Components

Hey an interesting question has arisen for me. I have now been to three different chapters and in the first two chapters when I found and/or traded components they were all just tagged thicker Popsicle (I think tongue depressor) sticks. However in the last chapter I was in nearly all the components has some sort of cool phys rep taped or glued to them and were thin regular popsicle sticks. (Like a stone for truesilver, a leaf for feyander exe exe) Is there some convention on this or is it chapter to chapter? Also are the phys reps necessary or just nice for flavor? I asked partially because, the phys reps do make it a bit harder to carry around components easily. (More bulky)
 
The sticks should have a phys rep. After all, it's not the stick that's magic, it's the item - the rock, the feather, the vial of goo.... whatever. The stick is just the indication OOG of the item's properties. That's like handing somebody a magic item tag that says "magic ring" on it and telling them "no, there is no rep, the tag is your item." Sometimes reps do fall off their sticks, especially in icky weather, but they should all be coming out with an item attached to it.

And the items -should- make the comps more bulky, just as you can't use a potion without a vial, alchemy without a globe, or a scroll without paper. All of these things take up space in real life, they should take up space in the game. This isn't WoW where magically I can fit 6 broadswords, 15 potions, two shields and 60 bolts of fabric into one backpack.
 
Right, that makes a good deal of sense. What should I do then if I get/have component sticks without reps on them? I assume the component is still valid and I don't know if I should just make up my own rep because I wouldn't want to get it wrong.
 
Ask the chapter's head of rules if you're allowed to add your own. I'm honestly not sure if they're valid without it, as I've never seen a chapter just put out sticks without reps. If the stick is broken however, that does invalidate the comp, as they're only supposed to be broken when used. If you receive one with a broken stick from an NPC, speak to your Head of Rules or Customer Service. Either it got broken in combat before they handed it to you or they got the component from the wrong place, and you should be able to give that broken one back and get another of the same that is usable.

If the chapter is issuing them without reps, I'm actually not sure what to tell you. I always thought they had to have reps. If that's the case the non-repped sticks I'm sure are valid in the issuing chapter, but I don't know what reaction you might get if those comps go to other chapters - and components DO travel. (I'm not a ritual marshal).

Anybody from the ARC have an answer for that one?
 
My understanding is that you do not NEED the rep portion of the stick to use the component. Lots of my sticks have lost the rep portion, I try to keep them if I find them and glue them back on later.
 
According to the RAW, the popsicle stick is attached to the component, and used for all the OOG info and the method if discerning a component from a non-component. By common convention, though, many chapters just put out the sticks themselves (Seattle and Oregon have been attached something to the sticks for quite a while now). That said, we aren't overly strict about people that bring in components from elsewhere that failed to have a rep attached.
 
It is my understanding that components must have a rep on them when they leave the shack. That being said, reagent reps do have a way of falling apart on a pretty regular basis. I would never fail a ritual for a component not having the rep attached.
 
Well I guess what would I do (or anyone for that matter) about components that I received without reps ever attached? I hope they are still legitimate components? =\

I do think its kind of cool that people can transfer components from one chapter to another and adds to the overall feeling of being an Alliance (personally I sort of like collecting different components from all the chapters I go to for flavor.) and I hope the difference in this matter from chapter to chapter wouldn't break that down?
 
They're fine. For the majority of the time I've played, components were popsicle sticks. They're still popsicle sticks, but now they have stuff glued to them. In the vast amount of work, money, and organization that go into prepping for an event, gluing feathers and shiny rocks to sticks can go to the bottom of the list and occasionally be forgotten. I'm certainly not going to be the guy who says "Hey, would you quit writing plot for a few hours and paste some **** to these?" to an overworked staffer. I don't think anyone else is going to pitch that, either.

~Matt, WCV
IAAM, GM, etc.
 
Okay cool! Along the same lines I wouldn't mind putting my own phys reps on my components after the fact if thats okay from a logistics perspective.
 
I wouldn't have an issue with it so long as the rep was appropriate.
 
Dreamingfurther said:
Okay cool! Along the same lines I wouldn't mind putting my own phys reps on my components after the fact if thats okay from a logistics perspective.

That's what our team does. Good man, good man.
 
I've seen it done both ways. Where you have to read what it is without the little stick or vial of goo stuck to it and the much radder phys repped ones. I think that although it would be really neat if all components came with it, I don't think it should be required.

On a side note, I made a bunch of quicksilver reps for my home chapter.
 
My favorite method of a chapter putting out components comes from way back. The plot team would put out numerous physreps with tiny little tags that read "component-worthy" on them. You would take one and bring it to the local guild to be identified and essentially trade your physrep for a popsicle stick. The cool part was that the physreps themselves looked like part of the scenery. IE - a realistic-looking rubber frog would be set on a lilypad in middle of a marsh, a plastic, but real-looking willow would be set amidst real willows, a vine would be set out in some ivy alongside the guild hall, etc.
 
Hernando said:
Dreamingfurther said:
Okay cool! Along the same lines I wouldn't mind putting my own phys reps on my components after the fact if thats okay from a logistics perspective.

That's what our team does. Good man, good man.

Your team smells like tinkle. You need to work on that. I suggest sacking your character and playing something much cooler.

~Joe
 
I assume your joaking Joe? Anyways...

jpariury said:
My favorite method of a chapter putting out components comes from way
back. The plot team would put out numerous physreps with tiny little
tags that read "component-worthy" on them. You would take one and bring
it to the local guild to be identified and essentially trade your
physrep for a popsicle stick. The cool part was that the physreps
themselves looked like part of the scenery. IE - a realistic-looking
rubber frog would be set on a lilypad in middle of a marsh, a plastic,
but real-looking willow would be set amidst real willows, a vine would
be set out in some ivy alongside the guild hall, etc.

That sounds like such an awsome way to put out components completely. I would totally go combing the woods and fields for components and fighting random mobs (or running from them ^_^) in the process. Maybe there would be some incentive for getting up early Saturday mornings finally! =P But I'm sure the downside to that method for putting out components is that it was a TON of work. Awsomeness usually is... =\
 
In my 'If I had an unlimited budget to run an Alliance game' file, that sort of stuff would be great. With a permanent site, you could just note where they were, number the tags, and check back on any that don't get turned in every couple months. Not to mention being able to have time to spend hours making and placing all the props. :)
 
to true, to true ;)
 
Dreamingfurther said:
But I'm sure the downside to that method for putting out components is that it was a TON of work.
Not at all. Like I said, plot puts out a plastic vine with a tiny "component-worthy" tag on it. You go find it, bring it to the guild, trade the vine rep for a "proper" component (tagged popsicle stick), and the next morning, plot puts out the same vine at a new location. The only thing it costs is the number of reps plot loses and/or decides to put out, and about an hour around dawn.
 
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