Time

[vampir]

If you are a pesimist i can help you or point you at someone who can do a better job. Probably. If you are an optimist, i can almost certainly work with you to make the world a better place. Mainly the real world. In which you can contact me on dr.rashman@gmail.com if the text sparks any of the stronger emotions.

This is an article of some 4500+ words that i wrote for MRD's Final Quest, for which i was awarded a WishPoint. I got last (5th) place, just below player "dst", and i seriously doubt there were more than 5 participants. I could have made the point in 45 words but the guy asked it to be of specified length and i really wanted publicity



DISCLAIMER: This article is strictly from my own point of view, my own
thoughts and feelings are here out of my own experience. Even if it
appears otherwise, this writting should not be considered suggestive
or at least generalizing.

1.) "What are your thoughts about MD?"
Magic Duel is an interesting and in a refreshing way positive
project. There are just too many influental addictions arround that
one could afford to make certain game become one, specially if said
game is a waste of time. I strongly believe this game is quite the
opposite as long as you accept the positive change in yourself.
There was sort of a local web knowledge site linked to the game,
mdarchives, which triggered literary inspiration in me. Now, it was
not the site for the random people to write just any crap. Mainly the
writters have been privileged to post there and they did focus on one
or two domains, but there were many other articles that i personally
found much more useful at the time. My feeling about the idea behind
the said site however was that it was really.. unwise.
The other site of notice and much closer related to the game itself
is the forum. Any game, actually any single occurrence, from games
over child pornography to terrorist organizations have at least one
forum about it, and most of the ones i saw so far visually appear
better than MD's. It was before my time here that i've learned forums
had somewhat of a hand-drawn art or at least a decoration, the bit of
wisdom i owe to the one with the current outlook. Articles, management
and general feel are mostly as bad as any other. Upon my hasty
premiere post i have learned that moderators are low in numbers,
courtesy of player-forum moderator named dst, and i never would hold
anything against any single one of them. I will mention just the
facebook similarity vaguely and quickly amplify the statement with
paralel universe. There is positive in everything.. i simply don't
enjoy forums that much.
When i was testing the game, more precisely doing so with
completely ill amount of successive accounts i obviously step on toes
of innocent bystanders who transparently frown upon use of such
barbaric methods and since no one would have any belief in me being an
obsessive perfectionist, i've decided not to apply myself so devotedly
for another feature of the game - it's newspapers through a mailing
list. Just a few thousand created accounts later, i came to realize
that although once subscribed, i have never received a single copy. It
was a real shame, the ones i've downloaded in .pdf had nice pictures,
some text, informations of useful and not so useful nature, printed on
professionally cheap virtual newspaper..paper. Well anyway, they had
really plain journalists but also very devoted ones, those whose eyes
glow in the dark (but not from perpetual exposure to computer screen
or any other radiation). I wonder if all them forums could turn into
newspaper form, or was it that the newspapers have turned into forums?
I like the colors. Gold is royal, that is a no-brainer. It is said
that orange sparks violence and unrest. It drives me sometimes just to
enjoy a piece inside the game that i consider a perfect eye-candy for
the moment. A part of the screen..a flash of color here or there can
fit the puzzle perfectly. Chaos of ideas around this project is in
perfect order. If in some instance you have multiple persons and a
single idea, basically drives me to think there is just a bunch of
morons (psyc.). With all the quality arround it MD is in a shaded
state at this very moment. One of the noted ideas were some
adjustments to the game that i feel very positive about. Moving to a
stage 10 or v1.0 sends message of a certain level of seriousness.
Softer tone in gameowner's writting radiates a caring, fluid emotion.
As balanced out i can extract the new players, who drop through that
Paper Cabin into this often confusing world, and Live Help Operators.
The fighting takes a tremendous part of a complete virtual character
in Magic Duel. After i have experienced shocking emotional surges
while searching another newbie during the Torch Competition many
months ago, roleplaying it and eventually outwitting the opponent, i
was enjoying the spoils of that ritual child war briefly until i
realised there was only me and a moment to be remembered. Nothing
else. Ever again. So yet again i had to move to other things but i am
full of love for the change in me.
There are two legitimate shops in the game, god knows how many
outside, that offer a trade. As with any glass-eyed merchant, most of
the wares are simply crap, either way past expire date or bunch of
completely used up junk that said merchant is trying to fence to you
for a chilly price. Both merchants of MD are decent enough to tell you
in advance what they are going to do. However, if you let yourself
beyond being insulted, you will come to realize that there are certain
deals you can make that will enrich you (your character) deeply or
empower you right up to the world's frontiers, perhaps take you even
further.
Another idea that i like was recent challenging downgrade of
ActionPoints pool by 10. I had to remind my old mate to vote because
he did that so long ago that he was freaking about not being able to
upgrade one of those colored winged flamethrower thingies or what not.
Layed-back easy going mate of mine he is. But what is really a blast
of joy for me is Aprils Fool jokes and any similar moves randomly
thrown about MD to instil agonizing horrors into the hearts of the
fallen.
All in all, what the main page of the MD site says, is not a lie.
For me from my first moment here this actually is the biggest "salad"
i have ever experienced. There is not a single ingredient that is
perfectly raised, harvested, applied or completely organic yet all it
takes for it to taste good is genetically unique method of chewing and
when you have a prickly aftertaste sometimes - just wash it down with
a bottle of "Jack", straight.

