One summer Saturday, a few years ago, a buddy of mine, named Joe, and I were hanging out, spending a day together bowling, talking about our high school band days, and our current directions in life. The original plan was to hang out in the day time and later depart in the evening, but we were having so much fun that we decided to extend our small reunion. Having done almost "everything" else in the city between the time of this day and back when we were Juniors and Seniors, we decided to try something outside of our scope of fun.
Joe and I aren't clubbers or urban-nightlife type of people (yes, even, despite my experience with glowsticking; I actually practice just for fun, but don't venture to raves that often). We were your average college guys that strayed away from doing anything too mainstream. But, because of other businesses closing up for the night, we agreed to check out a dance and bar venue nearby.
As we approached the club, a bouncer gave us a quick up-and-down look and shook his head, stating, "Sorry, no shorts allowed, and you need some shoes" (I was wearing sandals at the time). We weren't permitted to step beyond him, and had no idea what theme or event they had going on that night. So, we said our "thanks," and drove off to play some billiards.
Now, let's take a step back and ask some questions about this scenario. Because I drove a long way just to arrive at the club, I at least deserved some fun, or a few minutes just to take a peek inside regardless of the dress code, right? Heck, gas isn't inexpensive.
Am I allowed, then, to claim that the bouncer denied me my natural rights to have fun, and my rights to be myself? I mean, it's just not me to glamour myself up with spiked and gelled hair, cologne, an open collared shirt and dress pants (unless the occasion calls for it) just to dance and socialize. This bouncer, in my theoretical opinion, violated my rights to enjoy the party...right?
No, he didn't. He is only doing his job to ensure that the club's environment stays in tact, that if a dress code is present, then all participants must follow those rules per its culture. Maybe some people don't want to see casually dressed college people crash their sophisticated environment, but it doesn't necessarily imply that they don't want Kevin and Joe at the event. In fact, the bouncer just gave us a hint to what we need in order to enter -- he didn't tell us "sorry, we don't want you here." There was nothing personal in this meeting.
Let's say that I don't understand that concept that there's nothing personal. Let's say that I feel like he did deny me entrance because of who I am, and that I'm stuck on the idea that he took away my rights. This bouncer doesn't know anything about me, and I (theoretically) work 7 days a week at the soup kitchen, distributing food to the underprivileged. I (theoretically) tutor homeless students, work at the YMCA, etc. etc. I've (theoretically) done all these great things for humanity. Is it okay for me to strike up a public rally against this certain bouncer? Certainly not.
First, I should have talked to management -- this bouncer is not laying out the rules, but he is enforcing them. I mean, who would want a bodyguard who doesn't do their job? He does what he does because it's his duty and his implied nature. He isn't a rude, unreasonable draconian. For all I know, this man could have also been a Boys&Girls Club volunteer or mentor who has a side job at this bar. Thus, given that he is not management, I should not be focused on convincing him to let me in, but I should take my concerns to the overall organization. I am sure that he would be happy to allow me in if it wasn't a formal night. There is no sense in reaching out to the other people in line and asking them to verbally shoot down this specific bouncer for not letting us have our fun or be ourselves.
Second, if management finalizes a decision that parallels the bouncer's (i.e. declining me access until I put on the right clothes), is it time to spark up a movement? No, of course not... I cannot conclude that it's personal on these bases. I can't say they're specifically denying Kevin and Joe because we're Kevin and Joe...unless there's a contradiction. That is, are there common exceptions?
My next direction for research should be looking for inconsistencies. In other words, have they allowed ANYONE with shorts (or no shoes) in, ever? Does this rule apply to everyone, too? Until there is a concrete, solid example of a random stranger with shorts and sandals allowed into the club, I cannot say the bouncer did this to me because it's me; I cannot say he took away my rights.
Rights and privileges are two different things, by the way. Rights are something that you are born with, but are not always specifically written down (they're written down when there are people who don't use common sense, or want to take advantage of humanity). I have a right to the freedom of speech, freedom of privacy, and freedom to protect myself. These rights exist so that no one can randomly or spontaneously violate you. This implies that you are doing nothing, that the situation for these rights to exist is when you are a passive, static target (in other words, when you did not make any decisions to led to this event).
However, there are some limitations to these rights when you participate in anything social, when you make a conscious decision to take part in a gathering or perform an action. Limited rights include privileges. When you want to do something, you actually have to give up some rights if it is necessary to protect the rights of others. For example, you can't take sharp utensils when you want to fly, for safety purposes. You can't yell "bomb" in a crowded stadium, even if there isn't one to begin with. If you create a disturbance, you are then throwing away your privileges in effect, such as the privilege to live in a home versus a cell, or the privilege to fly.
Thus, I do have the right to have fun (I can have fun elsewhere), just not at the club. The bouncer didn't chain me up and say I wasn't allowed to do anything that night (THAT would be a violation of my rights, then, because it would affect me even if I didn't make a decision at all). If I want to take part at this event, I have to abide by a rule that everyone else is following, or else lose the privilege to have fun at the club. Debating the issue would probably deny me access for the rest of the night, or maybe a temporary lockup when they call the cops for "disturbance of the peace."
This entire concept applies everywhere.
Yes, it applies to the Spiral. I'm talking to those people out there who argue that "cursing" is a natural right to have in Wizard101. Just like people of the club scene, players of this game do not want an environment of hostility or discomfort, hence the Report button. If someone is acting against the Terms of Use (which is the contract every player automatically signs when they sign up for an account), there is no need to feel shamed or discouraged to flag them for KingsIsle's review; you are only doing your job as a community member to keeping the Spiral a safe and fun place.
Yes, it applies to game contests. When you fail to follow the rules or directions, you lost your privilege to have a chance at winning; you weren't denied "rights" for making a mistake (again, you had the chance to enter, you made the decision to, and you are then subject and responsible to following the rules; when you break them, you lose the chance; i.e. you were not denied them in the first place).
It certainly applies to social gatherings, as I mentioned a bit ago. You still have the right to not conform, and the right to be yourself, but remember, by keeping or holding onto certain rights that others give up for the sake of allowing the convention to exist in presence AND in essence, you are giving up your privilege to be at the meeting in spite of your desires and preferences.
Showing posts with label contemplation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemplation. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Beyond the Spiral: Ironic Truth
**Note: This is not meant to be a motivational speech or a speech or soapbox or anything of that nature. This is simply a sharing of my perspective and my understanding, and I expect that there will be disagreements as well as concurring opinions. This is also meant to help anyone out there who is lost in a fog of their own thoughts...
Haters are the creatures created from jealousy. When people see something they don’t have -- but want, desire, and need *just* for themselves (i.e. no one else "should" have it, or that some people [like themselves] are entitled to it while others aren't) -- they will channel all their energy into destructive behavior like name-calling, bashing, and trolling. This happens especially when they simply cannot imagine or perceive any alternative methods to obtaining their goal, other than (attempted) intimidation or aggression. Because they cannot attack the truth directly (or what appears to be the truth, for that matter), and because they hope to avoid humiliating themselves via contradiction, they will attack you personally, whether it's your race or how you look, or who you are and what you do in your private life. Haters live not off of oxygen and water, but off of their (false) sense of superiority. They have to quantify, rate, measure, and rank everything around them in order to feel satisfied that they are nowhere near "the bottom", and will try to use the numbers to convince themselves (if not others) that they are at the top.
On the other hand, winners are created from understanding and maturity. They know they will never have everything they want (life is not meant to be perfect or fair), but they also realize that trying to possess only what they see in front of them is a deterrent to their true potential. There does not exist a "bar" for the winners, but that does not mean that they continually ascend and leave others behind them. In fact, winners are also created from inspiration, one of the few gifts that can keep on giving. Winners channel their energy into positive motivation and affect others (constructively) around them, developing others like them for whatever paths they choose.
Winners can fail or lose, nevertheless, because that’s the first part of the entire process called “success.” What they must understand though, to stay winners, is that success AND failure are not permanent. The cliche "winners never quit" could never be truer in this context. Once one sets a landmark or a stopping point for their own path, someone else will surpass them (especially if everyone is growing together). There is no ceiling or floor for these types of people.
Haters, on the other hand, believe that what they have should be the standard, and that no one else may ascend further. They are the ones who cannot comprehend or believe that anyone else can surpass their "bar," and that anyone who does so MUST be deceitful or hiding something.
Yet, haters are the ones who are actually “unleashed potential.” This phrase is treated in a light, positive manner because, as the saying goes, "Haters gon'[na] hate." Going back to the "bar": haters have yet to fully develop because of that measurement or that mark they place upon themselves as well as others. The fact that a ceiling exists anywhere in their perspective shows that they are also stunted in effect. Thus, this implies that they have a chance to outgrow their immaturity. Everyone (yes, including trolls) has the ability to improve, whether it be their selves or their understanding of the world they live in. Certain people are less mature, but it does not mean they are completely lost causes; we all grow at different rates, after all.
Indirectly defined: hating on the haters only prevents everyone from advancing. I admit that I was at fault at some point (hating the haters), but as I said, we all have room to grow and realize faults such as this. Worrying about trolls or attackers only creates an unnecessary and temporary burden that pervasively invades my happiness. That said, I simply wish everyone the best in life, even if you don't reciprocate. Peace~
Haters are the creatures created from jealousy. When people see something they don’t have -- but want, desire, and need *just* for themselves (i.e. no one else "should" have it, or that some people [like themselves] are entitled to it while others aren't) -- they will channel all their energy into destructive behavior like name-calling, bashing, and trolling. This happens especially when they simply cannot imagine or perceive any alternative methods to obtaining their goal, other than (attempted) intimidation or aggression. Because they cannot attack the truth directly (or what appears to be the truth, for that matter), and because they hope to avoid humiliating themselves via contradiction, they will attack you personally, whether it's your race or how you look, or who you are and what you do in your private life. Haters live not off of oxygen and water, but off of their (false) sense of superiority. They have to quantify, rate, measure, and rank everything around them in order to feel satisfied that they are nowhere near "the bottom", and will try to use the numbers to convince themselves (if not others) that they are at the top.
On the other hand, winners are created from understanding and maturity. They know they will never have everything they want (life is not meant to be perfect or fair), but they also realize that trying to possess only what they see in front of them is a deterrent to their true potential. There does not exist a "bar" for the winners, but that does not mean that they continually ascend and leave others behind them. In fact, winners are also created from inspiration, one of the few gifts that can keep on giving. Winners channel their energy into positive motivation and affect others (constructively) around them, developing others like them for whatever paths they choose.
Winners can fail or lose, nevertheless, because that’s the first part of the entire process called “success.” What they must understand though, to stay winners, is that success AND failure are not permanent. The cliche "winners never quit" could never be truer in this context. Once one sets a landmark or a stopping point for their own path, someone else will surpass them (especially if everyone is growing together). There is no ceiling or floor for these types of people.
Haters, on the other hand, believe that what they have should be the standard, and that no one else may ascend further. They are the ones who cannot comprehend or believe that anyone else can surpass their "bar," and that anyone who does so MUST be deceitful or hiding something.
Yet, haters are the ones who are actually “unleashed potential.” This phrase is treated in a light, positive manner because, as the saying goes, "Haters gon'[na] hate." Going back to the "bar": haters have yet to fully develop because of that measurement or that mark they place upon themselves as well as others. The fact that a ceiling exists anywhere in their perspective shows that they are also stunted in effect. Thus, this implies that they have a chance to outgrow their immaturity. Everyone (yes, including trolls) has the ability to improve, whether it be their selves or their understanding of the world they live in. Certain people are less mature, but it does not mean they are completely lost causes; we all grow at different rates, after all.
