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| Every coin has 3 sides |
Not dead yet!
No, I’m not “back”, or anything like that, but I’m inspired to write, and , well, HiaG is as good a place as any, since what I’m writing applies to Our Spir@l, as well.
I am far away, in another game, (and yes, still a Necromancer).
The things I observer are not particular to any given game.. more like ALL of them. Never one to fuss over the minor specifics.
Since the Dawn Of Time, humans have told stories. Some fact, some fiction, some a mix of both. Heroes that emerge victorious from their Sysiphean Challenge, Tragic Figures That fall to their own inner demons. Dragons, Good, evil, or studiously neutral, with time-aged wisdom and perspective. Conquest and loss, victory and defeat. All right these tales have a single correlation: US, and the “versus”.
Whether it’s to entertain, inform, or forewarn dire consequences, we tell, and re-tell these stories, weaving them into the fabric of our being, forever coloring the way we see ourselves in the particular world we happen to inhabit; both the physical world, or those we escape to in our minds and diversions.
Gaming is a storytelling device, where we are oft the Narrative Focus of the tale. Factions are a common divisor of any gaming population, creating a collective “them” to be the foil and challenge of a collective “US”.
I am reminded of a story, often told, in many variations, of “The 2 Wolves”:
Two Wolves
A Cherokee Legend
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
It’s a good, timeless observation about not wolves, but ourselves
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Much like the modern concept of “Road Rage”, gamers in the community, safely ensconced behind their monitor, feel free to feed a wolf they cannot/will not feed in their out-of-game lives. Power, Superiority, Oppression, a churlish and snarling derision Of those deemed “less witty”, or “less worthy “ than their own obvious and undeniable epicness. I personally have empathy for those frustrating players, who revel in trolling others. How miserable must their real lives be, that they can only find joy in the misery of others?
Conversely, there are those on the opposing side, launch righteous counter-attacks, seeking to “out-bully the bully”, making the game “suitable” as they see it, for the defenseless masses. Warring for Peace is still War, and we may never know which innocent bystander we may shellshock with our counter offensive.
Typically, there’s always a false dichotomy of position: Good vs Evil, Light vs Dark, Jedi vs Sith, Heads vs Tails.
What we forget, is every coin has THREE sides, and no coin can exist with only two. As a matter of fact , we forget it’s ONE coin, irrespective of facing side.
Regardless of the particular game, or it’s narrative, we do not all have the same gaming experience. We are all “noobs”, with a nerdy card collection of foes conquered, gear obtained, and skills mastered. We are all on different stones of The Path, with that elusive “End Game” content. I dislike the idea of “End Game”, because it can often be the “Death by Conquest “, Of the very thing I love. The journey is the reward, and the destination is the end of that pleasant hike, that reflective stroll, or that Zen-Like Motorcycle trip. We cannot have our cake, and eat it too, our games are a cake of the imagination, savor each bite, and share the experience with your fellow party-goers.
Keep your Beginner’s Mind, That is to say, embrace every day that wonder and enthusiasm that propelled you as you started your personal journey from “noob” to “leet”.
We are all, at some point, part of that entire coin, and every player alongside us. I don’t know how many Angels can fit on the head of a pin, but Gamers on a coin? In the tens of thousands. Be Excellent to each other.
And Be Well.
