A Long Story

Yes, Wil, you missed one crucial details.

One is that both instances involved an offer from cA for a cash ransom to be paid in order to negate the effects of the ruse. This was made with both the vendor trick and the Red Hemperor trick. In my opinion, in both instances the ransom being requested was less of an imposition than the effect of the ruse being carried out.

As is the case with EVERY SINGLE THING CA DOES, the victims chose to bite their nose to spite their face and not pay. Given that this offer in each case was, IMO, something that would benefit all parties, I thought it was gracious.

And yes, to Henderson's point... the in-game vendor blockade, and the resulting video, were the two funniest and most clever things I have seen in UO, ever. So staying on one side of the line - as you draw it - would not have made everyone happy, and would have been a huge loss to the community.

Not that it matters but: The part people don't remember is that effectively $$$ started it. We made a habit of camping high traffic areas with our archer stealth squad--the aptly named Department of Justice--and $$$ was angered. We had never really had problems with them before, aside from a Tabius-Matron feud over a house scam. But Wise (not the Wise here) decided to put out a bounty on all cA members.

That would not stand.

Things escalated and we hatched this plan. We won that war. $$$ paid up, but, surprisingly, folded as a guild despite being fully restored and vendor-bomb-free.

Now, I don't feel the need to justify those actions. We did what we do, and the only justification I need personally is that it was fun and it made the shard more fun overall, but I will say that our immediate motive was more or less the very same one that lead to Operation Red Hemperor: We found someone who needed to be taken down a peg and who was openly hostile to us. That is always how we have chosen our bigger targets. And my view both in life and in games has always been that the self-righteous have it coming as much, often more, than the openly bad.

Anyways, thanks for the kind words. I was bored, but never feel like playing UO these days, and so I wrote this. I hope it gives us all both here and on UOSA some perspective about in-game feuds and bickering. I'm all for them as long as we can keep it in game. But we' don't, and it has made me not want to play. Or at least not want to play for quite a while. Who knows though!

Hoist With His Own Petard tales are a classic part of the human condition. Folks celebrate those who bring new ones. Kicking down a sandcastle is psychopathic douchebaggery. To find enjoyment there, you have to have a void in your skull where everybody else finds empathy.

Regards,
Wil

"So you're telling me there's a chance?!"

<insert mes gif here of Jim Carrey in dumb and dumber>

I'm counting on you mes!

With chumbucket gone, who will free bart!





Also I am piggybacking this post with my own "I'm not playing anymore" post. I'll spare you the long story, but I'm busy with other things, generally bored of UO.

This is because I wouldn't consent to the marriage of Sherelle isn't it!

I wanted to thank you for the parting gift and for always restraining your dark side when participating in paws adventures. I'll return to the circle rock challenge once every year on this date for as long as tela keeps the server running.

Well stated. This really is the core of what seems to suck people out of the game; which really is kind of ironic to me considering that the uninhibited level of person-to-person interaction is what has kept so many of us coming back to Ultima year after year. There's so much drama over so little with merit, that it becomes easy to forget that this is simply a game, and its supposed to be a net gain of fun.

Thinking about it now, I think the 'net gain' part is where the problem comes in. People expect every moment to be filled with amazing memories, incredible tales -- and the reality is so much more dull than that, which leads to angered responses when you're forced to deal with the fact that not every moment is a good moment. But, at the same time, how many of us regardless of the frustration those moments can bring CHOSE a fel-only shard for this very reason? People should take the thievings, PK's, etc in stride -- not because they deserved it, but because at the end of the day you are out nothing tangible and have gained an experience worth recanting to others.

Shouldn't that be enough?

This is a very broad, incorrect, and frankly insulting insinuation. If you can't take a disconnect from reality, to the reality of a video game, then that's far more psychopathic to me than what you're describing here.

Dammit, you too Snap. I hope to see you come back. Thank you for everything you did for and/or didn't do to me in my months here. You were one of my favorite people.

No, not you too, Matron!

No one else ever comes to visit my peninsula.

I hope you keep your stuff and come back from time to time. You've both always been friends with almost everyone. Tabius loves you. And you're going to miss me killing Blaise a lot :/

Lots of love hugs and kisses.

Translation: I am really chumbucket.

This is like in Fight Club where the guy was really the other guy too! Craaaaaaaazzzzyyyyy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

Psychopathy (/saɪˈkɒpəθi/) (or sociopathy [/ˈsoʊsiəˌpæθi/]) is traditionally defined as a personality disorder characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and disinhibited or bold behavior.

chumbucket:
enduring antisocial behavior: "I began to find joy in simply being the bad guy and, in particular, being the thief."
diminished empathy and remorse: "The part people don't remember is that effectively $$$ started it."
disinhibited or bold behavior: chumbucket. Need I say more?

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with being a psychopath. You may hear "psychopath" and think "unabomber" but in reality many celebrated leaders are psychopaths. They can make hard decisions quickly with ruthless effectiveness. To be celebrated AND a psychopath, you have to learn where the line is and CHOOSE not to cross it. 'Cause when you cross it you become inhuman to that portion of society which does feel empathy. In every reality.

Regards,
Wil

https://www.google.com/#q=red hemperor&safe=off

"(2:40:08 PM) matron|afk: you might stay blue hemp
(2:40:12 PM) matron|afk: if you play your cards right
(2:40:15 PM) hemperor: nah
(2:40:16 PM) hemperor: gumps stay up
(2:40:19 PM) hemperor: even after world saves
(2:40:26 PM) matron|afk: but we will close them
(2:40:28 PM) Seebo|AFK left the room (quit: Ping timeout).
(2:40:30 PM) hemperor: how do i know that?
(2:40:31 PM) matron|afk: even make a forum thread for the trade
(2:40:34 PM) matron|afk: so its secure

He was right. We had no intention of letting him off the hook, but we thought it worth a try to get more out of the deal."

For what its worth - I've never met you or even had a conversation with you time differences and all that. However i have spoke with Matron and Franz in IRC and in game and its people who roleplay a part like that, which make's UO such a colorfull sandbox of a game. Good for you doing what you have done and the way you have done it. I respect that if anyone hates on it then they simply don't get it, in UO you can be what you want to be and play and how you want to play.

By the way if you are leaving UOR for good can i just say - GIVE GLD PLS IR NEW no seriously i am poor LOL

Online wizard psychiatrists!