2.) "What do you think about the people in game?"
Ah, the lovely people of Magic Duel. There is a saying about
wars, that they bring out the best and the worst out of humanity.. on
all sides, in all levels. That can be pretty accuratelly applied to
this game. As opposed to a deadly conflict, this Magic War (more and
more i appreciate the reflecting sound of it) supposedly has the same
affect on the psyche just without actual casualties (i sincerely hope
so far nobody died) and destruction. This is the downcycle of MD and
so it mirrors on the playerbase the same.
For the game that was supposedly breeding magi, it has incredible
amounts of idiots (psyc.) at large. From the lower of the lowest,
people who insist on using different punctuation, signs and
letter-number combinations to express generic feelings, no matter the
occasion, are the ones i would pity the most due to their decay of
natural emotion and somewhat automated process of faked
feelings. I say i would pity them but i can't since often they
drastically decrease the quality of local environment to other present
entities, be they some other similar idiots or not. At the same margin
i have met, or witnessed in quick passing, the ones that have
strangely powerful, deep problems with selfexpression. It is
understandable that games attract that kind of human race, but still
not being able to exist on at least slightly higher level is a problem
that is not solved by wasting time, and that saddens me the most, and
as well brings me to another point. The top of the range human beings
that play here, there are some that i admire and really respect, and
every single one of them is lacking the supreme fuel to floor the
pedal to their own full potential. Now, if you put fuel in the latter,
they can easily voodoo the idiots out of their state. If you fuel the
idiots, i dont know what ill shit can happen, or it already did.
Anyhow, the next cycle of MD will be positive for certain.
Now back to the idiots of material. There is a group of people
connected by commonly being impaired due to low skill in foreign
languages. And that is something relatively easily fixable. There is,
although i believe are small in percent, a group that resorts to money
whenever a problem occurs, in any and every sense possible. These are
generally positive people, and as far as MD is concerned, they grow up
once they utilize their tactic, usually. There are also my favourites,
the real children. Aged three to twelve, maybe somewhat more. But i
have yet to see one, male or female from any single corner of our
Earth, that uses it's brain as i have witnessed it used in real life,
respectful to the circumstances. What i cant ever embrace is insisting
on the mandatory supporting 'stupid branch' of any tree.
I have noticed a veil of fear arround the hearts of most of the
people i have met. Not realizing the adequate importance and order of
things, they are easily manipulated. What some of them need or try to
achieve was many times the reason for Prosvetitelj to withdraw to
meditation state. What comes out of those hearts is very negative,
very destructive and very unwise. As i mentioned in the saying about
the wars, mostly negative things happen but the positive ones even if
fewer make up for the difference in quality, with a little luck. Now,
i dont believe in good and evil but i do believe there are positive
and negative personalities. And as long as someone is true to
themselves be they on either of the sides it is generally a positive
occurence. But if someone is stupid and plain destructive no prison
can rehabilitate them because there is no positive habit to
rehab..sort of. In a real world, there is time and effort after the
wars and quite a few appropriate examples (unfortuanately). In this
game world only thing i can see fit is the more fluid change of the
roles, or more command to the each individual, but i feel that is
unlikely to come by my standards.
I cannot say i have met a complete positive personality around any
character inside the game world, as i understand them through a very
complex method. However, of all the interesting aspects of the game,
there are people who are leaders in each by their great uniqueness, or
specialization sort to say. First of all there are roleplayers.
Hardcore ones could agree that the process of smooth adjusting to the
circumstances or environment in which one resides, roleplays or exists
is the single most important skill one roleplayer can posses. You can
never be the only roleplayer inside a community that doesn't want to
roleplay, the old fashion way. That simply makes you look like a joke.
Other aligning factors are the circumstances themselves, such is the
scenery and the code support, along with the real world forces on act
(what happens in roleplayers' life outside the gameworld).
It is as anything else pretty chaotic but for a few, specially for
one or two of great purity and virtue, ones that i have met and sadly
disappointed (due to the forced real life conditions), but it left me
with the hope that there is in essence a leading star that should be
followed when the time comes correct. I have learned that there were
quite a few good examples in the past, and i did so reading the
Adventure Log. As it happens, those people are long gone perhaps never
to return. Others that are around in these days really are not worth
the mention.
From my first day here, i have exercized great amount of respect
for anyone who would provide me with insightful information or push me
in the correct direction. Doing so with stylish performance made me
their invisible associate for infinite time, actually until their
decay of virtue, providing it ever happens. One of that kind of people
had a major influence in myself becoming what i am today, still that
person is not available anymore in this downphase of MD. As anybody
else, you can still see traces of it here and there, but in real sense
it is gone.
Fighters, or people that evolve around combat and rituals, without
resorting to spells, are the group that i distantly admire sometimes.
There is a single one, a natural leader as he burns his wisdom onto
the friend and foe alike. And strangely, again the one i know from my
first moment in Magic Duel. Hats off. There are certainly others, a
majority of the playerbase is fighting oriented, many not even
realizing the depth behind violence or victory etc. There are good
fighters, most of which also take membership in the above mentioned
idiotic lower levels, and some are simply empty, misguided people that
even perservere in their shalowness after their illusions are
shattered.
Finally, there are the True Magicians. The ones that i have met come in
all different varieties and they all have their imperfections but
there is a single difference that makes that kind of people not lead
any of the former groups (even though they belong to most except the
lowest ones), but simply walk together hand in hand leading or tearing
appart all the rest. And that is a mindset. Their mindset is focused
on action. In other words, those people do by merely existing. They
were in Magic Duel before i got here, and some still are. Some left
and returned, some left never to come back again. They move on,
somewhat in a kamikaze fashion (regarding to observers, being all
around project MD), since that is the only best thing one in their
shoes is allowed to do. I believe that more than anything. But only
when They leave is a true loss, as a part of Magic Duel dies with
them, never respecting what it had.
Speaking of which, the one that recently made a departure shook me
pretty bad. I still have the respect for what came to my lap, and felt
a weakening sensation as i read what is to follow. Perhaps more clear
would be if i say that logic of events is that the departure triggered
a quest which in turn triggered myself into writting this which will
evole again into something next. Did anyone of us ever existed before
Magic Duel?
As many doubts as i had, i know that a part of the idea behind this
whole project Magic Duel concept was really positive thing. Something
like the comunity which will let the individuals evolve. Unwise one as
well, since to start something that large you need tons of
requirenments fulfilled,not an immature single person ready to release
the demon out of personal fun. But there is positive in everything.
Some of the magicians will return, some of the idiots will be
illuminated, and even though it will never come to MD lands -
something good will happen inside the Real World.

