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Asheron's Call is just a game. Nothing you do in it should affect your real life.



Well - you're right.

But you're wrong.

I spent 3 years (and I don't even want to think how many hours) playing my original Asheron's Call account from work and from home and occasionally at a party in Florida. This account was recently hacked and deleted. I found that out (thanks to a phone call from Sydian who discovered this via the boards) and thought to myself, "Wow, it's all gone. Everything I did and had is gone!"

Well I was right...but I was wrong. So wrong.

Gone are the characters that I spent a zillion hours camping my favorite haunts with. Bou Ghe Dahn who lived in the mossy fort near Hebian before moving to the lugian citadel is no more. Bou Te the intrepid UA'er who championed his patron time and again will never again swing his katar. "Shurov Thiloi" is the brave phrase that will no longer be uttered by the quirky BM Mage Yaluk.

Yes I was right. They were gone. As was the fully tinked amuli set that had been given to me the day before as an engagement gift. Along with my bags of steel, my bags of other random salvage, armor, weapons, wands, clothes, jewelry, and all that stuff both the practical and the sentimental that you accumulate after living on dereth with everyone day in and day out for years, they had all disappeared.

I was bereft and had to start over. All over. From the beginning.

That is where I was sadly (or happily) mistaken.

Had I truly had to start over, these past few days would have seen me running around Hebian To in AL 56 studded leather (thinking it was excellent armor) back and forth to the mossy fort learning what portals did and why lugian rocks hurt so damn much.

Starting over was the furthest thing from what I did. The only things lost were exactly that - things. And ALL replaceable.

The things that weren't replaceable I never lost. No, they weren't on my other account. They were now a part of me. The real me. And each of you. You all are part of Asheron's Call and what I didn't lose.

I didn't lose my friends. I didn't lose the respect or love of the members of my monarchy simply because the number of their level was higher than mine. I still can run through the sub without thinking about it. (granted I buff prior to the jump now) I know what all the buttons do and what is good salvage and what is junk. I can /friends add someone just as easily as /squelch them.

I came back into the game on my secondary account the next day and was given an engagement present - a fully tinked suit of armor to replace the one that had been deleted. That is when I realized what had really been deleted.

My placemarker was lost. That and nothing more. The thing that proclaimed to everyone else what I had done. Anything 'material' that had been taken was being given back or offered in spades to me by all of you. I was offered items and leveling and salvage and armor and weapons and even entire accounts!

The only thing I no longer had was my trophy. That number I could hang on my running jersey that said that I had made it. Some would see it as 126 while others saw the 130 while still others would choose to read Mage Yaluk or Bou Te and never notice the number.

What remained as well were all the things I'd gained from AC in real life. Learning what makes a fast computer worthwhile or how to troubleshoot an internet connection or how to alt+tab and farm or answer email while I rebuff. What Roger Wilco was not to mention IRC and memory leaks! ( ) All that stuff I have too and it's thanks in part to this game!

Everything that I had done or learned stays learned and done. My experiences remain experienced. My deeds are done and the life life I lived with those characters remains lived.

The support and care and giving of everyone (you know who you all are) has been overwhelming. I think the moment that crystallized in my mind the generous mindset of the people of this server and especially the people closest to me happened last night when I told a monarchy member about what had happened to my account.

He's only been playing for a short while and is a true newbie. He and his real life friend play together in our monarchy at levels 34 and 37. I would guess that they are about 12-14 years old and are some of the nicest people that I have encountered in this game. Last week I took them on the Elysa's Favor quest and they were ecstatic! It was a grand (albeit long) adventure fraught with peril and chock full of new experiences.

Last night I got the following tell:

"Hi Bou. If you aren't busy, is there any chance that you could use Mage to buff me and my vassal once?"

I then told him that Mage Yaluk was no longer and I sadly could not buff him, to which he replied:

"Oh man that sucks! If you need money or anything you let me know and I will get it for you!"

Twelve years old, level 34 and bravely offering to help me out!

So you say it's just a game and nothing should affect you in real life. I disagree. That's the sort of thing that I choose to take with me and to let affect me.

That's the sort of thing that cannot be lost with an account. The 50 some odd PM's that I was sent offering to help me out in any way that they could are still there. The good will from all my friends still remains.

I say in some ways you're right in not letting the game affect you in real life. But you're so wrong in others. If you lose an item or a character or an account, then you've really only lost a placemarker or a trophy. Everything you've learned is still with you. Choose to not let losing an item affect you. But choose to let gaining a friend become part of you.

I'm here for the people.

So today finds me starting out at level 67, jumping into fellowships and leveling where I can or like last night, simply hanging out and laughing and putting together and dying matching suits of Celdon with some friends.

So who's coming ingame tonight and polishing your trophies with me?

 

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Bou, glad to see you lost nothing of yourself, hope this shows those asses who hack that they cant change the person just the pixels.


Glad to see your still bouncing around Dereth.

 

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*wipes a tear* that was beautiful

listos plz

That was awesome. And in so many ways you are sooo right.

 

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*cry**cry*touching so so touching*cry**cry*


nicely done

awww

 

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wholy cow! [face_jawdrop]


How did you ever make any enemies Bou, that would do this crap to you?


Props on your attitude and perspective. I think I shall have to reread this from time to time.

Well spoken and well said, Bou.

 

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I honestly don't know Ncatyl. The only harrassment that I've ever given was recently and I don't think that it would warrant a reaction such as this. But what do I know? I still have everything I need.


I think I'll put it down as a bug at Turbine or Microsoft. Noone's come forth to claim responsibility for the act, so I may as well not worry about it. I can't think of *anyone* that I got mad enough (let alone mad) to do that sort of thing so we'll call it a glitch in the system.

 

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