Posted by Takashimi on October 20, 2000 at 09:26:31:
In Reply to: Lichs, the true reason why people leave (small re to the Arcanes' post) posted by Anti-Lich on October 20, 2000 at 05:24:59:
> What I mean is that the ONLY people who can become Lichs are people who are already skilled and knowledgeable about the game, already a danger by ...and that is that you can't learn from your mistakes. Arcane has stated that his first character was powerful, Nepenthe even pointed out that he had an intuitive mind for the game. Sure this helps. Before I ever played a mud, I had played Zork, so I guess I had the advantage of knowing to type 'e' instead of 'east'. But your argument comes across like everyone has one shot at being elite and that comes from the first character. What would it do for CF if Liches were given out like candy simply because someone was doing their best? Consider the subjective nature of that sentiment. 'Your' best is quite different than someone else's. Each can be rewarded, but they by no means should be the same. Hifflio was going to get a dragon form, Thror got forged hammers, Llorenthos got that executioner's skill. Have other people had the skill, RP, and intelligence to earn these? Not each attribute at the same time, and I think that that is the important part. If you give out the gold medal to everyone who 'tries', then what is the value of gold? Elitism aside, you also have to consider pure luck. Let me give an example of when Maclochlan and I dueled in the rites and I beat him 2-1. The first time we fought (he was a cloud mace/polearm spec, I was a felar assassin) I missed kansetsuwaza and I didn't hit him at all in the fight. The second time we fought, the sun went down right as I started and he couldn't see to wield his maces (he later told me) and he hit me once. The last time, I landed kansetsuwaza right off and the fight was over. One % point either way and Mac becomes leader and I con death a month later. Do I consider myself elite? Why not. I've played here for a long time, and I'm confident enough in my abilities and intuition that I could lead a group of three. Does anyone else consider me elite? Who cares? I don't go on IRC nor have RL friends who play CF (the lure of the MUSH is hard to break, I guess) where I can go to get showered with admiration. And chances are, half the people reading this don't even know who I am unless they do a forum search for Takashimi. And because I posted logs while I was still alive, that right there removes me from elite status. As a possible answer to Arcane's question below, all I can think of is that line from Excalibur when Lancelot says 'We have lost our way' and Arthur replies 'It's not easy for them without the hard teaching of war and quest.' The game is evolving to the point where pure PK has to be balanced out with the RP the imms demand. Have fun playing the damn game. If you're not, then you need to reconsider how you spend your time. I had a lot of fun as Takashimi (before, after, but not really during the time I was leader of battle). I had a lot of fun with Dural, too. I also had a lot of fun playing characters that never amounted to much. Just because you aren't the sole topic of a thread on this forum doesn't mean you aren't a part of CF history. I've picked up the hedgehog. I've been earthquaked by the mayor. I've fallen onto the spikes. I've spammed 'drink water' at the poisoned fountain. The ball has landed on 00. I've walked into the green dragon just outside of the west gate. I've forgotten the key. I've stood there and been summoned and slept. I've been hit with the ruby-hilted dagger. I've walked west when I meant to walk east. I've fought felars while using frostbrands. I've had wimpy on in the Mausoleum. I've hit 'dirt guard' on the battlements just as an arbiter walked by. I've found out that so-and-so DOES assist. I've spammed rescue on a groupmate with autoassist on. I've been sure that that thief logged out. I've attacked that group of trolls with 0 hours left on haste. I've been in cabal limbo. I've left trustgroup off. I've been worded by an enemy mage while raiding them. I've sac'd my own weapon by accident. I've looted the burning log. I've been too full to eat the pill. And so on, and so on.
What the hell does this say? Am I better than him? Am I more elite? Any felar assassin could have sat there and spammed kansetsuwaza and come out on top. Yet it happened to be me and I ended up as leader.
As a result, I had the leader's con and outlived Maclochlan which is the only reason that people remember me more than him, because I sure as hell wasn't a better RPer or a PKer.
If I'm not mistaken, the last quest form given out was to a dawnie who got the Bulette.