Tuesday 17 July 2007

Eggasperating

Last week's roleplay for the militia, which started as a light-hearted disagreement about which end of a hardboiled egg should be opened at breakfast, was by and large a success. Sadly its culmination was the down point of the week.


Base camp for the Red Team in Loch Avie


Sergeant Hapmouche displays the correct way of eating eggs.

Saturday's wargame finale had many unforeseen problems which culminated in the Red team quitting the field halfway through. Tempers were high and tact was at a minimum and pompous self congratulation further exacerbated things.

Much of the complaint and issues with the Conflagration have been covered elsewhere (see here, here, here and here) but I know I was personally disappointed in the Red team's behaviour. I fully appreciate the reasons for leaving but I wasn't impressed.

That said I would like to extend my deepest respects to Alfonso Avalanche and Lapin Paris for their outstanding efforts during the week and for the trouble they took in calming hackles that were raised at the start and the end of events.

I suppose it really does drive home the point about RP that setting up combat within Caledon brings the fun crashing down. This may explain why so many of the Western RP sims seem riddled with bitchiness. It might be time to promulgate Lord Bardhaven's idea about the fictional Vulgarians. Which in itself reminds me of an Australian TV show's fictional country of Biddleonia that was created back in the 70s as a locale to transfer all the ethnic jokes to.

4 comments:

Hotspur O'Toole said...

I know I was personally disappointed in the Red team's behaviour. I fully appreciate the reasons for leaving but I wasn't impressed.

I should have listened to that inner voice saying "bad idea, Hotspur, stay away from this thing!". Tch tch.

Having our CO say this about his own team brings it all home. It will be a cold day in Hades before I am involved with another. You're absolutely right. Caledon can't seem to handle this kind of competitive RP and the aftermath has only increased the bitterness, even on our own side.

Current Population: 2 said...

Thank you for the kind words, Sir Edward.

I think this is one of the last stops on the rounds of the blogs I've been doing to offer some explanation of what went on over the week.

I think I've almost talked and apologised myself out...

The real lesson we learn is the one that's been repeated over and over, if you turn a community in on itself, no matter for how trivial a reason, you're asking for trouble (oh, and if you turn on push in large scale battle).

Yours,

Alfonso Avalanche

Exrex Somme said...

Edward,

I agree with Otoole. I was one of the first to leave the field, because I could see this turning into more and more hard feelings much like the conflict with Neualtenberg had become. I have had to much experience in RL with the SCA to want to be part of a steadily worsening situation.

Having you, as our CO, make the comment about leaving the field was hard, because I don't run away from things, although I still believe it was the correct thing to do in the circumstances.

The folk in Caledon are my friends, which made it all the more imperative to me that the chance for hard feelings be minimized. Unfortunately, as noted in your blog and elsewhere, certain comments made afterwards have only inflamed the situation more.

So, I agree with my friend Hotspur. It will be a frosty day before I ever agree to participate in such an exercise again.

Somme

Amber_Palowakski said...

Well said, Lord Edward. And I agree...I think in the future, we should stick to "fictional" enemies...like the aliens!