stuff123

It was like something decided that I was on to them and they stood in front of my mind’s eye so I could identify them more clearly. For me, the game is a metaphor for the rat race that we all have participated in. It’s called the working world. Dog eat dog. Kill or be killed. Too many Bad Bruces. People who said they were your friend but you knew they weren’t to be trusted. They had other plans for your stuff.

I didn’t think too much of the people that were always in a hurry to better their financial position in life at the expense of others. There goals included chasing yet another “Bimmer” and a bigger, fancier box to live in so they could have more space for the meaningless stuff that they would acquire along the way.

Yes that is a George Carlin routine. He just called it stuff (Where do you think I got the name for the blog? Everybody stole from Carlin because he was an orignal thinker. Ask Jerry Seinfeld, he’s the one who shared that story in the New York Times shortly after George’s passing). Eventually, I think George will be remembered as one of the greatest philosophers of our time.

And in the game, other tribes are inviting me to join. The ink is still drying on their requests as they are swiftly refused. I think that what I had built would have beeen the 14th largest tribe on it’s own in the continent.

So Ernesto and I have begun to talk. He sent me a link to a game that the developers of Tribal Wars make. It’s called Tribal Hugs. It misses the point of enemies. We will always have enemies of some kind—terrorists, hunger, disease, cancer, suicide, war, ignorance, crime.

I didn’t load the game because I fear it’s look and feel will be the same as Tribal Wars—cold and lifeless. The games I have played in Facebook are much more interesting from a graphical point of view but that’s not why I play them.

I found an even more rewarding game to play. Many of these games allow you to invite another player into your tribe/horde/team/crew. I look for interesting people (picture, game name, real name(sometimes), country (sometimes)) to invite to my Internet family and I use things that they say and do as triggers for stories.

I have learned many new things about the world that I did not know. I almost had Ernesto playing the find the blind gorilla game, but he gave up—”I can’t find you”. That wasn’t like the Ernesto I first met in the game.

Some of the this out of game communication, happened in Tribal Wars, but it was much to infrequent for my liking so I will leave this land and maybe I’ll come back from time to time to see what has changed.

I will have to talk to tex and Ernesto to find out how to get the villages I built back into the tribe so that they have access to their resources and troops. Stretch seems to have just disappeared.

Good games don’t have an ending, but they should be a rewarding experience. I think the designers need to find a way to put more life into this game if they expect the players to invest the time and money that they are looking for.

I find it interesting that they are trying to sell the company. I think they know the future of the game and now is a good time to sell when it is still perceived as valuable.

It is just a game, but not a very good one, in my opinion. You are welcome to yours.

Originally, my only intention was to write tips about this and other games so that others may learn something useful and get greater enjoyment out of that game. Since it has become evident, for me, that there is little to be enjoyed by the game itself, I will try to find some things that are worthwhile in playing THE GAME.

Ernesto dismissed “jimmyboy” from the tribe because he was inactive. Truth is, I think “jimmyboy” was a scared kid in a world he didn’t understand. I saw this in a message that one of the tribe’s enemies sent me just before he nobled “jimmyboy”. The  game is full of treachery and deceit. Bad Bruce is not to be trusted

I hope to see what effect the trip wire is in another players village. I discovered it’s usefulness when I was in the tribe. It works as a early warning system for impending danger in your tribes village. “tex”, I’m sorry I killed your sign of tribal support when I mistakingly attacked my own village. It shows what sleep deprivation can do in THE GAME.

JW, Junior and 109 are 3 players that I will send links to TW - Enough is Enough so that they may better understand my actions and maybe they will go on the quest in search of the blind gorilla in Facebook. Junior is wise enough to recognize the wisdom and has already started his quest. That’s, of course, if they are still in the game.

I hope Ernesto will try and find the blind gorilla and leave this lifeless place. I fear he is trapped like his namesake. He seems to only knows war. I fear he hasn’t learned how to trust. He has been seeking that since his second in command left the island. I think he is alone now. He didn’t respond to my offers.

I found a hint to the reason for my father’s self-destruction. I have never felt so alone before. This place triggered it. In my mind I was on the ledge of a window in a very tall building caught between a choice between jumping off the ledge or going back inside.

I couldn’t get back inside fast enough. It was cold and dark with no signs of any life. I will never do that quest again. Sometimes the mind will take you to places you should never go.

My father did not know how to go back inside. He was in too much pain. And we did not know how to help him. He lost his second in command to cancer and I think that started his tragic quest. I was too young to understand so I am not to blame. I am just a victim. I can also now leave this building for one with a friendlier environment—Facebook.

I renamed all my villages when the victim was conquered. Most players just leave the name of the conquered alone as if it were of no significance.

One is named after the shrine of Soul music in Harlem—The Apollo Theatre. The others are all places in my hometown where I saw the great music acts of my time—The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, James Brown, Roy Kenner, Shawn & Jay Jackson & The Majestics, Wilson Pickett, Patti Labelle, The Rogues. They were happy places. They don’t belong in this world so maybe they should be destroyed.

I know why I preferred to conquer the Barbarian villages that THE GAME provides as a source of resources—the Farm. They are lifeless places, grey in colour and are referred to as Barbs. Remind you of anyone? Nazi came to mind for me. Games need enemies otherwise there are no targets to measure your success but my preference is that they are not another human being.

