A story of strength and resolve

[Lhancelot]

I had an interesting exchange today with a fellow I met about 2-3 weeks ago, but first let me properly dress the meatloaf before I begin.

2-3 weeks ago, I logged in on my druid and seen the /ooc chat was running pretty actively. I quickly figured out why.

Apparently, a guy had drop bagged his items, and they were picked up by someone. The guy was distraught and angry, and had vented in /ooc which lead to lots of insults being hurled at him.

He said he felt like quitting, and that he was upset that someone would steal his stuff. Sure, I found him a bit naive, and he picked the worst avenue to vent that being the /ooc channel.

I generally view such claims as suspicious, but in this situation for some reason I felt the guy really was just naive and I also felt he just made a noob mistake. He did nothing that deserved the belligerent assault the zone put on him in my eyes. I defended him slightly in /ooc, and I then sent him a tell asking him how much he lost.

The fellow told me he lost his SCHWs, along with some other minor items but it was all he had. He was wanting to xfer the items to his monk or to a shaman I don't even remember the details exactly, but it amounted to maybe 3k.

I decided to give the guy 3k, and told him so. I also told him to simply look for me ingame, or some high lvl players with guild tags like AM, AW, AG, any one of the bigger guilds would be safe players to ask to xfer items anytime.

He was extremely happy, and shocked I was giving him 3k. I assured him it was nothing and that he just needed to be more careful with his stuff. We chatted for a few mins, then he went back to his alt he wanted to play and that was that.

Today, I got a tell from a vaguely familiar name, and it was that guy. He sent me a tell saying first he wanted to thank me for helping him out. He said he wished more people were on the server like me (that made me feel good I admit!) and we chatted for a minute.

That being said, he wanted to repay me back. He wanted to give me the plats he had, as well as all his items. I asked him why, and that maybe he ought to just hold onto his things if he wanted to take a break... he said no. He told me his son asked him to spend more time with him yesterday, and that the game was simply taking up too much time! He told me he LOVED the game, but it got to him when his son told him that.

He had to make a decision, and he decided that he was quitting the game for his son. This actually made me feel a bit emotional I must admit. I told him that he was doing the right thing, the game was an illness and that I felt he showed great strength in doing what he was doing.

I took all his items, and his plats he offered up and wished him well IRL. He responded the same with great enthusiasm as he told me he had to clean up the house and do other things. Without him saying it, I understood such things were not going to get done had he still been logged in to the game.

Anyway, thought I'd share that story. Not for what I did, but for what this man did. he is really a man of substance and virtue and his son should be proud he has a father that cares so much.

[Twochain]

EQ is poison


So is booze


So I pick and choose

[skarlorn]

braknar finally quit?

[rollin5k]

My dad was a crack head now he's an alcoholic I wish he would have just played some eq

[Hyperbole]

You should follow his lead now.

Good god man, enough with the attention whoring.

[Jimjam]

Plot twist:

His son stole the items to grief the father off the server!

[hyejin]

thank God my character spawned at lvl 1 with three fungis and a Donal's BP to convert into gear. for some reason people have always fallen over themselves to do me favors.

[Lhancelot]

Plot twist:

His son stole the items to grief the father off the server!

lol that would be pretty funny if true.

[fadetree]

Someone who was all noble 'n stuff would have never gotten so involved in a 17 year old elf sim in the first place. They would have thought - 'really? nah.' and gone right on past. It's like people congratulate recovering alcoholics for being all brave and noble and stuff, when really they just finally stopped being a COMPLETE asshole for once in their lives.

[loramin]

Lhance I love how you find these great stories about the people behind the game, like this one or the one with Roddypiper. While we all tend to focus more on the game itself, I personally rather enjoy the occasional "human interest" story from time to time.

[Lhancelot]

Someone who was all noble 'n stuff would have never gotten so involved in a 17 year old elf sim in the first place. They would have thought - 'really? nah.' and gone right on past. It's like people congratulate recovering alcoholics for being all brave and noble and stuff, when really they just finally stopped being a COMPLETE asshole for once in their lives.