Indirectly defined: hating on the haters only prevents everyone from advancing. I admit that I was at fault at some point (hating the haters), but as I said, we all have room to grow and realize faults such as this. Worrying about trolls or attackers only creates an unnecessary and temporary burden that pervasively invades my happiness. That said, I simply wish everyone the best in life, even if you don't reciprocate. Peace~
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
TOOT (Reflection, Two Oh One Two)
Hey all,
This is two entire months late (I know, I know...), but I've never really had much time to be able to sit down for a couple of hours and just think. I've been out of touch with the Spiral while trying to settle down into five, upper-division college classes, and meet their barrage of demands made up of homework, familiarizing myself with the electronic bulletin board system, and adapting to a heavier workload. The good news is...I'm actually ahead of the schedule, this time. This is going to be an extremely long and personal blog post, but then again, it is about 11 weeks' worth of contemplation and news (the first part is just an update, the rest is not for the faint of mind):
I hope you've had a FANTASTIC New Year's, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Vacation, and/or Time Off Work! I had an amazing time with the family as we headed out on a "solo run" (without extended family, which we haven't done for years) on Christmas to a casino that was hosting a LOBSTER BUFFET. That dinner certainly blew my mind, considering I've never liked lobster...but the way they cooked theirs, I loved it! No gifts this year, but that's almost a lie; that quality time with my parents and little sister was more than I could ask for. We've had some ups and downs throughout history, so it dawned on me how lucky we were just to be able to see and laugh with one another. Those Christmas movies I watched as a young'un are starting to seep into the heart and make some sense. Ah, the magic of time...
Speaking of quality time, Hexythorn also visited me, and we had a wonderful week and a half together: driving up and down the state, getting her acquainted with my family (extended and immediate), and venturing to my favorite places in Northern California. She's actually fond of the things my family and I eat (oh, how I've taken the food for granted...and still do!) and from what I last heard, is now loving Pho tremendously. She also misses rice. That's something I'll never understand, since I'm very westernized (yay burgers and pizza and lasagna and Mexican food!) Alyssa played her first casino game over here, and was very quick to understand the strategies of video poker (it greatly differs from regular Poker in the sense of probabilities and randomization). We also had the opportunity to introduce my family to their first perogies, too; my parents decided to stick with their baby octopi, while my sister, "T", Alyssa, and I helped ourselves to some extras. (Behind the scenes note: while making them, Alyssa thought the Polish dumplings would end up as an epic fail due to the unnaturally sticky texture of the dough...but, we managed!)
Throughout the visit, we've grown and bonded, and established that we indeed can continue this LDR. Realistically, connections in this nature tend to be fragile, but with trust and open communication, it's possible to hold onto with unquestioning determination. Anyway, if you're interested for whatever reason, more details can be found over at IceeHawt101 on YouTube, our collection of videos of our little conventions.
In addition to the beginning of the new year, my PVP team Perfect Catch and I ventured through the Arena, but not as much as before. My class schedule and the ladies' sleep times have conflicted to a point where the only available time to do anything is over the weekend. Sadly, such a period is only 2.5 days long. Nevertheless, we are still evolving and developing as a team, and admittedly, our obstacles have grown, since more and more YouTube viewers (and players) are becoming familiar with our playstyle. Some viewers have asked why we allow others to look at how we play from such a close proximity; the answer is that PVP at a team-scale is a difficult dance to "teach" step-by-step.
In 1v1, the mental flowchart that plays out in our heads is purely conditional upon the past 2-5 turns and anticipated 3 steps thereafter. In other words, it's almost organized in how you analyze your and your opponent's health, pips, and mobility, and is almost repetitive to a point where guides for deck building can be created for specific situations and counters. In 4v4, almost anything can happen, and it becomes a messy battle of psychology, where flowcharts will have flowcharts of their own. Not every situation repeats itself, and not everyone is comfortable with either working with each other or with their current deck build. Thus, even general guides can look extremely situational and almost "over the top" to someone in the hot seat. In that situation, duelists should be paying attention to the current stats, and analyzing what they need to do, opposed to recalling someone else's past advice. Thus, not too much is being compromised...and besides, we have fun developing new and surprising tactics now and then.
This semester is just the first of a long series that I want to take seriously. "Seriously" meaning getting at least a 95% in every class...meaning I'm doing the reading before they're even assigned, or working out math theorems before given a lecture on it. It's a huge part of advancing and developing yourself in life: going above and beyond. Never settle for "what you already have..." This is an especially important mindset, considering that we tend to think 90% or 80% or sometimes 70% of something is satisfactory.
There's more to college or higher education than just "fulfilling requirements." It's about becoming a better human being, becoming enlightened. Yes, homework is stressful and boring and mundane, but everything you acquire through life are building blocks to what you'll become one day...I promise. Yes, even that Calculus class will count. (My boss mentioned how he thought it was useless in the field he was going into, which was government administration; he admitted he was dead wrong).
Back then, I looked towards my courses as I would a job: something you "have" to do. I didn't see a point in reading the assigned pages (especially when the professors would contribute the most to the discussions and lectures), or studying with devotion (this was actually due to my characteristic of being a "sponge," as my Calc teacher put it)... I just went with the flow. Steadily, I made less effort over time.
I can't quite remember when or where it happened, but during a point of where I was gaming professionally, I realized I had strayed too far from where I needed to be. I wasn't productive or contributing anything to society, other than a little math tutoring. This was awhile before I came to Wizard101...so the Kevin you know now was completely different back then. You might have called me a pessimist, or rigid. In high school, I participated for about a month as a peer counselor. Hearing about drama and tragic life problems made me feel that we're all independent, struggling to survive at another being's expense. "Community" was just a word to me where society expects something from you, and that you're obligated to do said "something."
Over the years, as I completed my course requirements for college, I noticed that what I perceived about the word "community" was totally misinformed. During my self-development, I picked up a job with the state, and completed a surplus of college classes (from personal motivation, not through anyone else's demands or advice). I began to appreciate more and more of what I was absorbing intellectually and academically, and felt a greater need to give a little something back when I saw the intrinsic beauty of human nature that we seldom see or recognize.
The whole point of sharing this is my indirect way of testifying that education, no matter what level, is more than what we perceive or think it is. The people of older generations are helping us from repeating their mistakes, and they've become much more successful at doing so as our technology (and spread of information) grows. The awesome thing that sets humans apart from other creatures is our ability to problem solve, remember, and philosophize (asking the questions about life, trying to determine meaning for ourselves opposed to mechanically following authorities' directions). The more people that are involved in higher learning, the more useful wisdom they can pass down, especially when the preceding generation has over-analyzed and dissected their issues just like we are (and will keep doing).
"Humans are not perfect" may be the cliche saying, but what makes us awesome is not using the statement as an excuse to not become better or not improve. Growth and development is exciting, to me; I mean, consider how we have automobiles instead of riding to work on a horse, or how we can communicate with each other with a few simple clicks of the button on a smart phone, or how we can share inspiring art without requiring transportation or manual delivery. We really have it very easy, and it's only going to become easier... But, this is not true for everyone.
Older generations, as we can observe, tend to have more difficulty utilizing the tools that make our lives easier today. They either feel there's no need to do something different than what they're used to over a series of decades, or they lack the confidence and motivation to learn. Every time a co-worker of mine calls me over to teach her something on Microsoft Office, I tend to have a voice in the back of my head that wonders if I'll ever be like this some day. It's kind of scary, to be honest. And, every time she thanks me, but fails to conceptualize or want to "learn how to fish" as the saying goes, I feel a little broken inside in addition to that worry. I suppose that as I grow older and accumulate more and more knowledge, I'll end up seeing an overload of information, and perhaps succumb to the same habit of not wanting to learn anything new. (I really hope it doesn't come to that, but I remind myself it's entirely possible.) But, I digress...
Thus, learning really is about survival as a whole race, not just individually. Mistakes happen globally and universally, and while most readers out there are too young to really worry about this now, my contemporaries and elders can empathize with the importance of opening one's mind and sharing/teaching. Teachers have become the ultimate heroes of this Information Age as they debunk myths, brave the unknown, experiment with the undiscovered, and dive into the dark truths of the world. In the end, they shape their students for living better lives so these newly educated can establish even better lives for their children, and so on. If we appreciate the services we have today, like Twitter, Google, the automobile, smart phones, computers, and airplanes, then we need to take up that responsibility of loving and taking advantage of knowledge, and hope our descendants can carry out and handle the same passion.
This is two entire months late (I know, I know...), but I've never really had much time to be able to sit down for a couple of hours and just think. I've been out of touch with the Spiral while trying to settle down into five, upper-division college classes, and meet their barrage of demands made up of homework, familiarizing myself with the electronic bulletin board system, and adapting to a heavier workload. The good news is...I'm actually ahead of the schedule, this time. This is going to be an extremely long and personal blog post, but then again, it is about 11 weeks' worth of contemplation and news (the first part is just an update, the rest is not for the faint of mind):
I hope you've had a FANTASTIC New Year's, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Vacation, and/or Time Off Work! I had an amazing time with the family as we headed out on a "solo run" (without extended family, which we haven't done for years) on Christmas to a casino that was hosting a LOBSTER BUFFET. That dinner certainly blew my mind, considering I've never liked lobster...but the way they cooked theirs, I loved it! No gifts this year, but that's almost a lie; that quality time with my parents and little sister was more than I could ask for. We've had some ups and downs throughout history, so it dawned on me how lucky we were just to be able to see and laugh with one another. Those Christmas movies I watched as a young'un are starting to seep into the heart and make some sense. Ah, the magic of time...
Speaking of quality time, Hexythorn also visited me, and we had a wonderful week and a half together: driving up and down the state, getting her acquainted with my family (extended and immediate), and venturing to my favorite places in Northern California. She's actually fond of the things my family and I eat (oh, how I've taken the food for granted...and still do!) and from what I last heard, is now loving Pho tremendously. She also misses rice. That's something I'll never understand, since I'm very westernized (yay burgers and pizza and lasagna and Mexican food!) Alyssa played her first casino game over here, and was very quick to understand the strategies of video poker (it greatly differs from regular Poker in the sense of probabilities and randomization). We also had the opportunity to introduce my family to their first perogies, too; my parents decided to stick with their baby octopi, while my sister, "T", Alyssa, and I helped ourselves to some extras. (Behind the scenes note: while making them, Alyssa thought the Polish dumplings would end up as an epic fail due to the unnaturally sticky texture of the dough...but, we managed!)
Throughout the visit, we've grown and bonded, and established that we indeed can continue this LDR. Realistically, connections in this nature tend to be fragile, but with trust and open communication, it's possible to hold onto with unquestioning determination. Anyway, if you're interested for whatever reason, more details can be found over at IceeHawt101 on YouTube, our collection of videos of our little conventions.
In addition to the beginning of the new year, my PVP team Perfect Catch and I ventured through the Arena, but not as much as before. My class schedule and the ladies' sleep times have conflicted to a point where the only available time to do anything is over the weekend. Sadly, such a period is only 2.5 days long. Nevertheless, we are still evolving and developing as a team, and admittedly, our obstacles have grown, since more and more YouTube viewers (and players) are becoming familiar with our playstyle. Some viewers have asked why we allow others to look at how we play from such a close proximity; the answer is that PVP at a team-scale is a difficult dance to "teach" step-by-step.
