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Still a game?
First of all this is my first article so please forgive me if I mess up anything ;]
Anyway I am an eRepublik member for some time now (i think 4-5 months or so) and I really enjoy playing it. As I wake up before going to the University I enter, work, train and maybe read through some articles.
But lately all of this has been getting a little bit weird. My first war was pretty awkward since I never took part in one until it (obviously since its my first :>) but it was fun. It's what happened after the war that scared me in a way. "Romanian Imperialists", "Bastards", "Cheaters" and so on ... In a way i felt that it was worth the trouble...
I remember that I started playing games because they helped me relax. I made lots of friends and had great evenings in the company of games. Took part in tournaments and all of that but the main reason I played computer games was to relax and have some fun... Has this all but been forgotten here in the great world of eRepublik ?
Have we managed to turn this game (because yes, reality check my dear friends and readers this is a game, and a pretty darn good one aswell) into a way to express hate towards other countries, people who just happen to live somewhere else ? I have been reading articles for these past few months and it shocked me to see how people "bash" other players because of a simple game.
Just yesterday i was reading through a Hungarian article, it was discussing the recent conflicts at the eGermany, eAustrian border and how they should get involved or not. Its nothing out of the ordinary yet until I saw this line "and if we do this then we could get an advantage over the germans (may they die)...". Why ? I mean germans, as people have done nothing wrong but play a game. This happens more and more often. People take the game, the areas, the persons living in a country way to serious. "Bastard Romanians", "Blood thirsty Hungarians", "Cheating this and cheating that"... Have we all but forgotten that this is a game ?
When did we leave that important aspect behind and turned in a way to an informational/electronic/worldwideweb form of racism ? We hate them because they are of a different nationality and not because they won a war on fair terms and we are just upset because of it. We call each other names and we offend each other, and all of this for what ? We hate everyone who isnt from our own country exactly because he isnt of our own country AND NOT because he or she is a better player/or worse player, whatsoever, then us...
I don't know how many people will read this (probably not that many), and how many people will think about the fact that they shouldn't yell or look down on others because they are from another country in the real world but because maybe they are enemies in a game... cause thats all it is ...
Or is it, still a game ?
Anyway I am an eRepublik member for some time now (i think 4-5 months or so) and I really enjoy playing it. As I wake up before going to the University I enter, work, train and maybe read through some articles.
But lately all of this has been getting a little bit weird. My first war was pretty awkward since I never took part in one until it (obviously since its my first :>) but it was fun. It's what happened after the war that scared me in a way. "Romanian Imperialists", "Bastards", "Cheaters" and so on ... In a way i felt that it was worth the trouble...
I remember that I started playing games because they helped me relax. I made lots of friends and had great evenings in the company of games. Took part in tournaments and all of that but the main reason I played computer games was to relax and have some fun... Has this all but been forgotten here in the great world of eRepublik ?
Have we managed to turn this game (because yes, reality check my dear friends and readers this is a game, and a pretty darn good one aswell) into a way to express hate towards other countries, people who just happen to live somewhere else ? I have been reading articles for these past few months and it shocked me to see how people "bash" other players because of a simple game.
Just yesterday i was reading through a Hungarian article, it was discussing the recent conflicts at the eGermany, eAustrian border and how they should get involved or not. Its nothing out of the ordinary yet until I saw this line "and if we do this then we could get an advantage over the germans (may they die)...". Why ? I mean germans, as people have done nothing wrong but play a game. This happens more and more often. People take the game, the areas, the persons living in a country way to serious. "Bastard Romanians", "Blood thirsty Hungarians", "Cheating this and cheating that"... Have we all but forgotten that this is a game ?
When did we leave that important aspect behind and turned in a way to an informational/electronic/worldwideweb form of racism ? We hate them because they are of a different nationality and not because they won a war on fair terms and we are just upset because of it. We call each other names and we offend each other, and all of this for what ? We hate everyone who isnt from our own country exactly because he isnt of our own country AND NOT because he or she is a better player/or worse player, whatsoever, then us...
I don't know how many people will read this (probably not that many), and how many people will think about the fact that they shouldn't yell or look down on others because they are from another country in the real world but because maybe they are enemies in a game... cause thats all it is ...
Or is it, still a game ?
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Voted. I'm so tired of the same labeling going on around.
People forgot it's just a game.
everyone calling each other names and so on .... just cause they are stressed individuals.
VAND Tickets q1 - 18 Ron.
No it isn't a game. It appears to be a vehicle for people to play politics. Plus the massive bugs & flaws in this game encourage certain behaviours. I'd love to have the money to start a competitor game, but alas I don't.
