I'm getting closer with my game group to running the Zilan Wine chapter of _The Traveller Adventure_.  (The chapter is also called, in other published versions, Stranded on Arden and Exit Visa).

I'm a bit apprehensive about it because it's very NPC heavy and seems to me to stand or fall on how interesting you can make the bureaucrats.  (And the patience of the players admittedly).

However, I've discovered you can do real life training to prepare you for the experience.

For some years we've been paying over the odds for our internet and phone at home because we knew it would be a pain to change.  Last month we finally decided that paying three times what a 'new customer' rate would be was just ridiculous so I bit the bullet and have switched.  Well, I say 'have'.  I'm in the process. The new router arrived no problem, I even managed to plug it all in and the internet's working.  But 'activation day' was a couple of days ago and still no phone line. 

So I started by checking all my emails from the new company to see if they told me I had to do anything.  Nope.

I went through their web pages of help screens for the same purpose and no luck there.

I tried logging into MyAccount only to be told that I couldn't login.  

At this point I entered the world of their online chat (no phone number to talk to anyone even if I did have a working phone).  

Three hours last night and several hand offs to technical people and back again.

Another hour this morning and the same rigmarole.

The technicians can't fix the line and can't find a fault - despite being able to, apparently, deliver phone services to my postcode (zipcode).  They've escalated that but it's taken several line tests at least three technical bods to have a go at it.

The other lot can't fix the MyAccount issue.  According to their screens I'm not registered.  But I've not only registered I have a password for that which they use a couple of letters of to verify that I'm who I'm supposed to be!  I can't register again because it thinks I'm registered and they can't delete me to start over because they can't 'see' me.  I've been through several of them and have now been escalated to a Customer Services Manager. (I believe she's currently wading through several hours of chat log to see what I've said before).

Rest assured I'm storing the logs - mainly for future reference if I have to cancel my contract with the company, but also to mine for ideas for Zilan Wine.  :-)

Oh, and the chat people (I'm only barely convinced they're people and not bots), have terrific names.  Charleshenry and Mariajessa were within the realms of ordinary enough, but last night I had Inna which I rather liked and this morning the completely spectacular Snenhlanhla!  I thought maybe it was just machine generated but a quick google search suggests it might be a Zulu name or something.  I'm not sure I'd have ever tried inflicting something like that on my PCs!  I might pinch these verbatim for my NPCs as none of the published versions are kind enough to provide names for all the bureaucrats which you'd have thought would be one of the first things any such encounter would establish.  (From guilded name plates on the desk to cut glass window labels, through name badges to handshakes and introductions... 47 of them I need [1])

thanks for letting me vent!

tc

[1] Perhaps we need a random table for 'where their name appears':

1 badge

2 holographic badge  (special import to Zila at TL7)

3 desktop name plate (I had a nice 'toblerone' on my desk in my previous job)

4 sign above desk

5 sign on door/window of door

6 no name apparent/provided in introductions

(toblerone is a UK chocolate bar in a triangular prism shaped box)