I felt like I did something useful when I conquered a Barb. I didn’t waste many troops and my inner tribe grew. We were stronger now and we began the quest of making our new village stronger. The first priority was to give it a proper name.

Most players in the game consider it heresy to noble “Barbs”. Shows you what value they have in human life. For them THE GAME is Kill or be Killed. They mostly get killed.

I renamed the villages after leaving the tribe because the soul was gone now. (Respect, Trust, Patience, were some of them. Leadership qualities that I think Ernesto needs to work on.) How you play the game is a mirror to how you go about things in life. I feel Ernesto is on the wrong path and I’m just trying to get his attention. I think he needs to learn how to play with his friends in a better way in a better playground. It’s lonely being a dictator.

And the good news is I think he is not. He justs takes on too much for himself. That is why I think all tribes should be managed by a team of 3 leaders. Any two can outvote the 3rd and they all agree to accept this decision. I saw it work for a time in the real world. That will be another story.

And the last of this series will be TW - And Now It’s Clear

TW = Tribal Wars

RW = Real World

That’s how the “believers” in this game refer to their life. It’s more like a religion that a bunch of people grouped together to play a game. Tribal Wars requires a person with the right makeup to continue to play. I have learned that I am not one of them. I know that it isn’t fulfilling anymore. I’ve met up with Mr. Frustration and Mr. Anxiety and very recently Mr. Despair. Games are supposed to be about fun and this one isn’t fun for me anymore. One of my tribe mates said “No one ever wins this game.” I don’t think he realizes how profound that statement truly is.

And I came to the realization as to why. I thought it had something to do with the direction our tribal leader was taking us. I’ll call him Ernesto after Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the noted revolutionist. I don’t think its a coincidence that they are both from the same city in Argentina. They both understand the intricacies of destruction and killing. I don’t like to do either. I like to build, to create, to develop things. That’s why writing is a good fit for me.

One of my neighbours in the game is all but 14. He doesn’t understand the game. He wants to build things. And I continued to destroy his building blocks which is a game requirement. At first, he whined and complained and used a name for his village that I thought was offensive—”Hippies Die Here.” How does a 14 year old get these ideas? So I continued to attack “Junior” periodically.

Eventually, he asked why I was doing this to him. And we began to communicate. I told him I didn’t think his village name was respectful and that I would destroy him. I talked to him like the other players do to each other. It felt hollow. I was gaining no satisfaction in the deeds. So he asked what do you think I should call it then. I said you figure that out. I teach snot-nosed little kids like you lessons in life. I was playing the game the way it is intended.

He changed the name to “We Come In Peace”. Out of the mouths of babes.

I didn’t know what to do next. So I started to try and explain that this game is not for you and you need to try something with adventure and learn. He has signed up for Facebook and will join me in the RW to do something that will create and not destroy, as I suggested he should try. He reminds me of another snot-nosed kid I once knew. He thought he had all the answers. He knew nothing. That was me at his age.

So I’m working on my exit strategy for the game. I don’t think I should just walk away from my tribe mates like so many players do once they realize that this game takes a special kind of commitment. I need to leave a legacy. Something that they might remember me by.

Interestingly enough, Mr. Frustration, Mr. Anxiety and Mr.  Despair have all gone away since I have decided on this path.

The tribe hasn’t been challenged much and has grown in leaps and bounds with really nothing new for the tribe to sink their teeth into. So I’m waiting for the right moment. It’s coming soon.We are planning a group attack of some kind. Ernesto has declared our next step. It’s been delayed so I have some time to build up a little more. I don’t know what my silence will do because I no longer respond to any mail including other tribes that know we are going to attack.There’s treachery everywhere.

I’m going to recall any support I have in other tribe mates villages, at that time. They may have some support in my villages but since I haven’t responded to Ernesto’s inquiry, I highly doubt it.

I will send 1 Spear to Ernesto’s main village—it’s called a trip wire.

I will then leave the tribe and then I will commence a series of attacks at one particular target—some/most/all of Ernesto’s villages. I know I cannot survive but I am not concerned about that at all. The tribe will have a new and difficult challenge. What will they do next? I have some trusted friends in the tribe, if they are still playuing. What will their reaction be?

The attacks will be underway as you read this. It won’t be posted till after the campaign is underway. It is suicide, but I need to do it. I need to learn something more from this game experience. I am not suicidal in nature. Suicide only leaves deep scars for those that are left behind. I know this to be true. My father committed suicide at about the time in my life when I was the same age as Ernesto. I hope to gain some further understanding as to why.

And then I will move on and explore and build in the Magical Mystery Tour called Hammerfall. It’s more my style. I think Junior’s new village name triggered my new outlook.

The tribe will learn some valuable lessons from this exercise. They will determine their own fate and I will continue to write about it for a time. I have given them no option. There is no possibility of my return because I choose not to return. I don’t know if this has ever happened in TW before but I doubt anyone will attempt to document it as I plan to do.

The next post will be “TW - It Continues”. Maybe we will both learn something of value from all this killing and destruction. Because we must never forget, this is a game, it isn’t life. Life has value. I can’t see the value in this game.

It’s interesting to me to note that this game is based in Germany. They do have a rather long history of killing and destruction. Not all of them of course, just the arrogant Nazi war machine. What would possess Edsel Ford to mix in those circles?

Money, money,  money