Over countless years spent playing MMOs, I’ve explored scores of fantastical virtual worlds, seen incredible creativity manifested in breathtaking beauty, and taken part in some legendary stories. Fortunately though, I’ve not been a solo adventurer, left to wander the wilderness alone; at each step in the journey, I’ve shared these experiences with an amazing person, who became so much more than a girlfriend, fiancée, and wife. In time, we’ve created and collected a fond assortment of memories from our time gaming together.
There’s the moment we entered the great city of Tazoon in Istaria, walking for an age along deserted roads to reach a vast metropolis so full of life that our computers ground to a halt. Or the occasion when, after weeks of preparation, we descended into the cavernous Molten Core on Azeroth for the first time, and faced the toughest challenges we’d ever encountered. Or the calm we felt on the ice planet of Ilum, looking up at the dark sky and watching the galaxy slowly turn around us. More recently, on the island of ARK, we went hunting for dinosaurs to tame, watching over their sleeping bodies night and day in case something rushed us from the jungle.
Each one of these is a bubbled moment, a precious keepsake. But, beyond our shared memories and screenshots, there’s little to remind us of the time we’ve spent together. Sure, we’ve accumulated trinkets and toys from the games we’ve loved, but these don’t really describe the time we’ve spent together.
That’s why, with WildStar, we’d like to try something different. We’d like to commission an artist, and work with them to produce a piece of artwork that captures both the spirit of the game, and what we’ve gained from our time playing it. It would be of two characters (Joven Nebulous and Aurelia Valesran), and their pet Dagun, but further details such as clothing and location haven’t yet been decided.
And the eventual goal? To have it printed professionally, framed, and hung on the wall in our home. The world of Nexus is a cherished place to us, and we’d like to create something a little more permanent to remember our time together. It might take a bit of time, but we feel the result will be worth the effort, and we’re keen to collaborate with whoever we end up choosing to get there.
Importantly, we’re interested in paying the going rate for this type of commission. We both understand that it will take a significant chunk of time to produce what we’re asking for, and we’re happy to invest in a piece that works for us. But likewise, we’d prefer artists with a track record of creating this kind of work, as we’ve been burned a few times and would like a degree of confidence before parting with real cash.
Interested? Throw me an email at ‘me [at] gazimoff.com’, including details of your rates, timescales, and a link to previous completed commissions that you feel are relevant. Also include any questions you might have, and any other information you feel is relevant. We’ll review them, and promise to get back to everyone who contacts us. And, if you know someone who might be interested, please forward this to them.
Thank you, and best of luck. With your help, we’ll be able to make a lasting legacy of our time in WildStar. And who knows – maybe it’ll be your artwork that we choose for our home.
