All Pharmed Out of Here

[Rumblebore]

I guess maybe I am just not aggressive enough for the higher levels.

Last month I asked players who regularly attacked/pharmed me to relax through Christmas (less than a 1 week period) and the majority of people said ok. It gave me the chance to come home at night and have some cointo make a few improvements. They also picked back up the attack right after Christmas which was fine.

One person however did NOT take to the idea so I tried a little comedy:

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I cannot understand how someone with so many Corpses (XXX+) needs my paltry funds to help feed them. They are dead, don’t need water or beer, don't need food, Don't need new clothes, don't need housing, etc.

So one must wonder why I am being regularly plundered for funds.....

Ahh well, maybe someday I will understand a guy who likes to play with dead people.

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Suffice it to say the response by the person was to correct my flawed perceptions of MANY things including the whole army-system concept and also to BLOCK ME from sending any more PM’s to them. In all, I deemed it all a rather extreme response to both a simple request and a playful reply.

I find that as I get higher in level and money making, I am being pharmed about 8-10 times a day MINIMUM. My current capacity is about 288k per 24 hour day. Due to my schedule of work and after hours activities, I generally can only get to the Army system first thing in the day at work, maybe at luchtime, and sometime when I get home at night. I calculated how much I have spent per day in the last week and find I am only spending about 18% of what I make per day, the rest is all pharmed off me. This is close to what has been happening all last month.

I try to buy def, then more offense, to upgrade when I can but it is impossible to keep up with people who have attack and defense power in the million range to do anything like pharming off them in return. Sure, I can go after the lower levels and get from 1-6k per 15 attacks, but then I am doing what I have come to hate.

Well, I had hoped to be able to keep connected to T.H.E. through the Army system but with this constant pharming and not being able to connect often enough to make good use of my income, I have decided to let it all go. Pharm me all you want folks. I will leave my char active so you can grow uber off me and enjoy the additional income.

Sorry but the fun is dead.

[Devin Ashley]

This person who blocked you was me because what you consider humor was not at all but a flame vs me because i am active in the army system, you can ask bal and anfalas how many times they raided me same as i do to others, i am sorry the army system is like war.. not sure if you got that concept but ya its very hard to build up to higher levels , i am sorry if you think its mean to attack someone but thats what i thought war was about

i honored your request and did not attack you until after xmas

but then you laid into me about attacking you again

so i decided to lay the argument to bed , by thus telling you i would not attack you again and said when you reach the higher levels i expect the same i then saw no more reason to get more pms which would insult me some more

after all its just a game

i play it to have fun

not like its real or serious which you took it to be

and you never have to hide my name i stand by what i say

Devin

Lora

Lusty

[Devin Ashley]

one more post, For the record my name should have shown you that i am Female!!!!!!!!

[Eisaac]

One person however did NOT take to the idea so I tried a little comedy:

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I cannot understand how someone with so many Corpses (XXX+) needs my paltry funds to help feed them.  They are dead, don’t need water or beer, don't need food, Don't need new clothes, don't need housing, etc.

So one must wonder why I am being regularly plundered for funds.....

Ahh well, maybe someday I will understand a guy who likes to play with dead people.

-----------------------------

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(all the thread should have been under the "Army" add-on, not the "Attack" add-on)

I have read the first post more than a few times. Probably half of the counts are mine. I pondered for all this time if to write and what to write. Especially, when I had complaints (from Rumblebore) about attacking too much on the attack add-on. And I accepted the complaints, I nearly frag any whom I attack, and it takes the option for them too attack without suicide. thus, I now only attack midnights to 5am EST, and if not then, I attack once per day, and it lasts only an hour.

Now, that I know more details (Thanks, Devin) I can say:

Nice comedy. Only, the only GUY with (that many) CORPSES is ME.

So, the comedy was not so thoroughly checked before submitted.

The comedy was so nice that anyone active (Besides Devin) probably thought that it was me 'causing trouble' again. (You know what 'slander' is?)

I even checked my attack history, to see that I haven't made any attack during Christmas!

By writing "me 'causing trouble' again" Devin might think that I now think she is the troublemaker, which couldn't be far removed from reality.

