Torn is great. And most players are friendly. Until you mildly annoy one those certain long time players who have been around forever. Then they ensure an army of people destroy you in every way. And often over something meaningless and petty.
And it really doesn't take much. That's why I rarely post in the forums about even the most mundane things. Even trying to post my personal experiences as non-binary was met with an barrage of the most dehumanizing crap I have ever seen, most coming from people here claiming to be non-binary. All because I explained how my experience was different from the original poster.
I barely even talk to players I don't know because this behavior is certainly not limited to the forums.
Yeah, I have seen whiners and idiots in the forums, but usually the reaction is a mob of delighted a-hiles piling on who to see just who can be the most brutally destructive. There's some who do it in a friendly and light hearted way, but once the mob has formed those voices get drowned out fast.
I won't say this is the worst, but it is brutal in ways I don't think most gamers have much experience with: being targeted nonstop for lengthy periods of time by entire communities who never let go of a good target for their sadism.
Ok. After reading most of the first 5 pages, here's my 2 cents:
Is a single person assuming this is intentional racism anything other than a white American?
As someone who isn't (and has been on the receiving end of plenty of actual intentional racism as well as other blatant gender discrimination), it certainly seems like the people trying so hard to be offended are just like all the other American white saviors trying to be offended on the behalf of us folks who only get offended at actual intentional racism.
To be honest, I feel that savior complex crap to be not only dehumanizing but also infinitely more racist than a kinda sorta racist name (racist if you're a white American "progressive" at any rate).
Maybe ask the player about their name before ASSuming too much. That was brought up in this thread and it does not seem to even register as an option to all the wannabe saviors around here.
If you think there are racists in every bush, stop be surprised when you see them behind every bush.
Maybe they are racist. Maybe they intended it to be racist. But I see zero actual evidence of said racism.
I see a lot of players in this thread (and all of these threads) basically talking about how people shouldn't expect to be treated like human here. Talking about how the brutality was shocking for them but now their used to it and if you can't learn to be like that then f off. Telling everyone to not post in forums of in chat because it makes you a target.
Regardless of the op and whether they "deserve it," perhaps this mindset is why so many of these posts about getting crushed keep popping up.
As for new players, yeah there's a lot. Retention rates are piss poor, though. Far worse than any of the many browser games I have played at length. But Torn seems to have really cranked up the targeted ads even more than since I joined up, so retention rates don't need to be high.
Though to clarify, I am talking specifically about white American "progressives." Which to me is those idiots who spend the majority of their time and effort publicly displaying their righteous outrage and trying to righteously eradicate any human they deem MAY be slightly problematic to someone else. And in America, that's the only type of "progressive" that gets publicity (which in turn further encourages that self-serving egotistical "progressive" behavior).
In terms of progressives ideals, I am largely in line. My issue with "progressives" (vice actual progressives from pre-internet days such as myself) is those ideals for these current "progressives" matter only if they can be used to make themselves look superior and others look inferior. That's why so much of the modern day "progressive" legislation that gets crammed through abjectly fails those it intends to help (at best; often it makes things so much worse). They don't speak to or listen to those they supposedly are standing up for; they don't even think about that. They don't bother to see if anything they do actually improves things, instead doing nothing but using any and all criticism (and often even simple good faith questions) as "proof" of some sort of nefarious evil. And they constantly shift goalposts regarding what their end goals are while changing the literal definitions to words all in effort to "win" some sort of metaphorical dick measuring contest.
In summation, if you are a progressive who actually wants to improve things for as many people as realistically and practically as possible instead of make a show of how much you are demanding things need to improve, I am a fan of yours.
But if you are a "progressive" who doesn't do a d*mn thing other than trying to eliminate those deemed lesser (mostly in a nice safe online setting, I've noticed), then I despise you with every fiber of my being because you are making everything worse.
Edit to add:
For the record, I was a long time member of the Green Party, up until they started purging the ranks of those deemed impure. I was removed from my position as regional chair after making the mistake of pointing out that nuclear power is by far the most efficient, least environmentally damaging form of power generation, plus has zero carbon emissions from generating said power. They accused me of hating nature, wanting to give kids cancer, and being a fascist (and that was just the start; I was harrassed for years afterwards by a lot of those "progressives"). That's the type of "progressive" I'm talking about. The ones who think regressing to good old fashion crowd-sourced authoritarian oppression is a good thing as long as they're the ones doing it (only to people who "deserve" it, of course).
Ok. After reading most of the first 5 pages, here's my 2 cents:
Is a single person assuming this is intentional racism anything other than a white American?
As someone who isn't (and has been on the receiving end of plenty of actual intentional racism as well as other blatant gender discrimination), it certainly seems like the people trying so hard to be offended are just like all the other American white saviors trying to be offended on the behalf of us folks who only get offended at actual intentional racism.
To be honest, I feel that savior complex crap to be not only dehumanizing but also infinitely more racist than a kinda sorta racist name (racist if you're a white American "progressive" at any rate).
Maybe ask the player about their name before ASSuming too much. That was brought up in this thread and it does not seem to even register as an option to all the wannabe saviors around here.
If you think there are racists in every bush, stop be surprised when you see them behind every bush.
