Today, we have the opportunity to converse with Mage Rani, also known as TibiaReklav, as we delve into the intricacies of the captivating video series shedding light on the historical tapestry of Antica. Throughout this interview, we aim to unravel the inspiration, challenges, and noteworthy revelations that have contributed to the development of this insightful exploration into Antica’s rich past.
The video series consists of three parts:
- Tibia History: Antica - The Ancient Years (00:59:00)
- Tibia History 2: Antica - An Age of Legends (01:20:22)
- Tibia History 3: The War For Antica (02:01:15)
Hello, Mage Rani! Can you share a bit about your background, both as a video creator and as a Tibia player, and what inspired you to create YouTube videos about the history of Antica?
Hello! Thank you for your questions.
My brother introduced me to Tibia back in 2006. After spending several years as a level 15 noob in Thais (yes, years), I became addicted to the thrill of PK. This was my main focus until I eventually settled in Antica for a peaceful retirement around 2016. I was never big on hunting and, rather infamously, never reached level 100 to this day. Lol.
I’ve always enjoyed making Tibia videos. As a kid, I used to place a physical camera on a stack of DVDs to record my hunting sessions. Nowadays I’m a video creator by trade, but since my work is often routine and budget-limited, passion projects like the history series are a fun way to experiment and improve my craft.
Your videos on Antica’s history have been well-received. What motivated you to create these videos, and what do you find most rewarding about this project?
My homeworld, Elysia, was somewhat of a lawless wasteland. So when I first joined Antica, my ‘historical’ awareness was limited to Tibia’s most famous legends. Once my friend John the Librarian introduced me to several old-school players, I learned that there was so much more to these stories than what I read on TibiaWiki, and that nearly all of them were interconnected in some way. It blew my mind, and I felt an itch to document it before it was too late.
Even though the movies have their flaws, it’s very rewarding to know that both the public and Antica’s original players now have their stories told in a way that, hopefully, does them justice. Seeing the joy it brings to people, especially in our current times, is priceless.
Choosing events to feature in your videos must be a challenging task, given Tibia’s and Antica’s rich history. How did you decide which events to cover, and what factors influenced your selections?
My goal was to share stories that hadn’t received the spotlight they deserved, or stories that (e.g. the cyclopmania sword) could be enriched with proper context.
I wondered why some amazing tales were not as famous as, for example, Smoked and the Sword of Fury. Why did I know about Bubble but not Wurzel? Why did I know about the Red Rose but not the Mercenarys? And why hadn’t I heard that so many famous players and guilds fought a massive world war?
If I wanted to shed light on this lost history, I had to find players who quit a decade ago, piece together uncertain memories, and fact-check everything for accuracy. Only then could I begin to make a movie from it, which, in case of the third chapter, took two years in total. No wonder it hadn’t been done before; it’s too much for any sane content creator to spend on a single video! ;)
While creating your videos, have you come across any historical events that particularly fascinated you or stood out as unique to the world of Antica?
The cyclopmania sword was the story I started with, and it might still be my favorite. What I thought was ‘just’ another cool rare item turned out to be intertwined with so much history that I still haven’t reached the bottom of it yet. For example, I never found out how Ghaleon ended up with a second cyclopmania sword in his depot. While Ghaleon has his own theory, I investigated the possibility of Guido being killed and dropping the sword but couldn’t come to a satisfactory conclusion.
Also, I must mention the lineage of the Dark Mansion: This guildhall was created for one of Tibia’s first evil guilds, the Paladins of Darkness. It was then owned by Hokuten, the Last Action Heroes and Dark Side respectively. All of whom were rebels. :)
In your videos, you include footage from TibiCam recordings. Can you explain your process for utilizing these recordings to tell the story of Antica? And also, what other type of material have you used?
TibiCam is a hugely important in Tibia’s history and perhaps even in the history of gaming in general. It’s a window into everyday life and interactions between players that you can’t find anywhere else.
In my first video, I had very little visual material to work with. By the third video, I was able to incorporate TibiCam footage, which definitely helped to add some life and movement to the story. They were not always easy to find, so I’m very thankful for the efforts of TibiCam.com and all the others who keep the files alive and accessible.
How did you engage with the Tibia community while working on your videos? Have you received any exciting stories or feedback from the community that impacted your content?
Many people shared their stories, which has been a lot of fun. Each of the old-school players, even those who were quite notorious in their time, was a true pleasure to work with. I might also have heard one or two secrets that I promised not to share. ;)
Hearing from veterans like Lostboy and Opa Wetterwachs made me realize that players who retired before 1999 have a definition of Tibia that consists of nothing besides ‘Tibia City’ and a single dragon cave in Fibula. I find this quite hilarious. They left before even the mainland was completed and never experienced anything that made Tibia memorable for the 500,000 people that inherited it.
Imagine that a teacher and his student, separated by perhaps 30 years of age, could have both played Tibia, but their experiences were nothing alike. ‘Thais? Never heard of it.’
Are there any additional topics or areas of Tibia’s history that you’d like to cover in the future, or do you feel that your current videos have achieved the goals you initially set out to accomplish?
I’ve had many requests for the history of different game worlds. I’d love to cover each of them if I had unlimited time, but unfortunately that’s not the case. If I ever make another history video (and someday I would love to), it will be about my own world and the guilds that dominated it.
For those interested in creating content about the history of Tibia, what advice would you give to others looking to embark on similar historical documentation projects?
A few tips I learned along the way
- Organization is key. Make sure to have a functional folder system and label your files appropriately. It’s the foremost thing that makes or breaks any large project. Also, make regular backups on different drives.
If you have no experience in graphical design: keep it simple. I went overboard with effects in the first video, and it didn’t always work out too well. The third movie is a lot more minimal but looks better in my opinion. It’s also useful to learn and practice the fundamentals of things like composition and audio editing.
Always think from the perspective of your audience, not yourself. Will people really care about some detail that you are spending hours on? Maybe your time can be spent more efficiently.
When working with people; act with integrity and be considerate with sensitive information. It’s good to have a creative vision, but you always have to respect the storyteller. I wouldn’t have been able to work with so many players if they knew I was going to twist their words.
Evaluate and improve your work continuously. Don’t just stick to your comfort zone; try something new with each project. If English isn’t your native language, like in my case, consider using tools like Quillbot or ChatGPT to assist your writing.
Always try to be kind, even to those not contributing to your project. Everyone deserves respect, and you never know what opportunities might arise in the future!
Thank you, Mage Rani!
As we wrap up this engaging discussion, we extend our sincere thanks to Mage Rani for dedicating time to address our questions and for creating the remarkable YouTube series that delves into the history of Antica. Mage Rani’s commitment to unraveling the fascinating narratives surrounding Antica has truly enriched our understanding of its past. We appreciate your valuable insights and the effort you’ve put into sharing this captivating journey with the audience.
TibiCam.com looks forward to the possibility of future collaborations with Mage Rani, should the opportunity arise.