In 1v1, the mental flowchart that plays out in our heads is purely conditional upon the past 2-5 turns and anticipated 3 steps thereafter. In other words, it's almost organized in how you analyze your and your opponent's health, pips, and mobility, and is almost repetitive to a point where guides for deck building can be created for specific situations and counters. In 4v4, almost anything can happen, and it becomes a messy battle of psychology, where flowcharts will have flowcharts of their own. Not every situation repeats itself, and not everyone is comfortable with either working with each other or with their current deck build. Thus, even general guides can look extremely situational and almost "over the top" to someone in the hot seat. In that situation, duelists should be paying attention to the current stats, and analyzing what they need to do, opposed to recalling someone else's past advice. Thus, not too much is being compromised...and besides, we have fun developing new and surprising tactics now and then.
This semester is just the first of a long series that I want to take seriously. "Seriously" meaning getting at least a 95% in every class...meaning I'm doing the reading before they're even assigned, or working out math theorems before given a lecture on it. It's a huge part of advancing and developing yourself in life: going above and beyond. Never settle for "what you already have..." This is an especially important mindset, considering that we tend to think 90% or 80% or sometimes 70% of something is satisfactory.
There's more to college or higher education than just "fulfilling requirements." It's about becoming a better human being, becoming enlightened. Yes, homework is stressful and boring and mundane, but everything you acquire through life are building blocks to what you'll become one day...I promise. Yes, even that Calculus class will count. (My boss mentioned how he thought it was useless in the field he was going into, which was government administration; he admitted he was dead wrong).
Back then, I looked towards my courses as I would a job: something you "have" to do. I didn't see a point in reading the assigned pages (especially when the professors would contribute the most to the discussions and lectures), or studying with devotion (this was actually due to my characteristic of being a "sponge," as my Calc teacher put it)... I just went with the flow. Steadily, I made less effort over time.
I can't quite remember when or where it happened, but during a point of where I was gaming professionally, I realized I had strayed too far from where I needed to be. I wasn't productive or contributing anything to society, other than a little math tutoring. This was awhile before I came to Wizard101...so the Kevin you know now was completely different back then. You might have called me a pessimist, or rigid. In high school, I participated for about a month as a peer counselor. Hearing about drama and tragic life problems made me feel that we're all independent, struggling to survive at another being's expense. "Community" was just a word to me where society expects something from you, and that you're obligated to do said "something."
Over the years, as I completed my course requirements for college, I noticed that what I perceived about the word "community" was totally misinformed. During my self-development, I picked up a job with the state, and completed a surplus of college classes (from personal motivation, not through anyone else's demands or advice). I began to appreciate more and more of what I was absorbing intellectually and academically, and felt a greater need to give a little something back when I saw the intrinsic beauty of human nature that we seldom see or recognize.
The whole point of sharing this is my indirect way of testifying that education, no matter what level, is more than what we perceive or think it is. The people of older generations are helping us from repeating their mistakes, and they've become much more successful at doing so as our technology (and spread of information) grows. The awesome thing that sets humans apart from other creatures is our ability to problem solve, remember, and philosophize (asking the questions about life, trying to determine meaning for ourselves opposed to mechanically following authorities' directions). The more people that are involved in higher learning, the more useful wisdom they can pass down, especially when the preceding generation has over-analyzed and dissected their issues just like we are (and will keep doing).
"Humans are not perfect" may be the cliche saying, but what makes us awesome is not using the statement as an excuse to not become better or not improve. Growth and development is exciting, to me; I mean, consider how we have automobiles instead of riding to work on a horse, or how we can communicate with each other with a few simple clicks of the button on a smart phone, or how we can share inspiring art without requiring transportation or manual delivery. We really have it very easy, and it's only going to become easier... But, this is not true for everyone.
Older generations, as we can observe, tend to have more difficulty utilizing the tools that make our lives easier today. They either feel there's no need to do something different than what they're used to over a series of decades, or they lack the confidence and motivation to learn. Every time a co-worker of mine calls me over to teach her something on Microsoft Office, I tend to have a voice in the back of my head that wonders if I'll ever be like this some day. It's kind of scary, to be honest. And, every time she thanks me, but fails to conceptualize or want to "learn how to fish" as the saying goes, I feel a little broken inside in addition to that worry. I suppose that as I grow older and accumulate more and more knowledge, I'll end up seeing an overload of information, and perhaps succumb to the same habit of not wanting to learn anything new. (I really hope it doesn't come to that, but I remind myself it's entirely possible.) But, I digress...
Thus, learning really is about survival as a whole race, not just individually. Mistakes happen globally and universally, and while most readers out there are too young to really worry about this now, my contemporaries and elders can empathize with the importance of opening one's mind and sharing/teaching. Teachers have become the ultimate heroes of this Information Age as they debunk myths, brave the unknown, experiment with the undiscovered, and dive into the dark truths of the world. In the end, they shape their students for living better lives so these newly educated can establish even better lives for their children, and so on. If we appreciate the services we have today, like Twitter, Google, the automobile, smart phones, computers, and airplanes, then we need to take up that responsibility of loving and taking advantage of knowledge, and hope our descendants can carry out and handle the same passion.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
What If...?: Survivor Mode
Happy Holidays, all! Now that I'm done with finals and picking out my new classes for the Spring at the University, I'm ready to return to Wizard101-based activities! I'll admit I've also been looking into a new game recently...which I'll have to share more about next time; it's called Cardmon Hero.
There was an exciting instance/dungeon in this game (one of many, actually) that required a different technique than the ones I used from Level 1 through 20. Instead of standing around and casting spells like in most MMO-grinders, a solo player in Cardmon is required to run around this specific boss, because his hundred minions are all chasing you at the same time. If I stood in one spot, they'd surround me, and I'd be taking 100 hits per second... Ouch! Thus, to combat from being surrounded (and to finish the instance in the time limit they allowed me), I had to summon my own minions and run circles around the mob, avoiding their attacks while letting my creatures knock them out one-by-one. My creatures also had to stay within a certain range of me, or else they'd stop attacking; hence the circular path. Slowly, the enemies diminished, and I could resume a stationary position to take out the boss next.
Having run around nearly 30 or 40 times, an idea sparked for me for Wizard101. What if we had something similar to what other games call a "Survivor Mode"? Now, the thought of a tower comes to mind, where you must extinguish a set number of monsters before you arrive at the boss (without the ability to freely refill potions and return to the instance). That can be considered a type of "Survivor" style, but what I'm looking for is one that's a little more restrictive. In other words, how about a battle that doesn't end until you slay a certain amount of creatures and a boss before you receive its rewards?
Imagine an old scroll unrolling to reveal a number in Shermlock font (bright red), indicating the number of Wooden Golems that must be destroyed before an upgraded, shinier Smogger appears. Oh, he also cheats; you're not allowed to use single-target abilities on him (that goes for attacks, utility spells, etc.) Something of that sort.
The challenge here is that short decks (Zerg/Blitz/Rush decks), usually built for a full team of wizards to end a battle quickly and effortlessly, become obsolete along with the strategy of building up a titanic attack that destroys everything in one hit. Survivor Mode would require full decks of heals, shields, blades, globals, and, of course, Reshuffles. In essence, you're no longer segregating different decks for different situations (short decks for farming, specially built decks for Storm bosses, etc.), but you're building an all-in-one deck...almost like a PvP deck, I suppose.
I'm certain that this is doable by KingsIsle. In the Trial of Spheres, Tower of the Helephant, and Briskbreeze, we see bosses summoning allies for help, either as support or as distractions. Even if you kill the first boss in the Trial of Spheres, there's a chance his minions will show up after his death, due to a structural rule within the coding.
Thus, let's have a counter in the corner of the screen that requires you to kill 100 Golems (that's 25 strong AOEs within your team) before Smogger 2.0 shows up, and you're allowed to keep your Pips, Health, and Mana from the last turn. Deck Status stays the same, meaning discarded or used cards remain in the discard pile until Reshuffled.
Of course, there're slight flaws with how enjoyable Survivor Mode can be: you might run into teammates who permanently AFK the entire time, or who don't have the right deck set-ups...but these are pretty general issues that can be found anywhere else.
So, what are your ideas to add, take away, or modify this proposed "Survivor Mode"? Or, have you thought of something similar that's different in context or content? Let me know down below!
There was an exciting instance/dungeon in this game (one of many, actually) that required a different technique than the ones I used from Level 1 through 20. Instead of standing around and casting spells like in most MMO-grinders, a solo player in Cardmon is required to run around this specific boss, because his hundred minions are all chasing you at the same time. If I stood in one spot, they'd surround me, and I'd be taking 100 hits per second... Ouch! Thus, to combat from being surrounded (and to finish the instance in the time limit they allowed me), I had to summon my own minions and run circles around the mob, avoiding their attacks while letting my creatures knock them out one-by-one. My creatures also had to stay within a certain range of me, or else they'd stop attacking; hence the circular path. Slowly, the enemies diminished, and I could resume a stationary position to take out the boss next.
Having run around nearly 30 or 40 times, an idea sparked for me for Wizard101. What if we had something similar to what other games call a "Survivor Mode"? Now, the thought of a tower comes to mind, where you must extinguish a set number of monsters before you arrive at the boss (without the ability to freely refill potions and return to the instance). That can be considered a type of "Survivor" style, but what I'm looking for is one that's a little more restrictive. In other words, how about a battle that doesn't end until you slay a certain amount of creatures and a boss before you receive its rewards?
Imagine an old scroll unrolling to reveal a number in Shermlock font (bright red), indicating the number of Wooden Golems that must be destroyed before an upgraded, shinier Smogger appears. Oh, he also cheats; you're not allowed to use single-target abilities on him (that goes for attacks, utility spells, etc.) Something of that sort.
The challenge here is that short decks (Zerg/Blitz/Rush decks), usually built for a full team of wizards to end a battle quickly and effortlessly, become obsolete along with the strategy of building up a titanic attack that destroys everything in one hit. Survivor Mode would require full decks of heals, shields, blades, globals, and, of course, Reshuffles. In essence, you're no longer segregating different decks for different situations (short decks for farming, specially built decks for Storm bosses, etc.), but you're building an all-in-one deck...almost like a PvP deck, I suppose.
I'm certain that this is doable by KingsIsle. In the Trial of Spheres, Tower of the Helephant, and Briskbreeze, we see bosses summoning allies for help, either as support or as distractions. Even if you kill the first boss in the Trial of Spheres, there's a chance his minions will show up after his death, due to a structural rule within the coding.
Thus, let's have a counter in the corner of the screen that requires you to kill 100 Golems (that's 25 strong AOEs within your team) before Smogger 2.0 shows up, and you're allowed to keep your Pips, Health, and Mana from the last turn. Deck Status stays the same, meaning discarded or used cards remain in the discard pile until Reshuffled.
Of course, there're slight flaws with how enjoyable Survivor Mode can be: you might run into teammates who permanently AFK the entire time, or who don't have the right deck set-ups...but these are pretty general issues that can be found anywhere else.
