Protector: an Opinion

Keeping with the more personal atmosphere in the threads I'm seeing today, I'd like to give another perspective to gaming on Protector, from my own viewpoint.

We're individualistic, yet appreciate the community we've formed.

We differ yet, for the most part can respect our differences.

We shun elitism in public, yet foster it in private with every team we handpick, every TF run we choose not to advertise openly.

We're (supposedly) low population, yet have some of the most knowledgeable folks around, and have one of the most active global channels in the game.

We have (really) good days, and we have (really) bad days.

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Not everyone is always nice and pleasant to team with.

Not everyone agrees with the opinions of everyone else.

Not everyone is in a good mood, all the time.

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Here's what I hope to see happen on Protector. In fact, it's been at the core of almost everything I've been involved in since I got involved in server activities:

That we'll learn to consistently focus on how to improve the COMMUNITY, above and beyond what we can get out of every situation PERSONALLY.

That instead of thinking "how can I better my rep?" we'll start thinking "how can I help out?"

If marriage and family have taught me something, it's that you can choose to be "at peace" with people, or you can choose to be "right" - having both is a rare exception.

Oh, and that sometimes, we really can't stand each other.

But the fact remains, we're in this together.


Of course, some will disagree with my comments here, while others will go the "yes, but..." route.

And I expect - heck, welcome - that now that I've learned to appreciate the server's population for the dichotomous bunch it is.

Yeah Stale, but







come on, who didn't see this coming?

My biggest problem with Jello Shooters was the fact that everything suddenly went all Ghost Town in there. Aside from a few people, the conversations that could be anything from vulgar and entertaining to serious and thought provoking suddenly dried up.

I stated this in another thread, it's like we all of a sudden don't want to meet each other's metaphorical gaze anymore. Is it really so hard to just say "Hello?"

Our conversations have dried up and we only seem to look to each other for a few minutes of quiet teaming. Those teams aren't as cathartic as I would hope, either. We gather together, we engage in a strategy that has been rehearsed to the point of nauseum, but we're not doing this for any kind of conversation, oh no. Anytime you're typing is time away from focusing buffs, debuffs or damage. You're standing still if you're trying to carry on a conversation and you're hurting the bottom line!

Granted, I'm lamenting only a select few TF teams I've been on, but those were the types I could expect to get out of Jello Shooters more often than not before I left (if I was getting any help from there at all anymore). I'm sick and tired of Speed TFs. They're not social, they're not friendly, and I wonder why I even bothered showing up for a lot of them. Oftentimes, I find myself faceplanting more often than not due to the "team cohesion" that's so "prevalent" in a Speed TF.

I once saw a player get berated for asking for help in jello Shooters. She was told that maybe she should "drop by when she has more to say than just to ask for help." There wasn't really much of anything else being said in the channel at the time, and plenty of other channels with a conversational tone tend not to snap at a player when they ask for help. Heck, I met most of the people in Jello Shooters BECAUSE I was asking for help! Now, it doesn't seem so easy a place to do that anymore.

I can understand having a cadre of friends you regularly turn to for help. I can understand wanting to be a soloist. What I don't understand is cutting yourself off completely from everybody. What I don't understand is the inferred echo as I call out to what was once a friendly, welcoming and supportive channel my own "Hello." It got to a point where I half-expected somebody to go "Shut up! We're enjoying the quiet!"

You're right, that was all I saw, Sooner. I even scrolled back a ways to see what had warranted such a harsh reaction. However, I've got a few channels on the same tab, and had probably either recently logged in or had switched characters, so I missed it.

So, out of context, you came off as rude and harsh, and I misunderstood it.

So did the other, though. She thought you came out of nowhere and bit her head off. She didn't know that you remembered her or had dealt with her before. She showed up in Protector Vigilance a couple weeks ago, timidly asking for help and expecting the folks there to harp on her, too (even saying as much after being surprised when the players there started reacting rather warmly).

I did try to start TFs or have more interaction on JS. If I saw things in Vigilance that were getting too adult for that channel, I would point them JS's way. I made my attempts to revitalize things.