I don't think you can generalize people like that. I don't think he was trying to be noble at all. He had nothing to prove to me for sure.

He just shared his situation with me seeing I was the only one he felt some sort of connection to in the game (I guess) and he wanted to give back what I had given to him. that in itself shows he has some integrity in my eyes anyway.

This guy really seemed like a dude that recalled the game from childhood, decided to DL it and found it just as it was when he was a kid, and he was starting to fall deeper into it.

He became cognizant of that, and dumped all his gears off and plats, to never log in again. I believe him, and believe he will never log in again.

[Lhancelot]

Lhance I love how you find these great stories about the people behind the game, like this one or the one with Roddypiper. While we all tend to focus more on the game itself, I personally rather enjoy the occasional "human interest" story from time to time.

I honestly find these situations the most interesting for me personally.

Someone one time had this grand explanation on the forums of different personality types and how they play EQ.

One of the types didn't level much, didn't really accomplish so much in the game instead preferred to socialize and chat with other players.

I am a mixture of that type with someone that does level up etc. I find more satisfaction out of meeting the players behind the toons. It's far more rewarding for me than leveling the toon or killing dragons.

[this user was banned]

I am a mixture of that type with someone that does level up etc. I find more satisfaction out of meeting the players behind the toons. It's far more rewarding for me than leveling the toon or killing dragons.

I think this was the real spirit of this game in 1999, something that few, if any, modern MMOs have ever really actualized. It's what brought people of all ages together and brought a lot of women into the gaming scene, possibly because of this social aspect. People got married through the game and made friendships and it was a real phenomenon.

Games sure have changed since then and I'm not sure if we will ever be able to fully recreate the experience of those days with how gaming has changed, but it sure is wonderful to find that, although small compared to back then, the spirit is still alive here.

[d3r14k]

I think this was the real spirit of this game in 1999, something that few, if any, modern MMOs have ever really actualized. It's what brought people of all ages together and brought a lot of women into the gaming scene, possibly because of this social aspect. People got married through the game and made friendships and it was a real phenomenon.

Games sure have changed since then and I'm not sure if we will ever be able to fully recreate the experience of those days with how gaming has changed, but it sure is wonderful to find that, although small compared to back then, the spirit is still alive here.

This is exactly what I wanted to try to articulate, but you did it much better than I ever could.

Having the social element outside of the game was a thing for me as well (back in the 1999 era). Talking to other nerds at school about EQ was something... well let's say if I wouldn't have had that I'm not sure I'd have ever been interested in this game at all in the first place.

[Canelek]

It was certainly a phenomenon. Of course, it is not like "social networking" outside of games and message boards was a thing quite yet.

Hell, some good friends of mine met in the game in 1999. He ended up moving out to OR from TN at the time. They are now married with twins. I am sure everyone here knows of similar relationships forged in the game.

[loramin]

I honestly find these situations the most interesting for me personally.

Someone one time had this grand explanation on the forums of different personality types and how they play EQ.

One of the types didn't level much, didn't really accomplish so much in the game instead preferred to socialize and chat with other players.

I am a mixture of that type with someone that does level up etc. I find more satisfaction out of meeting the players behind the toons. It's far more rewarding for me than leveling the toon or killing dragons.

You mean Bartle taxonomy of player types (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_taxonomy_of_player_types)? That was me actually.

The online environment is very appealing to the Socializer, as it provides near limitless potential for new relationships. Socializers start filling up their friend lists (https://www.project1999.com/forums/member.php?u=158042) as soon as they start meeting people, and get to know them better through private messages and sometimes even voice chat. They take full advantage of the ability to join guilds or kinships in many online games, and form fast friendships and try to help other people out. They are compatible with just about everyone; even Killers will often get along with the more respectable Socializers (or simply know better than to pick a fight that the Socializer's friends will get involved in), and the more dramatic Socializers thrive symbiotically on the chaos created by some Killers. Eventually, they will most likely be a well-known name on their particular server, either for the services they provide, or for the drama they are involved in.