I agree with all what Devin said about this add-on. And, YES, the paltry amount of money IS EXACTLY the difference between people participating. At one point, for example, two participants have the exact number of soldiers. This means they have close to the same hourly income. If they don't attack, don't try to feed on others for money, even a few losy percents of their income, they would be exactly tied. And where's the fun in that?

Also, Dement, if you check your last attacks, you WILL know when you can attack me. One time I woke up, logged in, I had the money, had a smile, I tried to buy and.... no money!! When I refreshed I saw it was you, I quickly counter attacked twice, gaining all the money back and I immediately spent it. (GOD knows how I got all of it, I usually get a 1/4 when I attack you...) You also tried to counter it, buy I was quick enough in buying and you got the few gold left.

(and I DON'T sit at the computer, refreshing, every 27 microseconds.... )

Anyway, good luck to you all!

Chris, HERE WE COME

(what am I talking about, I need to feed my corpses well, millions worth, to get near Devin and Rusty before that!)

[Rumblebore]

I hoped you would all see that my original post here (above) was meant to explain why I need to leave these 'games' we play. I mentioned no names so as to keep the persons involved private, but explained how peoples overreactions to what I consider simple requests were received (as we now know) as flames. The degree of overreaction continues in the replies here. I Repeat - I was trying to say why I was leaving and to wave goodbye, NOT to assassinate anyones character (by keeping names private) nor to flame someone. Sure I missed the wrong forum to type in - let THAT be a black mark against my TRUE character and flame me for that. I am a big boy and can take the hurt (sticks thumb in mouth and sucks on it).

(edit) - That was sacacasm, a form of humor if done properly, for those who need help with such things. (/edit)

Icuburn was someone attacking A LOT a while ago, but then he has access to computer most of the day and can do that, so my complaint/email to him was to find out if I was being singled out or what was going on. Once I understood that he had opportunity to attack more than most, I resolved to deal with it. I didn’t have as much free time to dedicate to a game (especially at work) so I had to accept that I was going get hit a lot by him.

I explained to EACH PERSON who attacked me that during Christmas I was not going to be as active on the boards due to family things and shopping and asked politely is they would suspend attacking during that one week so I could come back to a decent present of actually getting to spend what I was generating. EVERYONE said yes. Sure, it wasn’t the ‘norm’, but I was taught that it doesn’t hurt to ask as much as it hurts to seethe and wonder and grow bitter inside. I asked, they said yes, now this is being used against me as if I was whining about something. Go figure.

Now as for Devin……

Devin Ashley (FEMALE) said:

after all its just a game

i play it to have fun

not like its real or serious which you took it to be

My Reply: Line 1 – Agree. Line 2 – Maybe so. Line 3 – Bullxxxx

It IS a GAME – that is clear and self-evident.

You play to have fun, so do I.

As to the last comment, I have never interacted on this board in any forum or in any online game with Devin Ashley, except to play the attack system and the army game, which does nothing to help me identify the gender of the person, so any ability to misread peoples intents and personality (mine and hers) is still up for possible misunderstanding, unless both parties work to make allowances for what is unknown. I play EQ only and none of the other online games that T.H.E. also operates in. Those who know me in EQ read the post and wonder what Devin is on that she reacted with so much hostility. THEY understand my humor. There is a thing called a straight man and the fall guy. Abbott and Costello are a good example. Abbot had the straight lines, the ‘serious’ ones, the sarcastic ones and Costello was the fall guy, taking the physical abuse, giving the humorous lines, and making the foolish acts that made them a team and famous. Was Abbot funny? He was, but in a different way. It takes getting used to perhaps, but is IS a well known and documented form of humor, that apparently is not what Devin Ashley (and perhaps Icuburn) is familiar with. I am thankful that Icuburn read the info many times before posting. I do not believe that Devin Ashley read my IM’s to her without first reacting negatively instead of thinking about what this guy Rumblebore was doing and perhaps asking if I was flaming her or trying to be funny.

I attempted to send Devin an email to explain how I mistook some things and offer an apology but Devin had sent me her final reply and BLOCKED me. So there was no way that 2 adults could try and work this out. Devin says I flamed her. The reality to me is that I obviously hit a nerve with my humorous attempt and from that moment on I was a (FILL IN THE FOUR TO 6 LETTER BLANK HERE).

There are different senses of humor, and different ways to react to people.

