Having to do this annoys the heck out of me, but I want to share with everyone a little story. It will relate, I promise.
Once upon a time, I joined SC. I played solo as a mercenary, which was fine to me. It fit my playstyle. I did this for a long time. I knew about corps, but they were lofty, mysterious things related to money. On the rare occasion that I’d get invited to a random squad, I’d play a few rounds with them, and then we’d part ways. Nothing to it, no strings attached.
Then one day, after doing a couple matches with a random squad, I got asked “Wanna join my corp?”
I was hesitant. I consider myself a casual player. I cant always play consistently because of real world obligations. But I figured why not, I’d give it a try. That was how i found myself in my first corp: the united front [tuf].
They were fun people, even if I didn’t really talk much and just listened. We played some games and did well. At the time I was still crawling my way through the first bit of T2. So I wasn’t a huge amount of help.
Eventually I was kicked out due to inactivity, which is completely understandable. Slots in corps are limited. People want active players. I held and still hold nothing against them. They want to be competitive and well. I couldn’t make that obligation with real life things. It was less stressful anyway, because I didn’t really know my role or purpose within a corporation. I knew they were like guilds but they seemed quite hardcore and out of my league anyway.
So I return flying as a mercenary, until once again after some matches with a random squad I got asked “Wanna join my corp?” Well, nothing wrong with trying it again, so I accepted. That was my arrival into the ranks of THE CORP [CORP]. I immediately noticed there was a lot of activity, a lot of active players. I pretty much kept to myself again for a long time and still played my own matches in the hopes i’d eventually make it to T3. People seemed friendly and fun though, and I began to interact with them more.
It wasn’t until later that I became active in the forums, becoming aware of the horrible mess that is inter-corporation politics in the game. I didn’t think there was such a thing, but I shouldn’t have been surprised with such a competitive atmosphere. I jumped in head first if anyone remembers before the posts got wiped- not knowing there was a big grudge against [CORP] because of things that have been said and done. I suddenly realized I had been pulled into a troubling problem- I was getting painted with the same brush. But not just me, every corp member.
While drama rampages on the forums, the majority of those in game have no idea any of it was occurring. Like me, most of them were probably randomly invited. Like me, many of them probably had not much experience in corps. Like me, they didn’t know the politics going on outside the game. I get along with almost all these people. They are just there to play. some of them are casual like me and just play to have fun. Some others are much more hardcore and determined to improve to be the best. They are proud that they are near the top of the ranks, even if the system is broken and only rewards corps with floods of numbers. The majority aren’t a bunch of elitist roosters that like to ruin the fun of the game.
It irritates me immensely that I, and these innocent people who don’t know whats going on- are getting painted with this brush in game and they don’t even know it. They are innocent to it, and end up facing lots of rude people who hate them for reasons they don’t realize originate from their corp tag. They may come to learn that ‘everyone is out to get you cause of your corp’.
Judging a player based on their tag, or if they have one or not, is wrong. Plain and simple. I’m acting right now as the voice of those who don’t have one. I wholly admit that there are individuals in the corp who are difficult to deal with, have bad attitudes/beliefs and just aren’t fun to play with. But that’s not the majority. That’s not the attitude of the /entire/ corp. Often times members don’t even agree with the CEO and their beliefs and there is a huge disconnect. But they shouldn’t be penalized when all in all they just want to play the game.
I know that CEO and Officers are the faces of their corps, and that their behavior will shine a good or bad light on a corp. That’s how it is, that is part of the responsibility of the role. But this PSA is here to let everyone know that all those players that make up the body of a corp are still people who should be judged on their own merits, and how they fly. Some fly superbly. Some are sometimes down on their luck [and the chart, often like me].
Don’t trash on or get mean on random corp players. If you have bones to pick with individuals by all means handle that how you want. But don’t catch innocents in the crossfire. I have stayed with [CORP] as long as i have because I want to stick it out for those other players like me, because they haven’t done anything wrong. The least I should do is defend them.
This message was posted on my own and is in no way endorsed by the rest of [CORP], its officers or it’s CEO, and I accept full responsibility for the consequences it may produce. It was done without their knowledge through my own will.
I ask that you read this and just ponder it, but do not turn this into a flame thread. This isn’t a place for you to point fingers. I’m not a player of any rank in the corp, so I cannot solve your strife or your problems. If you have issue with individuals, PM them. If you have issue with me, feel free to post about it.
The point of this thread was to show how average players can suddenly end up in a mess, and didn’t join a particular group just for the chance to be elitist jerks. This goes for every corp, not just this one.