A look at Game's Community

[jerawolfe]

It was a day like any other day. Except that day, in IRL, I had had my heart broken by someone I loved very deeply. Why play a Roleplaying Game at such a time? Well, I didn't log in to Hael to play the game. I logged in to find two of my old friends of YEARS, so that I could talk to them, get perspective, and then after I had had my venting session and consolations, maybe distract myself with some alchemy. Maybe.

But, on the way to finding my friends, I came across a young newbie. I've never been one to turn down an Newbie. Yes, my character is not interested in such things as people's wellfare, but, a newbie is a precious thing. A potential new player, a potential new aspect of the story we all share and create together, and a potential aide to supporting the financial burdens of those who sacrifice IRL resources to make sure we can have fun in HR.

The newbie, it turned out, was having problems with a group of people. I decided to turn my hand to help mitigate situations. Maybe I could feel better by doing something good. So I went to work things out. Things did not start out well.

My group of friends had VERY good reasons for not liking this newbie. One of the group attacked him outright, and I had kept my promise to the little guy, defending him. But he left as soon as I did, and the situation was explained to me. The reason they did not like him was 'OOC harrassment' and 'Sexual Harrassment.'

Well, this certainly put things into perspective for me, and I was interested in hearing his side of the story and maybe working things out between the two groups, when all of a sudden, two people showed up at the sparring grounds I had never met before.

The first thing they did was start cutting down my friends. Both with words, and with weapons. I was kinda shocked. I hadn't come here for this kind of conflict, I was already in over my head. I tried to talk to them, but they just told me I was next.

For the next thirty minutes, I could not move (stunned) and eventually could not talk (silenced through magic) while these two power players, old school early account players not only made us certain that we didn't stand a chance, but took glee in the fact they could do this and get away with it with no fear of reprisals.

They called me a bully, they said I deserved what I got, they said if I ever did what I had done again, they would be back. 'What the fuck had I done?' I had tried to mitigate a problem and help a newbie. This is what you get for that?

Obviously they were mistaken. I tried to explain this to them in the spurts that I could move or speak. Did they listen, nope. Insults, cut downs, and more attacks.

Eventually, half an hour later, one of my friends dragged me out. But now, I was livid. They were ruining my gaming experience, I had told them as much, did they care? No. I was guilty of some crime. No trial, no investigation, just probably a hearsay rumor, and suddenly all hell was coming down on my head. And I hadn't done a damned thing.

I bitched them out. I insulted them. I flew off the handle seven ways from sunday. I was soooooo angry, so pissed, because I hadn't come here to deal with them, or their issues, or their crap, or any of this. I just wanted to talk to my friends. Add to it, that the person who just broke my heart was a woman, and here were two women adding insult to injury, you do the math.

I almost left HR that day. But I cooled off. I calmed down. I got a half-ass apology from one, the other one was silent. Of course, what did she do wrong. She was big, everyone loved them, they couldn't do wrong, right?

Well... sadly, right.

I went to my friends who had invited me to HR, also old school players. I looked for some support there. You know what I got? I got, 'Well, if you have a problem with the, keep it to yourself. They are my friends. Don't make waves.'

I went to the staff, they sent me to Trevor. Trevor hasn't responded (he's very busy, I'm certain.)

Now I'm sitting here seriously considering the integral value of this community.

I've been a gamer, both tabletop and computer, for over 15 years. I've spent my time at many a game, from small groups of 2 to groups as vast as thousands. Gaming is about interaction. Sharing of experiences, ideas, and creativity to create a story and enjoyable pasttime/hobby for those involved. From this interaction, naturally, a community is formed. Be it small, or large, a lot about the people in the game can be seen from the community as a whole.

When I was told that the core members, the old members, the senior members of this community were uninterested in right or wrong, they were only interested in remaining comfortable, it told me a lot about the moral integrity of this community. Granted, I didn't speak to all of them, but the fact remains. The question remains: Is it okay to be wrong, to do wrong, and get away with it, if you are elite?

Or is there a set of right and wrong? That the people of this community will adhere to?

So far, the answer has been. No, if you are elite, you can treat anyone any way you want. And get away with it. From what I've seen.

There is also the fact that... the internet is a beautiful thing. I'm no pacifist. But I'm not a mean person either. However, over the internet, the fear of reprisal for one's social conduct is severely mitigated. You can insult, jibe, ride, and harrass another person, with no real fear of reprisal. But if you were standing face to face with them... do you really think you would act that way?

I tell you now, if I had been treated the way these two treated me face to face, there would have been blood and broken noses. But there is no reprisal I can make. I'm utterly helpless here. They have been playing longer than I have, so they are more skilled. I could never catch up to defend myself, let alone find justice. I turned to the staff, and they could do nothing, they pointed me in the direction of a higher up who has more than a small problem like this to contend with. I turned to the community... And what?

