Hail Siege!
This past weekend I took a break from drooling over Singularity's pixel treasures to chat for a while. Then I realized I probably should just post this explanation here to save myself some time because I'll end up explaining it again if I don't.
Years ago I developed something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and compression in my brachial plexus. Essentially, the nerves leaving my neck traveling into my arms are pinched by scar tissue. I had surgery for this to remove scar tissue but it was not successful due to the extensive nature of the damage. As a result, just about any activity I use my arms and hands for causes pain. The amount, duration, and intensity of the pain is dependent upon what the activity is.
This is why I quit UO the first time back in 2000-2001. Computer use had become almost impossible for me. In the last decade technology changed and certain items became available or cheaper, and I have been able to modify my set up to allow me to play again. I now have foot pedals replacing my mouse buttons. I use a pen tablet normally meant for digital painting just to control the mouse movement. I stand at a desk the entire time so that my shoulder and arm levels are at an angle that creates the least amount of stress. I'm writing this now with voice recognition software (which does not play well with UO), and if I am on Stratics it is only on my phone where I can use the stylus to swipe my replies.
But talking in the chat or just in the game in general still requires me to peck out words on the keyboard. On Atlantic I have worked around this by utilizing a team speak server with guild mates. But on siege, no such luck.
I've been playing UO again for about a year with a fair amount of success with the new set up. To do this, I played mostly stationary or stealth characters because pressing menu buttons for macros is NO BUENO (voice recognition didn't do those last two words
) which means that any kind of PVP is not easy for me.
You are probably scratching your head and asking why I came to siege then?
The original intent was to play a stealth dungeon lock picker until I had enough gold saved up to start a tamer. My reasoning was that with a tamer on Atlantic I have been able to do the most with the least amount of arm pain because the animal does all of the fighting, and at least with cu sidhes, require very little upkeep on my part from a button pressing perspective. And I reasoned that while I probably would not be very good at PVP, fully trained pets would at least dissuade would-be murderers long enough for me to make an escape.
I did not intend to speak to many people because I did not believe (wrongly) there were many here and I (more wrongly) assumed the ones here would be murderous jackasses. So I named my character Silent Singer intending, you know, to remain silent.
Problem is, there are a bunch of people here, they are hilarious to talk to in general chat, and I'm finding myself becoming more and more involved with the shard. This coincides with the brilliant idea I had last month I finally trying to build a thrower on a production shard. (Side note: most awesome character ever, I never thought I would be able to solo champion spawns but with that guy I can wade through ratmen and snake dudes with ease) I say brilliant, because it is really the last style of character I need to play for my arms. Between these two things I have been on the computer A LOT and my arms have been KILLING me.
Here's where I'm going with all this: I would love to talk more on siege but if you see me and I'm laconic it is almost certainly because at the moment I'm having some arm pain. Please don't take it personally.
Exceptions to this rule: if I'd been drinking and you see me I will be a chatty Cathy and almost certainly regret it the next day (yes Singularity, I did hurt all the next day by the way and sorry for talking your ear off)
So anyway, that's my story. I wonder if I can convince Freja to put up a handicap parking stall in Safe Haven for my cu.
This past weekend I took a break from drooling over Singularity's pixel treasures to chat for a while. Then I realized I probably should just post this explanation here to save myself some time because I'll end up explaining it again if I don't.
Years ago I developed something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and compression in my brachial plexus. Essentially, the nerves leaving my neck traveling into my arms are pinched by scar tissue. I had surgery for this to remove scar tissue but it was not successful due to the extensive nature of the damage. As a result, just about any activity I use my arms and hands for causes pain. The amount, duration, and intensity of the pain is dependent upon what the activity is.
This is why I quit UO the first time back in 2000-2001. Computer use had become almost impossible for me. In the last decade technology changed and certain items became available or cheaper, and I have been able to modify my set up to allow me to play again. I now have foot pedals replacing my mouse buttons. I use a pen tablet normally meant for digital painting just to control the mouse movement. I stand at a desk the entire time so that my shoulder and arm levels are at an angle that creates the least amount of stress. I'm writing this now with voice recognition software (which does not play well with UO), and if I am on Stratics it is only on my phone where I can use the stylus to swipe my replies.
But talking in the chat or just in the game in general still requires me to peck out words on the keyboard. On Atlantic I have worked around this by utilizing a team speak server with guild mates. But on siege, no such luck.
I've been playing UO again for about a year with a fair amount of success with the new set up. To do this, I played mostly stationary or stealth characters because pressing menu buttons for macros is NO BUENO (voice recognition didn't do those last two words
) which means that any kind of PVP is not easy for me.You are probably scratching your head and asking why I came to siege then?
The original intent was to play a stealth dungeon lock picker until I had enough gold saved up to start a tamer. My reasoning was that with a tamer on Atlantic I have been able to do the most with the least amount of arm pain because the animal does all of the fighting, and at least with cu sidhes, require very little upkeep on my part from a button pressing perspective. And I reasoned that while I probably would not be very good at PVP, fully trained pets would at least dissuade would-be murderers long enough for me to make an escape.
I did not intend to speak to many people because I did not believe (wrongly) there were many here and I (more wrongly) assumed the ones here would be murderous jackasses. So I named my character Silent Singer intending, you know, to remain silent.
Problem is, there are a bunch of people here, they are hilarious to talk to in general chat, and I'm finding myself becoming more and more involved with the shard. This coincides with the brilliant idea I had last month I finally trying to build a thrower on a production shard. (Side note: most awesome character ever, I never thought I would be able to solo champion spawns but with that guy I can wade through ratmen and snake dudes with ease) I say brilliant, because it is really the last style of character I need to play for my arms. Between these two things I have been on the computer A LOT and my arms have been KILLING me.
Here's where I'm going with all this: I would love to talk more on siege but if you see me and I'm laconic it is almost certainly because at the moment I'm having some arm pain. Please don't take it personally.
Exceptions to this rule: if I'd been drinking and you see me I will be a chatty Cathy and almost certainly regret it the next day (yes Singularity, I did hurt all the next day by the way and sorry for talking your ear off)
So anyway, that's my story. I wonder if I can convince Freja to put up a handicap parking stall in Safe Haven for my cu.
But seriously, most all of us are introverts too, I think. Except Vinny, who goes out and kills people like god intended. You're not the only one who goes silent sometimes 
.