Introduction
The modern word senate is derived from the Latin word senātus (senate), which comes from senex, "old man". The word senate is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate.
Many Tibian players believe that Senators only consist of retired gamemasters or counsellors who have given up and retired their duty as a rule enforcer and joined a team of old beards. This however, is not entirely true! In this article we will give you the inside scoop on Senators and how they got to where they are today.
What are Senators?
CipSoft bestows the honorary title of a senator upon former volunteer helpers who served the Tibian community well. They retain an advisory function but do not hold any active powers. They are considered to be regular players in all other respects. Please note that only retired members of the helper team may become senators. The decision as to whether or not a former helper will become a senator rests with CipSoft.
Senators are allowed internal access to a Private Senator Council Board on the official forum. They are invited into test servers and have an honorary title below their name if their account is unhidden on the Tibia forum. The group is able to discuss and question anything there is to Tibia and are often supported by their peers. As any voluntary position on Tibia, they do not get paid and they also have no official duty or responsibility.
Many senators were invited to join the ranks, others applied and were accepted to become a Senator. The senators who applied however, sometimes took a couple of years to apply. For example Krin, who took two years to apply since he wanted to feel some peace after just having left his tutorship role. Fekiku applied and was accepted about two months after having applied. Once again, please keep in mind that the decision of whether or not a helper should become a Senator rests solely on CipSoft.
The History of the Honorable Title
The position was first implemented on July 14, 2005 with the sole purpose of uniting Tibia's working minds and asking them for their opinion on how the game was developing. Since the beginning, players from all servers were attracted to Senators because they believed they held some sort of close connection with CipSoft, and although part of this was true, they had no more power than a standard player in Tibia. The position of a Senator was meant to be a mere title, not a position.
Senators were implemented with two purposes:
- To thank people who have done an outstanding job for the Tibia community with an honorary title. So they are also recognised by the community as such.
- Senators have a great knowledge of Tibia, so they are a valuable source to discuss or test new features and ideas.
The position of a Senator brought the closure of the senior gamemaster position. Many players were dissapointed because they felt an important piece was being pulled out of the game, but in reality - it was turning out better than ever. Senior gamemasters were made regular gamemasters and others were invited to become Senators.
Senators Today and Tomorrow
Senators meet regularly on the forums, and sometimes in game to have active discussions about the game, real life, and other topics. Manina is in charge of the Senator Council. Rumors have it that the Senator position might be changed in the future due to the reconstruction of the helper system. Old and retired helpers are invited to the council as soon as they have been withdrawn from their current position due to inactivity. Although there are many senators today, many applicants are turned down often.
Did You Know?
Special thanks to Krin, Fekiku, Chaosruler, Isolan, and Manina for their help in putting answers to the many questions there was to put this article together!
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