UO Stratics Forum

[Earwen]

I found this on UO Hall forum and it really made me think about other players and the people behind the computers. It really made me sit back and think about how I treat people. Our actions in game can really mean something to people and I feel everyone can learn something from this.

This is the link to the full thread A very Sad little IDOC.

Every now and again, I take some time off from the hustle and bustle of modern Britania and spend some time in the remote frozen wastes of Dagger Island, doing my part to fend off those vicious orcs and inspecting the animal population to ensure they are healthy and no diseases are being spread.

I had been there for some time and was following a walrus that seamed to have a bit of a limp, when I realized I was in an aread I hadn't seen in a very long time, and something was different.

There was a tiny little stone house sitting much apart from the other buildings and looking quite out of place. Where the others were all huge stone and marble works filled with strange and exotic plants and decour, this one was very small and plain.

I went to the door to knock and the door fell in! It came completely off of it's hinges. It was immediately obvious that this house had been unocupied for several months. Even more curious now, I ventured inside to have a look around.

The house was indeed simple. The walls were crudely worked stone and the floor was yew wood. In truth, the floor was incomplete, as the ground was still showing through at the south and east edges of the single room dwelling. The furnature was quaint, 4 small tables with a chair for each, and a couple of maps laid out for viewing and a rune with markings indicating a location near the bank in Haven. There was a bookshelf and 3 wooden boxes, and a tub for dying clothes near a clock.

In the bookshelf I found some scribe pens like you buy at the mages' shops, and a few maps, some with sketches of the surrounding area, others still blank. Also there was a mage's spellbook with a total of 30 spells in it, and a few scrolls for marking runes.

In the boxes I found some scissors and a few odd bits of clothing, some bread and muffins and a blue potion. There was also a book.

The text within follows..

Here are just some random things someone might need.

Usually it has a few blank recall runes, scrolls, and mark scrolls. Also is well stocked with food for the hungry.

Lastly there is a little random gold I pick up if you need some.

I just started adding potions I found that I don't use.

Please just take what you need and save the rest for others.

Thank you for stopping by.

... Will add bandies soon.

I looked again and noticed that the box had no lock, it was open for anyone to use.

I noticed there was a bulletin board on the wall near the door, so I went over to read what messages were posted onto it. There was actually a message left by someone complaining that this house sucked. What a horrible thing say to someone who's leaving their door open and giving away their posessions to help anyone who passes by!

I hit the bulletin board in anger but it was too much for the little house to take at this point, and the whole thing came apart.

After my anger subsided, I stood in silence for a while, just wondering....

What happened to the owner of this house?

Where did someone with such a kind heart end up?

Did they find some better place where kindness is repaid with kindness instead of rude comments?

Did some evil befall them?

I'm afraid we'll never know.

I take with me a map I found in the rubble. The sort of map young students of cartography work with, which bears the owner's signature.

..............................

This house was a 7x7 custom... meaning it was the Only house for that account, and had been built by someone unfamiliar with custom housing, since they didn't know how to fill in floor tiles where walls hid them.. possibly someone who didn't even understand CircleTrans.

The map was a "youthful" so they started as a young recently, and the fact that they were using NPC shop scribe pens tells me they had no vet account.. or knew no one with tinkering skill to make better ones.

And the fact that they were using blank MAPS instead of scrolls, as they would if they listened to the NPCs or read the manual for the game...

The most valuable item in the place was a stack of about 12 mark scrolls, seconded by about 5 recalls.

All of this tells me this was a new player. Someone who started recently, and was making their way of it alone. Nobody told them about designing a house, nobody told them about scrolls for cartography, and I'd wager serious gold that they got to the island by ship originally.

This new player though, figured out enough to make their house public, and to set a secure to public access so they could offer what they found or made to others who might have a need.

The response to their kindness? Insults.

Can you even begin to imagine this game if the bulk of the players were more like this one?

There was a time when even murderers (the ones online during school hours anyway) would go out of their way to help someone if there was a need. Now it's all about ME and how many Artifacts you can scam someone out of. It's just sickening.

I've probably failed to make any real points here, since I've been awake more hours than I want to count, but I felt I had to say something. This house, it's contents, and the posts on the bulletin board were all real. It collapsed today.

[LukkanMortain]

That is one of the saddest thngs Ive read about this game yet.

[Devin Ashley]

A very good story written by the person who found that poor souls house, it reminds me of how this game was 72 months ago, when i first ventured into this game, i hope most will think back on this story and perhaps try to be the way this unknown soul was, i know for me i give to many as much as i get or i try, but in a sense is that really enough now adays i guess its time us the players take back our game and make it how we want it..

just my 2 cents

Devin Ashley

Lora Deblood *deceased*

Annie Jo

Lady Tygress

[James Halliwell]

I remember when I started this game some 54-55 months ago. I was a young warrior who new nothing or no one. I had found my way outside of a huge city called Brit. I had ventured out to see what I could find and what devilish creatures i could slay with my mighty viking sword that was stamed by the "GODS". I soon found myself surrounded by vile undead creatures. Known to everyone accross the land as Liches. I fought as hard as I could to slay these murderous beings but I did not have the power to do so. I was met by a gentalman on a gloryious steed. His name was Dark Shadow with his help I was able to recover my things and begin further training myself he instructed me to carry an axe and become a lumberjack.

Later on he took me out in the vast lands to help me place a Small Tower, and if you wanna talk about adventure try placing a house. We spent what felt like days in what was really about 3 hours looking for a spot. Just when we thought we were done I and another gentalman placed the same style house at the same time on the same exact spot. We both were froze and had to wait for GM help. Luckily we worked it out to where he got that spot and I got another 3-4 acres away.

I have since been spending my time doing the same for others. Looking for that newbie that is out over his head and helping him grow in the game. I wish we could all learn something from this unknown players actions and become alot like him. I wonder if there is any way we could HONOR this young warrior aside from our actions. By creating a large or small stone table. With a single candle representing this persons being solo in our relm, and also filling the table with chairs to represent his welcoming of all to his table. Then filling this table with a feast representing the aboundance of sacrifice this person showed in their giving of what ever they had to passers by. With a book with an inscription stating "This table is set in the HONOR of the "UNKNOWN WARRIOR" whose selfless acts shall not be forgotten, and will be forever remebered at this table.

It is just an idea but I think a good one for someone who truely embodies the spirti of which we want to imulate.

Strength and HONOR

James Halliwell