Culture clash

[kgrieve]

I wrote this note to my guild (Eleytheria) 2 months ago just before I left the game. After the weekend there is a lot of introspection and probably time this was made public.

When I look back over then ten month playing Ryzom, I spent far more time doing treks, boss hunts, helping people and having fun. I never really tried to become rich or the best in anything. Whenever my money went below 500K, I would go and dig for a three or four hours and earn another 500K dapper.

With the outposts and PvP content there is a big incentive to get you levels as high as possible, or else you lose your battles, maybe your outpost. This was counter to my play-style although as guild leader I started making an effort to improve my melee and offensive magic skills so that I could lead the defence of our outpost. The grinding was boring without a good team and being able to chat.

We had a gift-culture, where there was plentiful never ending materials. We exchanged goods and got to know each other. Without the pressure of earning money we tried to outdo each other in a friendly way by making the best equipment, taking down bosses and taking part in competitions and events. Although there was plenty to do we could pick and choose what we did. In this environment role-play thrived and was the basis of many events. In my limited experience this seems unique for any MMORPG game and probably accounts for its attraction for those who don't want the same old style of quests and levelling.

The outposts and FvF brought in a different culture of being the best; best guild, best fighters, best faction, best materials. The goals are focused and precise: to reach level 250 with supreme equipment and the best boosts. There are a limited number of closed and unique resources only available from the guilds that own them. The limited resources are designed to be fought over. In such a goal oriented environment role-play has little place, neither do events that are not related to maxing out. There are a lot of games with this style and people are familiar with the aims. Someone coming from a 'conquest' style of game may grab onto these familiar concepts and not see the larger scope of SoR.

The problem is that the two cultures are incompatible. In the gift-culture we could pick an choose what we did, we had control over our lives. Under the outpost and FvF we are faced with adverse external influences, things we cannot control, such as fear of being attacked, not controlling the times, not knowing how big the attacking force is or how many allies will turn up.

As I see it, the flaming in forums, the in-game antics, the bad feelings are symptoms of people under stress. You can try and fix the forums, prevent the game exploits, expel guild members or smooth over relations, but until the source of stress is resolved there will continue to be problems.

[acridiel]

One Word: Coexist.

It works fine over here on Lenaon.

Bye

Acridiel

[cloudy97]

Sorry to see you gone. Hope you come back again, Kindle.

Acridiel, even if you don't play on the English server. How does Leanon handle it, in relation to Arispotle? How does the different game cultures coexist there, and why? (Maybe a fuzzy question...)

[thlau]

Acridiel, even if you don't play on the English server. How does Leanon handle it, in relation to Arispotle? How does the different game cultures coexist there, and why? (Maybe a fuzzy question...)

Ulani,

one major difference on Leanon is, that most of the players share the same cultural background, not like on Leanon, where players are from many different countries. It may be prejustice, but I think this influences the general behavior in game, too.

Cheers
Trini

[martl]

Kindle,

my respect to your posting. I feel very much the same.

@thlau: i'm not so sure about that. in our quite large guild, we have players from North- and South America, the Carribean, Spain, Egypt, Denmark, UK, Germany, Austria, and possibly some other countries i'm maybe not aware of...
i haven't yet found any coherence between native country and general behavior at least not as a rule.
(maybe i'm striking my Guildies as being a typical Kraut - never asked them, lol)
Rather playing with ppl of all those different cultures, working together is tremendeus fun, i'd never dream of playing on the German server for exactly that reason *)

Glo
*) apart from the fact that i rather own Aen Armor than an Aen "Rüssi"... lol

[acridiel]

Sorry to see you gone. Hope you come back again, Kindle.

Acridiel, even if you don't play on the English server. How does Leanon handle it, in relation to Arispotle? How does the different game cultures coexist there, and why? (Maybe a fuzzy question...)

Well, for the most part, people get together in TS an talk about their Problems, rather then just flaming each other to Hell and back.
There once was a time, during the Templewars, when it was rather similar to here and right after the OPs were included. But it all got sorted out in amature fashion. Luckily for us.
I´m a Roleplayer first and foremost, and I coexist with the PvP People as I try include theirdeeds into my RP, by talking about for example:
"Have you heard, Guild XYZ has taken on Guild 0815s Outpost, what an outrage." and so forth...
I get my Mats, Crystalls and other stuff by offering help to other guilds that have an OP and asking for them in return. Simple as that.
I help with digging, or on a Trek or hunting. AND ocassionaly if I feel like it, I help defending an OP, just because I see it as part of the Game, not something I´m forced to do.
Most Guilds that own OPs seem to have come to an agreement, that if an attack is declared they´re in a kind of semi RP from declaration on. So everyone bithes an brags mostly in RP about their won or lost battles.
The point is eople destiguish between Charakter and person behind it. And ar rarely mad at the Player if the Caharkter did something "wrong".
Okay, there are Idiots who try to abuse this mindset, but their´re found out pretty soon and get their fill...

It´s not that easy to explain, but I´m sure it has nothing to do with us all being from germany, or somesuch... We´ve got players from Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands to.. so...
*shrug*
Maybe we´ve just "grown out" of this kind of thing?

Acridiel

[sotbo]

One Word: Coexist.

It works fine over here on Lenaon.

Bye

Acridiel

Sry, but no. It don´t coexist on Leanon!

Why don´t you try to tell the truth and not only your side of view?

[dbritt]

Sry, but no. It don´t coexist on Leanon!

Why don´t you try to tell the truth and not only your side of view?

He was stating his point of view in terms that apparently an entire server has come to aggree on. Dont beleive me, go to their forums and see what goes on. I think it is a real shame that we had to have someone that doesnt (but I wish did) play on our server come here and tell alot (not excluding me) to grow up.

This was a tough weekend, I personaly will not stop playing the game I have come to love. Adjust to changes, yes, quit, no.

The game changes, if it didnt, we would all be gone sooner than you think. In things like this, change is neccesary or bordom and burnout soon follow.

The weekend is over, the forum chaos is over. And hopefully some of the flavor of the posts will be over forever.

Acridiel, I respect and /bow to your opinions here, if people cant see that sometimes it helps to have an outsider come in and show us how STUPID we (and I DID say we) have become on these things....then maybe it's time for them to grow up.

Much respect to the open minded
H

[raven41]

Noooooo Kindle come back !!! I miss playing/chating with you! I even asked your guild peeps about you when I came back after my move.Now im taking a break ..But come back after !! Bah always my good friends who leave -.- ..and not the few annoying peeps I know -.- ..

*walks away for a few min annoyed*

I miss you Kindle GL on whatever you do..I hope to see you one day soon!
If you use MSN -True_redslayer@hotmail.com
or yahoo True_redslayer@yahoo.com add me kind :O

[philu]

Noooooo Kindle come back !!! I miss playing/chating with you! I even asked your guild peeps about you when I came back after my move.Now im taking a break ..But come back after !! Bah always my good friends who leave -.- ..and not the few annoying peeps I know -.- ..

*walks away for a few min annoyed*

I miss you Kindle GL on whatever you do..I hope to see you one day soon!
If you use MSN -True_redslayer@hotmail.com
or yahoo True_redslayer@yahoo.com add me kind :O

Agrees whole heartedly. We want you back here.

Can't you feel the itch? The craving to log in? Or is that just me...?