Stop, for a moment, and look around you

[Skull132]

So, I generally don't talk about matters that interest me on a personal level here. I dunno, I view this more as a duty, and a job that, granted, I enjoy doing, but requires me to put my own thoughts on onto a secondary level. As such, I mostly deal with questions regarding code and administrative issues on the forums. Which is, slightly unfortunate, and hopefully I can explain why down below, while also telling you folks about something which never really ceases to amaze me.

Somewhere mid-this-week, I was discussing schoolwork and coding with my brother. He's actually learning software development, whereas I'm doing it as a hobby and will be proceeding into mechatronics instead. And we get to the subject of SQL oriented shenanigans. I gave him a glance of what I do here, in terms of code, and through some random idea tossing, I began to wonder how hard it would be to track the number of unique players on our server per day. Turns out, all it took was 5 minutes of Google. The result was interesting: 208 unique logins yesterday, 227 today.

Think about it, for just a moment. Assuming the number is stable, roughly two hundred unique players play on this server every day, all from potentially different parts of the globe, cultures, etcetera. Two hundred unique individuals, two hundred people with a unique mindset, an array of personal experiences, unique perspectives.

Why is it amazing to me? Or even noteworthy to me? Because I value this, effectively, collection of perspective. I've had amazing conversations with people from within this community, regarding a single issue. And they weren't arguments over it, instead exchanges on how to view the issue in question, how to approach it and why. Discussions like this offer perspective, they offer you another key to unlock the same door with, another solution to the same exact issue. And this perspective enriches like none other. Was one to just, rip their head out of the IC/OOC stupid that happens now and again, and to simply listen and talk, then they could learn an interesting note or two.

And yes, I know. I'm making it seem grandiose and whatnot but I have learned so much from interacting with people on online communities in the past 5 years. From different approaches to simply gaining an insight into other cultures. It's. Interesting, at least to me.

So, bleh.

[Guest]

...A little over 200 people. That is actually amazing. And here I thought there were... maybe 50-60 regulars that I know by name at any one time that log in a few hours per day?

It's really not surprising we have all of this IC/OOC conflict schiesse, unfortunately, as a result of the large population. As you stated, these are 200 different people would different mindsets and different ways of playing the game. Sure, one way or another, these personalities are going to clash. And it's going to be mildly amusing to watch some of the blood orgies just bleed out for maybe a short period of time before we all get bored of it and want to continue on with gameplay.

Grandiose or not, it's still pretty fucking amazing we have "dis mani" people interacting with each other from all across the world from different backgrounds and systems of beliefs and YADA YADA YADA YADA.

But, as a matter of perspective, it is interesting.

I'd make other observations that I've made during my time here, but they are neither here nor there.

[Guest]

People said I was mad or exaggerated when I said we got over 100 people a day.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Imagine what it would be like if we hadn't banned all those griefy fuckers early on in the server's life. Hundreds of accounts, man.