The Outlier

[ehowton]

While YouTube commenters may indeed be the worst of the worst when it comes to stripping away intellect, rationale, accountability, manners, and being overly susceptible to herd-mentality "cowardice empowerment" when it comes to articulating mind-blowing illogic, I am saddened to report that same group of (presumably prepubescent) people are glaringly active on MMORPGS. I honestly can't recall the last time I heard the "N" word used pejoratively :/

Because of this, I was really struggling with trying to comprehend if those types of people add anything whatsoever to society - even accidentally. I'm not talking about those I may simply disagree with, or who's opinions may differ from my own, rather those who are, shall we say, epistemologically challenged? It dawned on me that perhaps those who feel dumb is the new smart is precisely what makes society a sustainable mechanism. Food for thought I suppose.

Then there are those characters (in the full sense of the word) who are at their highest level hanging out in the newbie area killing `n00bs` (or lowbies as they're now called it seems) with a single shot - because they can, then berating those who whine about it. At first it was rather frustrating to be stymied during questing for upwards of an hour as whole groups of highest-level players would camp out by the only egress from town - a bridge - like the troll (again, in both senses) waiting to gobble up De tre bukkene Bruse; Trip trap! Trip trap! Trip trap!

But after listening for awhile - gauging the different types of players and ages and motivations and skill levels and all the things we humans do to belong to something, anything - and admittedly to combat my own frustration - it is a game after all, I decided to play that game. Not the MMORPG - though I'm decidedly doing that as well, rather the game of active combatant. I've applied my war paint, girded my loins (in some rather delicate chain-mail actually) and leaped into the fray. I created a tank on a Player Versus Player (PVP) server and have been dancing behind trees and stones, surreptitiously questing, and playing a game all my own called, "evasion" which turns out to be very exciting outside the game itself. So much so in fact it makes the non-PVP server seem boring in comparison. Which brings me to maturity. There are so many different ways to enjoy gamplay, yet most seem to think their way is the right way. So I listen - occasionally point out when subjective opinions are stated as factual - and slowly get killed...less, by those highest-level god-like beings holding the balance of life or death in their hands in the most literal sense, be it an enchanted bow, a broadsword, a gigantic axe, enormous lance, or any number of magic spells manifesting from their palm. As with just about everything else in life, its all about attitude.

Catch me if you can.


Alexia Powerthrust, Castanic Lancer