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Message from EM Bennu on Facebook - RE: Humanists!

Kylie Kinslayer

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I am SO glad I did not take the hammer to my processor like I was considering last night..

Ultima Online's EM Bennu: Event Moderator for Atlantic and Siege Perilous - Timeline | Facebook

For those who do not want to click the Facebook link:

On October 3rd, my computer monitor broke. Just wouldn't turn on, and last weekend I spent 3 days in Las Vegas, the time off was good for me.

For the past 5+ years, I have been building up the Humanist theme slowly, they have been subtly in the background since at least 2011 and throughout my entire tenure as an EM. They have been a major theme over the past 2 years, and have had their own dedicated events for at least 2 years.

I agreed at the last governor's meeting to close the Humanist story-line because a couple people who happened to be Governors wanted a 'safe zone' and were offended by the theme given recent IRL events... and I didn't want to fight about it. But you know what, I changed my mind.

UO is a game, the events that happen here may be relevant to RL or may not. Orcs, Elves, Gargoyles and other demi-races do not exist IRL. I will not cater to false rage, nor will I walk on egg shells.

I am a storyteller, and I am here to tell a story.

If you have a problem with the themes of my events, send Mesanna an email. I don't think she would want me to abandon 5 years of story-line, EMs have a lot of creative freedom given to them and I have never abused that.

Ill see you at the next event. Till then, Humanity First!
 

WarderDragon

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I find that the best stories tend to be a veiled criticism of the era in which the author lived.

Tolstoy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tolkien, Moorcock, all were and are reflective of the circumstances surrounding, and not in ignorance of, the authors lifetime.

So please, carry on.

*...returns to lurking.*
 

Spock's Beard

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Glad I finally caught this, I haven't been around much lately.

I will not cater to false rage, nor will I walk on egg shells.
Oh my god, I loved this line. Not only did he dismiss the complainers, he straight-up called them out on their false posturing. And with that, they vanished in a puff of smoke with nary a thing to say on the matter, either here or on the facebook post.

What happened to all those people the complainers insisted totally cared about this?
 

Lord Arm

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keep doing what u are doing I have fun. ems never seem to be the problem. as long as things are fair, np. I just wish only one char was used. I also wish there was a chat channel where I don't see all the spam for peeps. hard to keep track whats going on sometimes, but again, not ems fault. just my opinions.
 

Enziet

Journeyman
I've always enjoyed killing Gargoyles. The sound they make when they hit the dirt always pleased me. Then suddenly we are supposed to get along with them, like all the years of murder just never happened? I don't think so. Death to Gargoyles. I shall continue to enjoy your death cries to this day.

(More in tuned to the thread. It's a game. Calm down. We've become so anti everything these days that you can't even play out old lore fantasy anymore Human vs Elves vs Gargoyles without some whiny little **** crying foul.)
 

Scribbles

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Congrats on being a racist in game. Congrats on promoting racism in game. Congrats on further segregating our races even further with misplaced hate in a game.

Yeah its a silly complaint because its in a game...

But i can understand why some wouldnt like the story line. However, its your story line and your event. If you want to play the racist card go for it, they have the option to not go or participate and im sure some will exercise that right.

Perhaps someone could hold a player event promoting the love and understanding of all races in game to balance the hateful racist events.

#allsubscriptionsmatter


P.S. I hope he isnt actually racist and just likes to portray one in a video game. Never mind they are both bad taste.
 

Spock's Beard

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Congrats on being a racist in game. Congrats on promoting racism in game. Congrats on further segregating our races even further with misplaced hate in a game
I know right? Heck forget just racism, I remember an EM storyline where someone got MURDERED for some reason! Congratulations on promoting murder, Bennu. Gosh I hope he isn't a murderer in real life and just likes to portray one in a video game. Because that is totally a realistic concern and not at all the squealing of a pearl-clutching maniac.

Yeah its a silly complaint because its in a game..
This is the only sane sentence in your entire post.

But i can understand why some wouldnt like the story line. However, its your story line and your event. If you want to play the racist card go for it, they have the option to not go or participate and im sure some will exercise that right
If that tiny handful of sensitive little babies decided to stay home from now on, I'd consider it a plus. But let's be serious, they number in the single digits and will never be noticed either way.