For me, though, it's like pulling teeth trying to get anything going on my end. My name doesn't have the same kind of pull as others do. I don't know if it's my approach or what, but people were unresponsive to my efforts.

Perhaps I asked too rarely. I used to ask for help a lot, but met with a lot of the same silence, even in "peak hours." And I've tried to have conversation, but apparently the little quips aren't entertaining anymore, or maybe I'm not the requisite amount of vulgar to get a rise out of the players and wake them from whatever has been keeping them so damn quiet. Maybe I was just asking ALWAYS at the wrong time.

I DID try, though. I DID make my attempts. I wouldn't be talking about how I felt if I believed I hadn't done something to shake things up. But, hey, I guess you guys just didn't see it, even though I would be talking at times you could. I guess I wasn't clever enough or persistent enough or skilled enough or whatever it is that folks are looking for that makes them clamor for other names.

I got depressed and was feeling sick to my stomach about it. It was seeming as if conversation would dry up simply because I started talking, so frankly, I took the hint and left. That's why I say it's not a friendly environment anymore. I used to feel privileged that I was asked to join. At the end, I just felt ignored, so I left.

It didn't help when I would offer my assistance and be treated to silence for nearly ten minutes before finally getting a message where whatever Task Force had been filled. Or whoever was filling the Task Force wouldn't say anything until after I had changed my character, my hopes raised that maybe I could do something with Jello Shooters folks again then dashed when I would announce my readiness and be met with renewed silence or a quiet apology that "Oops, I didn't see you." Maybe once or twice, I could have been more understanding, but it got to a point where I was altering my behavior to account for it. I would wait for a response and get nothing.

So, there it is. This is what led to my reaction and what I've posted thus far. I'm sorry if you feel offended by it. I kept from saying names because I wanted to keep it generalized, even when I mentioned the specific situation. I saw it as part of a disturbing trend among people I respected and admired, and still do in many ways.

In the end, though, I was exasperated and felt no choice but to throw up my hands and walk away.

I never joined Jello Shooters. And I'm not the kind of person who says "Hello" just because someone logged in.

If I have something to say, I say it. That something is usually an answer to a question, or a reply to a request. I've organized a few TFs before, but not many. I don't really see a problem with how things are right now. People log in and try to get things done. And after so many years, there's actually things to get done.

I imagine, if the Why aren't you in game anymore? topic is any indication, the people that grew up with this game don't have as much time to spend with it anymore, if they can even afford the account. People have families, or careers, and when they log in, they don't have time to just sit there like the game is an elaborate IM system.

Me personally? I don't really like hanging out with the highest tier vets very often. I mean no disrespect, they are just about the best of the best, but something is taken away when you roll with a group of people who give no explanation of their tried and true tactics so long as you failing doesn't hinder them. Nevermind that two of them could solo the entire task up to and including the AV(s). And having been a moderator on at least one forum for the last 10 years, I've found corrosive language to be just about completely unnecessary in text form.

So, I never joined Jello Shooters at all. But then again, I've never been the kind of person that says "Hello".

I'm glad to see the discussion our opinions, viewpoints and experiences are spurring on.

I'm not saying this because I like drama or strife - quite the opposite. I think these things needed saying instead of letting them fester, right below the surface of our interactions. I see this a lancing a sore. It may not even bring about a complete healing, but I'm hoping for the opposite.

There has been this "dissociation by association" thing going on for a while now on Protector. In other words, players are preferring the company of some partly because they want to avoid that of others. They will prevent situations from occurring where they may have to interact with those they avoid, consciously or not.

It's called self-preservation, when one has been burned and to diminish the risk of a repeat burn creates a buffer zone. It's a normal thing.

Now I'll be honest and transparent about this (I've mentioned it before): there are players I will never willfully team with, no matter how skilled, and will seriously reconsider staying on a team where they're present. Some of you will not admit it, even to yourselves, but I've seen the same behavior in others as well.

It happens.

But I think we're shortchanging ourselves when we extend this decision to protect our feelings at the cost of the feelings of others. I personally will prefer not to confront people directly about why I don't like being in their company. But if asked outright, I'm honest about the situation with them. It's my own way of balancing respecting others and being transparent.