3.) "Can't quite remember the question for this one.."
I have played games for many years and as with all in my life i
have a pesonal style in making a choice as well as method of playing
with my choice. Searching for something more close to fulfulling all
my needs out of a Persistant Browser Based Game (no mention of player
numbers inside this abrevation), Magic Duel rang in my head as an
outwitting (extremely non-violent) war against a single target. In the
beginning here the target was myself, to some extent it still is. I
had some experience but many questions unsolved, religious, medical,
scientific etc, which all had a next step, a step called Magic Duel
me. If you consider life a path or a ladder towards the Holy Graal, or
what ever else you can associate eternal life kind of things with, you
can really understand how it feels to move towards another stair on
that ladder. And it took me a while. My character is months old, but i
was here for quite some time longer. Background research was an
inevitable task since the waste of time i was facing talking to people
and acting inside the game was tremendous.
Fortunatelly, the change that Magic Duel experience brought in my
lap was ready to be accepted, and to some extent it made me focus on
larger fields, which is exactly what i am presently practicing. I have
that insatiated child in myself so it is not yet time for me to leave,
but the objective now is to coherently exist in mere positivity. Game
wise, i endure in my own style of play, which can be safely
interpreted as trying to get out of the game what ever i can get on my
own. There was a recent period in which i was using the game mechanics
to play my role but i dropped it for the sake of a new method of doing
the same. The old school was active before certain events in my recent
personal life and latest phase of the game. There was an intent to
keep the work invisible as it was so far, but that is an incredibly
stresfull thing to do now and is not one of the primary interests for
me anymore. As much as i enjoy being rude, i am trying not to be rude
when i cannot provide help, and of course try to match it with random
assaults of helpfulness to those who need it, constantly considering
my time invested. If you do pay attention to something that evolves
around you, it is possible that you will find some form of
illumination.
There are many things that i can experience in the game world, or
around it but directly related. As it is at the present time, or later
with some other changes, it is the same. So, under the proper
conditions, i seek to tap into minds of other people, and as many can
characterize as 'good' - try to fulfill my current role. And of course
to witness the outcome, to see if it will be the mental fun i expect
it to be.

