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Zen and the Art of Door Operations

Door calling is a skill, but is easily mastered with practice. A good caller develops a method for organizing a team and getting the door opened. Such methods may vary depending on the number of people present, the number who need to go through the door, and the experience of the team. A good caller will also take into consideration the totally uncontrollable factors such as lag, glitches, and crashes.

Cloths and Numbers

The cloths remain in the same places in each garden, and most of the time the numbers will remain the same in each instance. However the cloth that is numbered as "1" in Myss Terrie's instance of Tsogal could be numbered as "3" in another instance. Mapping the numbers and cloths in each garden is useful, especially if the team will be using the same instances often.

Sizing Up The "Team"

The caller should have some idea of who is present -- not only how many, but the team members' experience. Those who are comfortable with the process may be able to cover multiple cloths. At the very least the team must be able to press on cue and know how to behave. A team of new explorers will have its own level of frustrations -- ranging from people who do not understand the combination lock to those who are just goofing around, ultimately hampering door operations. A good door caller should be able to handle whatever happens, and do so with grace and tact.

Many teams suffer from insufficient personnel while others are hampered with lag created by too many people in the age. Having "lookiloos" standing around the door, but not needed to press a cloth and in no need of passage, is a problem for the door caller to solve. The caller should ask that all non-essential personnel clear the area. Done politely and with appreciation, this should not be taken badly by those who are not needed.

The caller should make certain that all present understand how the door operates, the importance of paying attention, of pressing only when called, and that those in need of the door understand everything they must do once they cross the threshold. This little speech may take an extra few minutes but it is far less frustrating than having someone who just went through call back "Help! I fell off the ledge!"

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