None of that "keeping it real" or "being true to myself" crap to justify my blunders. I know some players cannot stand me. In most cases I understand why, even if I don't agree. In other cases I have no clue and can't do anything about it.

I see a lot of things I agree with in this discussion so far, and I offer a few more viewpoints:

• Players feel slighted when ignored - especially when no explanation is given.
• Players should lean more towards organizing their own activities. I see this tendency is picking up more steam in the last weeks/months actually.
• Some global channels are more conducive than others to PUGs and/or offering assistance.
• Many veteran players feel justified in handpicking their teams, to maximize the efficiency or entertainment value of the little time they have available to play.
• Less experienced players are not being included as much in veteran player activities.
• Familiarity can breed contempt.
• Anonymity is a blanket for some truly bad behavior.

I simply do not understand the point behind this.

It does not matter if you are new to 'town' or have been here longer than Peregrine Island, if your actions and behavior are unacceptable to another player - they have no duty or obligation to team with or even talk with you. Period.

Having a 'good community' does not mean we have to tolerate each of our differences. This isn't a neighborhood, it's a game, one we pay to play. We each enjoy our little adventures in our own way, the only obligation is in allowing others to enjoy the same liberty we demand for ourselves.

Ingame actions, behavior, and conduct is the best means by which we can measure other players. Prior bad behavior and/or conduct is itself good enough reason to avoid future contact. If you go on a date and have a horrible time, are you likely eager to repeat that experience? Why then should there be any sort of similar expectation ingame? This is entertainment afterall. Act like a friend, talk like a friend, get treated like a friend. Act like a jerk, talk like a jerk, get treated like a jerk. This is subjective too, not everyone will like what you say or what you do, that's life.

I am one of the oldest vets on Protector. I am a good teammate. I have coached hundreds of players about thousands of topics ingame. But, to some I am El Diablo Blanco. I honestly do not care, nor should anyone else. This is a game, more specifically, these are the forums for a game and nothing said here or ingame should truly matter to any of us.

I can think of not less than four previous attempts at this type of "let's talk this out" effort happening for Protector. None have achieved much. Any conversation about ingame toil and drama is automatically handicapped by the fact that so few players actually visit the threads.

Person A was rude/mean/ugly to Person B on Global Channel XYZ. So. Hateful things have been said here, on teams, TFs and on global channels, and that sucks. But when we put our heads down to sleep at night, those words should carry no more weight than the breeze outside our bedroom window.

Want to make the ingame experience better for everyone, do something small any time you get the chance. Leave grand plans and cosmic thinking to someone else. If 100 people each do one small kindness everyday, we'll alll find a reason to laugh or smile a little more often.

In the meantime, I will continue to do my best to help my team - whoever that might be - and I will continue to call people out for acting like $#%$@. I expect others to do the same when I cross the line, and I will. I will continue to avoid certain people who just plain $%^& me off, and go out of my way to help those who I know never stop helping others.

I'm out.

Frosty, I #$*@# @#$*#$R# #@#*$# #*$@@ you.

Cute.

I didn't realize that there was an issue hanging out there. I thought Stale was posting this year's Protector state of the union address. Before the additional was added by Stale, I thought it was dead on. I'm one of those forum and channel lurkers and have been observing for years. Protector is unique and feels like home.....after a few of the kids have left for college sort of thing.

Also put me in the category of using the channels for mostly practical purposes, not for everyday chit-chat. I've always been focused on my SGs and coalitions for that sort of thing.

I would like to add that I've rarely seen behavior that justifies forum/channel rage. Most everyone has been fine.....to me. We all do our own thing, in our own way. And chat, email, forum and tell intent OFTEN gets misconstrued.

Certainly I've seen behavior in-game that is unfriendly and I'll send you a tell if I think it's warranted.....at least to say...."not cool". Or perhaps to warn others...if its that bad.

Anyhoo......just thought I'd chime in

But can we really trust a Canadian?

My opinion is if Protector was a Taco, I would eat it.

If Protector were a Taco, it would be something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYxO3...layer_embedded