Second Life player has an interesting time on DayZ [x-post from videos]

Keystone Gray here, a five year veteran of the SLMC, particularly amidst the larger factions in the Iron Symphony alliance. You are correct in that it is as terrible and wonderful. My experiences have left a bitter taste in my mouth, but the strong friendships I forged in that community have shaped me for who I am. Still, I remain critical.

As a former member of the Second Life military community, I can attest to it being a cesspit of stressful drama. As a former content developer of the Second Life military community, I can attest to the absolute unfairness that is brought about by unlimited creativity.

The combat game's weapons are scripted by their creators, allowing explosives with as high a yield as the designer intends, and bullets that can penetrate walls or home in on their targets. Furthermore, the Second Life client has a built-in wallhack (Ctrl-Shift-R) which cannot be detected by the owners of a combat territory.

Finally, as all rules in this game mode are house rules by the owner of a combat territory, this naturally becomes a pressure cooker for intense drama, as no one group will agree with another as to what kind of weaponry is exactly fair, and every military group has a different set of rules. This drama has brought about the near-death of the community, with all of its major players from the Iron Symphony and Ascendant Initiative factions having splintered horribly in their twilight years until every major faction has bowed out of SL completely. Each faction is now dying a slow death as they desperately try to cling to life by moving to other games.

I endured the Mz/AN Blockade Wars (2007-2008), the Blue November Grunt Purges (2007). Operation Crucify This (2008), Operation Stalwart (2009). The Chaos Imperialis Crusades (2009-2010). These were not organized, polite games events; they were full contact hate-charged encounters, enduring, longform wars in every sense but the physical, where humiliation and spawncamping for hours was the victory condition of every battle.

The remnants of the SLMC are about as prosperous as survivors of a nuclear war. Their numbers are few, and their weapons are powerful and catastrophic in implementation. From cold wars, arms races, to total annihilation, the SLMC has simulated the rise and fall of empires, of humanity itself.

I am a better person for having endured it, but I am glad it is finally dead.

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