So, what are your ideas to add, take away, or modify this proposed "Survivor Mode"? Or, have you thought of something similar that's different in context or content? Let me know down below!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
What If...?: Fusion Magic
As cheating bosses -- and, potentially, mobs -- become more prevalent, teamwork and playing with a partner (or three) become even more valuable concepts to completing Wizard101 battles successfully. Venturing with someone whose school matches yours increases your chances of supporting one another, since you can use the same Blades and Traps. In fact, my Storm Wizard and a friend's Diviner were able to quest all the way to Malistaire after we received Tempest without needing to heal; we demolished the mobs before we took any damage. Another beneficial -- and more effective -- tactic of teamwork is questing with someone that's the opposite of your school (Fire and Ice, Myth and Storm, Death and Life) to virtually eliminate the need for Prisms (or conversions). Cassandra Hexthorn and I are able to fly through mob battles just by using our Rank 4 AOE and a few modifiers; she can handle the Ice creatures that I despise, while I wipe out the Fire-based enemies that resist her. And, other than just ending battles faster, a variety of schools (especially in a full team) is the most optimal tool at anyone's disposal. Without being able to synchronize effective combos, such as using Steal Ward or Pierce Train to break a cheater's 90% Tower Shield before a Fire or Storm attack is executed, duels can take a copious amount of time. Let alone, as this game evolves, soloing isn't becoming any easier. Heck, even the Rhino mount is advocating for increased social interaction!
When we look at the history of game-changing mechanics, there's a common theme to what these updates are focused on. Critical and Block Ratings, Advanced Pets, Astral Magic, and Armor Piercing (coming soon with Zafaria) can all benefit a single player, whether or not they have teammates. In other words, when my questing allies have logged off, all of these features (Critical, Pets, Astral, Piercing, etc.) are still available to me, and I'm not losing out on anything when my friends are offline. It feels great to be able to play and not have to be dependent on matching schedules with someone else.
However, what if there was a game mechanic or feature that becomes an incentive (or a reward) for practicing teamwork and/or coordination between multiple schools? Instead of four Storm Wizards being the most effective bulldozer to mow down normal mobs, why don't we introduce Fusion Magic, where a tertiary effect occurs when two or more specific schools lay out their spells in succession?
This idea is actually inspired from my Atlantica Online days and from contemplating how it'd feel to be a mob that was drenched in a fierce Tempest and suddenly frozen by a Blizzard follow-up attack. In AO, when certain DoTs were stacked on top of one another, they'd produce an entirely new spell that would affect the targets in a unique fashion that couldn't be accomplished if the DoTs were cast separate of one another. For example, if Break Down (visual effect of an earthquake, physical DoT) and Chaos Wind (a vortex of wind magic, elemental DoT) were played consecutively, the affected units are affected by a new spell called Destructive Wind.
If this were implemented into Wizard101, imagine all the different possibilities and outcomes that would follow:
When we look at the history of game-changing mechanics, there's a common theme to what these updates are focused on. Critical and Block Ratings, Advanced Pets, Astral Magic, and Armor Piercing (coming soon with Zafaria) can all benefit a single player, whether or not they have teammates. In other words, when my questing allies have logged off, all of these features (Critical, Pets, Astral, Piercing, etc.) are still available to me, and I'm not losing out on anything when my friends are offline. It feels great to be able to play and not have to be dependent on matching schedules with someone else.
However, what if there was a game mechanic or feature that becomes an incentive (or a reward) for practicing teamwork and/or coordination between multiple schools? Instead of four Storm Wizards being the most effective bulldozer to mow down normal mobs, why don't we introduce Fusion Magic, where a tertiary effect occurs when two or more specific schools lay out their spells in succession?
This idea is actually inspired from my Atlantica Online days and from contemplating how it'd feel to be a mob that was drenched in a fierce Tempest and suddenly frozen by a Blizzard follow-up attack. In AO, when certain DoTs were stacked on top of one another, they'd produce an entirely new spell that would affect the targets in a unique fashion that couldn't be accomplished if the DoTs were cast separate of one another. For example, if Break Down (visual effect of an earthquake, physical DoT) and Chaos Wind (a vortex of wind magic, elemental DoT) were played consecutively, the affected units are affected by a new spell called Destructive Wind.
If this were implemented into Wizard101, imagine all the different possibilities and outcomes that would follow:
- Let's say one mechanic would require a new spell called "Fusion," which is a pair of Universal Prisms, meaning any school will affect them. Two Prisms are placed upon one target.
To use "Fusion," two attacks of opposite schools must damage the target consecutively (one right after another, without any other school in between). In other words once the Prisms are placed, a Fire-then-Ice or Ice-then-Fire combo must take place -- it can be on the same OR different turns (under the condition that no other school's spell uses up the second Prism). Thus, DoTs like Fire Dragon and Snow Angel must be timed correctly, or else one of the ticks from one school will remove the second Prism, nullifying the "Fusion" spell.
If a "Fusion" is used correctly, the following events can occur:
If Fire Dragon followed after Snow Angel, for example, it'd create a spell/effect called "Steam Wall."
(The Snow Angel tick is removed, only to be replaced by a tick that's silver/grey. This tick would not do any damage, but it will last for two rounds after it has been placed, and not allow the victim to cast any magic upon anyone else but themselves. It is almost like a "blindness" effect, where self-target spells do not fizzle, but anything else that targets allies or enemies WILL fizzle. Enemies and allies, however, can still target the afflicted creature/player.)
If Snow Angel were to follow Fire Dragon, "Freezer Burn" would take place.
(The Fire Dragon's tick is removed, replaced by a tick that's pearl white. This tick would do very little Astral damage (50 per turn) for two rounds, and act as a Stun per tick. Of course, if a Stun Shield is present, then a Stun is avoided while the shield is removed. So, someone with 3 Stun Shields under Freezer Burn would have only 1 Stun Shield after the spell is exhausted.)
- Or, what if any school could "fuse" with any school (except with its own), and what if the order the spells were used in didn't matter, as long as they were casted consecutively?
Death and Myth could fuse to create "Shattered Dreams," which removes all charms on the target, and adds a 10% Weakness spell for every unique* charm on them (*though Elemental and Spiritual blades consist of three different charms, they will be counted as one single charm, as a whole).
Storm and Fire could fuse to create "Acid Rain," which creates a personal bubble around the target (similar to Star magic) for three rounds, which imbues an additional 15% Armor Piercing to any incoming attack. Thus, if an attacker already has 20% Armor Piercing on their spell, this bubble will increase it to 35% Armor Piercing onto the victim. (Of course, the victim could always play another Star Magic spell to cut off its normal duration!)
Keep in mind that the concept of fusing is NOT meant for increasing damage (Meteor's damage + Blizzard's damage != fusing), but it is meant for creating an effect with unique properties on a chosen target. Thus, it's possible that Fusion Magic will result in lowered damage output (like removing a Snow Angel tick in the first example), but, as I've explained to Ronan when he feels uneasy about using his Nova when he's stacked with three different types of Weaknesses, spells don't always have to deal significant damage to be useful.
For example, while I may lose my Snow Angel tick in the Steam Wall spell, a hypothetical boss will be unable to cast anything onto anyone but itself for two rounds. That means we could nullify a cheat (instant-fizzle, per Steam Wall's effect) together.
I do have my solo-happy friends in mind, however. So, I'll reiterate that these Fusion spells are not required to beat certain bosses, but rather, to help cut down time and act as an optional, auxiliary mechanic (just like Gardening, where you don't have to utilize this feature to be able to fight Morganthe). I just feel that it would be interesting to introduce a type of "chemistry" where reactions occur between two different "elements." Thus, with the Mastery Amulet and/or a minion, Fusion magic can be achieved without another player, and there still exists the essence of "team strategy," timing, and combination spells.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this matter: whether you agree, disagree, or want to "fuse" your own ideas with mine, or make up some of your own spells using my prescribed system, please leave your responses down below!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
How We've Truly "Transcended"
Why I think this title is a perfect fit for us as wizards AND as gamers...and a little info on the Pet Buffet Survey and small update to the Petnome Project:
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"Next World" Leveling Preparation
Ever reach the level cap and feel like you've accomplished everything, and end up ignoring the side quests hiding around the Spiral? Or, if you are a hardcore "completionist," ever feel the need to clean out your Quest Book? Here are some tips on how changing those impulses may be beneficial for the long run:
Haiku Interpretation of Zafaria and Upcoming Updates
Zafaria comes
Stampeding, my heart beating
With the native drums.
Soon, Legendaries
Become no more, searching for
Unbound Transcendence.
New monsters, new spells
Lie in wait by promised fate...
Of what strength, pray tell?
Decorations are
Becoming one, balancing
Their large, wrathful form.
Demonic creature
Speaks thrice; empty of advice,
But full of terror.
Pieces no longer
Resting in peace, but released
Combined and stronger.
Giant beasts charging
With an ivory present
Granted to a foe.
A shower of heat
To wash away confidence
From one’s enemies.
A corrosive spray
To drown away defenses
And immobilize.
Beauties of malice
Evoke a cold melody
For those who listen.
Spheres of translucence:
One aiding blessings, while
One's eye for an eye.
In flows new concepts:
Penetrating resistance,
And pet engorging,
Aside from small games,
Critters and creatures shall fight
A large invasion
Along a long path
Foes arrive with stubborn drives;
No rest 'til their end.
Warriors, shamans,
And elders alike struggle
With their own kinship.
Ominous evil
Of parasitic nature
Infests lands and hearts.
Water defiled,
Spirits crushed like fine powder,
Homeland turned war zone.
Harmony shaken,
The black widow is spinning
Her destructive web...
It is now the time
To seek out the Dark Nest's queen
And purge her poison.
Uncover secrets
And restore alliances;
Enlighten yourselves.
Under the red sky,
Wizards will raise their wands high;
To cast back darkness.
(Add your own haiku
Within the comments section
For Zafaria!)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Test Realm: Acquiring the Level 68 Ice Spell, Woolly Mammoth; Testing Mend and Berserk Star Spells
The lovely Cassandra Hexthorn and I quested through Zafaria to finally reach Level 68. This video explores three new spells from Zafaria: Woolly Mammoth, Berserk, and Mend.
Test Realm: Acquiring the Level 68 Fire Spell, Rain of Fire
The lovely Cassandra Hexthorn and I quested through Zafaria to finally reach Level 68, and she had to go to sleep. So, I took over to visually document the fight to obtain this spell and analyze its capabilities.
Test Realm: Zafaria (Day 1)
Review of the new updates released today, and a new extended project for the Petnome Team. A careful look over the new Pet feeding system, and a short glimpse into Zafaria! More to come this weekend!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Third Mystery Picture
Unusually short gap between the release of two mystery screenshots, we find the third of the series over at MMORPG.com:
So, once again, using my primitive method of deciphering Morse Code, we come upon this message:
Shadow Weavers are making a return, apparently, to our quest line... "Her" could refer to Morganthe herself, meaning that this new world is most likely to be the next main story arc! Seems that safari clothing are making a return, as well -- Morganthe's inclusion brings about... exploration and adventure. Cant' wait!