Voted, and subscribed.
Uh, it is a game and people are playing it as such. Thats why they hate germans, eGermans, not germans per se. Most people, like you I guess, just dont understand the difference between roleplay and rl.
DEATH TO THE GOAT BREADING DIONISTS!!!
@Tooth: Sorry, but while it may have been like that 3 months ago, but now, sorry... for many, obviously, it became something else. Just take an hour of your time to read the international press and see the comments to the articles. It's already way beyond the game.
This topic seems to come up many times lately... I've always seen the game as a great opportunity to make new friends, even while fighting wars with them at the same time. But I see more and more people who seems to rationalize their war with hatred, prejudice or RL conflicts, and when the first insult goes, it is usually followed by countless others from all sides, making it impossible to ever solve.
Because it is a complex game, it is hard to take it just as a game. It is full of people, interactions and possibilities, without many tools to curb rampant emotions and people acting out what they cannot or dare not IRL. That makes it precious and frightening at the same time. The spectrum here is much wider than RL, where society damps most of the radicals and extreme actions. It gives way to trying outside the box ideas, but in exchange we have to put up with not all of these being beneficial or even moral.
All in all... it is more than a game, from both the individual's and the community's viewpoint; and it should be used as such, to make and try possibilities, unusual ideas, risky actions - and be prepared for paying a lot in exchange. It can still be enjoyed by anyone who is aware of these datum, for in some level it is still a game; and value it above that level for what it is.
And we should never stop making friends. Even if it means that on the way we make some enemies too. It is unavoidable.
I see a problem on the horizont because of this game, much dangerous than the present conflicts:
The young players - eRepublik citizens - will grow with this hate they are learning here. In IRL the conflicts and hate between two nations are, somehow, temperated and people is educated to temper themselves. But this young generation, without knowing much about past events, will take as granted the individual and inter-nations hate - and it will be possible that this will evolve much more in IRL.
So, the bad attitude in this game, the hate between two nations, can grow bigger in RL, causing incredible future damages.
Take, par exemple, the relationship between eRomania and eIndonesia: in RL we don't have anything to do with Indonesian people xcept what we know from the geography hours in school an maybe because is a very nice country to spend holydays. But from this game, the youngest will remain with a twisted opinion, with dangerous effects in the future.
About the relation between eRomania and eHungary I may not say anythyng anymore because is already more dangerous than before, both in RL as in eR.
I rest my case.
Calling people cheaters is crossing the line imho. It's a game and imho you can roleplay however you want, but calling people cheaters isn't part of that.
retard labellings...
I think the greatest Problem in eRepublik is, that they took Real world Countries. So that many Players take there RL Resentiments to the game and vice versa.
What I think is quite dangerous is the naiveness of some "Roleplayers" who say.
"Oh when I say death to all XXX, it's just roleplay, no hard feelings actually."
But if u just write such lines, the reader can't determine if it's just roleplay, or it is real hatred.
Very nice article.
It seems to be a bit of a problem with roleplaying here. Many players don't seem to understand the concept of it, and I agree that this game could very well become a breeding ground for extreme nationalistic tendencies. Instead of fighting for a virtual country, I have the impression that many fight for their real country and leaders with RL nationalistic background could change the world view of kids into not so good directions.
I think that it would be great if players in Erep would be able to create their own countries on the dust of the old ones. After all, it is supposed to be The New World, isn't it?
please vote anti-TO http://www.erepublik.com/en/forum/topic/90689/suggestions-to-avoid-take-over-on-parties-or-countries/1
Good article. This is a game and we should respect each others...
Quote : "I think the greatest Problem in eRepublik is, that they took Real world Countries."
I don't think that's the problem. I think that the biggest problem generally is that the game is full of flaws which encourages cheating & other behaviours & the hatreds towards Romania, Indonesia, Hungary etc stems from there.
Croatians responded on same insult in eManner - we declared war to Serbia, who's players were insulting our nation from very begining on RL basis, bringing RL issues into game, living in WWII times, etc.
We'll fight in eWorld, and Croatians are forbiden to insult them.
But overall - too many RL craps everywhere in this game, and mostly from kids, which can not recognize this game as excellent strategy, not place for RL frustrations
Erepublik has always attracted lots of nationalists that bring their ethnic hate into the game
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-war-game-battles-are-on-article-2--766758/1/20
I agree with toothpaste, its just a game and people take it as such,
We are different people and perceive things differently, I myself take everything with a pinch of salt in Erep and realise its just a game and the conflicts are part of it,
you have to see the obvious line between whats real..