My game, your game, no OUR game!

Day 2,795, 23:13 Published in Bulgaria Bulgaria by Stolch



Infamously, GAMA uses the following hendiatris: My money, my rules, my game



It is catchy, one must admit, however it does demonstrate a basic lack of respect to the rest of the player community, much embodied by most of the rest of the Greek players through silent indifference or outright support for the only way is our way style of gaming.

Now if this was simply limited to the actual game play, it would be just part of the game and it would be to everyone else to decide if they want to challenge that notion. Unfortunately however this is being applied on very different level when it comes to the ongoing conflict between Macedonia and Greece, so much so, that in times of inability to force it upon their opponents, all boundaries are crossed to achieve the end goal.

Before we go further let me disperse a couple of the newest propaganda/spin/lies that have been circulating lately and most recently from the Greek foreign ministry.

Still I must point out that this article is my own opinion and position as a player and not as MoFa of Bulgaria, though I will talk about some official dealings to which I am privy as of my position.

1. Bulgaria did not in any way shape or form deceive Greece about the short lived but never ratified recent NAP.

The actual NAP was negotiated during what initially were informal discussions without it being presented to the Dictator personally for approval, nor to the Advisory Council (a council of top 10 MUs, something that quite a few countries have and use) as is the practice for more substantial agreements, like the cessation of hostilities to a major war or entering and exiting alliances and so on.

The failure was entirely on our side for that as it was quickly published, which actually created the confusion in the first place. The reason it was later deleted, was to stop the confusion after the article with which the dictator declared it void was published as both were in the top and as some second rate spin master have tried to portray it.

There is of course a SS of to prove otherwise, but it is pointless for me to go into detail and explain how that SS is possible and still the dictator not to have approved it. No one is really able to play this game 24/7 and at times we have all been in a similar position as countries.

More importantly, Greek side was immediately informed that the NAP is invalid and will not come into effect, lacks public support and was shot down by the council. There are logs to prove that and the part necessary for it has already become public, so there is no need to beat a dead horse.

Any statement to the contrary is simply a lie and propaganda.

Bulgaria did however, because it was our fault for the confusion that happened agree not to renew hostilities until next government was in place and the word given was kept.

As for the renewal of the actual war, it had nothing to do with RL reasons as is being insinuated recently by Greek government, it was simply a continuation of the older war after the elections had finished.

I have to say that I do find it very poor taste and quite low the attempt to use the RL plight of Greece and Greeks as a means to generate pity on one hand and to depict their opponents in a negative light on another.

These of course are not the only tactics employed by the Greeks over time to achieve their goals, on more then one occasion and to multiple players and despite repeated denials, they still try to offer RL money to get their way.

While we have chosen for the most part to ignore and laugh off such attempts, they're in general very much insulting as they demonstrate the belief of the Greeks that Bulgarians are for sale in a game.

Let me make it clear once and for all, while it is entirely possible to ultimately find a bad apple anywhere which would be willing to take the money, we Bulgarians are a proud nation and we will not be bought, regardless of how substantial the numbers offered might be.

Lastly but not lastly, the information which eventually trickled out to us, from Greek players is that the war that was actually, supposedly, started by a "dumb" president as has been stated, the idea behind the war was to attack Bulgaria to overcome the internal division in Greece. Undoubtedly the expectation was for a quick campaign after which a NAP would be signed with Bulgaria and everything would be rosy and as if nothing happened.

Unfortunately for Greece that did not happen, of course initial demands for original Bulgarian regions in exchange for a peace did not help matter one bit and only served to motivate Bulgarian players even more.

"Advice" from Greek government officials who should be in Bulgarian government and who "should be dropped" along with the same in terms of allies is to say the least not endearing to many either.



This sort of actions though bring us back to the where this article started, to the Greek belief of entitlement in this game. As much as they can make the case that they're being unfairly treated in RL by EU institutions, they have been doing the same for years here in game with another player community, with the expectations that all of us 3rd parties to this RL conflict must by default assume their view and any other position is impossible.

Truth is the majority of us 3rd parties, do not want to have any input on the name issue between Greece and Macedonia and long before this game and long after we will call the country the way we always have in RL and no virtual pixels will change our mind. Those that actually do change in-game for pixels will just change right back for whatever other reason in a heart beat, because if they do it for pixels it means it has no meaning for them in general.

Thus the notion that through RL propaganda in this game anyone is achieving anything of worth is ludicrous at best, yet we all are forced to deal with it all the time because of Greece's belief of entitlement in this game. It's their money, therefore their rules and their game.

NO!

This game belongs to all of us, all the players loosing their time here everyday, the ones that pay and the ones that don't, the tanks and the 2 clickers even the multies. We're all participants and we all share it as a community and after 3 years of putting down one community at the hands of another for no game related reason (strategic or economic) it is time to say enough to the RL bigotry that has plagued our everyday gaming to the point in which players have started to use RL issues to gain an advantage.

By the way, despite the rumors started from Greek side, I'm not Macedonian and no one in my family to that matter, though I do resent this form lowlife tactic as a means to gain an advantage in a virtual pixel game.

If Serbia and Croatia, which in RL were involved in a real war just 2 decades ago and there are players here, playing now, who have lived through it, can sign NAPs and have agreements for a lasting peace at different times, then there is no excuse for Greeks not to do the same with Macedonia as well as there is no excuse for the rest of us, which have at different times supported the weaker Croatia against the stronger Serbia to now pretend that things are different somehow. Not only they're not, but they're even worst as Serbia can get some benefits in terms of game play from keeping Croatia occupied, both in access through it's territory and bonuses, which is not true for Greece and Macedonia for years now.

So it is time for the whole gaming community to make a stand and make it clear to everyone in this game, that competition is fine, but when the boundaries in-game competition are crossed and RL bigotry becomes the ultimate goal we will not stand for it. After all our ever-dwindling player community needs to try and keep the interest of as many players as possible because we not only need allies, but we all need also opponents to have fun.

The war between Greece and Macedonia is no longer fun for anyone, it is time for it to end and it is time for us all to move on in OUR game. Unfortunately as Greeks feel entitled, the only way to do this is to deny them the support to keep assuming that entitlement.


Your money, their rules, OUR game!