Perhaps someone could hold a player event promoting the love and understanding of all races in game to balance the hateful racist events.

#allsubscriptionsmatter
This would constitute playing along with the fiction and is something I suspect Bennu would be very much in favor of. It's certainly better than coming here and making these nauseating posts.

P.S. I hope he isnt actually racist and just likes to portray one in a video game. Never mind they are both bad taste.
You geniuses realize that about 90% of genre fantasy fiction banks on racial conflict between orcs and elves and crap, right? Like seriously, if you amped up this whole humanist storyline times a thousand and made everyone on all sides just as bad, you'd basically have the plot outline for World of Warcraft.
 

SimpleEnigma88

Adventurer
Haha, once again Spock's beard speaks true. Seriously folks, put your big girl panties on and get over it.

Sent from my LG-D950 using Tapatalk
 

Spock's Beard

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Anyone who can look at a fictional society where negative elements exist (ethnic conflict, religious conflict, murder, whatever) and feel like they have to say "I hope the author doesn't support those things in real life!" should absolutely be utterly ashamed of themselves.

What sort of putrid bland meaningless fiction do these people want? Do they watch Game of Thrones and wring their hands that maybe the producers actually support government by way of treachery and murder? How do they survive watching anything more morally complex than an episode of Smurfs?
 

Scribbles

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@Spock's Beard

"I know right? Heck forget just racism, I remember an EM storyline where someone got MURDERED for some reason! Congratulations on promoting murder, Bennu. Gosh I hope he isn't a murderer in real life and just likes to portray one in a video game. Because that is totally a realistic concern and not at all the squealing of a pearl-clutching maniac."

I dont do events as much as most, however i have never seen an event where we straight up murdered anyone. It was usually a slaying to kill the "evil" boss not just going around murdering innocents. In fact id be willing to go so far to say ive never done an event where we killed an "innocent" person. So yeah we dont murder people in the game and when we do there is a consequence of going red. See how the game outlined good and bad... then followed it with risk vs reward and consequences for being "bad"


"If that tiny handful of sensitive little babies decided to stay home from now on, I'd consider it a plus. But let's be serious, they number in the single digits and will never be noticed either way."

Name calling is real smart!! lol if a handful stratics users learned to have a conversation with out name calling perhaps we could have a reasonable discussion that promoted the game rather than destroy it. Speaking of destroying the game... i attened a governors meeting recently on ATL... a "tiny handful of sensitive little babies" is all that was left... there were perhaps 15 people there total... so yeah losing any amount of numbers in the "RP" "governor" world is a big issue.


"This would constitute playing along with the fiction and is something I suspect Bennu would be very much in favor of. It's certainly better than coming here and making these nauseating posts."

So youre saying Bennu would be in favor of having an event that promoted peace and understanding yet he choses to be racist.


"You geniuses realize that about 90% of genre fantasy fiction banks on racial conflict between orcs and elves and crap, right? Like seriously, if you amped up this whole humanist storyline times a thousand and made everyone on all sides just as bad, you'd basically have the plot outline for World of Warcraft."

Congrats on being original too...



In closing id like to say that there are ways to stay away from this topic and still make people happy. not doing a racist theme and doing another theme isnt going to piss on anyones parade. If I were Bennu i would have a last hoorah of an event where all races had to come together against an evil so great it made them forget their differences.
 

Spock's Beard

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I dont do events as much as most, however i have never seen an event where we straight up murdered anyone. It was usually a slaying to kill the "evil" boss not just going around murdering innocents. In fact id be willing to go so far to say ive never done an event where we killed an "innocent" person. So yeah we dont murder people in the game and when we do there is a consequence of going red. See how the game outlined good and bad... then followed it with risk vs reward and consequences for being "bad"
You don't go to enough Bennu events. He thrives on cramming as much moral ambiguity into his events as possible and questioning the notion that players are automatically good just because they show up and kill whatever they're told.

Name calling is real smart!! lol if a handful stratics users learned to have a conversation with out name calling perhaps we could have a reasonable discussion that promoted the game rather than destroy it. Speaking of destroying the game... i attened a governors meeting recently on ATL... a "tiny handful of sensitive little babies" is all that was left... there were perhaps 15 people there total... so yeah losing any amount of numbers in the "RP" "governor" world is a big issue.
It's Atlantic. Someone else will run, someone else will be elected, and no one will miss the whiners. That is if anyone really cares enough to quit coming, which I doubt. Besides, if only 15 people bother to show up in the first place then clearly none of it will be a "big issue" for very many people anyway.

So youre saying Bennu would be in favor of having an event that promoted peace and understanding yet he choses to be racist
I don't know how you type things like this without feeling ashamed of yourself. I mean do you even understand the concept of fiction? Let me spell it out for you: Yes, Bennu would be in favor of you playing into the overall storyline by holding an event the thrust of which contradicts the viewpoints of some of the fictional characters that take part in his events. I mean you realize that King Blackthorn supports peace and equality and all that good stuff, right? And that he's one of the primary EM characters?

Good god, any normal person would look at a storyline populated by some characters that hate orcs or whatever, some who don't, and say to themselves "Clearly this work of fiction includes characters with lots of different opinions, some good, some bad, which will lead to conflict!" But not you. No, you're psychic and you're here to read the author's mind and pass moral judgement, because only you know which of these fictional characters secretly represent the author's actual values and which don't.

What a joke. Cluebat, nobody needs you to play Fiction Morality Police for them.

Congrats on being original too..
Yeah you probably shouldn't complain about orignality when you crap out generic tripe like I see below.

In closing id like to say that there are ways to stay away from this topic and still make people happy. not doing a racist theme and doing another theme isnt going to piss on anyones parade. If I were Bennu i would have a last hoorah of an event where all races had to come together against an evil so great it made them forget their differences.
How about Bennu tells the story he wants to tell and all three or four of you whiners stay home and see if anyone misses you. Spoiler alert, they won't.
 

Scribbles

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Its obivous @Spock's Beard and several others hear enjoy RPing a racist story line. I guess ill go back to not caring about something else in UO. Sorry to ruin your human power party.
 

Kylie Kinslayer

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Hate that I missed the event tonight.. that four letter W word is a pita at times..

Two quick notes there though:

I agree with Spock in that it is shocking how folks who seemingly read/watch fantasy based books/movies and then complain about the "race" battle in a fantasy based video game. That kinda boggles my mind..

On the story arc specifically in UO on Atlantic.. be up in arms about the "racist" story line or the "human power party" if ya want.. stop going to the events if ya want.. but you have absolutely no idea which way the story will turn. Bennu has proven over his tenure to be a great story teller. He has also proven he loves throwing in plot twists (ie Danica being arrested and tried was a shock to most of the players who follow his fiction very closely).. so who are any of us to say the entire "racist plotline" will not end in a life lesson being taught at the end that all races are important.. all races are needed.. and all races are equal.. the "world"coming together dressed in all white robes, slowly swaying in front of a campfire holding hands singing Kumbaya? Imo that is like Schrodinger's Cat.. you can think of it ending any way ya want.. but until ya open the box, or stay for the end.. you will never know what is what..
 

Merlin

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This humanist storyline has been going on for 3+ years.... and all of a sudden now its "racism" and "offensive"? That's exactly why Bennu called it feigned outrage. We need a little conflict and controversy in this game. Not everyone wants rah-rah-kum ba-yah, sunshine, rainbows, and lollipops.

Furthermore, if you wish to have a "love and understanding for all races" event... then contact the PEC and host one.

And maybe Bennu will teach Humanists like myself a lesson by making us the 'loser' of his storyline ultimately. That's why you need to attend to find out and take the journey. But if you just want to show up for drops, or not come at all... that's cool too. Everyone has different motivations for doing events.
 

Merlin

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Also... if anyone knew ANYTHING about this storyline... they would know the Humanists are the victims.

They are killed mercilessly by the Crux Ansata.

The King has used his forces to persecute anyone with a Humanist belief to the point that humanists are running for their lives and forced to live in refugee camps.

It is we, the Humanists, who prefer the company of our own kind. But instead are forced to accept multi-cultural and multi-racial beliefs of those we have no interest of associating with. We, the Humanists, believe this to be a great injustice.

We, the Humanists, are the victims here. So stop getting it twisted.

If you don't want to participate in our Role Playing... then DON'T.
 
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