Neutrals beware, the CoT is coming for you

[____________SideSlip]

Originally posted by Zumzolin


No Houston. More talking will result, eventully, in more bloodshed. Talking delays the inevitable.

If you think that are goals are similar then you need to get to know your enemy. That's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

And there lies the problem. Making compromises leads to resentment when both sides realise they've backed down from what they believe in. Then comes more violence.

You fear death Houston because you're gutless and without conviction. You seek to hang onto your meaningless, borgoiuse lifestyle as long as possible without any kind of discomfort in your mundane existance.

Your concern for my brothers and sisters in the clans is bogus. Like everything else that Omni-Tek mutter it's without substance and cheap.

Swords not words eh?

Admirable to an extent, but lets hope that bloodshed won't be nessacary, yet.

[Astera]

see what I mean? Shift the focus of the irony at hand.

*applauds*

[____________SideSlip]

Out of curiosity, how many wish to see the total eradication of Omni-Tek from the planet of Rubi-Ka? How many are willing to sacrafice what they have to do that?

[BigGreen]

The only peace talks I'm interested in will begin with the announcement of Ross and his cronies that they are leaving Rubi-ka. At that point, it is entirely appropriate to bury the hatchet. Until then, stay out of Tir. Stay out of the CoT building. Act the pious innocent, I don't care. If you think that by playing the Neutrals for fools you will influence the Clans thinking, you do not know us very well. Leave, or fight. It is really that simple. Nothing else needs to be discussed!

[Marisha]

Originally posted by Astera
"Were making an effort towards peace. Are you?", says the War Dominatrix.

*laughs*

You’re changing the subject with a personal attack, rather than addressing my points and arguing against them. The fact that I am the security chief of the Honored Maidens has nothing to do with my desire to see a cease-fire between the clans and the Corporation. It is my job to ensure that Corporate operations are as secure and efficient as they can be. It is my belief that a cease-fire would result in a dramatic increase in security over the current state of affairs.

Originally posted by Astera
Word twisting and shifting negative attention were almost lost arts but lately i've seen quite a bit of it.

It’s unfortunate you feel this way. It’s more unfortunate that you practice what you dismiss.

[Astera]

I want to just drop this, but why? I was merely pointing out an irony amidst the love. One sentence has generated two responses both shift attention back on to the person who wrote it.

This is the example of the word game that is played and why Clanners should watch the ravings of these employees.

I will concede, however, that this has little to do with the argument at hand, but that horse has been whipped to death. Its a lesson in futility.

[keyya]

Legaron looks at his screen and sighs.

"Lega-Com, Post a reply."

Legaron starts to quote his post to his Com-link.

"I as a clanner am willing to lay down my weapon and live in peace, but what must be understood is that as long as there is a war between the Clans and Omni-Tek I wont be able to do that.
I have my honor and my proud as a clanner.
Some people are in this war for personal reasons. A close one that has been lost or revenge of some sort.
Some people are in this war to protect what is theirs and others because of their morals.
I am in this war because I am a part of it. I have my morals and I too will not stand down of protecting that and those who are dear to me.

As long as there are people who are fighting this war for personal reasons, this will not come to an end.
Those people are at war with theirselfs more than they are with their enemies. Revenge is a feeling that can not be banished from a humans mind.
Im not saying that revenge is a bad thing. It shows that you have feelings, both good and bad.
Simon Silverstone might be an agressive human, but the fact that he is fighting this war because his parents were killed by Omni-Tek employees just shows that he has a spark of good inside him.
He is a human after all just as we all are.

And as long as there are people who are fighting this war for personal reasons, I will not burry my weapons away either.
Because some of those people are dear to me.
And even though I do not agree with their state of mind, I will do anything to protect them.
Because after all I am a human too.

Everyone who is in this, wether Omni-Tek, Clan or Neutral.
Wether they are trying to find peace or war.
They are all selfish and so am I.
Mother Teresa, bless her soul. She was a very kind woman and some might even see her as a saint, but she also was selfish.
Lets be honest now...She liked helping those people, it gave her a good feeling...a good feeling about herself. More or less, its still selfish.
And everyone who wants peace on Rubi-Ka wants it for their own gain just as everyone who wants war.
Its a fact you have to face, we are after all human.

My predictions are this war will not end.
As long as we are humans there will always be a conflict.

Lega-Com, Submit Reply".

