Acceptance of Danger or Vice Versa

I don't go looking for danger. Sometimes I just find myself in it. Car accidents, war (aka Police Action), the day I ran into my Ex's brother (who felt obliged to play the 'big brother' role).

Today it was a four-foot rattler. Again. First time was last week during a hike up a local canyon. We went back up that canyon today. Destination: A cool spot alongside a burbling creek, sheltered by an old oak. And there it was, alongside the trail amongst the grass, coiled and rattling away at me. First time I saw one for real, I ran like a girlie-man. Not ashamed to admit it. This time though, I was much calmer. Maybe I was expecting to see one. Or maybe, I had already been shocked, nay forced, to acknowledge their existence in my world.

Perhaps that's what it finally takes for some people to finally accept a notion. Until you are confronted with the notion, it remains just that: an ethereal 'something', floating around between your ears.

Every week at the Officials it seems a thread is created lamenting the lack, or inclusion, of a certain feature in LOTRO.

There have been threads dedicated to the lack of PvP, not being able to play the 'Evil' races, the apparent lack of mounts at Launch. Name it, people have at one time or another complained about it.

I wonder just how much good this complaining actually does. Do the Dev's, who have already discussed, hashed, and bandied the various subjects before coming to their conclusions, actually feel swayed by the latest thread exclaiming,

Ooooo noes, no PVP, this gmae suxxors!!!1

Some of these posters are fairly new to the Forums. Whether having registered that very day, or months ago and are just now getting around to inquiring about the game. And even though there is a plethora of information, fairly up-to-date and easily accessible, most people fail to search this info out. FAQs. Ubiquitous on the Internet, yet rarely used.

/sigh

Thankfully, we have people like MAW to help those foggy individuals. I believe he has a special 'sniffer' that transmits a signal directly to his Cerebral Cortex whenever a person has posted an inane question. It's the only explanation for his prolific postings navigating the foggy to shore.

Inevitably those Foggies get flamed. Medium to Medium Well. You've seen it before. It happens on most Forums. As much as I dislike it, I am also in constant danger of falling into the same trap. I want to reach out through my monitor, and give the 3415th person to ask about when LOTRO is being released a slap upside the head. Or at least a verbal one. But I don't. And it's hard. After all, they just don't know. That's why the Foggies ask. No harm in that.

But no matter how often the Regulars flame, hand-hold, or assist the unfortunates who post their oft asked questions, more arrive every day. And the more difficult it becomes to reign in my impulse to let loose. And so it will continue to be, until the game is released, and a fair amount of those who are complaining for a legitimate reason, instead of complaining just to hear themselves, are satisfied. By being forced to acknowledge the existence of LOTRO on their harddrive. Being forced to finally see that what was once a very disastrous mistake by Turbine, is in fact not that big of a deal. Being forced to acknowledge that although it might be nice to have that feature, the game is still fun to play. And then those complainers will stop their laments. And I'll be out of danger. No longer subject to the temptations of virtual verbal abuse. I'll be able to take the thumb-cuffs off and stretch out.

Yeah right. And all the rattlesnakes in the world will disappear. Forever.