So, once again, using my primitive method of deciphering Morse Code, we come upon this message:
Shadow Weavers are making a return, apparently, to our quest line... "Her" could refer to Morganthe herself, meaning that this new world is most likely to be the next main story arc! Seems that safari clothing are making a return, as well -- Morganthe's inclusion brings about... exploration and adventure. Cant' wait!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
BUN: Small Catching Up
Hey all,
It's been awhile since I've written anything technical (let alone, at all), but my activity level has shifted back in-game, the Petnome Project, on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook (it's seldom there, though). I'm either farming up a "bottom"-load over at Halfang and devising a number of Zerging deck builds for each school for first-turn kills, keeping track of Gardening drops, or pet training with a "Recycler" wizard in the Spiral (these items will be future topics!), keeping up to date on Petnome submissions, uploading Perfect Catch videos along with Vlogs, or Tweeting the latest thoughts or adventures. Also, Ravenwood Radio had their 50th and 51st episodes recently -- those were a LOT of fun.
A lot of new content has also kept us pretty busy, such as Halloweenfest, Hallowe'en, the Nightmare packs, and this mysterious world that's coming up... Based on Stephen Spiritcaller's interview with Fred Howard, I'm thinking we can expect to learn more about this around December...maybe the world will be released by then, but that's my wishful thinking! Massively gave us a small sneak peek, and there are some symbols on the picture below that were deciphered by myself and Miss Katherine Light:
We caught onto a small mistake, as noted in the image, so here is the newly revised picture, hehe:
I've also been dealing with some University items -- I've been accepted! My state's budget problems aren't improving, so the acceptance is an extremely big deal for me, especially when it's during the a very selective Spring semester.
And, last but not least, I've ended up treating my blog like more of a scientific journal than a personal one. It's starting to become just a bit awkward -- out of style, in other words (for me) -- to be writing things here when I habitually post them on the spot on Twitter. Usually, it's the "guides" or "tips" or "really chunky stuff" that I can write pages and pages on, that goes on The Chillanthropologist. What can I say? I like the "article" style of writing, where there's an overall subject, a dissection of its elements or parts, a weaving of facts/experiments/results, and a blend of insight/commentary.
But, I'll give this "true blogging" thing a try. Sometimes a personality just needs to shine through from the layers of logic or rational thinking...
It's been awhile since I've written anything technical (let alone, at all), but my activity level has shifted back in-game, the Petnome Project, on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook (it's seldom there, though). I'm either farming up a "bottom"-load over at Halfang and devising a number of Zerging deck builds for each school for first-turn kills, keeping track of Gardening drops, or pet training with a "Recycler" wizard in the Spiral (these items will be future topics!), keeping up to date on Petnome submissions, uploading Perfect Catch videos along with Vlogs, or Tweeting the latest thoughts or adventures. Also, Ravenwood Radio had their 50th and 51st episodes recently -- those were a LOT of fun.
A lot of new content has also kept us pretty busy, such as Halloweenfest, Hallowe'en, the Nightmare packs, and this mysterious world that's coming up... Based on Stephen Spiritcaller's interview with Fred Howard, I'm thinking we can expect to learn more about this around December...maybe the world will be released by then, but that's my wishful thinking! Massively gave us a small sneak peek, and there are some symbols on the picture below that were deciphered by myself and Miss Katherine Light:
We caught onto a small mistake, as noted in the image, so here is the newly revised picture, hehe:
I've also been dealing with some University items -- I've been accepted! My state's budget problems aren't improving, so the acceptance is an extremely big deal for me, especially when it's during the a very selective Spring semester.
And, last but not least, I've ended up treating my blog like more of a scientific journal than a personal one. It's starting to become just a bit awkward -- out of style, in other words (for me) -- to be writing things here when I habitually post them on the spot on Twitter. Usually, it's the "guides" or "tips" or "really chunky stuff" that I can write pages and pages on, that goes on The Chillanthropologist. What can I say? I like the "article" style of writing, where there's an overall subject, a dissection of its elements or parts, a weaving of facts/experiments/results, and a blend of insight/commentary.
But, I'll give this "true blogging" thing a try. Sometimes a personality just needs to shine through from the layers of logic or rational thinking...
Monday, September 5, 2011
Beyond the Spiral: It's More Than Just the Tools
In reply to a (formerly open) thread on Central:
To address multiple points without calling anyone out or directly debunking someone on their quote (since the internet easily allows something to be taken out of context, such as branching tangents), I'd like to share some behind-the-scenes history of TPC. This may seem uninteresting in relation to the post, but I feel that the team's identity has been taken out of context on a "lacking" or "having" basis -- in this case, a "lack" of the factors of using group text chat, or "having" other means of communicating. Looking into the past helps bring some truths to light, along with shattering any presumptions and assumptions. I won't go into heavy detail here, as I have already done so in a video called "The Origin of Perfect Catch;" I'll extract only events and situations that ultimately will build up to the bigger picture and allow me to share my point appropriately. (I highly advise that minds become open for this discussion.)
The five* of us ("Missy", Ronan, Fallon, Cassandra, and I) are friends through random collision and introduction via friends. Missy, Ronan, and I were closely bonded as a "team" solely for farming, questing, and taking on challenges (especially Briskbreeze, without use of a guide or tips...we basically "winged" the entire tower as 3 newbies) wherever they arose. My former YouTube channel, named KevinBattleblood (which is deleted since I closed a Gmail account that was linked) was where "KBB Experiments" was born. We were a team that sought the thrill of "thinking outside the box," and could concoct or hypothesize unexplored situations such as "sacrificing" a minion without killing it, or killing Jade Oni with Life *damage* via a wand. We had never met in person before, yet we were close enough to invest our limited free time into experimenting rather than questing and individually improving our wizards. When we farmed, we farmed until we all received what we wanted. It was a familial group where its members treated one another as human beings, opposed to avatars. "Using people" was nowhere in our dictionary.
Fallon and Cassandra had much less experience in PVP than the three of us -- Fallon had aided some friends of her past as a support role, and Cassandra, as some of you may know, hated or despised PVP, due to its environment. Missy, Ronan, and I had a lot of PVP experience via 1v1, both by taking part in a duel ourselves or by watching one another's duels. In fact, Ronan and I met through a 1v1 match, and while he was my senior in the knowledge of the game's history and mechanics (eventually becoming my Wizard101 mentor), we were equally matched in our fight. He was impressed, but we never expanded our friendship within PVP until much later. So, considering how much the five of us were involved with PVP, it's a surprise that TPC formed at all. Ronan and I never even dreamed of ever having a team like we do today... (It used to be all about 1v1 so we could avoid chain-stunning!)
Our attitude of treating other players as people (rather than as pixelated characters) opened the gates for Fallon to join our trio, and she later noticed our familial nature in our farming or questing runs. Sometimes (surprisingly) we found her sitting and watching our 3v3 Warlord matches, mildly interested in our playstyle. Going back to the fact that Missy, Ronan, and I deeply enjoyed experimenting around the game, our decks consisted of deck setups that were unconventional (no Treasure cards, a mass of utility spells, and low-rank cards like Frost Beetle and Fire Elf). We played to outlast, manipulate, and overcome written strategies; we weren't focused on mainly killing off opponents.
That is one key advantage to why we're so closely bonded and successful: we're playing for fun, not playing to win. Eventually, I encouraged and insisted that Fallon join us "for some fun" and not take PVP too seriously; instead, to treat it as Wizard101's new Briskbreeze where human intelligence provided for newer and variable challenges. The same extension was given to Cassandra Dragonheart, who was slowly finding an interest in the 1v1 scene as a Life player.
If we lost, no one was to blame -- it is emphasized that the experience is an on-going learning experience. Fallon was the odd one out (not having extensive 1v1 experience like the three of us), but was just as welcome as any other Warlord. In fact, (fast forward a little to the present), we hold PVP parties that welcome players of any levels of any ranks to participate in a family-friendly environment (no trolling, no exploiting, etc.) so that more of the community can develop a positive interest in PVP. Again, please check out the "Origin of Perfect Catch" on YouTube, where I describe how this open attitude led to players, such as Paige Moonshade, who heavily detested ranked and practice PVP, rediscovering a positive element to the Arena.
Mistakes happened due to the imbalance of experience among us five, but we upheld the attitude of "winning together" and "losing together." No person deserves all of the blame, and this is where Solid Snake's point in his OP surfaces. Communication may be a means of collecting data or responses and analyzing them as a team, but it extends as far as trust, respect, honor, and determination goes, and I believe that's what he's trying to point out. Yes, you can have enhanced communication time via a voice program, but it does not promise or "enhance" the chances of success, or provide a significant advantage. The PVP parties we held during the winter of 2010 included a number of deaf players who ran in our "Random Join" battles in the MFP, yet we still maintained impressive, educational, and interesting tactics with these (then) strangers on our teams. Also, pulling from my past experience in playing in professional gaming leagues (where cash prizes were rewarded), I can vouch that placing the "best" or "all-stars" together on one team and giving them the fastest means of communication in no way gave them any advantage over an opposing team that was composed of amateurs who were cohesive.
Solid Snake is correct when he explained that TPC is about adaptability. I also believe our team's strength lies within WHY we are successful, rather than HOW. The four elements that I mentioned may seem independent, but they're all links that make up the chain to why we adapt against other teams so well: Trust between us allows for less hesitation and doubt when we're choosing our cards, so our plays run very smoothly; Respect gives us the confidence that no matter what happens, be it that hesitation or doubt (or an unlucky Fallonitis -- the unfortunate event where Fallon frequently fizzles) exists, we're always a team, and will never look down on one another; Honor is the implied and passive sense of mind that we represent one another as a whole, rather than four diverging parts; and Determination is what gives us endurance and to never give up on one another, no matter what personal or game-related issues may arise, both IRL and ITS. Thus, we easily build our decks in a style that "weaves" with one another, rather than having it set up in a specific fashion; our card selections evolve and morph every battle. When we run into a team that uses some specific strategy that's either known or unknown to the community, we aren't stopped dead in our tracks -- instead, that trust, respect, honor, and determination is what allows us to swerve together, and not get caught in the epicenter of the opponents' goal.
Many of our critics believe that it is the cards that we play that provide our success, overlooking the fact that we have a certain chemistry that is indeed quite rare. Via YouTube comments, emails/PMs, and in-game testimonials, I've learned that the "four elements" don't exist for every team, which is why there is a high frequency of drama and "break-ups" of groups. Some players said they've quit PVP because they were tired of being the scapegoat for a match's outcome...and thus, many of these players have voiced their rediscovered interest in PVP because of our videos, that certainly every strategy has a weakness, and that you don't need to play dirty to overcome those strategies or require specific school-builds; they realized they needed teamwork more than anything.
There is much more I could expand on to further solidify exactly what TPC is and how we work (such as coming to positive terms with some former "enemies", our PVP workshops, etc.), but I believe everything I've written so far is enough to channel the idea that headsets are only 5% of the method.
My advice for all PVP-interested players: Play with whom you're very comfortable with, not with whom you perceive to be the "best" or "better", because the seed within a strong and committed bond can grow into something miraculous for you. (The initial Warlords of TPC never had a thought about "replacing" Fallon, even when we struggled to adapt to 4v4 in the past). Once you develop a durable connection with your teammates (in the sense that NONE of them are ever expendable, EVEN in hard or difficult times), you will be able to excel with no limits.
(I thank and appreciate everyone who's supported AND opposed us; the many perspectives out there all helped us further fuse and bond as a team, and I could not ask for anything more. Many special thanks to Solid Snake for this surprising and thoughtful post, and many kudos to those who have spoken in our defense in this thread.)
