Many of you will probably be happy to hear that I'm cutting myself off from this community. I'm still going to play royals because, as I've mentioned in other threads, it provides a really nice economy and a great means for linear progression without involving pay-to-win aspects--something which no other MMO, private server or otherwise, boasts. In terms of gameplay, royals is still a great way to pass time and I salute the admins and developers who made it possible and continue to do so. For that reason I'll probably still donate from time to time and continue to invest my time here. But for one reason or the other, or in all likelihood, the coalescence of many interrelated reasons, it's become quite obvious to me that this community is not for me, and that I am not for this community. Therefore, I've deemed it best to refrain from ever posting on these forums again (excepting the chance that I may have a character issue, in which case I'd still allow myself to post in those subforums), to delete all three or four names I had on my buddy list, and to effectively cut myself off from this community in every way that mattered. Just as I had expected as I started playing on royals, this community is almost an exact replica of what GMS had going on during its 0.62 days. To me, there are many reasons why this is not a good thing, and upon trying to articulate some of these reasons on another thread, I got promptly banned for a few days, despite me not having violated any of the terms of service. Just like in 0.62 GMS, all of this community is subdivided into multiple little cliques; just like in 0.62 GMS, there are lots of idiots--high and low level alike--who play this game; and just like in 0.62 GMS, it's easy enough to get to level 160 and not have made any real friends. These are few of the many problems I've personally had with this community and thus why I've run into obstacles when it comes to meeting people or making friends; really, what it all boils down to is that Lonely is the Word. Of course I'm not going to impose any of my values upon anyone else, but I'm saying this simply because I think it's sad the way things are, especially considering that they do not have to be this way. And maybe if anyone reads this and agrees, perhaps that person can reexamine how s/he approaches the community, maybe eventually making an impact for the better which I have personally failed to do. If I join a PQ and try to make conversations, talk about how we'll progress through a PQ, and generally try to make friends, why does the response have to be gruff brevity and hushed silence? If I post in any of those "looking for new friends" posts and make an effort to add people whose names are in those threads, why does the response have to be silence and zero effort to do anything material with anyone else? If I join a boss run and ask about how people's days are going and ask about how the loot will be distributed, why does the response have to be ignorance and the cold shoulder? If I try to start conversations with people on my buddy list, why does the response have to be dead silence, rather than thoughtful and engaging discussion or silly remarks in exchange? There are many things like this which lead to a sense of general fragmentation and isolation in this community, at least coming from the perspective of me, or anyone else who could be considered an outsider to the system. This typical feeling of apathy and lack of interest in other people is how it was in GMS and how it is here, and while sure, it's definitely better than an openly harsh and hostile community, it's certainly not what I'd call ideal. So if there's anything to take away from my final serious post, it's to simply examine oneself and ask if there's something that could be improved. Hell, that's the whole point to the lyric in my signature: back during the Renaissance, there was this obstinate, stone-headed refusal to accept the Copernican model... which is actually the scientifically correct one. We as a species have been wrong about that, for example, and countless other things over the course of history, hence the line, "how many times have we been wrong before?" An implicitly related question I always have to ask myself is, "how many times have I been wrong on what I've personally said or believed?" That's why I've tried to approach things here differently in the past, going from a generally more cerebral approach, to a more soft-spoken yet amicable one, to a more sardonic and flippant one, and have now come full circle back to my initial approach. My reasoning was that, perhaps I had to slightly change the way I approach and view things in order to get results and become a productive member of the community, but I realize now that my impulse was wrong and my reasoning flawed. Ultimately, there is no room in this community for any dimension of my personality, so I'll respect that fact and continue playing as an outsider, perhaps silently quitting for good if the game itself stops being fun at any point. But I will say this, because I don't think that I alone am to blame for the problems I've had here with the community. I will say that I've joined several other, smaller private servers and have gotten along perfectly well with most people there. I will say that I have been on servers where I've led guilds where people knew each other and helped each other, and where people perhaps looked up to me as something of a leader, or at least a simple friend. I will say that I have a job in retail which involves a lot of customer service, and my coworkers are fine with me, and our customers are fine with me. I will say that I've met many other people from other servers whom I get along with perfectly fine and with whom I am still connected. Sure, I am definitely not perfect and have certainly had some people that didn't like me (and whom I in turn didn't really care for), but typically, this was the exception to the norm. I've played many smaller MMOs such as LaTale, Well of Souls, Dofus, and RuneScape (back when it was new), and I got along with other players fine. In a nutshell, all I'm saying is that I have a history of getting along with people. I get along with people, and when it comes to social interaction, I have a good track record. I say this not in a braggadocious way (I feel like I'm quoting Donald Trump, geez), but simply to illustrate that it's only upon coming to bigger MMO communities that I struggle in finding friends and connecting with people--and those were somewhat my expectations when joining this server. So all I'll posit is that, even if you may see me as just a dissident aggressor, the way this community is set up is at least partially, if not mostly, to blame for any hellraising or challenging of the status-quo that I have done. Make of my post what you will, and go ahead and post whatever insults you want at me because I really do not care. You can call me an autistic idiot, an "edgelord," a pretentious keyboard warrior, an ape, any number of pejoratives, or whatever you feel like calling me because I really do not care. However, I'd rather that instead of throwing names around, that anyone reading would consider what I say and evaluate it to see if there's truth to it, because I stand by my opinions and think my observations have a decent amount of basis in reality. That's the last you'll hear (or read) of me, so I'll close by saying, "so long, farewell, I've got to go." And no, this isn't an April Fools thing--not that anyone here would wish it were a joke.
