone just because they’re active, but if the lower levels are well-established and actively contributing, don’t remove them just because a higher level wanders by.
Don’t give in to ultimatums, pander to people, or let them leech.
Understand your own limitations & play on the strengths of your officer team and members - “do it all” doesn’t work in the long run (learning to delegate is best).
Have fun & don’t stress the small stuff!

What are some things you wish you knew when first beginning to play War Dragons? Do you have any tips for newer players?

Seasonal Dragons - I should’ve just focused on getting one as far as possible, though there are so many more tiers now that many may not get to that point; the progression prizes are still good.
For tips, there were a lot of outdated and / or inaccurate sites and videos, but WDGeeks.info and dragon-manager.com should help that, along with lots of Forum guides and tools. The Forums are also very active with lots of helpful people. Plan your base. Follow a breeding path; backbreed if you have to “Pokémon” it. Practice flying and learning spells; don’t coast on raw power.
Atlas is about playing the long game; get planning and understand infrastructure!
It’s critical to find a team that you love being in. Pretending is for work!

Let's chat a bit about your in-game experience! What have been some of your favorite moments in War Dragons so far?

Catching up with teammates, helping people out, and accomplishing some crazy goals are always a lot of fun. Getting A&A, Deci, and Noctua were pretty exciting too; I’ve gotten further than I’d thought when I first started out, though that’ll be slowing down.

What are your current goals within War Dragons? (Medal count, aiming for a specific dragon, etc.)

Breeding: I just finished breeding Rhyo, and Lokan will be my next breed after that, though I won’t be able to hatch it just yet (and then base planning).
Atlas: Infrastructure planning is complete now that the land has expanded, so I’m working on ALL the upgrades!

For those who frequent the Forums, you’re known as an active participant in many conversations. You’ve even taken point in providing livestream summaries once the streams conclude! What’s motivated you to keep your fellow Dragon Lords so up-to-date with the latest breaking news?

I suppose that it’s two parts. There’s a lot of work that goes into the streams, so it helps to show them off a little bit. It’s also a lot easier to search through a Forum post than skip through a video to try and remember what was said. I also like seeing how things change over time.

Dragons Lord Spotlight - ForScience - WDGeeks

You’re also an active contributor to WDGeeks.info! What do you find are the most challenging parts to maintaining a website with your peers?

There’s always more content to add!

What’s it like being a part of the Gameplay Faction? What’s your favorite part about it?

It’s interesting to gain some insight into what goes on behind the scenes, along with providing feedback and testing Dragons out.

When you're not playing War Dragons, what else do you love to do in your free time?

I suppose that the short version is puppy cuddles, coding tools, reading, wasting time on YouTube and imgur, goofing off with people, and a few other games.

If you could pick a theme for new Dragons, what would it be and why?

What about three (separately)? I’ve always found them interesting - Cyborg / Sci-Fi, Sea Creatures, and Dinosaurs / Prehistoric creatures.

If people want to connect with you online or in-game, what is the best way for them to do so?

I get and send too many mails in-game now, so forum PM is the best way. (I don’t grant edit access to my calculator sheet, because people can make a copy to make their own changes.)

Lastly...favorite Obsidian Tier Dragon so far?

Noctua, hands down! I love Noctua’s design and vine setup for teammates.

Our Dragon Lord Spotlights feature a stand out player in War Dragons to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to our community. If you would like to nominate a fellow player for this honor, please let us know by sending us a message on Twitter @wardragonsgame and briefly tell us why you think they would be great to feature!

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