History of Harmless and War Declaration
Printed From: Illyriad
Category: The World
Forum Name: Politics & Diplomacy
Forum Description: If you run an alliance on Elgea, here's where you should make your intentions public.
URL: http://forum.illyriad.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=854
Printed Date: 17 Apr 2022 at 04:52
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: History of Harmless and War Declaration
Posted By: HonoredMule
Subject: History of Harmless and War Declaration
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2010 at 22:33
|
Hello all, Recent call for ceasefire prompted me to hold back on this press release in favor of a more amicable resolution. However, with the rejection of Harmless's generous terms for peace, White has made clear that their most recent move was merely a ploy to delay Harmless's accelerating advance. And so we shall stay our hand no further. The full story is far too long for a forum post, and so is hosted off-site. For those less interested in the particulars, here are the highlights:
No doubt our opponents will have much to say in response, and they are welcome to it. Harmless will not be fielding any discussion at this time. This press release is to make our position and our reasoning behind it clear, and nothing more. The last opportunity for reasonable discussion was lost with White's absurd expectations of near-complete absolution for all their offenses, with no justice nor even a safety net against their capricious attitude toward peace. |
Replies:
Posted By: Zangi
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 17:54
|
Soo... basically, White isn't a neutral mercenary company. But one that works to its own political agenda. That is nice to know. |
Posted By: sturm
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 21:24
GO H!!!!!!!!!!!!11
|
Posted By: bow locks
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2010 at 08:31
| 'history shall be kind to me...I intend to write it' |
Posted By: Shrapnel
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2010 at 14:22
|
This was a great read. I recommend it to everyone. I hope WHITE writes their own version and everyone reads it as well. Everyone should have an open mind and know both sides of the story. |
Posted By: bow locks
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2010 at 17:46
|
reading back i worry my previous might be misconstrued. the quote is from Winston Churchill, and is not a comment about unnecessary bias, it is about well thought out and entertaining narrative, although one must understand there has to be a bit of bias. I thought it fitted the bill nicely and should not be taken as negative. It was a compliment to a well written and enjoyable read, thanks Hon. |
Posted By: Tordenkaffen
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2010 at 23:23
| Interesting read. Kinda makes me wonder. How old are you guys? |
Posted By: HonoredMule
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 02:00
| Between several and many years. |
Posted By: Tordenkaffen
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 21:50
| Fair enough - after reading the storyline I cant help wondering how can you invest so much work into a game. Ive seen it in many games eg. WOW and the like (often teenagers hanging a little too long in front of the computer), but for any browsergame this seems excessive, after all it may feel as time well spent but its just a fleeting parcel of data in cyberspace. Dont you ever just get enough of it and call up the ex-girlfriend or something? |
Posted By: Tordenkaffen
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2010 at 21:51
| Then again it might be none of my beeswax. Play on... |
Posted By: HonoredMule
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 15:42
|
Let me offer two alternate perspectives: First, as a husband (yes believe it or not I can play this game AND hold onto a marriage), student, programmer, writer, and adult who actively pursues many hobbies, I'm well capable of multitasking and achieving productivity levels you don't seem to have considered. Simply put, I don't actually put that much time into this game. Instead, I develop tools like HarmlessButler which manages my game activity like a day planner manages my meetings and project deadlines. (I also gain a lot of experience in an area of web programming where I was previously rather weak.) I work in spaces like my wiki which is designed to bring everyone's effort to mutual benefit. And ultimately, I rarely do just one thing at a time when I'm sitting in front of a computer. When I'm reviewing my account and talking to my alliance mates on the forums, I'm usually at the same time watching a show or movie, weaving chain maille, programming, or all of the above. And, incidentally, most of my "legitimate" work and personal projects involve use of a computer, so I'm "here" with or without Illyriad anyway. The only activities with which an open Illyriad tab significantly interferes are those which require substantial reading, such as working on my thesis or writing short stories. Second, it irritates me to no end when people disregard anything done online as "just a fleeting parcel of cyberspace." Your bank account balance is "just a fleeting parcel of cyberspace," and the internet stopped being this "not real life" thing a long time ago. My alliance mates are real people, and my relationships and interactions with them are therefore real and meaningful to some extent. My accomplishment is also in contest against other real people and not simply success at doing what the game tells me. My reward for playing this game is emotional and not financial, and that's fine--I can't take money to the grave, so why does everything have to be about that? I'm content to die happy instead. Maybe it's about "going outside?" I do that too--cycling aggressively at least 30 minutes per day except in deep winter, biking off-road on summer weekends, hiking, camping, swimming, and enjoying the occasional tennis match when I can find a partner (wife has bad knees). ---- All the other members of Harmless for whom I'm informed enough to speak share similar stories. They are adults well capable of balancing many activities with "healthy" lives consisting of all the other "normal" things we expect, like girlfriends or wives or *shock* husbands, jobs, friends, hobbies, etc. Now maybe I need to be shown an alternate perspective, but most people who I see crying out "obsession" are just whining out of their own jealousy--they couldn't be as proficient whether they were obsessed or not. It's a shame that we aren't obsessed--people with obsessions do amazing things like starting new industries, ending World War II, or making the entire world laugh (and getting paid for it). Ultimately, browser games have this huge meta-element which is an imaginary equivalent to structured governance and political intrigue, all the "spy vs spy" stuff (moles, counterintel, cons, canary traps, disinfo, clever electronic traps, etc.), and Cold War all in one package. I get to be a part of all of that, and it's FUN. Where offline could I be a part of all that? I could do some of it in the physical world and even get paid...and be shot, bombed, tortured, or at least in genuine fear for my life and well-being not to mention the safety of my family. I'm good with just the fun part. Sometimes exercising your interests/talents using something that is "not real life" is better. And you know what? It's educational too, if you're watching for the useful lessons, especially in human behavior. |
Posted By: Noryasha Grunk
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 16:15
| Bravo. I think you speak for a lot of us with that. |
Posted By: Kumomoto
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 18:51
| I'll second that... HM-- Well said! |
Posted By: iluvpie3
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 19:42
|
You should run for President Mate
|
Posted By: Mr Andersson
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 19:45
|
Did you say you where a writer... That pretty much covers it all, thank you HM! ------------- MrA |
Posted By: Zangi
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 19:46
| "You are better then me! That means you have no life!" |
Posted By: Tordenkaffen
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2010 at 22:21
|
You say that playing this game is a natural extension of your day to day life (Thats how I understand you) and I see no grounds for doubting that. While I dont share your perspective on wealth being in any way similar to the emotional gratification a game may give, and certainly "delude" myself into considering money bearing greater weight to my entire existance than just the data from this game, I understand your perspective and respect it. Nuff said. It merely struck me with the large narrative that you were indeed taking this game more seriously or time consuming than what I consider healthy, and so I couldnt keep my trap shut about it (my bad). We can continue debating the issue of real life versus cyberspace life to great lengths without really approaching each others viewpoints, suffice to say I plainly disagree with anyone claiming that they can substitute eachother ad lib. Cyberlife is good up to a point, then it has a negative effect on the human psyche - and in many ways far more unnecessary than forming "real" (as in real life) bonds with people. The difference that the physical presence of another person presents as contrary to the digital disembodied presence I find very difficult to describe in words, so Ill just agree to disagree with you there. That said tho fun is fun, and as you described real life or a lack thereof does not seem to be a problem for you, I merely formed a wrong assumption and apologize. But like I stated earlier - play on, its not really important to me what other people do or dont. |
Posted By: King EAM
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2010 at 01:37
| Well said HM (same as always) |
Posted By: Llyorn Of Jaensch
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2010 at 02:49
|
Tordenkaffen: 1. I guess the lesson here is forming naive judgments will enact an appropriate response. That of correction and embarrassment. 2. Dont *expletive* with Ze mule.  |