The Humanity

[Bendix]

Since the freezing events have begun, there has been a deluge of discussion and argumentation over the merits of the events, the motivations behind them, and what effects the changes will have on the game as we know it.

Thesis: The most pertinent problems Battlemaster is having stem from an identity crisis: namely, that it has lost some of its humanity.

What do I mean when I say 'Battlemaster'? Do I mean, the players, or the devs, or Tom, or the game itself (even though it is not a living being)? Well, this being a social game, I mean the people. All of the people, including me. Because that's what it is: it is people interacting with people, and through the dehumanizing buffer of the internet, it is easy to forget that. It is easy to treat people as just facets of the game, but they aren't.

I have spoken often about the fact that players don't all play for the same reasons, and that that should be tolerated (even powergaming). I think this is a central part of the problem: you play the game a certain way, for a certain reason, and invest a certain amount of time and emotional stake in it, and then assume that everyone else plays it the same way. But that is a logical assumption- you never see the other players or devs, and, unless some of you know each other IRL, you never meet them, interact with them; you have no stake in their existence whatsoever. Therefore, we need to remind ourselves often that everything in this game happens because of your humanity; our differences and similarities, our virtues and flaws are all expressed in a sum total of worldbuilding.

Tom said something I found really interesting (and which obviously sparked a lot of comments from other players):

This is the part of the community I don't get. As soon as something - anything - happens, everything suddenly becomes all peacenik. Why? Why stop fighting and do some peaceful migration? Why not throw everything at them now that you have nothing to lose?

This is the one area where BM could never match real life. In real life, when the going gets tough, people get more aggressive, not less.

What's interesting to me here is that Tom seems to be assuming that there is no real life component to Battlemaster. No, I don't mean to say the game is "real" in any way, but that the players are real people that make decisions to play the game a certain way. People will play the game the way they want to play it- I'm not saying it's good or bad, or even that I understand it, but it is, by definition, human. And that is pretty real to me.

To sum it up:

-the devs seem to have forgotten that the players are humans, and rolled out a fixer event that, while it may be mathematically and technically sound, is demoralizing and psychologically jarring to players.

-the players seem to have forgotten that the devs are humans, and that any "fix" they come up with will not be anywhere near perfect. A lot of players were expecting some kind of neat, tidy solution that would be fine with everyone. But development is not part of the program; it's not going to compile in the most efficient way possible, because it's people. People making a guess at what will be best, and then having the balls to go for it.

I've given my reasons why I don't agree with the way this was done, but I'm still glad they did it. Now we all just need to remember that we're humans, and that the game is about humanity, and that it will succeed or fail depending on that principle.

[Dishman]

I know I'm guilty of de-personalizing some interactions with characters. I've always thought of roleplaying as a kind of enjoyable self-induced schizophrenia. That is part of why I think people take loss to their characters so bad. The character is a part of the player's psyche. An amalgamation of interests, desires, and personal traits that are a part of the player on various levels.

It is no surprise to me to see people upset. When a part of you is threatened, it's fight or flee. All the denial, rage, bargaining, and depression we see on the forum and the OOC chatter is a catharsis for players. Time will lead to acceptance. IC and OOC.

[Anaris]

-the devs seem to have forgotten that the players are humans, and rolled out a fixer event that, while it may be mathematically and technically sound, is demoralizing and psychologically jarring to players.

Nope. We knew full well that anything we did would be demoralizing and psychologically jarring.

And I stand by the belief that this way is less so than simply closing down an island.

[Tom]

What Tim said.

We are in the uncomfortable position of a medieval battlefield surgeon. We have to cut your leg off without anaesthesia, because if we don't the damage will be much worse. Wound rot is already visible, we have to act, and we know it's going to hurt and you will damn us and curse us.

We knew this would piss off some players. But we also know that not doing anything will make the game continue down the path of slow death that it's been on for the past two or three years.

[Bendix]

Right, I believe I made the exact same amputation analogy in the main thread, only my opinion is that you didn't cut off enough.

[Tom]

Right, I believe I made the exact same amputation analogy in the main thread, only my opinion is that you didn't cut off enough.

The advantage of erring on this side is that if you're right and we are wrong, we can cut off more. If we were to err on the other side and it turns out we are right and you are wrong, we can't put back what we've cut off.

[Lubomirski]

I must say that I do not like the actions that have been taken and have even been a bit snarky in other posts due to my frustration but something had to be done and no matter what that something was it would have been painful and have been accompanied by the gnashing of teeth and the rending of garments.  I give Tom and his minions' credit for trying to do what must be done in as painless a way as possible for after all they have invested much more into this game than we have. 

It is obvious that this game is a labor of love and Tom has been much more patient and willing to listen to us whiney players than most other Developers I have run across.  What has been done has been done for the good of the game so we must all go on with that in mind.  At least the BG Nibelung have shown themselves to be accommodating to our needs with the special rules for the soon to be dispossessed and hope that they weather the complaints and criticisms we will throw at them with typical Germanic fortitude and thank him for his creation.

[Zakilevo]

Sucks to be Tom. Keep a game for free for 10 years and only thing he gets is rare thanks and a lot of whining and complaints.

[Eduardo Almighty]

Wearing Tom's shoes, I would be happy in some way with people pissing off (not all of them), but most of it it's because BM is a great game with people cares a lot. They just need to be used with changes, not everyone is ready for that in many levels, mainly with their creations.

BM is to push them for more.

[Bendix]

The advantage of erring on this side is that if you're right and we are wrong, we can cut off more. If we were to err on the other side and it turns out we are right and you are wrong, we can't put back what we've cut off.

That is not how an amputation works. At least not in a hospital with mentally stable doctors who went to med school.

[Eirikr]

That is not how an amputation works. At least not in a hospital with mentally stable doctors who went to med school.

Replace amputation with haircut. Problem solved. :D

[Bendix]

Replace amputation with haircut. Problem solved. :D

A haircut is a purely superficial issue, so the metaphor doesn't carry over. We're talking about the health of the game, not it's personal styling decisions.

But yeah, I do get the logic of it: measure twice, cut once, and all.

[Forbes Family]

A haircut is a purely superficial issue, so the metaphor doesn't carry over. We're talking about the health of the game, not it's personal styling decisions.

But yeah, I do get the logic of it: measure twice, cut once, and all.

And this is just a game.

[Indirik]

Blasphemer!

;)

[Bendix]

And this is just a game.

Like I said, it's a metaphor.