To address multiple points without calling anyone out or directly debunking someone on their quote (since the internet easily allows something to be taken out of context, such as branching tangents), I'd like to share some behind-the-scenes history of TPC. This may seem uninteresting in relation to the post, but I feel that the team's identity has been taken out of context on a "lacking" or "having" basis -- in this case, a "lack" of the factors of using group text chat, or "having" other means of communicating. Looking into the past helps bring some truths to light, along with shattering any presumptions and assumptions. I won't go into heavy detail here, as I have already done so in a video called "The Origin of Perfect Catch;" I'll extract only events and situations that ultimately will build up to the bigger picture and allow me to share my point appropriately. (I highly advise that minds become open for this discussion.)
The five* of us ("Missy", Ronan, Fallon, Cassandra, and I) are friends through random collision and introduction via friends. Missy, Ronan, and I were closely bonded as a "team" solely for farming, questing, and taking on challenges (especially Briskbreeze, without use of a guide or tips...we basically "winged" the entire tower as 3 newbies) wherever they arose. My former YouTube channel, named KevinBattleblood (which is deleted since I closed a Gmail account that was linked) was where "KBB Experiments" was born. We were a team that sought the thrill of "thinking outside the box," and could concoct or hypothesize unexplored situations such as "sacrificing" a minion without killing it, or killing Jade Oni with Life *damage* via a wand. We had never met in person before, yet we were close enough to invest our limited free time into experimenting rather than questing and individually improving our wizards. When we farmed, we farmed until we all received what we wanted. It was a familial group where its members treated one another as human beings, opposed to avatars. "Using people" was nowhere in our dictionary.
Fallon and Cassandra had much less experience in PVP than the three of us -- Fallon had aided some friends of her past as a support role, and Cassandra, as some of you may know, hated or despised PVP, due to its environment. Missy, Ronan, and I had a lot of PVP experience via 1v1, both by taking part in a duel ourselves or by watching one another's duels. In fact, Ronan and I met through a 1v1 match, and while he was my senior in the knowledge of the game's history and mechanics (eventually becoming my Wizard101 mentor), we were equally matched in our fight. He was impressed, but we never expanded our friendship within PVP until much later. So, considering how much the five of us were involved with PVP, it's a surprise that TPC formed at all. Ronan and I never even dreamed of ever having a team like we do today... (It used to be all about 1v1 so we could avoid chain-stunning!)
Our attitude of treating other players as people (rather than as pixelated characters) opened the gates for Fallon to join our trio, and she later noticed our familial nature in our farming or questing runs. Sometimes (surprisingly) we found her sitting and watching our 3v3 Warlord matches, mildly interested in our playstyle. Going back to the fact that Missy, Ronan, and I deeply enjoyed experimenting around the game, our decks consisted of deck setups that were unconventional (no Treasure cards, a mass of utility spells, and low-rank cards like Frost Beetle and Fire Elf). We played to outlast, manipulate, and overcome written strategies; we weren't focused on mainly killing off opponents.
That is one key advantage to why we're so closely bonded and successful: we're playing for fun, not playing to win. Eventually, I encouraged and insisted that Fallon join us "for some fun" and not take PVP too seriously; instead, to treat it as Wizard101's new Briskbreeze where human intelligence provided for newer and variable challenges. The same extension was given to Cassandra Dragonheart, who was slowly finding an interest in the 1v1 scene as a Life player.
If we lost, no one was to blame -- it is emphasized that the experience is an on-going learning experience. Fallon was the odd one out (not having extensive 1v1 experience like the three of us), but was just as welcome as any other Warlord. In fact, (fast forward a little to the present), we hold PVP parties that welcome players of any levels of any ranks to participate in a family-friendly environment (no trolling, no exploiting, etc.) so that more of the community can develop a positive interest in PVP. Again, please check out the "Origin of Perfect Catch" on YouTube, where I describe how this open attitude led to players, such as Paige Moonshade, who heavily detested ranked and practice PVP, rediscovering a positive element to the Arena.
Mistakes happened due to the imbalance of experience among us five, but we upheld the attitude of "winning together" and "losing together." No person deserves all of the blame, and this is where Solid Snake's point in his OP surfaces. Communication may be a means of collecting data or responses and analyzing them as a team, but it extends as far as trust, respect, honor, and determination goes, and I believe that's what he's trying to point out. Yes, you can have enhanced communication time via a voice program, but it does not promise or "enhance" the chances of success, or provide a significant advantage. The PVP parties we held during the winter of 2010 included a number of deaf players who ran in our "Random Join" battles in the MFP, yet we still maintained impressive, educational, and interesting tactics with these (then) strangers on our teams. Also, pulling from my past experience in playing in professional gaming leagues (where cash prizes were rewarded), I can vouch that placing the "best" or "all-stars" together on one team and giving them the fastest means of communication in no way gave them any advantage over an opposing team that was composed of amateurs who were cohesive.
Solid Snake is correct when he explained that TPC is about adaptability. I also believe our team's strength lies within WHY we are successful, rather than HOW. The four elements that I mentioned may seem independent, but they're all links that make up the chain to why we adapt against other teams so well: Trust between us allows for less hesitation and doubt when we're choosing our cards, so our plays run very smoothly; Respect gives us the confidence that no matter what happens, be it that hesitation or doubt (or an unlucky Fallonitis -- the unfortunate event where Fallon frequently fizzles) exists, we're always a team, and will never look down on one another; Honor is the implied and passive sense of mind that we represent one another as a whole, rather than four diverging parts; and Determination is what gives us endurance and to never give up on one another, no matter what personal or game-related issues may arise, both IRL and ITS. Thus, we easily build our decks in a style that "weaves" with one another, rather than having it set up in a specific fashion; our card selections evolve and morph every battle. When we run into a team that uses some specific strategy that's either known or unknown to the community, we aren't stopped dead in our tracks -- instead, that trust, respect, honor, and determination is what allows us to swerve together, and not get caught in the epicenter of the opponents' goal.
Many of our critics believe that it is the cards that we play that provide our success, overlooking the fact that we have a certain chemistry that is indeed quite rare. Via YouTube comments, emails/PMs, and in-game testimonials, I've learned that the "four elements" don't exist for every team, which is why there is a high frequency of drama and "break-ups" of groups. Some players said they've quit PVP because they were tired of being the scapegoat for a match's outcome...and thus, many of these players have voiced their rediscovered interest in PVP because of our videos, that certainly every strategy has a weakness, and that you don't need to play dirty to overcome those strategies or require specific school-builds; they realized they needed teamwork more than anything.
There is much more I could expand on to further solidify exactly what TPC is and how we work (such as coming to positive terms with some former "enemies", our PVP workshops, etc.), but I believe everything I've written so far is enough to channel the idea that headsets are only 5% of the method.
My advice for all PVP-interested players: Play with whom you're very comfortable with, not with whom you perceive to be the "best" or "better", because the seed within a strong and committed bond can grow into something miraculous for you. (The initial Warlords of TPC never had a thought about "replacing" Fallon, even when we struggled to adapt to 4v4 in the past). Once you develop a durable connection with your teammates (in the sense that NONE of them are ever expendable, EVEN in hard or difficult times), you will be able to excel with no limits.
(I thank and appreciate everyone who's supported AND opposed us; the many perspectives out there all helped us further fuse and bond as a team, and I could not ask for anything more. Many special thanks to Solid Snake for this surprising and thoughtful post, and many kudos to those who have spoken in our defense in this thread.)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Contest Etiquette (Part 1: For the Taker)
Hey all,
The past few weeks have been mighty grueling with the compilation of duties and responsibilities of the truncated summer school class (finally completed!), work, broadcasting and commentating for the United We Stand tournament held by Cassandra Dragonheart, unraveling some miscommunication, relaxing up on a fantastic community-focused game called Fiesta Online (which Thomas Lionblood and Amber Rosepetal have openly sponsored in the past), initiating a new personal PVP-based project (which is secret for the time being, for the sake of my -- and others' -- sanity), guest-judging an official fansite contest, and preparation and execution of the Petnome Project contests.
While operating and administering the events for Petnome over the past year (along with other activities where I've guest-judged), I found myself surprised, concerned, and contemplative with the overall culture of contests within an online community. In other words, I saw (or heard) things I couldn't believe I was seeing (or hearing)...and this goes beyond just erroneous or incorrect entries. So, here are some contestant guidelines and personal advice from yours truly for enhancing your chances of winning contests from any event, from blogs' to fansites' to the official company's:
Don't Beg
After Day 2 of the Petnome Birthday Week, I lost count on how many entries were direct requests for the prizes. Examples of this include "I want the 5,000 Crowns...now!" "Give me the Black Cat!" "Can I please win this? I need it really, really bad!" While begging may not disqualify entrants from winning (unless the rules specifically state that it does), it does become a nuisance for the contest holders.
Imagine if you were holding up $20 in cash in your hand and proclaimed you would give it to the person who painted the best portrait of you. Then, along comes someone without any artistic skills, asking you for the prize. You were trying to narrow your pool of players down to someone with creativity -- not someone who goes up to you and begs. So, keep in mind that when you're in a contest, you're in a competition. You have to show some work that follows the requirements to be eligible for the goodies.
Follow All Directions (FAD)
Read everything...literally! While it may be advantageous in the sense of time to skim for keywords such as dates, rules, times, and any second-party applications or programs, not reading everything thoroughly can hurt your entry via disqualification.
For small-pool contests (contests with few seats available for contestants), paying attention to details is important, since the rules will be enforced strongly when the judges are allotted enough time to be picky with their selections or ruling. If a contestant, for example, has the wrong version of an item required by the rules, it may not transition to the next judging phase, no matter how similar or "close" it is.
For large-pool contests (contests available to over hundreds of people), judges may not be as lenient when there is a factor with at least 3/4 of the contestants following the directions correctly. Chances are, the other 1/4 of entries aren't even looked at; entries could be manually OR automatically screened. For example, failure to include a key piece of your information could count as disqualification, like omitting a word; automatic screening may delete any emails with the wrong subject line or message!
Sometimes, judges or contest holders may allow for re-dos when a mistake has occurred that you've caught (truly, it depends on the format of the contest; i.e. trivia vs. riddles vs. feedback vs. media production, etc.). If you happened to omit something, like forgetting to add your Wizard name, try to send the exact same entry (with the missing piece of information included) so that it has uniformity, AND matches exactly what the contest holder asks for. In other words, treat it like a second-chance entry, rather than a follow-up message!
So, hand-in-hand, ALWAYS double-check your information and submissions.
No Trolling
While this concept may seem intuitive, it's both a surprise and an expectation when some contestants don't understand "no trolling." The simple truth is that there is always at least one threat (or worse) or a profane remark thrown at contest holders when the results don't turn out in the violator's favor. Here's another fact: this community is very tight-knit and cohesive, and no contest holder will tolerate malicious contestants within their own contest OR another's. The same goes for those who try to cheat with multiple entries or submissions -- once discovered and marked, violators will have trouble finding eligibility or success with future or other contests. There aren't simpler rules than (1) no harassment and (2) no cheating.