Maybe they are racist. Maybe they intended it to be racist. But I see zero actual evidence of said racism.
I see a lot of players in this thread (and all of these threads) basically talking about how people shouldn't expect to be treated like human here. Talking about how the brutality was shocking for them but now their used to it and if you can't learn to be like that then f off. Telling everyone to not post in forums of in chat because it makes you a target.
Regardless of the op and whether they "deserve it," perhaps this mindset is why so many of these posts about getting crushed keep popping up.
As for new players, yeah there's a lot. Retention rates are piss poor, though. Far worse than any of the many browser games I have played at length. But Torn seems to have really cranked up the targeted ads even more than since I joined up, so retention rates don't need to be high.
Torn is great. And most players are friendly. Until you mildly annoy one those certain long time players who have been around forever. Then they ensure an army of people destroy you in every way. And often over something meaningless and petty.
And it really doesn't take much. That's why I rarely post in the forums about even the most mundane things. Even trying to post my personal experiences as non-binary was met with an barrage of the most dehumanizing crap I have ever seen, most coming from people here claiming to be non-binary. All because I explained how my experience was different from the original poster.
I barely even talk to players I don't know because this behavior is certainly not limited to the forums.
Yeah, I have seen whiners and idiots in the forums, but usually the reaction is a mob of delighted a-hiles piling on who to see just who can be the most brutally destructive. There's some who do it in a friendly and light hearted way, but once the mob has formed those voices get drowned out fast.
I won't say this is the worst, but it is brutal in ways I don't think most gamers have much experience with: being targeted nonstop for lengthy periods of time by entire communities who never let go of a good target for their sadism.
Just do what I did. Go to school. Work for 25 years, paying off student loans on time, maxing your retirement contributions. Then rollover your retirement accounts using the appropriate federal mechanisms to avoid tax penalties.
No need to borrow a million. Just go make it. It takes time, patience, and sacrifice in the short term, but it is not that hard to find employment that pays well. Harder to find a job you like and want to do that pays well, but you take what is offered and build off of that.
Or you can spend tons of time and effort whining about how some schmuck who doesn't know you exist had it better than you instead of, you know, literally anything else.
I am thrilled to see this supportive post. As someone who grew up in a time and place where most people considered mental health issues a personal failing and went way too long before addressing my problems, I urge anyone needing help to seek it. There are so many resources rradily available these days, and so much support available.
Don't be like me and spend 20 years ignoring everything until you end up hospitalized.
My issues were (and still are) OCD and generalized anxiety disorder, complicated by autism spectrum disorder (a developmental disorder that, in my case, has many similarities to a number of mental disorders). If you need someone to talk to about anything like that, I am always up for it, and I am not judgmental about it in the slightest. Just send me a message and I'll get back to you. May not be right away, playing on my phone while doing some out of town work, but I will respond.
“Well, it's nothing very special. Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”
Never been in a faction with the OP, but have had a lot of interaction. OP does talk in a way that is different from the average person, and writes in a "stream of consciousness" kind of way sometimes that can get lengthy, but I've never considered them "rants." OP has strong opinions and voices them, but it has never seemed like he's trying to force others to do anything or intends to be an a-hole for funzies like some around here. And they has never done any actions that could make the game worse for others unless words hurt you so terribly.
As for faction hopping, who cares? He's still pretty new; did you expect him to just take the first thing that comes along and never even consider anything else? Blind loyalty doesn't seem to fit this game very well, imo.
And why are so many people furious when noobs don't do as they are told? Not everyone is a min-max, hyper-efficient, super competitive player. Let people play however they want. Give advice if you want, but remember that advice is just advice. It's what is best in your opinion based on your personal experience and preference. Don't be offended if someone thinks completely differently and goes their own way.
Probably when Democrats stop putting Leon Wieseltier in positions where he has power over young women or bother to at least state unequivocally that John Conyers firing a staffer for not sleeping with him was both wrong and illegal instead of deflect to the whole "she violated an NDA after she took his money! You can't trust someone like that!" nonsense.
BTW, that's Fox who reported that. Not exactly a liberal scion. And they were certainly reporting it as a good thing.
I'm guessing there are not very many human beings who would approve of that. Period. So stop trying to paint all Republicans as evil subhumans monsters who deserve your constant prejudicial proclamations and assaults. You offend my liberal sensibilities by behaving exactly like the most immature fools on "the other side" you seem to hate so much without bothering to know anything about.
Right Wing talking heads most certainly ARE talking about it. At great length. Which you would know if you bothered listening to people you seem to think you know enough about to pass sweeping and condemning judgments.
For crying out loud, Epstein's proven client list has far more openly Democratic power players than Republican ones, which is why the Epstein didn't kill himself memes were so much more prevalent on the right. And about a decade ago, there was a slew of high level Democratic politicians busted for their shenanigans with the underage, which is where all the Democratic pedophile ring conspiracy theories started.
It's not a political thing. Nor should it be. The more you try to make it one, the easier it is for people on your "team" to fly under the radar. Part of the reason Weinstein got away with it for so long was because he was front and center raising tons of cash for Democrats mostly by rambling about how Republicans all treat women like garbage.