Haters gonna Hate and other complaints

So here I am at the beginning of another blog. It's been a rough ride getting to the point where I must write again. Life is pretty good at getting in the way of writing or rather feeling like writing or creating content.

So this blog is about Haters and more specifically why people feel the need to be so selective in hating. No, this is not about hate crimes and racism or sexism and yet, yes, it is about all that.

everything is intermeshed after all. Often, one cannot have one level of hatred appears without the other rearing it's face to the world.

Unlikely location.

So, my semi-active XBox Live Friends (actually are friends before XBox) got me to get the beta-port of this game to XBox. So we could all "play" this game together and as usual I am the last person on and thus am regulated to the bottom rank of newb while all the veterans have been playing it for months.

So, these friends tell me to go to the forums to find all this help with the game.

So, Idiot me does so.

and...

"Haters gonna hate."

I removed the post, otherwise I would share it here. So I will paraphrase.

I asked who else was playing the port of WOT to xbox and did they see similarities between the game and other mmo's like World of Warcraft. I also talked about the overly complex currency/experience exchange.

I was told in no uncertain terms that the Xbox port was an illusion and I needed to go back to XBox and play with my dollies and get out of "their" forum. That I was less than a Neuron (EVE Online reference- apparently) and that how dare I presume to know JACKSHIT about anything and would I just go away.

There were several other insults hurled my way. Something about the purity of PC gaming over consoles and some more stupid crap like that.

I didn't go cry in the corner. I responded with a couple of insults of my own and then deleted the whole post. Didn't stop them from messaging me to inform what a newb and illiterate prick I was.

Yes, I sunk to their level.

You see I am hardly a newb at computer gaming.

This was my first computer, not only did I play games on the Apple IIe but I even learned how to program my own and did.

In the span of a few years I moved up the food chain to this

The IBM 8086 in color. 6bit or 9bit.

I played my first game of AD&D on this Gem, Commodore 64, until it's owner my roommate took it away because he needed to write papers on it.

My next Roommate had one of these, he was more grateful since I could actually fix it when it crashed. 

It was 1991 when I got my hands on the Mac Classic and my first LAN Game. "Bolo"

Without knowing it, the world changed and LANparties became a thing.

LANparties...the first true multiplayer gaming.

Courtesy of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

This is before the 2400 baud modem set the PC world free (well to BBS's anyway)

No internet yet- no World Wide Web, that is.

Finally I achieved greatness with the Edge Technology 486DX PC. (a IBM Clone)

No picture, sorry.

I killed in within 6 months and warranteed out a replacement only to kill it again 4 months later.

Why? Because I found out I could upgrade it myself.

It would only take one more try after that before I got good enough to build my own.

Been building custom builds ever since.

So, yes it is ironic for someone to call me a newb with a PC.

Also I would like to point back up to "Bolo" and restate that I have been playing computer games pretty much since their invention.

So again. The 3 jerks on the World of Tanks Forum are just ill informed twats.

  Thus I could rest my case, except that it isn't about Me. What it is about is perception.

Why do people feel the need

While this is funny and poignant, it is also an illustration of perception.

Many of you will not understand the references made here so I will explain in my on limited perception.

2 attractive females are comparing notes on Half-Life's Gordon Freeman (blonde woman) and (brunette) John the Master Chief from Halo. {ironically a PC vs. Xbox game [yes both ended up on the other platform]}

Guy walks by and they switch to what we would normally think all women talk about shoes and makeup, if you don't get the next frame, this is not the blog you were looking for.

last frame, back to mutual game lore (and before you ask- I have no clue- as far as I can tell this came from a very awesome webcomic in another language).

So, what is my point/

As appealing as the webcomic is. The women or "Gamer Girls" are can represent several interpretations, the one I am going with is thus. They are the three guys on WOT forum. 

My question is why does it have to be like this.

It starts in the school yard with the "In Crowd" and the outcasts.

Thanks to the Internet, now even the outcasts can do the same thing to everybody else.

Why is it that no one can see this?

My feeling exactly. Also I love this Gif.

So, Cliques click and then go be jerks to all non-insiders.

Why?

Probably because it gives the Cliques some level of validation, like "look at US, we are the elite (insert term here) and you are newbs and losers."

It's the snake swallowing it's on tail.

The Rule of the Jungle is thus.

In the end, most people will end up just like the people they most hate.

I refuse to give into hate. Also, in my humble opinion WOT sucks mostly since it isn't all that unique or even much of a departure from the same generic games that rely on

Money (virtual or real), rankings based on complex number systems that are neither transparent nor obvious {give you a hint, if you can find the math (code) then run the numbers and I bet you they don't quite add up evenly.} 

I would like the game better if it made an attempt to not be like Evony and all the other games that rely on currency to improve your standing/gear, because in the end it will just be bought by those to lazy and rich enough to do so.

Maybe it won't change their chances but it doesn't make the game fun.

Maybe Fun is not the word anymore since PVP tends to just bring out the worst in people.

Yes, I have done this since the worst invention in Multiplayer is headsets.

Yep, I said headsets. 

They allow the jerks and assholes to let people know just how mean and petty and savage they can be.

Halo and COD Multiplayer.

This is about as ugly as it gets.

Worst news. Usually the biggest jerk in the match is also the youngest.

It has driven many people from PVP matches.

Age is not a requirement for being a jerk, but it just makes it more depressing.

Remember, one day it won't be the PC or LCD TV that gets the keyboard or controller.

I am probably old fashioned, but I really don't care for PVP. 

I would rather play with others than against them.

(Beyond Good and Evil)

I would rather have a great story than an awesome weapon.

Sometimes a game comes along that transcends it's limits.

Things happen that changes it from just another PVP and amazing (and weird) stuff happens as a result.

(Team Fortress 2) for Example.

Gary's Mod. Steam's Source Filmmaker.

So many variations of the above, sometimes we had to remind ourselves to shoot other people than try some crazy stunt instead.

Which brings me to Rocket Jumping and Grenade Jumping

Halo in many ways is the father of Rocket and Grenade Jumping

An awesome game that inspire people to try to change it and many did.

There are a ton of mods for the PC version

There is Red Vs. Blue

Which started with a bunch of guys messing with Halo and grew into a

phenomenon that has inspired a whole new pastime and filmmaking

and a company or two.

For those of you who modded the original XBox, there was even mods of Halo for that.

There is a reason that most of the popular and successful games out there

are solo experiences. after all, going it alone against an enemy who doesn't resort to middle school insults and cursing makes for a much better game experience.

personally I want to see games where people can play together without having to kill each other 

repeatedly.

Borderlands and Borderlands 2 

 

 A few final thoughts for would be haters.

Remember that you don't know to any certainty that you are about to trash a

12 year old boy or girl for asking a "stupid" question or bringing up a valid point about a game you love or think you are some kind of god in.

That newb might just be a hacker or someone who knows a hacker or

knows how to get in touch with hackers

or just a bot/front for any number of law enforcement agencies that are trolling looking

for people just like you that are filled with hatred and violence.

So, maybe you will get lucky and they won't wipe your "god" status of the web

get your xbox/ps3/steam membership revoked 

get you banned for life

smear your name all over facebook, twitter and the news.

Maybe you will get away with it

but I doubt it.

Eventually you will cross paths with someone who will take it personally 

enough to end your hate.

Then 

The "losers" and the "newbs" will applaud your shaming and eventual

downfall.

That is, if we even notice your passing.

and that, my fellow gamers,

(and the rest of you who stumbled here and bothered to read all this)

is Life according to Mike.