I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm happy to see you cut yourself off from the community. Now, I haven't been following the arguments you've gotten into in real time, but after having read some of them now, I can say that I'm don't view them entirely in a negative light. Most of your opinions of the server certainly differ from what could be considered the standard here or at least what the majority of people feel. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. MapleRoyals, like most other closely knit, niche communities has a tendency to become a real circle jerk at times, and reading the posts of yours that stand out from what I'm used to reading here no doubt helps me further define my own opinions. But maybe my opinions don't really matter. I have some opinions that would certainly be unpopular among people, should I voice them. But after having played here for some time, I've decided not to, because I am in a minority and I know the debate would never lead to anything of value. Instead, I'll adjust myself to make the experience of others' better. It's simply how it works here. You may think you could cause some sort of break, and change the way people think. Believe me, many have tried over the years, and none have really come close to succeeding. To you, perhaps the players are stubborn, perhaps they live in a bubble. Let them do so. This is not real life. This is where people come to disconnect from real life. I don't think anyone should apply their real life views on this game and its community really. Conclusion is, I don't think you're wrong, or what you've voiced is bad, but it's likely not going to lead anywhere. It's a strain on the minds of most people here, who've already clearly made up their minds about how they wish to enjoy the game. You can't expect to change that, you don't have the power to do that. Sure, you're free to voice your opinion, for this is not a dictatorship, it can't be. But for you, and for others, seeing how severely the meta of the game clashes with your views, keeping to yourself might be the best option in the end. For everyone. MapleRoyals' history of debates would certainly suggest so. You probably made a wise decision, doing what you announced here. MapleRoyals won't allow itself to be disrupted, or changed. I get that some people are going to refrain from posting anything here, thinking that it's best not to give you any more attention, but at least I'm here to say "So Long"! I hope that you find some enjoyment in playing the game in a way that apparently better suits you and your needs (granted that you follow the T&C, of course!).
Valid points. There's a lot of cold shoulders and closed circles in this community. However, there's also a few people that defines everything that is good about the community.
I don't really know you, but I disagree with some of what you said. It *is* possible to have both fun and thoughtful discussions with other players, you just have to find the right people. Unfortunately, a large portion of the player base is only interested in progressing through the game as fast as possible and making a lot of money, ignoring the social aspect; however, there are a good number of people out there who are capable of holding a decent conversation, it's just a little harder than it should be to find them. I do agree with you on one point, though. MapleRoyals has become unbelievably cliquey, and it's kind of disappointing to see. It feels like high school in a Disney movie, where everybody belongs to a group and their identity is rooted in said group.
I'm a guy who lives and dies by my friends. Friendships make the games I play more fulfilling. I enjoy the feeling of interacting with other players who have common likes and dislikes as me. The point of an MMORPG is what you make of the friends and the story and journey you take with them. With that said, I have been given the cold shoulder by several people and groups within this community. There was never any malice by the players when I got it, I dont even think they even realized what they were doing. I just think sometimes You get so wrapped up in your own stuff, you sometimes dont even realize you completely ignore someone whose looking to get to know you and make friends. It sucks when it happens and it hurts. I can see it making some players upset. Its been hard making friends on here (those who i have befriends i love you guys to death), but it hasnt discouraged me from continuing to try. You just keep chugging along. Eventually you will find someone who changes the game for you. Makes you enjoy logging in just to chat with them.