[Kithraks]

Originally posted by SideSlip


Mr. Houston, how about an assembly, at least a cease-fire. Let some of us meet for once, let us all be heard.

You may pick the location, and bring whom you wish.

Ms. Kaba, why do you not do this to? What harm can come from talking at least?

I'm still up for an informal meeting if you are. When will you be free?

[Xaun]

My my how things have changed.. I wonder where this Taren has gone...

It is a sad thing to see exactly how the Sentinels ruined the unity of the clans.

[yes yes thread necro ftw!! ]

[Dabblez]

/ooc

The trouble with thread necromancy is that the moment is gone. Probably 2/3 or more of the original posters on this thread have since left. And on Rubi-Ka today there is a whole generation of players who never knew Tir before the Sentinels took over. It is very difficult to express just how shocking the Sentinel move into Tir seemed at the time. But times move on, the people and mood of the server change and we all must adapt.

Also, for the record, I feel I ought to point out that the views expressed here by my character "Savoy" do not reflect the views of "Dabblez" or of RUR. Dabblez does not have a political bone in her, except perhaps in such instances when politicians try to regulate and restrict ethically dubious scientific research.

[Xaun]

/ooc yes yes but I found reading this entire thread to be... enlightening. Was rather shocked when I read it..

[Astera]

/ooc

Thank you for necro'ing such an old thread. The moment is indeed lost but the same person remains. I was defending First Lights stance for supporting silverstone but realized a few truths later and felt bad for what I felt I had done to that organization. I left First Light over it. I felt that I undermined Lyricia and Enrima and their honest stance about First Lights tolerance of neutrals.

Among those feelings were something i've been preaching about for a long time now. Believe in what your clan believes or you're doing them an injustice. I didn't believe in neuts even though I defended it... and there again, once you make a choice, defend it.

This thread was a learning experience. Cathern, Savoy and a few others were right about the problems listed but as we can see, it worked out for the most part. I also sent apologies to Foxferal, Vixentrox, Savoy a couple of other people because of what was said in this thread and others during those times. I did some very underhanded things and I still regret that. Thankfully, Vixentrox, Foxferal and others were good enough people to forgive what i'd done and I thank them for it.

Times change and we have to change with them while being true to our feelings. It's that simple.

/ooc

[Edit]: And just in case you didn't get it... I was NEVER for neutrals in Tir. I was defending my organization.

[Xaun]

/ooc I <3 ya Taren you know that. But I had never truely understood how it all happened till I found and read this. It was very insightful to the history of things as they are now.. And I don't RP Xaun loving things ancient for no reason

[MostShady1]

Very interesting how things......and people change......*makes a note*

((I know some people do not like the necro, but I enjoy seeing the "history" and how things came to be. Also great seeing how characters have grown.

On another note, just want to say I respect and look up to all of you "old school" RP'ers that have been carrying the torch all these years. Seeing you all in these old threads and then being able to bump into you in game is very big for me. Hope that isn't to corny ))

[Shadowset]

Hell the way Toog is running things I can see this being true once again. A weak leader as he is I can just see the forces lining up to take Newland from the neutrals like Omni did in Borealis..

~Bloudless

[Carogelw]

Now maybe people will see why my clan has sdisagreed with the Sentinels in the apst and will in the future. The Neutrals of RK are the natural friends oftheClans of Rk. We want the same thing to be left alone by Omni Tek nadallowed to choose how we want to live our lives.

Thank the Divine that we now have Landau for our speaker rather than Silverstone.

[Astera]

Lets hear it for unity, hm?

anyone?

[Xaun]

I do call you friend don't I? *smiles softly*

[Dabblez]

/ooc

Well if you are interested in old history, maybe I can try to explain a bit the history of Clan and Neutrals relations on RK1, which is really the essential background to this thread. It sort of spans both the in-character and ooc worlds, which makes it a bit awkward but that is somewhat inevitable. After all if you are in a roleplaying org, and your towers get attacked, does your character experience these events any differently whether the attackers are roleplaying or not?

In the early days, per-Notum Wars,there was a naturally affinity between Clans and Neutrals. Omni were after all the evil, greedy oppressors who threatened both. It was quite common at the time for Clan orgs to have "Neutral Friendly clauses" in their charters like, for instance, rules prohibiting members from attacking Neutrals except in self-defence (which is was a moot point because in those days Neutral could not initiate PvP anyway). The fair, even generous treatment of the Neutrals was seen as one way to prove that the Clans were indeed “the good guys” and thus claim the moral high ground.

