Wherever us homeless refugees end up there is something we must do

With the end coming there is something I want to say, suggest and quite frankly demand of all of you, because frankly it is worth doing.

The Community of this game is frankly the greatest one to exist online bar none, at our worst we were still respectful of each other for the most part, the examples of good and decency were the rule not the exception. I am not saying we are perfect but, we are still good.

We need to carry this to the other places we go, Even without the City, without the Community we are still the Heroes and Villains of Paragon, We should wear that badge and hold ourselves to the standard we have set here in these forums and this game, we should be the shining example in other games of how to act and spread it to other games.

We are from Paragon City, and though it is fading into the past we can still be Paragons, and to take a line from an upcoming movie of one of the Icons of our Genre

"You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They'll race behind you. They will stumble. They will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In
time, you will help them accomplish wonders." - Jal-El

I am not saying we can change geek culture or alter how other communities work, but it would be the best memorial I can think of for City of Heroes, and if our example were to inspire one other person to act in the same manner that would be worth us all doing it.

There can't be truer words than this. We need to go and be respectful in the communities we choose to integrate ourselves with. It's not something that has to be specifically a CoH thing, it's just good common social sense.

It's not to say that we have to tell others how to act, but if people react well, we could end up making the MMO community better as a whole.

They can remove us from Paragon City, but they can't remove Paragon City from us.

"We Are Non-jerks, This Is What We Do."

Maybe not quite the same ring to it. But good enough!

Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

...Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world...

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in the old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are,
One equal-temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

(From "Ulysses" by Tennyson)

If you think the CoH community is all flowers and rainbows and that every player is the Paragon (excuse the pun) of righteousness, politeness and love of its fellow man, I'd like a big order of whatever mind altering drug you're smoking.

This games playerbase is not essentially that different to most other games. Other games have their nice people and their idiots just like we do and as much as you may find this hard to believe, the relative numbers of each group is probably about the same.

I think where CoH IS different is that its grouping mechanic is so much better implemented than other games and the game is actually a lot more fun WHEN you group up with other people, you're more likely to be put in a position where you meet all those nice people. If, as in other games, you're playing largely solo and the only time you're exposed to other people is in PVP or large raids, then of course you're going to have a skewed view of what the player base of that game is actually like.

This won't be so hard i think. I know I for one will seek out other COH refugees wherever I am. Strength and happiness in numbers. It will spread naturally in a good game.

The beauty of COH, that which sets it apart, and that which shall live on is this:

In COH, you're encouraged from the very first moments to be a hero -- a good guy.

We rescue hostages, we save the world from alien invasions, we stop time-travelling villians in giant bronze robots, we help strangers on the street, we...wander through poo to do the right thing.

With easy rez, we're encouraged to be brave (if not plain foolhardy). We throw ourselves into danger with abandon, we throw ourselves into mishes and task forces with teams of nothing but defenders or where everyone has a build set around knockback (oh god my side still hurts laughing about that all-KB ITF).

And it shows in the way we treat each other. So few d-bags compared to other games. Little kindnesses like taxibots. Random acts of generosity in Atlas Park. AP33.

Lots of games encourage you to go beat up bad guys.
Only COH encourages you to be a good guy.

That's what I'm bringing elsewhere when the Rapture occurs.

Be good, Heroes.

@FluxFaraday

Fair point, but on the flip side, we're not the only epitome of respect and by no means all sweetness and light either.

WoW is probably not the best yard stick, to be fair. That game is a stinking cesspit of yuck from every point of view. Except the board members share options one, I'd imagine.