Making the most out of Banishment

Why are you doing this?

Ask yourself, "Why do I want to Banishment? What is it about it which appeals to me? What do I hope to get out of it?"

Banishment is a very isolating experience, and this was perhaps the most important question to ask myself. And my answer for myself was the challenge. I wanted to see if I could do this. I feel as though if I had not had this sense of why I was doing this, it would make the experience a lot more difficult.

Don't expect your Custodian to go Eudeamon

There is a pretty good chance you Custodian will not go Eudeamon. My operator served 116 hours, and hers did not. I have my theories on what causes it, based on the story, of course. However, I'm really only comfortable with talking about them with people who have already gone through the Banishment program.

So that said, if you are considering going into this with the expectation or hope of getting an Eudeamon, I would suggest you think again.

Two Paths

As far as I can see, there are two path with Banishment. One is to just find someplace to sit and wait it out. The other is to go roaming, try things out, and in general take risks with violations and time extensions.

Personally, I took the second path. The first one seems like it will get the time done, but does not seem like it will be very enjoyable or fulfilling. For me, it's much more fun to learn the limits of my Banishment and see what I can get away with.

My thought is to pick a path and stick with it. Going back and forth between the two just makes it more frustrating. You can always just choose to either extend your time or just sit out the reminder later.

Make plans for what you will do

That said, if you are going to get out there, decide what you want to do. Set aside landmarks to visit and spend time at. And make sure they are still active locations. Nothing worse then teleporting to places you should not or which do not exist and racking up violations because of it. I know this experience first hand (on the plus side, I did clear out a whole lot of old landmarks).

Let people know in advance

It seems obvious, but let folks know when you either about to submit to a Banishment program, or have been accepted are are awaiting processing. It just seems like nice thing to do so friends know why you are not in contact for a while.

And you never know, maybe one or two will set you up as a safe space to land.

Use Firestorm

Trust me on this. Firestorm is a fantastic browser. And it has a lot of really useful settings and options. Plus you can back up your settings and update preferences offline so you can make use you have your RLVa.

Learn how to use Mouselook

Learn Mouselook. Learn the ticks and secrets of Mouselook. learn how to not have it limit you. The Alt key is your friend (thank you to my operator for dropping that hint in my lap the day before I was processed) and in Firestorm, at least, there is a setting to show the user interface while in Mouselook.

It really helps with immersion.

Prep up your viewer and preferences
Set up options for Mouselook, set up toolbar buttons, and do things to minimize the possibility of accidental violations, such as turning off your fly after teleport preference, for instance. I found adding toolbar buttons for chat history, Mouselook, gestures, ground sit, radar, teleport history, and places to be incredably useful.

Connect with others who have been Banes

Other people who have experienced Banishment can be a great source support, encouragement, and grounding. People who have experienced Banishment are more apt to understand what you are going for. I know I am grateful for my connection with both Rosi Ruli and Morning Star and the support and encouragement they have given me.

And if you happen to get lucky to meet another person in a Banesuit, it's a little extra bonus,

There are ways to communicate
Different Banishment programs have different restrictions. Even so, there are ways to connect and communicate. Be creative and don't be afraid to experiment.

No, I am not going to tell you all of them. Well, not unless I happen to encounter you in a Bane suit.

Don't expect your friends who have never been Banished to hang around... our even understand
Most of your friends will likely not visit you. Communicating with a Bane requires a little extra effort and creativity, and it is not something many people are going to want to deal with.

That said, it is still possible to meet some pretty amazingly supportive people even while Banished