The first cracks appeared with the release of Notum Wars. The geography of the land control zones, more than anything, put Neutrals and Clanners into direct conflict. A number of Neutral orgs who had secured "virgin" land control sites on day one, were somewhat dismayed when Clan orgs, some who'd previously been "Neutral friendly" took their towers away.

In retrospect, it's hard to see how it could have gone any other way. What is the point of setting up a tower if not to defend it? But for a while the Notum Wars did leave the more high-minded Clan orgs torn between trying to stick with their pro-Neutral policies while at the same time living up to their obligations towards the rest of the Clans (many of which were not into roleplay anyway and had little time for these moral niceties). So there was a lot of drama, a lot of hard feelings and one Neutral org in particular, Elite Operations, held a grudge towards the Clans for a very long time afterwards.

The second major blow to Clan-Neutral relations came when The Sentinels took over Tir and banned Neutrals from the town. It may be hard for anyone who started playing AO after the Tir change why this was such a big deal (why would a Neutral want to go to Tir anyway?), but for Neutrals players who had been going to Tir for years and still felt they were the spiritual cousins of the Clans, this unprovoked change in Clan "foreign policy" was a slap in the face.

Of course this change did not go down too well with many Clan roleplayers either, many of whom regarded Silvertone and co. as little better than the Dust Brigades. And for weeks to come, many well-known Clan roleplayers fought the Sentinels in the streets of Tir and lobbied for them to be removed. The amount of public protest was kind of similar to what we saw in Borealis after the OT occupation. But as in Borealis, it eventually died down when it became clear that no progress could be made.

And here is where it get's interesting. In reaction to the changes in Tir, the Neutral org Elite Operations (remember them?) together with a few allies and the agreement of an Events Team GM, raised what at the time seemed a fantastic fortune (though I think it was just 100m!) to get the guards in Newland City upgraded. The upgrade came in the form of the Omni-sided, Loren Warr's mercenaries.

I can't say for sure whether EO knew in advance that upgraded the guards would shoot Clanners on sight, or whether they just wanted tougher guards as a reaction to the threats coming from Tir. The fact of the matter is the Newland became a no-go town to Clanners, just like Tir had become to the Neutrals.

Many Clanners felt offended by this, especially those who'd had been fighting the Sentinels. Bear in mind, at this time Newland was the hot spot for trading, buffing an teaming, not Borealis. To be honest, many Neutrals resented this too. Thus started a long running campaign to again change the guards in Newland and restore Newland to a true neutral status. It was called The NGI (The Newland Guards Initiative).

What is interesting about the NGI is that, despite being a player-driven story, it featured a level of cross-server collaboration between Rimor and Atlantean never seen before or since. The other oddity is the NGI enjoyed a lot more Omni support than Clan, even though in practice the Clans had the most to gain from it. And in the end, when the Event Team took over the story, it was money donated from Philip Ross that allowed the Newland Militia to take over, thus reopening Newland to Clanners.

And that brings us up to the events mentioned in this thread. When the new CoT was formed, the amount of support for the Sentinels sent shockwaves throughout the server. I am sure it created quite a lot of friction inside individual Clans. In as far as one can make any generalisation about the Clan roleplaying community, this event seems to mark the final transition from the sort of tree-hugging, eco-friendly Clans of yesteryear to the hard-line, 'victory at all costs' Clans of today.

There is possibly another dimension to this story. I think it is an established fact that there is a lot more Omni-Neutral cooperation on things like raid-bots that the other way round. But I really don't know how or when this started, let alone if it relates in anyway to events I've just described.

[Boltgun]

/ooc

I want to add to Dabblez that the Neutral/Clan relationship also extend outside of RP, currently a lot of tower fights happen between neutrals and clanners. While the number of neutral orgs who actively attack clanners is limited, and don't have everyone's support, many clan orgs fought back by attacking other orgs towers. Having orgs that have nothing to do with that attacked was another nail in the coffin of neutral/clan relationship.
Also clanners don't allow neutrals to go along in high end raids, claiming various reasons (some of them are pretty fantasy). While Omnis allowed neutrals on bots. While I believe that neutrals can raid apf just fine and have a chance in pande, it keep the relationship low. After all if you can team and get to know omnis and not clanners who keep spitting at you, who do you prefer ?
It's a shame because I believe more in clanner goals, but now heh I'm fine as neutral anyway. And keeping Newland out of Omnis reach is fine for me.