Guild Wars 2

Here are three books/movies that ANET might gain insight from;

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. Ms. Rand has a view of reality that is in many ways twisted beyond recognition. This book would give some insight into what a “hero” is though and why I refuse to be another zerg zombie.

The Third Wave, a book and soon to be an indie movie. A high school teacher sets up a psychological experiment. He creates a soft neofascist situation with an emphasis on group mind and cooperation. It rapidly spiraled out of control. It created outstanding performance in a few students and it also caused ostracism of those considered “lesser” violence and quite a bit of trauma.

The Stanford Prison Experiment. This is another true story. Allegedly “normal” college students were placed in a simulated prison. Some were guards others prisoners. Given power over there fellow students, the “guards” rapidly became as abusive as anyone at abu graihb. People in a position of power to abuse, do abuse.

Because of the way the game has been set up to encourage group play, we are seeing the “tyrrany of the majority” which is precisely why the United States is not a true democracy and isn’t intended to be.

A hero is one who rises to a challenge, overcomes obstacles … finds that extra strength within. In GW2 at the moment, a “hero” is one who belongs to the right guild and follows placidly along behind a commander.

What is this doing in the PvP forum?
Isn’t the whole “being a hero” thing more PvE orientated?

Edit: also I didn’t quite get the point of this. Another QQ? And what insight could ArenaNet possibly get?
-No GM’s abusing power
-No regular players in positions of power in the first place

/confused

no. no need for this objectivist and pessimistic nonsense.

try these:

1. Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, by Peter Kropotkin
2. Now and After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism, by Alexander Berkman
3. Anarchy Works, by Peter Gelderloos

you’re welcome.

<3

If you are willing to back anarchism.. then you generally agree with my objectivism. That is.. assuming you understand anarchism.

As to the “whole being a hero thing,” well that’s kinda what this game is allegedly about.

Ithilwen.1529:

If you are willing to back anarchism.. then you generally agree with my objectivism. That is.. assuming you understand anarchism.

absolutely incorrect.

look my screename, comrade.

in the PvP forum I would think a basic understanding of the principle concepts of The Art of War would be more important for developers, you know to promote realism mechanics like a guy attacking uphill might do less damage or have less energy to dodge roll up the hill and through the trap spam or I dunno anything combat related and not some tired over thought analysis of group behavior . and true heros could care less what others have written and are instead focused upon their own deeds and actions. Crom cares not for the words of men but the blood of their enemies to make the grass grow

@Mahkno “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” If you are not willing to agree that Anarchism is quite similar to Objectivism, I hope you are willing to acknowledge one of the primary tenets of communism.

Corruption and manipulation of the system was the systemic problem that made Communism unworkable. Some were always more equal than others.

A red hero of the people is still an objectivist hero.. albiet a rather tragic one.

I recommend “We the Living” also by Ayn Rand. It’s a good exposition of the kind of manipulation and corruption that inevitably follow “organized” activities and groups. It’s set in Post Tzsarist Russia.

@Defiling I’m quite familiar with The Art of War and the chapter on Energy that you refer to and misrepresent. I’m also mildly familiar with The Book of Five Rings, a more Zen oriented book along similar lines. The Art of War could be called Taoist.

My issue is that Conan, to whom you refer, would never get a chance to be a hero.. he’d be run over by a thundering horde of shop keepers following the snake god.

firstly, not only am i not willing, but the entire history and theory of anarchism is not willing to align itself in any way to rand’s objectivism. anyone who tells you differently is entirely confused, an idiot, or a liar.

secondly, i never invoked state communism nor its problems. anarchism is and has always been opposed to the state.

lastly, what is steel compared to the hand that wields it? xD

I don’t agree. Both objectivism and anarchism place there “faith” in the individual. They also expect the individual to be self guided as opposed to a herd animal.

As a sidelight, I mentioned that Rand’s view of reality is twisted in the extreme. No wonder she is so popular at places like Pepperdine. Nevertheless, I find some of it valuable.

Conan would be instantly dps’d into the ground by a herd of shop keepers following a commander and pounding 1 in the current GW2 state. Not my notion of epic storytelling.

Crom no longer rules… now it’s zuckerman and his ilk.

Ithilwen.1529:

Obvious troll

Ithilwen.1529:

The Stanford Prison Experiment. This is another true story. Allegedly “normal” college students were placed in a simulated prison. Some were guards others prisoners. Given power over there fellow students, the “guards” rapidly became as abusive as anyone at abu graihb. People in a position of power to abuse, do abuse.

There’s a really interesting Radiolab where they discuss this experiment and how the results are often misinterpreted.

morality is a game humans play.