I forwarded a copy of that blocked reply to Balandar and Altarial so they can confirm what I am about to quote from it regarding Devins name:

Devin,

I have not looked into if you are male or female, and frankly I know both a Devin (male) and a guy named Ashley (there is also a cartoonist named Ashley Brilliant who is a male). So the name is not definitively female to me. Yes I do know a couple of Ashley's who are female too. I apologize for any slight my assumption gives.

Here is a link and a quote from it:

The Name DEVIN

Devin is a very popular male first name, ranking 395 out of 1219 for males of all ages in the 1990 U.S. Census. Devin is a very popular surname, ranking 23107 out of 88799 for people of all ages in the 1990 U.S. Census.

So I am NOT off center to assume that Devin is a GUYS name. If Devin Ashley has a problem with whether her name is perceived male or female, it is NOT because it is CLEARLY a female name. It is CLEARLY referenced as a popular male name.

So, I DID hit a nerve that Devin has over her name. And her reaction is not really justified given that I have never interacted with her in an online game format to be able to KNOW she is a she.

Given all that, here is the rest of what I wrote as an apology to Devin, which she couldn’t receive because she blocked me:

I don't think that 'no-one' should attack me. I don't think I shouldn't be plundered. Heck I expect it. And I do it too.

I did write in a manner that is for me humorous (about upkeep on corpses), as compared to to upkeep on my humans (by comparrison - an assumption I made given the times you have attacked my humans, I figured you would get it) and ended it with a smiley face to add the hint it was being said in fun. Obviously that PM hit deeper into your ranks than any of my Army System attacks have managed to.

I am sorry you took offense, but perhaps taking the time to 'read into' what people you barely know are saying and looking for the hints that they may be being playful and not stupid of the rules of the game is warranted. (this was said in an intentional tone of sacracsm mixed with parental hand-slapping)

In the end, it is JUST A GAME. Lighten up a bit please. Attack me all you want. I am a big boy and know how this works.

And I am ready to lose money again. The higher ranks will make me a much bigger target (and I was there for a few weeks).

I wish you well and hope you have a great New Years (said with true sincerity, no sarcasm at all).

I really did mean that. I wasn’t being MEAN, I was being humorous and Devin didn’t see it that way. My ‘error’ on the name/gender thing is understandable, IF you stop and realize that the ‘Devin’s’ around me are all male, and that Ashley can be either a male or female name, or a surname. Devin, in my opinion, overreacted inappropriately and didn’t even TRY to learn what I meant, if I was truly flaming her, or if I just didn’t know who SHE was. She didn’t even try – she assumed.

This is my last post on this matter. Say what you will. I tried to apologize to her but couldn’t – she blocked me. The only other way was to make public what I deemed was a private matter. I notified my guild leader (Altarial) and the Big Guy of the Boards (Balandar) of my attempt at the apology and what Devin had said to me, and left it there.

What made me post what I did HERE because now that Mystic Legions (Everquest) merged with Dawnfire, we will mainly be using their messageboards. I was saying my farewells to the attack system, army system, and probably T.H.E.. What I didn’t like was how INTENSE some people can be over a game, and that their idea of fun includes verbally berating someone instead of trying to communicate with them to resolve any differences. If I was such a jerk on this matter, why do people like Altarial, Evillien, Novawop and Meiffo all think so well of me? Of course they are mainly EQ-ers, but a couple have moved on to other online games. Can I be a jerk at times? Heck yes, but I try to balance that with apologizing when I screw up or go too far.

I was not even given that chance with Devin Ashley.

Here is my last chance at that.

I no longer care enough to try and resolve this with Devin, as I am very unlikely to see her in a game or on a messageboard to work it out. She is the problem in my opinion, her reactions are excessive and inappropriate given this is all about a stupid GAME. SHE is taking the game way too seriously, not me, and by that taking any real fun out of it, unless war is one of her definitions of fun.

Anyways, for all other people who may see this, farewell and goodbye. Those who wish to can enjoy hacking into Rumblebore in the army system or the Attack system. That is why I leave him up – so you can gleefully beat on him up as Devin did verbally.

[Devin Ashley]

This is exactly why i blocked you , the drama over something so small

iif you want to make me out to be the bad person so be it i will not fight over something so small

Devin