Too Much Information (TMI)
Believe it or not, sometimes contestants will provide more information than we ever need to know...like a phone number or home address. NEVER send any personal information other than an email address that will help the contest holders contact you. Though Official Fansites may be trusted entities, you never know if someone's correspondence email may become hacked (or is already hacked) or keylogged. Also, you never know who someone really is behind the computer screen or keyboard, no matter how nice or considerate they are. NEVER tell someone where you live, or where to call you, or what your real name is, or (Frost Giant forbid) anything that shows up on your birth certificate. True, sometimes birthdays are required for age verification, but other than MMO-based sites like Massively or Beckett's, that information isn't relevant for Wizard101-based contests held by Wizard101 players. And, to reiterate something that seemingly hasn't gotten to all players, yet: NEVER tell anyone your Wizard101 password. The only time you should be using it is if it's at http://wizard101.com or the Game Client. Also, keep in mind that Official Fansites are not KingsIsle. Then again, even THEY ask you never to send your password, even in emails to them!
Have Fun
This isn't redundant, is it? Contests, in my interpretation, are merely windows of opportunity -- privileges, if you will (not rights!) -- to attain some tangible or intangible commodity or benefit for the exchange of minimal (or competitive) work! Know that there will always be contests flowing out of this wonderful community, and that you're hardly missing out if you aren't a winner! "Oh well, Susie got the 5,000 Crowns." That doesn't mean that Susie will also take the 10,000 Crowns that you may win in another contest.
The important fact is that you tried in a contest, and that you didn't have a 0% chance of winning -- not participating is the only way to guarantee a loss. Sometimes the die (or Random.org) doesn't roll in our favor, just like when cards don't come up the way we'd like them to. As long as you didn't troll the contest or contest holders, you'll always have a chance to win!
Cheer on and congratulate the winners -- I'm sure you'd like to be cheered and congratulated yourself when you're a winner someday. Look at it this way: thanks to the contest, your Wizard101 community is populated and full of energy and action. Someone's interest in Wizard101 was enhanced with the prize, and most likely, they'll continue to play and contribute their presence to the game. I haven't seen a barren MMO that's fun to play...heck, it contradicts the concept of it being "massive," "multiplayer," and "online." When you see other wizards running around, you know that there's someone behind another keyboard enjoying the same game you're playing. That makes us feel less isolating, less alone. And heck, at least there will be other players to show-off to when you win a prize in future contests.
(to be continued in Part 2: For the Maker)
The past few weeks have been mighty grueling with the compilation of duties and responsibilities of the truncated summer school class (finally completed!), work, broadcasting and commentating for the United We Stand tournament held by Cassandra Dragonheart, unraveling some miscommunication, relaxing up on a fantastic community-focused game called Fiesta Online (which Thomas Lionblood and Amber Rosepetal have openly sponsored in the past), initiating a new personal PVP-based project (which is secret for the time being, for the sake of my -- and others' -- sanity), guest-judging an official fansite contest, and preparation and execution of the Petnome Project contests.
While operating and administering the events for Petnome over the past year (along with other activities where I've guest-judged), I found myself surprised, concerned, and contemplative with the overall culture of contests within an online community. In other words, I saw (or heard) things I couldn't believe I was seeing (or hearing)...and this goes beyond just erroneous or incorrect entries. So, here are some contestant guidelines and personal advice from yours truly for enhancing your chances of winning contests from any event, from blogs' to fansites' to the official company's:
Don't Beg
After Day 2 of the Petnome Birthday Week, I lost count on how many entries were direct requests for the prizes. Examples of this include "I want the 5,000 Crowns...now!" "Give me the Black Cat!" "Can I please win this? I need it really, really bad!" While begging may not disqualify entrants from winning (unless the rules specifically state that it does), it does become a nuisance for the contest holders.
Imagine if you were holding up $20 in cash in your hand and proclaimed you would give it to the person who painted the best portrait of you. Then, along comes someone without any artistic skills, asking you for the prize. You were trying to narrow your pool of players down to someone with creativity -- not someone who goes up to you and begs. So, keep in mind that when you're in a contest, you're in a competition. You have to show some work that follows the requirements to be eligible for the goodies.
Follow All Directions (FAD)
Read everything...literally! While it may be advantageous in the sense of time to skim for keywords such as dates, rules, times, and any second-party applications or programs, not reading everything thoroughly can hurt your entry via disqualification.
For small-pool contests (contests with few seats available for contestants), paying attention to details is important, since the rules will be enforced strongly when the judges are allotted enough time to be picky with their selections or ruling. If a contestant, for example, has the wrong version of an item required by the rules, it may not transition to the next judging phase, no matter how similar or "close" it is.
For large-pool contests (contests available to over hundreds of people), judges may not be as lenient when there is a factor with at least 3/4 of the contestants following the directions correctly. Chances are, the other 1/4 of entries aren't even looked at; entries could be manually OR automatically screened. For example, failure to include a key piece of your information could count as disqualification, like omitting a word; automatic screening may delete any emails with the wrong subject line or message!
Sometimes, judges or contest holders may allow for re-dos when a mistake has occurred that you've caught (truly, it depends on the format of the contest; i.e. trivia vs. riddles vs. feedback vs. media production, etc.). If you happened to omit something, like forgetting to add your Wizard name, try to send the exact same entry (with the missing piece of information included) so that it has uniformity, AND matches exactly what the contest holder asks for. In other words, treat it like a second-chance entry, rather than a follow-up message!
So, hand-in-hand, ALWAYS double-check your information and submissions.
No Trolling
While this concept may seem intuitive, it's both a surprise and an expectation when some contestants don't understand "no trolling." The simple truth is that there is always at least one threat (or worse) or a profane remark thrown at contest holders when the results don't turn out in the violator's favor. Here's another fact: this community is very tight-knit and cohesive, and no contest holder will tolerate malicious contestants within their own contest OR another's. The same goes for those who try to cheat with multiple entries or submissions -- once discovered and marked, violators will have trouble finding eligibility or success with future or other contests. There aren't simpler rules than (1) no harassment and (2) no cheating.
Too Much Information (TMI)
Believe it or not, sometimes contestants will provide more information than we ever need to know...like a phone number or home address. NEVER send any personal information other than an email address that will help the contest holders contact you. Though Official Fansites may be trusted entities, you never know if someone's correspondence email may become hacked (or is already hacked) or keylogged. Also, you never know who someone really is behind the computer screen or keyboard, no matter how nice or considerate they are. NEVER tell someone where you live, or where to call you, or what your real name is, or (Frost Giant forbid) anything that shows up on your birth certificate. True, sometimes birthdays are required for age verification, but other than MMO-based sites like Massively or Beckett's, that information isn't relevant for Wizard101-based contests held by Wizard101 players. And, to reiterate something that seemingly hasn't gotten to all players, yet: NEVER tell anyone your Wizard101 password. The only time you should be using it is if it's at http://wizard101.com or the Game Client. Also, keep in mind that Official Fansites are not KingsIsle. Then again, even THEY ask you never to send your password, even in emails to them!
Have Fun
This isn't redundant, is it? Contests, in my interpretation, are merely windows of opportunity -- privileges, if you will (not rights!) -- to attain some tangible or intangible commodity or benefit for the exchange of minimal (or competitive) work! Know that there will always be contests flowing out of this wonderful community, and that you're hardly missing out if you aren't a winner! "Oh well, Susie got the 5,000 Crowns." That doesn't mean that Susie will also take the 10,000 Crowns that you may win in another contest.
The important fact is that you tried in a contest, and that you didn't have a 0% chance of winning -- not participating is the only way to guarantee a loss. Sometimes the die (or Random.org) doesn't roll in our favor, just like when cards don't come up the way we'd like them to. As long as you didn't troll the contest or contest holders, you'll always have a chance to win!
Cheer on and congratulate the winners -- I'm sure you'd like to be cheered and congratulated yourself when you're a winner someday. Look at it this way: thanks to the contest, your Wizard101 community is populated and full of energy and action. Someone's interest in Wizard101 was enhanced with the prize, and most likely, they'll continue to play and contribute their presence to the game. I haven't seen a barren MMO that's fun to play...heck, it contradicts the concept of it being "massive," "multiplayer," and "online." When you see other wizards running around, you know that there's someone behind another keyboard enjoying the same game you're playing. That makes us feel less isolating, less alone. And heck, at least there will be other players to show-off to when you win a prize in future contests.
(to be continued in Part 2: For the Maker)
Friday, July 1, 2011
Into the Spiral: Issues At Home and Abroad
Before picking up my Arena deck and heading into the duelists' lobby this weekend, there are some important PVP-related matters that I must address. The first has been suspended in thought, probed thoroughly during my contemplative moments. The latter is a separate problem, originally unrelated. That is, it was, until the connection of these vertices (and all dots in between) became necessary for a solid point that needs to be made and touched on. This point in question has become misrepresented and taken out of context recently, and while I introduce a personal and global issue, I hope to reconnect the dots to present the bigger, underlying picture.
Through countless observations of public reception, letters, and conversations inside and outside the Spiral, it seems that there are many players who misunderstand Perfect Catch, my PVP team. Younger players look up to us as this "iron wall." Our peers have jokingly and seriously viewed us as "unstoppable." Almost every three or four days, I find a message in my inbox from some individuals, asking to challenge or fight Perfect Catch; most of these usually begin or end with some form of the statement of "I think we can beat you," where some are more or less troll-like. Over the course of many months since the team's creation, we've had a pretty decent win-to-loss ratio, as evident with our videos on YouTube, but, inevitably, the illusion of us being unbeatable seemed to form somewhere within our audience. We're perceived to be the "best" or "invincible." As the leader and creator of the team, let me just say this: "That's nonsense."
The fact of the matter is: we're just different. Here's a great, hefty explanation here. We're simply not the "best" out there (nor should any team be considered the "best," as an important side note), and we're obviously not invincible. The key word here is "unique." Teams may mimic or play in similar ways as us, but our strategies and thought processes are simply "outside of the box." Guides cannot be written with specificity to what cards should be in decks because of our practice of adaptation and evolution; our cards (and ultimately, our decks) change every single game, much like how we play. As explained in the Perfect Catch's Origin video, we try to be as flexible as possible so that we narrow down and shift around our weak point(s).
We can't tell anyone how they should build their entire deck, though we can share the basics. In fact, our cards (the 400~ spells between us) are chosen to specially synchronize Cassandra, Fallon, Ronan, and me in a virtually seamless way; unless you have people who think and react the exact same way we do, our deck builds will not do anyone much good! Keep in mind: I'm not saying we're better; we're just in a different playground.
Thus, when players meet us in the arena and outwardly express their fear or anxiety by shouting non-sequitur like "We've lost" or "Oh no, it's TPC," we flinch or grimace; and, when players outwardly express their confidence and arrogance by shouting other non-sequitur like "You're gonna lose" or "These guys are bad," we flinch and grimace, too. I just want to point out that getting beat by TPC should NOT be expected (everyone has a chance to win against us) and that beating us should NOT be celebrated (again, everyone has that chance -- there's nothing special in it). Matches -- especially when it's just one -- should NOT be used as a measurement of skill via the end result. Bad luck in the form of fizzling, lag, and poor probability rates (i.e. drawing "wrong" cards, going second, etc.) can be major factors for just one match, and thus, one fight should NOT determine who is better than who. Instead, the focus should be on the long run; ask yourselves, "Can we win against other teams doing what we did just now?" and "Can we win against this team again and again?" Hence, we don't care too much for teams that believe they've found a way to "defeat" TPC (in fact, TPC enemies should be looking for a way to break our friendships and bonds with one another if they're looking for our expiration date). To understand our point of view, imagine if some random person ran up to you and yelled, "I know how to beat Malcolm Thunderstrider, Jenny Longstockings, Sebastian Gutentaag, and Tiny." Big deal! How about outplaying every other team out there, too? That’s a feat that certainly deserves some recognition and applause.
