Join the new world

This game that we play. This game that some of us play a little too much. eRepublik. A game that I enjoy immensely. While only a game it can bring out the best in people. It can make you feel real emotion and most of the time that emotion is positive. Real people, real friends, are made and we do what we can to help those friends, sometimes outside of the game. Like I said, most of the time the feelings are positive.

Not today. Today I am feeling sadness, betrayal, and disappointment. A player who I thought I knew has let me down.

I will not name names. That is not what this is about. It is about learning to do what is right and learning from others mistakes.

Months ago while I was living in another eNation a new player came to me since he did not speak the language of the nation he found himself in. As I spoke English he asked me many questions. Since as a new player I wished I had someone to ask questions of I answered every question and more. I employed this player. I helped him get into politics. I thought of him as a friend. I mentored him.

Eventually I moved to Ireland and he stayed in South America. I learned that he had taken my place as MoFa and was doing well. There was some talk of him running for President. I was asked to offer assistance and guidance and I said I would, like any friend would.

Well he did not get elected and time passed. I would get PMs every once in a while and would respond to see how things were going. It was politics and life as usual in eRepublik.

Well today I decided to see how things were going since I had not heard from him in a while. I was shocked when I brought up his profile and saw the two red bars across the top.

Dead Citizen.

Citizen permanently suspended for creating or administrating multiple citizen accounts.


What? Why? I never expected this. I thought he was an honest player, someone with integrity and honor. I was wrong. He was a cheater. Creating multiple accounts is cheating. No two ways about it. Then I thought, could I have done a better job? Could I have encouraged him more or given better advice? I doubt it. I soon realized that I am not responsible for the actions of others. I can not make someone play fairly or be a good person. We are all responsible for our own actions and nothing anyone does can change the way a person will play if they are intent on cheating. I know the type of player I am. I have nothing to be ashamed about or even answer for. I play fairly and try to treat everyone with respect. Everyone gets a fair shake from me when we first meet. There are some who I have learned very quickly do not deserve my respect and so have lost it, never to be regained. Some have earned my respect over time and even though I may disagree with their politics or personalities I respect them.


So to sum all of this up, I guess I have two ways of looking at this game. This game has brought vast amounts of joy to me when I see people I like and respect do well and get elected, achieve rank and come up with brilliant answers to problems that just make we say "incredible". This game has also brought with it some terrible disappointment that I never thought I could experience form a game. But really it is not the game that disappoints, it is some of the people who play it.

Thanks for the good times. I know there will be many more.