The DC/MD City of Heroes Wrap Party (18 Nov 2012)

L-R: Turgenev, Zack Yaro, Ellen Cantor, Jack O'Lantern, Heliphyneau, Nik Chaikin, Joe Marion, CapnBarcode, Doug Marion, Thom Hurley
It began quietly, around 2pm, with my arrival at the front entrance of DuClaw in Arundel Mills Mall. The M&G's organizer, Crazed_Drifter/Nikolai, was already in attendance, looking out for other attendees. A few moments later, I kept Nik watching at the door while I went inside to make arrangements for a table for our little soiree.

Within the next 20 minutes, we had a few other attendees arrive. The Marion brothers, brandishing rather swank Windows smartphones. Yat_Man/Thom arrived shortly thereafter, having taken mass transit to get to us. Being familiar with Yat, I immediately recruited him for assistance in procuring a swag box for COH from my car (I was/am still recovering from a recent surgery, so I played the gimp card) for all the attendees to enjoy. Jack O'Lantern arrived shortly thereafter, at which point we moved inside to sit at the long table by the big window, looking into the mall itself.

You can thank Yat Man for his suggestion of this wicked pretzel thingy as an appetizer, which was surprisingly fortifying while we waited for everyone to show up. (Carbs, carbs, carbs.) After digging into some small snacks and, frankly, talking server smack cordially amongst ourselves, we were joined in a small amount of time by Ellen and her friend, Zack.

We passed the time with some food ordering, some friendly jibes and plenty of rumor chat about COH both past, present and what remained of its future. Nearly two hours later, we were joined by CapnBarcode and his wife, Heliphyneau (whose name I've pronounced rather delicately/lyrically for years, which she corrected me finally with "it's pronounced 'Hell if I know'"...).

I was regrettably on the clock (baby duties, can't leave the wife too long), so at 4pm, I chimed up, and spoke to the gathered heroes and villains.

I reminded them that, yes, I was there to deliver swag to the needy masses. I've asked all the attendees to chime in here, to share their experience (and hey, their swag) with you all.

I also mentioned that, in the years I've been gaming, I've only attended COH events, and those only in the last few years, because there's something "different" about our people. (No, we don't drool in public.) (Mostly.)

I mean, it wasn't about playing games online. If it were, we'd never attend these meet-ups and would have just moved on to the next thing, without batting an eyelash. City of Heroes was more than just a clickfest for most of us. It was a place where we could tie on a cape, or paint on a mask, like we were kids again, and go forth and "be" super. It was a game that, in the end, encouraged us to be good, and to do good. Our participation in Real World Hero and any other string of events or charities is quiet testament to that truth that were were more than gamers: We were a community; a people that flocked beneath a banner of heroism (and, well, villainy), that saw the comic book genre unfold each and every day within the bounds of Paragon City, the Rogue Isles, or Praetoria.

I saluted them, for though the game may suffer an untimely demise, we - the heroes and the villains - lived on.


Long live the Hero Nation.

@TURGENEV - Freedom Server / IRON / B.A.N.E / HORDE

Turg Fiction: Ghost in the Machine Acts III & IV coming 2012!
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