Ok, I'm not even sure where to begin with this post. First, let me just say that I'm a returning player after a 2 year hiatus. I just returned to p99 this year. So, I'm not exactly current on all the raid/guild drama that has occurred on the server. However, from reading several of the raiding discussions and hearing some of the history of TMO, I've gathered this much (by all means correct me if I'm wrong):
Training in VP has been allowed since the zone opened. Raiding rules have always been fairly the same aside from a few changes like variance, FTE, and what not. For the most part though there has not been some substantial, game changing rule. Now, TMO has not always been the top guild. From what I understand, TMO at one point in time used to wipe breaking into fear. I've read a few posts of people mocking TMO for this. So, obviously they have not always been as strong as they are now.
What does that tell me? That tells me that TMO had to work to get to where they are within the same rules and guildelines that are currently implemented. TMO had to deal with the same trains any other guild has to deal with when they raid VP.
With that said, let me address some of these ridiculous analogies and comparisons. First off, comparing the raiding scene of EverQuest (a game) to an economic monopoly or the gas wars is just plain retarded (for lack of a better word). Almost as retarded as comparing it to a room of people where not sharing food could result in the death of another person. I'm pretty sure no one on the server is going to die if they don't get their raid loots. These are terrible examples for one reason. EverQuest is a GAME. It's a GAME. A GAME! How can you compare a GAME to the economy of the real world? In the GAME of EverQuest I can choose whether or not I am affected by simply not playing or not participating in certain aspects of the game and it having no impact on my livelihood. I had started to type up an in-depth explanation, but in all honesty, if you can't see how stupid this sounds, then nothing I say is going to change your mind or feelings about this.
A proper comparison of EverQuest (again, a game) would be to yet another type of game. The comparison to chess was actually quite good, because like EverQuest, chess is a game. Ever heard of the saying comparing apples to oranges? That's what you're doing with the EQ raiding scene and the gas wars (lol). How about we stick to apples? So, what would be a good comparison for the raiding scene of EQ? In my opinion, Kind of the Hill. Ever play? See, in King of the Hill, a certain spot is deemed "the hill" and the "King" is whoever stands on it. The objective of the other players is to knock the king off the hill and control it themselves. Whoever controls the hill the longest is winning or wins the game. That's what TMO is right now. They are the King of the Hill. They weren't at one point though. See, they played the game and they knocked the previous king off the hill. And because they are so good at the game, everyone wants to cry out for a rule change. However, what rule changes were made when TMO wasn't the king? Was the previous king told to step down from the hill and give TMO a chance at king?
Like most games, there are winners and losers. The beauty of EverQuest is you get to decide how you win at the game. For me, winning is being the best on the server. That's my win and I'm pretty sure TMO shares in the same sentiment. They want to win and winning to them is being the strongest guild and in order to be the strongest guild, they need to kill the strongest mobs. So, why exactly should they share? Why should they favor a rotation? They played the game within the rules and are currently winning. It's like if we were playing basketball and TMO just scored a 3 pointer, you expect them to give you the ball and allow you to try and shoot a 3 pointer except you want a change in the rules. You want to say TMO isn't allowed to steal the ball or attempt to block your shot even though you were absolutely allowed to do it to them, but either didn't or just weren't able too.
Anyway, this seems classic to me. On E`Ci Reconstructed was the boss guild and they controlled the end game and weren't content with sharing with any competing guilds. And why should they? We are playing a game aren't we? I'm not about to let the opposing team shoot 3 pointers all day long uncontested and I'm damn sure not about to let that one kid stand on my hill for too long either. Play the game.
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