E-Rep History

Day 4,758, 16:38 • Published in USA USA • by George Barker

Many years ago, during the first Invasion of the USA, we were in the process of being nearly wiped. We were trying to defend Texas, IIRC, and the battle, like they all did then, was going poorly, when one of Indonesia's strongest tanks, the then-legendary Bong, switched sides and began fighting for the US. He changed the message in his profile to "Come on US -- Fight!" (this was in the days before there was in-game chat), and almost single-handedly turned the tide of the battle, especially after another Indonesian joined him (wish I remember that person's name). A couple of years later, just before he left the game forever, I had the chance to ask him why he did it, and he said something like "You need two sides to make a game, a game."

Over the past several months of looking at events unfold, I've thought about those words, and I've come to a conclusion: Bong was one wise dude. This game, like every game, without tension, without genuine conflict, is boring. It quickly devolves into a bunch of people bickering over BH medals and which accounts to buy and sell, and for how much. The actual people who play the game, unless they're doing the bickering and buying and selling, become afterthoughts. One thing about that first invasion? I had fun -- probably more fun than I've had before or since in this game. It was frustrating to lose battle after battle and watch the map of our country shrink, but the fights had purpose -- win or lose, they made the game, a game. Interesting. Challenging. Fun. If it weren't, I wouldn't remember any of that stuff. In fact, I'd most likely have quit out of boredom.

Here's the avatar I remember from Bong; where that slick one in his profile came from I have no idea. Weird avatar for a smart guy: