Originally Posted by Loke
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I disagree. I personally don't think cheating really affected them, and really, how cheating is viewed on this server is different than it was before imo. The mass suspension really brought into light what a lot of people already knew but didn't talk about. Anyone who pretended to be surprised by all the cheating is full of shit - everyone always knew, but pretended they didn't. Not just in one guild or another, but really any guild that has held a #1 or #2 spot (IB, DA, TR, Transcendence, and TMO are only 6 I can think of) - so don't take this as me trashing one side or another. The difference was that before it was always 1 or 2 people at a time, so the rest just naturally admonish the banned individuals and went on with business as usual. But people would have to have been naive as shit to think cheating wasn't as wide spread as the suspension show us it was.
That being said, I think everyone has bit of a guilty conscious, even if they don't really know it (subconscious guilt!) about the whole thing. Because of that guilt, I feel that the atmosphere of the server is a bit more forgiving of it. I mean, these weren't just random people that got cheating - this is a really social game and people form fairly close friendships. A big part of those kind of relationships is forgiving people. I know that sounds lame as shit - but even on the guide application this kind of stuff is acknowledge. There is a question on there about if you caught a friend hacking - I mean, anyone who isn't a bag of dicks as a friend wouldn't sincerely turn their friend in. They'd be like "hey cock, stop cheating or you're going to get banned. Never again." problem solved.
So yea, with the revelation that cheating was wide spread, even among your own ranks and people you consider friends - I don't get them impression anyone sincerely holds the same intense grudges over it that they did before.
TR's dwindling numbers is from the same thing it always is. They've sufficiently beaten the available content, and only the most dedicated are still around. 99% of that guild is keyed, and they probably have alts keyed. Most full members are best-in-slot for 90% of their items, and the remaining items are either ultra-rare or really minor upgrades. They have no real reason to log on other than cock blocking the competition from keys and filling up the guild bank. I mean, 1/2 the ones that log on now probably only log on because they're sick of the competition bragging about getting mobs. Once VP is released, just like with Sky, and just like with Kunark, their members will return and recruitment will spike. Always has, always will.
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