So far. I've gotten the answer that this community cares less about right and wrong. Less about fairness or respectful treatment of the younger members if it requires the older members having to show the backbone to say, 'Hey, you did something wrong, tally up for it and apologize and make it right.' instead of, 'They are my friend, don't make waves, it makes me uncomfortable.' More about being comfortable, keeping the status quo. More about remaining apart from issues that may ruin a person's gaming experience and make them leave.

Well, that's fine. But here are some issues I see with that.

Piss off enough of the younger players, this gaming community will not grow. Show them this is a cliqueish game, and they have to play by your rules, that you set all the standards, sure... you'll find some that clique, but you'll miss out on the diversity that many open invitation multi-player games can achieve. I would hate to see HR fall into that trap.

Second. It's about right and wrong. It's about the respect for the person behind the character. It's about remembering this is a game, and people's emotions are worth more than your apathy (at least, I hope they are), and that RIGHT and WRONG are matters, and concepts, that are the responsibility of EVERY player (not just staff) to hold close and to support.

Example:

America. A lot of people choose comfort over right and wrong. Look at the mess we're in. (I'm American, and that's what I observe of my neighbors and local community). We allow wrongs, we suffer injustices, because we're afraid that making a stand will put us in an uncomfortable place.

I hope that the gamers in HR, who I suspect are visionaries, dreamers, and people who look beyond the skein of reality that others exist in, and cannot see past, would like to create something a little more idealistic than that. Here's your chance.

Give comments, make statements, and make informed opinions. Don't be afraid to stand up for what is right. Don't pick this because so and so is your friend, and you don't know the other side as well. Even friends are wrong. What do you do at that point when your best friend is wrong? Dont' hate them, don't turn on them. But do your best to make sure things get absolved, worked out, and don't be afraid to say, 'Hey, I think you're wrong on this one mate.'

And if I'm wrong in posting this, or in my stance, let me know too. But let me know WHY you think it's wrong. Because I'm not a big fan of the union mindset. Just because you have been here longer, doesn't mean you can flaunt respecting other people.

A final note:

For those in HR who HAVE power, and respect, and weild social weight. Remember, power is responsibility. I hope you use it wisely.

Jera Wolfe

P.S.: I'm off my soapbox now. Wow, that was long.

[ragonda]

i was one of the friends you spoke to and as i explained at the time at this present time we have no real justice system so unfairly as it seems we are left to self regulate many varied incidents and crimes within the HR community


the two people that attacked you (and im not defending them purely because they are friends ) are not known to attack others just for the fun or the power of attacking someone who is weaker than them

they would have listened or observed a situation arising befor coming to a decision that some form of justice should be metred out . unfortunately wether they where misinformed or misjudged the situation led to your assault

i honestly have known yourself and the other two people a long while and i know all three of you have high values and are good rpers and due to some misunderstanding a possibly good freindship between you all has been marred

im just hoping that the three of you can put this incedent behind you and start over

[SolitaryTurnip]

[Kit]

I think some players in here like being the big wigs and like annoying people with that fact. People that constantly talk about how long they've been in the game tend to be these people. I know the people you mean, and they've both ganged up on me over a misunderstanding before. It didn't make me want to leave though. I just ignore them.

Pop....I can't hear a word they're saying. There's a squelch verb IG. Very helpful for people like that.

I tend to steer clear of power gamers. Yeah, what they did to you was wrong and overboard. I would have reported it then and there and let the staff know to watch out for disruptive behavior.

Really, though, I try not to be too involved Just ignore them.

[Tugor]

[Kit]

There's a LOAD of ways you can assualt someone here. People can get around the no PvP kinda easy. Especially with those spells.

[Tugor]

By 'assault' I meant physically attack the person. Sorry. But yes, there are different levels of assault as I just describe. Verbal, metal and physical.
_________________
It is better to be pissed off than pissed on.

[zamde]

To wit --

If you sincerely believe you're the first person that HR has ever seen get the crap beat out of him, you need a reality check. If you think that I've never gotten the crap beat out of me in HR... you need a reality check. And if a ten-minute meltdown in the only safe-combat-enabled room in the game is your idea of the penultimate gaming experience, try 'transmit to neif cac You're a sucky Jaddan.' sometime.

"You're big, everybody loves you..." Do you really mean to make it sound like Zamde sits in some opulent warlord's pagoda, ruling Llanfair in the tyrannical clench of her iron fist, victimizing at a whim and ripping fealty from the guts of dissidents?
That might strike her as an admirable aspiration, but allow me to pop your victim-bubble for just a moment - when she and Sway aren't busy eating babies and burning down homeless shelters with their fiery breath, Zamde's PK count hovers around six or so people; Slowalker, Drecus, Byw and Torrent among them. We invest ridiculous amounts of cash and items in fledgling players that, 80% of the time, we never see again. We establish social ties and friends, we reinforce and support those bonds when they need it, and we politick in a world of politics. Do we want recognition for any of that? No, because we Do what we Do.

