[Tiddlywinks]

Originally Posted by W8Gamer [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

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.

The only thing worth adding is how TMO went from not being able to break fear and wiping to Draco despite using Ivandyrs Hoops to the top guild. They merged with the former #2 raiding guild (Fusion/Dark Ascension etc) and began to challenge the #1 guild (Transatlantic Rampage/Inglourious Basterds etc) on Trakanon so that they could get keys to VP before it opened since it was delayed about 8 months on this server. More than half a year of mostly equal competition, both guilds were sitting on a 1 week raid suspension handed down by former GM Amelinda.

In the middle of that suspension, without notifying anybody from any other guilds, Amelinda secretly lifted TMO's raid suspension and this enraged the other guild at the time (renamed Inglourious Basterds again by this point) to stop playing on the server.

It was later revealed that a member of TMO (quickfingers aka tiggle) was Amelinda's girlfriend, and it was also revealed that Amelinda had taken bribes from members of the community that were selling things for USD.

In threads such as this TMO will typically try to stand behind their reason of "we had to play by these rules to achieve what we did, and so should you" but will conveniently leave out details such as how they came into being the undisputed #1 guild on the server. Since then they've only grown stronger.

Disregarding all logic for why the current non-classic raid scene inside of VP should be made better and ignoring all arguments for it (because the scene currently favors them and only them).

Just thought that may be worth mentioning as to why the majority of players hate the current raid scene, think it unfair, and believe a change to a more-classic and PVE friendly end-game would be beneficial and the best route.