#18
by Zapper
Thank you Pap for your kind reply, it is not taken without appreciation. I never forgot after training with you one time in ZA, you insisting I borrow your very valuable Bastion shield, explaining to me it would help me solo train....and it sure as heck did! But I did worry all the time that if something happened to me and I was unable to be in game again, you would think I had walked off to another server, so stealing your property! The greatest gift to me in life and game is trust, and I am honoured that you and some other high level players who know me have lent me expensive gear from time to time.
Thank you for your continued friendship, along with some other ZA (ex or still in there) who know I do not have ill will to any good hearted players in game. And yes, I did 'burn some bridges' but I think some of them needed to be burnt. For a long time now it has bothered me more and more, that the worst bullies in game are all over the age of 20. Yes some of the youngsters play up and have strops etc but some of them are as young as 13! And yes, some of the youngsters will nab the odd drop and who can blame them when they don't have credit apples to access plat. I am not saying theft is fine if you are under the age of 20.... constant stealing is not on, but I don't wish to be seen as some dried up old prune who is 'holier than thou' in attitude. It has been the bullying/control/nastiness thing by some adult players that came to a head with me. I have had private messages from teenage players saying they have longed for someone to speak out about the way some adult players bully continually in this game, also run clans with the sole objective of enriching themselves and their alts.
I know I have alienated some good players by some of the things I have said, that is why I made my apology. I do respect that some really great adult players are friends with players I regard as nothing less than trash. It has never been some personal vendetta Pap, though yes, I became even more infuriated when I was stopped from training by a guy in the clan I had left. I was also furious that someone playing on a bought account could even be allowed to post on forums (under a different name), let alone preach to me about the meaning of 'Strength and Unity' (this when his bought account was used to rob other players). So yes, there was personal anger at such players but most of all was seeing younger players treated like spectral by these same people.
While some have argued that you should confront/sort issues on game itself, not on forums, I never saw a single player of any age manage to sort 'issues' with this small bunch of adult bullies on game. I was not trying to 'win' in some battle against them, the biggest objective for me was trying to get across something I know to be true, which is no clan will ever truly grow into something that can take on the mega bosses unless it makes absolutely certain its leaders neither steal or bully any of their clan members; that they truly share with their clan the spoils of their raids and other than clan members who bully or cheat, those members get as much respect from their leaders as they give to their leaders.
Idealistic of me, yes..... but had to be worth a try. I am truly sorry that in the process I have offended gentle and good players like you Pap. I thank you deeply for forgiving me.