Tuesday, October 13, 2009

A Foray into Sky

It was a great adventure, and lots of fun. Thanks, Forevermore!



P.S. I appreciate the axe very very much! It wasn't something I ever expected to have.

P.P.S. I'll try not to die as much next time.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

There are ways to say things

This knowledge may be a function of age, but I'd like to think that people can pick up the skill in their youth: There is a time and place for self-promotion.

When someone is talking about something that they've undertaken and feel good about, that's usually not the right time to place your accomplishments as some sort of counterpoint. In other words, I don't recommend reframing someone's goals in light of your own success, because for the most part the other person isn't really looking for that. That's purely for your own satisfaction. It's a very ego-centric act, one that falls on either deaf ears, or exasperated ones.

For instance, if I drop a line to the linkshell stating that I'm making progress on my Lu Shangs, a response like "Yeah and in 6 months, you'll have your noob rod" or "Ebisu or GTFO" won't elicit ... whatever it was you were trying to accomplish by saying that. Were you trying to encourage me by managing my expectations? Or were you inflating yourself?

I understand that it is meant partially in jest, but at the same time... it isn't really. While you may be chuckling, what you've done is take someone's else's goal and put it against the backdrop of your ego.

I honestly don't really care how long it's going to take, and I know the Ebisu is superior. And I don't care whether you have one already or not. This has no bearing on what I was announcing.

Anyway, I seem to encounter this type of attitude constantly in MMOs. And again I'm not sure whether it's a function of age (doubtful, considering how many adults play) or the fact that the game somehow attracts people who require validation at the expense of others... a sort of meritocracy of disdain, a nerd locker room. But it should be common decency to understand that when someone is patting themselves on the back a little, that's usually not the right time to jump in and burst their bubble.

Be secure enough in your own experience to know when to encourage others. They just might look up to you for it.

Enough said. Moving on.