4.) "Who is your 'archnemesis' in MD if you have one?"
The enemy to my MD character is any player who tries to affect
me in a negative fashion. What i mean is, people who pose as
do-gooders but cannot see farther then the pride that blinds them,
people who live the same nightmare over and over again forcing what
ever power they can posses onto anyone in their proximity just to
cause noting of true, lasting importance. People who prevent the few
ones that trully want to learn from learning. Idiots that do harmful
things to any passerby, without a hint of style at least. People that
scream "Go away!" to other people to keep their decaying playground
just for their own misery. People that aren't worthy of the power they
sometimes wield.
There is however a single person whose power and negative
influence goes beyond that of anyone else inside the game, and that is
Muratus del Mur. I'm the egg and he's the chicken, and the game was
mostly been a Magic Duel.

5.) "Who is your best friend, or something like that, in game?"
My character in MD is a loner, since that is the only way he can
stay true to himself. Making a bond inside a virtual world is very
wrong by my standards as by and by the bond itself is pretty much
virtual. I can associate very pleasant times with many of the
characters that are or were in the game. I had business arangements
with few, which lead to illumination on one side and excommunication
on the other. Where ever i have received a supportive tap on the back
i felt amazing joy; or a helping hand when i needed one was enough
fire to move a mountain; or an insightful thought presented made for a
bend in my character's lifeline.. - i made a friend for life in my own
virtual world. Or the real world, cant remember now.
There is however a single person whose wisdom and positive
influence can go beyond that of anyone else inside the game, mainly
because it is his world, and that is Muratus del Mur. At that place,
he's the egg and and the chicken, and i am the game of duel against
the all odds.