As for half-assed apologies, lookit here: Since ICness is our bread and butter, you need to understand that Zamde (the character) been responsible for a lot greater atrocities than beating someone up at the sparring grounds; she's never admitted to being sorry for any of it (the exception being Tanis). That said, the fact that you got any apology in the first place is grounds for celebration. She told Jera it was a mistake, and Jera said, "Hey, it's cool, no hard feelings". She was in private contact with two other people present at the time, in similar conversations. Zamde assumed that was the end of it, and, as you'll note, hasn't said a word to you since (in spite of your invasive attempts at conversation via methods that fall just short of having people pass notes to her). Zamde even replaced the gridgun of the jackass that went off on the homophobic rhetoric, and I think that's stretching the boundaries of remorse. You're crusading over a flash from four days ago; I have an attention span of eight minutes if I concentrate.

Yet, inexplicably, here we are, several days later, on the cusps of multiple posts and threads warring over who needs to detach themselves, who needs to examine priorities, and who needs to let go. It's an eternal source of irony watching each player condescendingly tell another that their RP/gaming ethics are entirely wrong, and then suffer loss of bowel control in utter outrage when someone questions theirs in return. What does that mean? That your ethics are right; and so are mine. Christ, so are Slowalker's; don't think the urge to cut my own fingers off with pinking shears isn't overwhelming, having iterated that.

[jerawolfe]

[quote="SolitaryTurnip"]

[SolitaryTurnip]

[Tugor]

Introducing Super Vhen. .<insert superman music here>. .ridding the world of crime, one day at a time.
_________________
It is better to be pissed off than pissed on.

[Shadowwarriorx2]

here it is as i see it

[jerawolfe]

[zamde]

Do you know what tickles me more than anything else about this soap opera? The recurring theme of "It's my right to judge, but don't you dare judge me" here. I see the word "injustice" popping up a lot as it regards to Sway and myself, and at the same time you're condemning us for acting on what we interpreted as injustice in the actions of a select few people. Why is that, exactly? A character is within their rights to verbally bash Alex/Glee/Whatever-his-name-is-today and lure him to the sparring grounds to smack him around if they feel he deserves it, but that whole 'somebody needs to stand up for people' goes right out the window when you're the one being stood up to, doesn't it?
And what the hell is with the level thing? I don't see it as anything more than a shallow attempt at evoking sympathy, but I'll play along for now. Are you implying that the scenario would have been within acceptable boundaries if Zamde were, I don't know, 8th level? 16th? 43rd? If that's the case, at what line is the threshold defined? After having spent lots of time around Glee in attempts to get him integrated, I'm in as much awe as everyone else that he can even rally enough neurons to remember his own password; using your argument, what does that say about the people there that were picking on him?

I'm not even going to get into the level of irritation it brings that we're being bitched about for beating up someone that beat up on someone else. At the sparring grounds, no less, where people go with the intent to get beat up. I'm trying to be cordial about all this, but it's starting to really get retarded.

While we're lamenting our personal woes, let me share a touching story of loss and triumph: Once, there was a Zamde, cavorting along the abandoned path and foraging weeds. Zamde happened to think that the practice of economic price-fixing by keeping all commodities at the highest possible price was indubitably the stupidest idea ever... because anyone with a grain of old-fashioned money sense knows that it's a better idea to make a buttload of money by spending a little cash and exerting moderate effort than making half a buttload of money by exhausting yourself. This belief inadvertantly made Zamde (and another unnamed accomplice) specifically responsible for the forming of HR's first ever lynch mob. Among those half-dozen members - Quidditty Equinox and Mellie Knight. And Knarf Snatcher, but he's irrelavent to this story other than for a name cameo. Anyhow, Zamde gets the ultimate beatdown of her life - and this is before there are any reviving medics... back when death was dangerous and imaging was necessary, if you can wrap your brain around such a nightmarish concept. Zamde (and accomplice) try to explain finances to the horde. "Look, you economically-clueless pricks, if you BUY LOW and SELL HIGH, you'll make a ton more money for less work than foraging all day." Repeat beatdown a couple times; and death is dangerous!

I bet your heart's just oozing over with blood, right? Actually there's no moral to that story. I just wanted to rub how right we were into Mellie and Stilldawn's face (again. again.) and point out that, cliche: Shit happens. Conflict happens. And nevermind that in the scheme of fickle fate and fortune of the wonder that is text-based RPGs, the three of us are now the best of friends. Because we've been around. Forever. And ever.

Finally, I'd like to formally apologize for my insensitivity in missing your private pain amongst the repetitive telepathic public litanies of "FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKING FUCK YOU HAVE LITTLE DICKS FUCKING MOTHERFUCKERS I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU".

But, seriously; I'm sorry for attacking you - so now you've got it on public record, and it's the last damned time I'm saying it. Ever. That also extends to that other guy whose name I don't remember that was there. But Cap'n "Stupid fucking lesbian and your gay lapdog, I hate you fucking dykes"?... no, I freely admit to an overwhelming sense of gratification shooting her, inclusive of tormenting Alex. Call me quirky.

[Kit]