I am the ruler of this realm!

[filibusterwrong]

I am so sorry about starting a thread as a joke, but I couldn't resist the lure of a totally empty area.

[bunnyThor]

I'm just happy that it is up and running again.

But I plan on being sad when it is completely ignored by the people who prefer to post on the blog page instead.

Doesn't matter, I suppose. 90% of what they post is just awful puns, and the other 10% are pretty decent puns.

[someone]

So, this is back.

Looking at the forum index, which indicates only P&A as a subforum for the Tea Room, I would never have known.

[bunnyThor]

Yeah, even when people do know about this forum, it doesn't get much love.

Back in my day we didn't have this "Comments below the comic" business. We had 40 different logins for 30 different comics, and we liked it that way!

[Muttley]

Speak for yourself, I've only ever been Muttley....

actually that's quite sad in a way . . .

Still, I'm holding my judgement on Guilded Age. We were lead a long way down a garden path before the "realworld" background was revealed. It's been integrated well (in my opinion at least) into the story, and is believable, and doesn't diminish the accomplishments of the players while "in character", since they are stuck in the game, so for them it's real with real consequences. But I will be interested to see how well the sepiaworld is kept in play as part of the overall plot.

[FlyingFish]

Still, I'm holding my judgement on Guilded Age. We were lead a long way down a garden path before the "realworld" background was revealed. It's been integrated well (in my opinion at least) into the story, and is believable, and doesn't diminish the accomplishments of the players while "in character", since they are stuck in the game, so for them it's real with real consequences. But I will be interested to see how well the sepiaworld is kept in play as part of the overall plot.

The thing I find most fascinating about the reveal is the implication that, had they managed to stay "dead," they could have woken up in sepiaworld. To escape, they may need to do the most counter-intuitive thing possible and lose.

Which leads us to the question of "if they knew, would they WANT to escape?" Is Arkerra worth protecting even if there's a "real" world out there to return to? How real is Arkerra? How real are the people in it?

These sort of issues boggle my mind, and I love it.

[Inferno232]

If you're the ruler, then I'm the yardstick, pal.

[Hawk]

Glad to see the forums are back, and that Locke is still insane

[gangler]

Oh sweet, this is back!

Which leads us to the question of "if they knew, would they WANT to escape?" Is Arkerra worth protecting even if there's a "real" world out there to return to? How real is Arkerra? How real are the people in it?

I imagine that would depend on whether they had gotten back their original memories or not. If they remember everything first-hand then they probably have friends and family they want to be reunited with, and must decide whether it's worth giving up what they have here. Syrnj for example would have to decide whether she would willingly give up ever seeing the man she's called father for some twenty odd years in order to see her cats again. Byron has less to tie him here, but would have to decide whether it's worth readjusting to mainstream society when all he knows how to do anymore is battle, that being what his last twenty odd years have been spent on. The others would similarly have to decide whether it's worth abandoning this life to reattain a life they once knew.

If they don't remember sepiaworld first hand though. If they just have the situation explained to them in a manner that they know to be true, well then there's really no reason to leave. Not when everything and everyone you know or love is here. I mean how is that even a sales pitch?

Either way it's a big decision. Bigger if you're informed, because you know full well you're gonna have to spend a number of years institutionalized before you're ready to enter mainstream society again. You don't spend a lifetime working with fictitious herbs and walk out prepared to drive a car again. You certainly don't spend a lifetime living by the blade of your axe and walk out ready to resume your job at the local school. Even without Byron's condition it's gonna be years before he can be expected to safely interact with other human beings, let alone be let near children. Good luck finding an employer when your only phone number's in the psych ward and your only references are the head doctors who say you should be a non-threat to coworkers and clients.

Come to think of it, perhaps that's something we'll shine more light on. I didn't get the impression when we saw the player interviews that there was a whole lot tying any of them to this world. Byron's player seemed to be primarily preoccupied with a fantasy alter ego he lived vicariously through. Syrnj's player was the crazy cat lady. Best was a typical jaded gamer who thought everything was better in "the good old days". Gravedust if I recall was hinted at having been is a state of mourning over someone or other, or to be getting over a tragedy or something. Frigg went to great pains to list her lack of ties and state how disposable people were to her, or how disposable men were at least. She was either a misanthrope or a misandrist or something. Could very well be Daedulus specifically chose people who'd be willing to abandon this world but it backfired when they weren't so eager to come back as he'd hoped.

[Hawk]

I am so glad to get the little emails again from this.

Also, Gangler - you and I might not agree about the redeeming qualities (if any) of Payet Best, but I do enjoy reading your comments and posts. When I have more mental alertness (it's early for me) I might even be able to write something in the way of a debate with you

[Oasis]

TIME TO START THE REVOLUTION !!! sorry just beat fable 3!. So i just wanted to say revolution!!