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The everyday blog of Richard Bartle.

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10:06am on Wednesday, 10th December, 2008:

A Life of its Own

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Well, having hit boing boing and the Atlantic, my small posting about a design flaw in a WoW quest about torture has now got a life of its own. I can barely answer all the emails I'm getting about it (16 for me this morning), let alone the blog postings.

Some highlights:

I'm the new Jack Thompson. Nah, I think maybe they'll give the job to someone who isn't a pro-games advocate.
I'm really negative and cranky, and get credit for inventing an early MUD which I didn't actually invent. OK, so I am cranky, but it's not my fault that blogs only ever pick up on the negative things I say ("Richard Bartle likes WoW's vehicle quests" isn't going to make any headlines). It's also not my fault I get credit for inventing MUD when I always point out that I only co-wrote it.
I'm confusing storytelling and moralizing. So ... stories don't have morals?
I complain about torture, but I'm participating in an MMO that revolves around an ongoing war driven by racial hatred. Racial hatred is a valid theme for an MMO; the problem is racial stereotyping (which is ingrained in the paradigm these days), which actually I do also complain about.
I'm really, really overreacting. Hmm, you don't think maybe the scores of blog entries that took an obscure design issue and completely misinterpreted it might have been the ones who were over-reacting, then?
Sewing would be more my speed. This would actually be a fine rebuttal of my argument if it was, indeed, my argument that it was rebutting.
Some people will do anything for exp and rep. Well, in that case they should be playing EverQuest II, where "do anything" now includes paying real money for stuff.
My suggestions for the next Harry Potter book (Harry turns to drugs and uses his magic powers for sport to blind people) would prompt some people to read it. I expect royalties, JKR...
I've crossed the line from temporary insanity to just plain loony. Hmm, I guess my reducto ad absurdum argument as to why "it's just a game" isn't always a defence didn't work, huh?
I'm a silly nay-sayer. If I were indeed saying nay, this accusation might carry more weight.
It's only a game. Gosh, you're right! If only I'd known this when I blogged — it seems so obvious now.
I'm a giant wuss. Er, OK ... and your point is?
In your heart, you know I'm right. This really is a highlight: it's a well thought-out examination of the issues, that makes some good points that go beyond what I myself had considered. I thought I'd link to it just so you'd know that not everyone out there is completely bonkers.

For those of you who don't have the time to read the above, here are a couple of pictures from them that are particularly worth seeing:

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A Life of its Own

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