Sorry I posted this question and have been so slow to respond. These are all wonderful, thoughtful replies, and I'm glad that the thread started up a discussion. I'd just like to clarify a few things about my original post: first, I understand that Illyriad draws from other sources than just Tolkien. That being said, I would argue that good vs. evil, heroes vs. villains, aggressors vs. repellers, are all binary oppostions that are omnipresent in all of the fantasy, myth, and folklore that relates directly to this game. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any supporting fantasy worlds similar to Illyriad that bear a resemblance to the hegemony we have here on Illyriad.
Like I said before, the community is more like a post-war community. To use LOTR-centered theory, it's like we occupy the Middle Earth after Sauron and the ring are vanquished. Yet, at the same time, players can choose to be Orcs, who are decidedly evil (can anyone find an example in other Literature where Orcs or Orc-like creatures are forces of good? Or even neutral for that matter?)
And as some others have said here, I think there are two reasons for this. One is the social networking aspect. The fact is, if you are not at war but want to be "playing the game," one has to bide their time to wait for things to be constructed and research to be completed. The only recourse is to chat in the GC. By doing that, people forge friendships (which there is nothing wrong with that), but these new relationships come to dominate the game moreso than the game itself.
Second -- and I have a feeling that I'm going to open up another can of worms here -- but I think that the fact that the community here is somewhat tilted to being Uk/European players, I think that the post-war mentality that still permeates European cultures is ascribed here. Europe, after all, suffered horribly from war in the 20th century. WWI was called "The Great War" and "The War To End All Wars," because people could not ever imagine humanity entering into another war that horrible. Then, WWII comes along and is a hundred times worse. Millions of people killed, wounded, maimed -- and then all of the destruction.
It left a lasting impression, and I think the effects are still felt in the current generations there. This is why Europe has become decreasingly demilitarized over the decades and has a decreasing willingness -- and capability -- to fight wars. It is completely understandable, considering what Europe has been through. And I would argue that Japan has a similar condition, thanks to having had nuclear bombs dropped on them.
As a result, I think that some players -- perhaps subconsciously -- are trying to model this sphere into a post-war world. It's just a theory, though -- I'm not saying I'm "right." What do you think?
P.S. -- Just to add: I really do love the game. To me, it's more of an interesting academic discussion about how the community is developing here, and how the game could be improved. But all in all, I love the concept. :-)
Edited by glorfindel - 08 Sep 2011 at 17:46
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Where's the Good Versus Evil?
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