But, let's not take this out of context. There's a titanic difference between outplaying and defeating teams with simple, imbalanced strategies: the former allows for a "dance" to play out, where players exchange spells against each other, while the latter is like stealing all the Monopoly money and preventing any transactions of actual strategy from being applied for true entertainment value. Some people have suggested that if players don't like an aspect of the game, then they should not dwell on it or care about it. Unfortunately, that's the equivalent to saying, "Don't play Monopoly if you don't like people ruining the game." Monopoly's entertainment value has no correlation to how a few people play. In this case, situations in PVP should not be treated like an umbrella for all aspects of PVP.
In Wizard101, the imbalanced strategies have transitioned from Chain-Stunning (where victims are not allowed to play anything) to Blade-stacking (where 5-7 stacked blades can do at least 4,000 resisted damage in one turn) to Chain-Stunning again, and is currently set on Tempest-Spamming (very similar to Chain-Stunning, where the victims are destroyed before they can play a card).
I'll give you a little personal spoiler, in case assumptions arise with this seemingly volatile subject: TPC is already developing an effective counter for Tempest-Spamming; we started a week ago, the night after the recording of the match I've released exclusively over Twitter. It's working pretty well on our prototype pig, so the method (the "strategy" of Tempest-Spamming) is NOT what bothers us. Period.
Instead, it's the social and technical effects that imbalanced strategies have on players and the community – that’s what bothers us. Naturally, players tend to mistakenly treat a single win or loss as a measurement of skill or dominance. “I’ve lost, so they’re better than me.” That’s a dangerous fallacy to hold onto, because it enables cheap-tactic users to believe that they are a legitimately dominant force. What’s the danger in that?
First, it discourages newer players or Arena participants from appreciating the true nature of PVP. Just last night, someone on Twitter asked how PVP was appealing at all if there were so many concerns about imbalanced strategies. The thing is, imbalanced strategies do not affect us or other advanced teams personally, but the internal aspects do tend to harm the naïve who use them. These infamous playstyles require little thought, preparation, and coordination. Accepting them as a legitimate norm would be misrepresenting what PVP is truly about: advanced play. Most people PVP because they enjoy playing against human intelligence, rather than against a monster that exhibits boring patterns and incompetence. It’s a totally different element when your enemies have the capability to anticipate and plan. So, when cheap tactics are used (playing as if it’s a farm run rather than playing against humans), the lack of advanced play creates the illusion that PVP is generally about killing rather than outplaying. Sounds like more grinding, honestly.
Secondly, to an audience of players who enjoy and understand what PVP is all about, imbalanced strategies are like trumpets calling out for verbal attacks, disapproval, and negative association. Skilled players, with all their knowledge, wisdom, and experience, take appreciation in participating in the “dance” known as a “duel,” where an exchange of tactics fly from circle to circle. Imbalanced strategies hinder and cut off that dance. Imagine taking a salsa class, only to end up failing the course because the judges flipped a coin and determined they would grade you based on how it landed; you never got the chance to perform. I don’t think anyone would just sit back and accept their fate silently, in that case. Thus, cheap tactics create social pressure and tension.
Third, those who utilize such methods tend to stunt their ability to advance further in Rank once a direct or indirect counter is found. Think of the Fisherman Metaphor. “If you give a man a fish, he will last for a week. If you teach that man how to fish, he will last for a lifetime.” By letting imbalanced strategies exist as accepted styles of team play, the pool of incompetent players increases, and as a result, their reliance on a single tactic will require them to take advantage of lower ranks (via down-ranking). Because there is no self-development available for using notorious plays, there is little room for change, innovation, and reform. Therefore, when a team like TPC comes along and finds a way to counter (for example) Blade-stacking, some teams have dropped out of the Arena due to the inexperience of playing another way. Once something “stops working” the way it used to, its overall longevity is truncated; in this case, when a cheap tactic “stops working,” the user’s PVP participation dies (or slows), too.
So, why is understanding TPC and understanding the nature of imbalanced strategies significant or important?
Most recently, words and actions of my teammates over Twitter were taken way out of context, to the point where the original issue was no longer addressed. Well, how do we put things into context? By exploring three important components: community history, culture, and the full story. Don’t want to hear it? Well, consider the argument against California’s Three Strikes’ Law, where opponents of this law took it out of context by pointing out that it was putting away people for 25 years-to-life for petty acts such as stealing a pizza. Sure, it sounds absurd, but when you take it back into context, realize that stealing the pizza was the third act in a series of law-breaking (including felonies). By absorbing and opening yourself to more information, the situation becomes clearer and more justified.
TPC’s mission, since birth, is aimed to restore the fun to PVP by showing (1) teams don’t have to play a certain way to reach Warlord, (2) teams don’t have to follow a specific roster of school combinations, and (3) friends can PVP together, regardless of how much experience each of them have. Ever since Ronan Dawn and I met for the first time, we’ve noticed that PVP had dwindling popularity and players were losing interest. Left and right, PVP players were being judged in a lump sum, and we were deemed to be arrogant, selfish, obnoxious, or rude, just because we enjoyed that part of the game; no one believed that good sportsmanship existed in this realm. Imbalanced strategies at the time, which was solely Chain-Stunning, created the illusion of “power.” Friends of these teams rooted and cheered for their mates, while they spat and put down the unprepared victims. Pretty similar to kicking someone down and making fun of them for being pinned. Even 1v1 had its own trolls (and Gobblers, Onis, etc.)
Ronan and I knew we needed to shine the light on the other side of PVP, despite how difficult it was to make a case with all the unsportsmanlike conduct flying around in the Arena. We just didn’t have a shared execution, nor did we develop one together. But, we did agree that we needed to increase PVP’s popularity to add to the pool of players. When the number of competitors grow, the number of inventions and strategies do as well. It’s all explained here.
After TPC was created for the intent of friends having fun together, we realized that our peers around us didn’t agree or approve that we were moving from PVE to PVP. Slowly, we took on active movements to reinstate the Arena’s good name through my Arena series, the PVP Party Forum, and PVP commentaries.
Thankfully, the Massive Fantasy Palace came out. This enabled us to hold PVP Parties, where we encouraged players to renew their interest in the Arena by providing them an in-game site to innovate, test, individually measure their improvement, learn, and enjoy PVP, while discouraging and removing the badly behaved and bad sports. Through this, the overall acceptance of PVP (from the Ravenwood Radio, Blogger, Twizard, and Diary of a Wizard end) increased tremendously. Even our dear Paige Moonshade, who used to detest, dislike, and avert away from PVP after witnessing corruption amongst her friends in the past, rediscovered enjoyment in participation – she eventually overcame the dreaded anxiety, pressure, and tension she used to feel.
As you can see from my Arena series, it meant a lot for me if someone saw the light and benefits of PVP. Paige and I had about two or three discussions last year, and I remember I was begging the question of whether or not she’d give PVP a chance again; she’d reply along the lines of “Never.” But, as evident from the 2nd Annual Ravenwood Ball, that "never" wasn’t a promise, and I’m honored and happy that “the spell was broken.” Paige is having fun again…and if you knew the Paige Moonshade from many months ago, you’d see this as some sort of miracle, too. Cassandra Dragonheart was also a relatively new PVP prospect around the time – initially, she didn’t see or believe much in PVP (due to the negative environment and bad sportsmanship of other wizards). It took time, and I’m glad she gave it a chance, because now she’s fighting around the 1300+ ranks and enjoying a new hobby. Our very own Autumn Duskhunter from Homework in a Graveyard (a non-regular PvPer), after attending one of our parties, developed enough interest to stand around for a number of TPC Ranked matches, ask for tips and tricks, and apply them. Many people from Diary of a Wizard and YouTube thanked us for relighting their Arena candle.
Each member of TPC is a strong advocate for being supportive and constructive for a player’s PVP development. In other words, we’re critical of other players who accept, condone, or promote the methods that accelerated the Arena into the Dark Ages. We don’t believe that the use of imbalanced strategies is ever a positive or constructive way to improve one self, or accurately represent what PVP really is about.
A few nights ago, there was a disturbance in our attempt to keep the PVP environment harmonious. An imbalanced strategy, mainly Tempest-Spamming, was used by one of our regular PVP Party participants. Don’t get me wrong, now – that wasn’t the main issue. Instead, the problem was that a few players were teaching a young child that the imbalanced strategy was an acceptable learning tool for their PVP development. When my teammates questioned their logic, one replied that “they will learn the hard way.” Keep in mind that this is an adult encouraging a younger player to put himself (or herself) into a volatile situation, considering the three negative aspects of imbalanced teams explored above. The counter-argument was that the child was going to be subject to insults anyway. This is what threw some of us off.
Even when teams like TPC play fairly, it’s true that we’re still on the receiving end of insults and profanity. This is from a default player base that will always exist, called “trolls,” which are players who have nothing but destructive comments, motives, and intentions, where their actions do not benefit or help anyone but themselves. When players win or lose against trolls, it’s generally expected that there will be something said from the other side that doesn’t help anyone improve or leave dignified.
Thus, it seems cruel, if not negligent, to encourage a younger player to adapt a playstyle that will add another player base to sink the child down further into social and emotional pressure. This player base is generally of the rest of the PVP community, where players play to have fun or improve their skills in the game. When Tempest-Spammed, the fun is ruined for these players who want to give the Arena a fair chance and who want to learn and enjoy the game.
My question is, why not advocate for the child to play in a productive way, so that, instead of the burden of negative recognition, they are known positively? On top of peer pressure and the innate desire to want to belong, children do not need another reason for other players to talk down to them. Blade-stacking, chain-stunning, and Tempest-spamming may earn them some easy rank points and tickets, but PVP will lose its fun if the player (1) is constantly bashed and flamed, (2) realizes that a game update will quench their winning streak, (3) sees everyone else rooting for the other side, (4) becomes bored with the repetitive playstyle, (5) loses friends and gains enemies, (6) and/or runs into a counter. Teach them how to PVP, and they will find windows upon windows of opportunity to improve. Also, if they are respected, they may find their own self-respect, opposed to degenerating out of spite.
It’s understood that Twitter recently exploded with a lot of misconceptions as the issue was taken so heavily out of context that most Twizards failed to learn of the actual problem. Instead, it sounded as if small battles were trying to be won through blunt, singular points that did not contribute to solving the actual problem. The wrong people were being called “trolls.” Players of skill were being told to discontinue their hobby if others used cheap tactics to win. Active, trusted, and credible community members did not have their voices heard. I originally wanted to discuss and defend these issues, but I think most of them will be spoken for in the near future. Those of you who’ve made it this far into reading and understanding (some friends and I thank you, deeply) will see what I mean...for example, sharing the counter against Tempest-Spammers, debunking the idea that TPC and friends were "complainers."
Before making judgments based off of actions, get to know each person involved and get to know the issue at hand. Take into account all stories, not just one, lest there comes another monumental misunderstanding within our community. Self-victimization is not a long-term buoyant. If involved in a conflict, understand that within due time, when all these multiple stories and puzzle pieces have aligned, the act of gambling a friend's alliance and omitting key information will come back to bite someone in the end. When you write, voice, work, play, or act with a positive and constructive attitude, and maintain integrity, we all win.
Thank you for your time.
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