Yeah I think it's safe to call you a Socializer :)

[Lhancelot]

You mean Bartle taxonomy of player types (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_taxonomy_of_player_types)? That was me actually.



Yeah I think it's safe to call you a Socializer :)

Yes that was it, rofl. I couldn't remember who posted it, nice Loramin.

I guess I am that type.

Only thing is I find guilds can take away from my autonomy so have found it more enjoyable to be unguilded and just socialize with all guild peoples and unguilded too.

[Mead]

Someone who was all noble 'n stuff would have never gotten so involved in a 17 year old elf sim in the first place. They would have thought - 'really? nah.' and gone right on past. It's like people congratulate recovering alcoholics for being all brave and noble and stuff, when really they just finally stopped being a COMPLETE asshole for once in their lives.

You seem like a very pleasant person. Probably really fun at parties

I enjoyed your story lhance. and we all know you're a softy

[skarlorn]

REALLY GAY THREAD!



Definition of gay (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gay)
1 a : happily excited : merry in a gay mood
b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits a bird's gay spring song
2 a : bright, lively gay sunny meadows
b : brilliant in color

[Ciksharn]

REALLY GAY THREAD!



Definition of gay (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gay)
1 a : happily excited : merry in a gay mood
b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits a bird's gay spring song
2 a : bright, lively gay sunny meadows
b : brilliant in color

You forgot a few definitions per your reference.


3 : given to social pleasures; also : licentious
4 a : homosexual gay men
b : of, relating to, or used by homosexuals the gay rights movement a gay bar

[skarlorn]

That's not how I was using the word.

[Ciksharn]

That's not how I was using the word.

For completions sake. Not everyone's first language is English you know.

[Lhancelot]

REALLY GAY THREAD!



Definition of gay (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gay)
1 a : happily excited : merry in a gay mood
b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits a bird's gay spring song
2 a : bright, lively gay sunny meadows
b : brilliant in color

I am pretty sure you were using it in this way, right?



I enjoyed your story lhance. and we all know you're a softy

https://i.imgur.com/8wCQ4nT.gif

[fadetree]

You seem like a very pleasant person. Probably really fun at parties

I am. Trust me, I know well of what I speak about.

[Spyder73]

braknar finally quit?

Fatnar unable to reproduce because incel

[Spyder73]

My gut is telling me Lhance made up this entire story so everyone would have a big JO fest about his generosity and how we are all pixel addicts with no lives.

Pity reply

[Transylvania]

Games full of dicks, nothing new to see here.

[Lhancelot]

My gut is telling me Lhance made up this entire story so everyone would have a big JO fest about his generosity and how we are all pixel addicts with no lives.

Pity reply

Sorry you are so jaded and miserable IRL that you believe everyone lies and no one can be trusted. :(

I still like you Spyder and think you are highly intelligent and talented with a quirky style of photoshop skills.

Just wish you weren't such a loser downer all the time. Cheer up pal, the world isn't against you, there is good in it!

[fan D]

op is someone id put face first into a toilet in highschool

[radda]

So tired of seeing that fucking ugly cat

[TheOutdoorNerd]

Great story!

Killing a pixelated dragon and looting its pixels is a short term dopamine rush. If that's your main reward from playing the game, then you'll need to keep killing bigger pixelated dragons and looting bigger pixels chasing that same high. Eventually you'll end up with the biggest pixels in the game, and you'll move on to chasing that same high with a series of alts, where you'll end up as a strung-out, salty motherfucker. You now have all the pixels--go you.

I think that meaningful human interaction is way more rewarding in the long run for most people. Ten years from now your pixels will be a distant memory of MySQL relational database queries, but the person you buffed in Unrest might be a real life friend. People are more fun to get drunk with than pixels.