6.) "If you can change ONE thing in MD, what would it be?"
I would like to see an addition in landscape of Magic Duel
world, in form of a island of sandy white beaches, surrounded by warm,
turquoise sea, with a spa center inside a native-like hut and a real
beach bar on opposite side of the wooden dock. I think it would be
beneficial to see something nice for a change.
Games are an essential part of life, no matter the age,
whereabouts, personality or even species. They relieve of stress, they
consume time, they provide feelings, but can also teach, inspire,
guide or prepare for something that follows be it good or bad. Anyone
who understood what raising a lifeform is, knows that games are part
of it. But as in any sphere of existance, perils are abundant and not
all games are good. Actually a majority of computer games, which in
this era humans seem to prefer, are at least repetitive (and that is
not good, unless you are a mentally ill person). For those humans that
choose something to rely on usually end up on a Persistant Browser
Based Game, for the most part out of obvious practical reasons.
Magic Duel will persist for quite some time, somehow i find that certain. As
it evolves, among other more personal and less noble things, around
people doing nice things to or for the people, somehow leads me to
believe that the actual people are considered the most important
aspect of the game world. One one side you have people that are
receiving the action, be it a new creature, help with overcoming a
step or two, reaching out for another level of the game through
guidance and so on. And those people end up satisfied at some point.
It is very pleasant to see, and i am sure the feeling is wonderful in
those who receive the benefit.
There are people who do..stuff. More importantly and not
necessarilly exclusive, there are very mature people who are at the
same time nice, or polite, or really really smart, stylish, plain
virtuous, that act positively upon others or on their behalf. Those
people do not perform miracles for a WishPoint, or a rare creature, or
for a benefit of their numberless alternative account. They do it for
something that only they can transform into material if they so wish.
Now try to imagine a playerbase of Magic Duel as a huge spherical
bowl that ones was shining bright and slow, holding perhaps three
thousand lit candles at the same time (more or less words of my
brother from whom later i have learned played long before i did), now
shining not as bright but with drastically fewer number of candles..
Imagine how the candles are all very unique, no matter the
composition, or their color, volume, wick length or their tolerance to
heat exposure. Try to place more than one candle inside any sphere and
you will realize that no matter where you place each of them,
inevitably some will get burnt and melted by some others. This doesn't
mean that the candles that burn other candles are to be considered
evil candles in any way. With the risk of setting your appartment or
internet caffee to flames and leading to considerable casualties
and-or jail time, you can try it on your own. After i have
experimented, in my mind, as a result i saw only molten wax and some
slight shading, until it all went dark.
Instantly i have realized the problem is in placing the candles,
since every thing else is a plain constant. In a romantic mood, i used
to look at the melting candles for far longer than i perhaps should
and that built up a suffocating sensation in me. Anyhow, somewhat of a
pattern appeared, that is the candles placed on top burn the fastest,
but also happens that in the process their dripping wax extinguishes
lower placed ones. It was really vague result, so i experimented
more..
All the extinguished candles had something in common. They left a
trace of wax inside the sphere. And their action was observed by me.
At first, the original placement of the candles was apparently
adequate. In a static sphere, they even pooled at the bottom and gave
birth to some brand new young candles. When the sphere moved all chaos
broke loose.
In the final stage of the experiment, i tried to find similarities
between all those unique candles around, and then place them in the
correct order to get the most out of my sphere - make it's bright
shine enough to be a light source, make it effective on fuel
consumption and make it simply positive to hold above the ground by
itself. And i have succeeded, by placing the candles made of certain
type of wax that matured for a while above groups of candles that are
in maturing process. In the center of the sphere still are the most
worthless candles available that need both fueling by molten, mature
wax as well as occasional extinguishing by the same source. And it
works like a charm as long as my sphere is on the move. Even when
completely burnt, the upper placed candles beam that last surge of
light and a burst of wax flows from them that is sufficient to both
fuel and ignite ones that are in dire need. And i know that those
burnt out old candles go to candle heaven because they did good all
their life and fulfilled their purpose. And i know that some of the
middle range candles move up by inertion, maturing in the process. And
of course, the candles in the middle, some of them, will always stay
in the middle, filtering out the particles that solidify over time and
by that allowing surprise fuel injection to random candle of joy. For
as long as the sphere keeps spinning..
By all current standards it can be called my role, but it is not my
world nor it is my change to make. Now when i can, i try to fly around
the sphere puffing all kinds of etheric oils inside to make the scent
more enjoyable, like in the beautiful spa centers on some small island
of deserted appeal in the middle of a warm, turquoise sea, where
everything is about that peaceful, easy feeling..

7.) "I guess he ran out of ideas for the quest, asking whom i see most powerful in 4 categories.."
If i was to judge a player by his role, fighting ability,
popularity and activity, i would chose a character named 'dst' as the
most powerful player around. It's inside role is, however small,
enriched by becoming a helpful hand to the new and needy. It stands
pretty high in popularity (number of friends) and activity (days
logged in), stretching even further to owning it's own alliance. Aside
from spells, wealth of coins and vast array of tokened and untokened
creatures, it's fighting ability when compared to the majority of
others' is enhanced by the knowledge of the code along with having
tremendous time invested in experimenting repeatedly, as well as with
the knowledge of not so noble methods possible in certain situations
where the code or common sense would object, along with the lack of
spiritual depth triggering readiness to indulge in such methods, and a
pitbull appearance.