[maskedmelon]

People are more fun to get drunk with than pixels.

this depends on the quantity and quality of:

1. the people
2. the pixels
3. the drink
4. the setting
5. the timing

for example, under no circumstances would "getting drunk on wine before work with a large group of acquaintances at a noisy establishment" ever be better than waking up early to silently slay a imaginary dragon with a few you elfpals.

[Evia]

this depends on the quantity and quality of:

1. the people
2. the pixels
3. the drink
4. the setting
5. the timing

for example, under no circumstances would "getting drunk on wine before work with a large group of acquaintances at a noisy establishment" ever be better than waking up early to silently slay a imaginary dragon with a few you elfpals.

Sound logic right here.

[Lhancelot]

this depends on the quantity and quality of:

1. the people
2. the pixels
3. the drink
4. the setting
5. the timing

for example, under no circumstances would "getting drunk on wine before work with a large group of acquaintances at a noisy establishment" ever be better than waking up early to silently slay a imaginary dragon with a few you elfpals.

This is true I dread being around acquaintances that even slightly annoy me no matter how much alcohol I drink.

In fact, I tried this on last New Years and I ended up just being drunk and annoyed. This is not good.

[SiouxNation]

I wish we had a name so we could confirm or deny this tale of heroism.

[Lhancelot]

I wish we had a name so we could confirm or deny this tale of heroism.

I have screenshots of the entire interaction but for the sake of his privacy I will never share that.

I am a lot of things but I am not a liar.

I simply found the situation touching personally and should have known instead of being greeted with the same sentiment it would turn into a cynical RnF shit show.

That's why I put it in Server Chat just to try to avoid the RnF-type banter but obviously there is no escaping that here. :(

[SiouxNation]

I believe you, my main interest was keeping tabs on this person to see if they resurfaced.

[Lhancelot]

I believe you, my main interest was keeping tabs on this person to see if they resurfaced.

I have all his stuff, 20 pieces of gear he pulled off his shaman on an alt I never play.

I feel weird having it, but I could never sell it or use it tbh. I know they just pixels but I feel like it's not my stuff to use.

I will keep it for a while so if he comes back he can have it all back, or if a long time passes and he still aint back I will give it all to a new player who can use it.

It's about 5-6k worth of stuff.

It's weird how you get these emotional attachments to pixels when there's some sort of story behind them!

[skarlorn]

Wow. So you're just going to take all his stuff? Greedy

[Lhancelot]

Wow. So you're just going to take all his stuff? Greedy

I saved his soul you godless heathen.

It was an act of mercy, and now I am saddled with his belongings and guilt of knowing I am doing exactly what he stopped doing which I shouldn't be doing.

sigh.

[Spyder73]

It's weird how you get these emotional attachments to pixels when there's some sort of story behind them!

Resisting every urge in my body to RnF outside RnF. Struggling mightily.

[skarlorn]

https://i.imgur.com/sCevIKa.gif

[SiouxNation]

reported for RMT and intent to use forum quest to launder your RMT activities

The more I hear, the more I think this is the truth.

[Lhancelot]

The more I hear, the more I think this is the truth.

Caiu has an innate hatred for me, do not go down his extremely predictable rabbit hole.

[Lhancelot]

Resisting every urge in my body to RnF outside RnF. Struggling mightily.

Follow your heart Spyder, for your heart will never lead you astray!

[TheOutdoorNerd]

this depends on the quantity and quality of:

1. the people
2. the pixels
3. the drink
4. the setting
5. the timing

for example, under no circumstances would "getting drunk on wine before work with a large group of acquaintances at a noisy establishment" ever be better than waking up early to silently slay a imaginary dragon with a few you elfpals.

+1

I used to get drunk with Skyrim pixels, then I took an arrow in the knee, ran my horse off a cliff, and it just went downhill from there, literally. Totally wrong setting...