[Mayhemme]

(9:30pm-2:15am)
(7:00pm-12:30am)
(10pm - 3:30am)



So we held two "peace island" protests where we entered the Nordenwatch RvR scenario and headed straight for an island to the northwest of the map where no one ever goes. Screaming "PEACE PARTY ON PEACE ISLAND COME JOIN US!" over and over aggrivated the players, and we received some interesting responces. The first time we encountered a player named Mayhemme, who ended up revealing a lot about people who play the game. See if you can follow this conversation, then click on the screenshots below to read the second half of the interview with her:

(I was playing on my alt, "Yoimchiln," "Gunthrax" is my friend Nick Peck, playing with us from harvard. Everyone else you should recognize. I find it interesting how text-based these rpg's remain. The conversation takes place over the course of two nordenwatch scenario's and is unedited. Note: Boin was the only person to actually come to PI, and he only stayed for a brief moment.)

[Scenario][Mayhemme]:Thanks for !#@&ing up the scenario for the rest of us. How about you just not queue up and let the folks who actually want to PvP play?
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: We are playing in a way that best suits us
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: and having ahell of a time with it
[Scenario][Gunthrax]:weve got destruction out here too
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: Aye, both sides are represented on peace island
[Scenario][Mayhemme]: Yeah, but I'm sure your Destruction are taking full advantage of your sitting on your asses doing nothing

Lexaeus does something special.

[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: nah, theyre here with us
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: come join us
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: its 10 minutes off your pvpfest
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: we are part of a digital anthropology experiment at dartmouth college,, visit warjammers.blogspot.com for more info
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: see that theres a different way
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: YOU NEED NOT KILL
[Scenario Party][Meredith]: playing this is my protest against real war
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: define real'
[Scenario][Alas]: Are you honest?

You recieve 34 brass coins.

[Scenario][Gunthrax]: weve never been more serious
[Scenario][Fluffles]: Why can't we be friends?
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: come join
[Scenario][Fluffles]: why can't we be friends?
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: yees, this might seem trivial, but the combat will only grow more real. We need to learn how to interact digitally in constructive ways.

You receive 64 brass coins. You receive 49 brass coins. You receive 54 brass coins. You receive 48 brass coins. (a long period of time passes)

[Scenario][Alas]:I hope is works well for you
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: Come join us!
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: no one has yet!
[Scenario][Alas]: Well fancy that
[Scenario][Cuisinart]: fort
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: haha we dont take it badly, people play warhammer to play warhammer [Scenario][Yoimchiln]:we're just trying to raise awareness
Rargr laughs at the Squig
[Game 1 Ends]

[Scenario][Fluffles]: Yeah, vote for Obama
[Scenario][Fluffles]: Yes we can!
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: come to peace island
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:COME TO PEACE ISLAND
[Scenario][Silentblade]: dumb *%@&!&&s
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: were all friend here
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: heya!
You cheer at Yoimchiln. Kapuey cheers at Boin. Lexaus cheers. Gunthrax cheers at Yoimchiln. You cheer at Yoimchiln. Boin cheers.
[Yoimchiln] says: welcome
Gunthrax does something special before Yoimchiln
[Scenario][Silentblade]:ty for the lose asshats
[Yoimchiln] says: to our digital protest
[Yoimchiln] says:no need to fight
[Yoimchiln] says:what do you think?
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: we have destruction out here
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: they're protesting too
You tell [Boin]: what do you think
[Scenario][Gunthrax]: you cannot lose if you dont play
Boin] tells you: thats too funny
[Scenario][Mayhemme]:Okay you *!%%ing dartmouth hippis - I'm at your website, fess up - Who's who? There's supposedly only 6 asshats on order side
[Scenario][Murphy]:congrats, you all rolled dps chars for the lose
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:Im Scully, playing on an alt
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:kapuey and lexus you would recognize
[Scenario][Mayhemme]:Who's Danielle, Who's Jilary? Who's Joseph, who's Scott, Who's Brendan and Who;s adam, so I can send you personal mail with my best regards, $@&#ers [Scenario][Gunthrax]:I just joined the cause
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:gunthrax is joining us from another college
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:yo come to the island we'll talk about it
[Scenario][Silentblade]: You guys must go to tech school, dumb @*@%ers
[Scenario][Mayhemme]: that would work if you were actually on the island instead of PvP'ing whilst pretending to be a hippy
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: dude we are on this island northwest of the map come chill [Scenario][Gunthrax]: just past the fortress
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: you got nuthin to lose

You recieve 49 brass coins.
[Scenario][Silentblade]: eat a !!#!!&#hrax
You recieve 63 brass coins.
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: why?
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: whys it like that?
[Scenario][Murphy]: all you have to lose is your self respect, your pride, any chance of becomming a good warhammer player, so yea why not
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: how is your pride and self respect tied to killing other players in a game? [Scenario][Yoimchiln]:and I'll beat you every time in a duel, dont worry
[Scenario][Murphy]: good thing there are no duels
[Scenario][Murphy]: idiot
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: haha murphy, ive played with you a lot. my alt is cosmos. chill the #@#% out and think about it
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:digital wars need to be taken seriously
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:so we're doing this, then we'll keep playing
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]:come join us
[Scenario][Mayhemme]: Instead, you come interrupt a game designed to engage tactical minds in which Combat is a major factor and basically you do nothing
[Scenario][Yoimchiln]: interesting, so you dont think violence in warhammer has anything to do with it?
(GAME 2 ENDS)

Mayhemme then sends me a personal message that spawns a detailed discussion between the two of us. Her message reads:

[Mayhemme] tells you: Seriously. This just isn't a realistic experiment. But, then again, it's dartmouth, what could I expect = )

(i ask some questions...)

[Mayhemme] tells you: sorry almost done
[Mayhemme] tells you: and sorry about the dart comment - I thought
jon had one of his buddies set up being an ass for fun
[Mayhemme] tells you: We sass each other constantly
[Mayhemme] tells you: I went to a state school
[Mayhemme] tells you: ;)
[Mayhemme] tells you: somehow I turned out ok
[Mayhemme] tells you: kk sorry - we're done here.
[Mayhemme] tells you: Happy to answer questions if you still have any - if you don't, that's cool too.
RvR status removed
[Mayhemme] tells you: last call before keeps and scens...
[Mayhemme] tells you: one more scen with midwest then camping into one
of my mains

(time passes, I'm away from the computer)

[Mayhemme] tells you: alrighty, ive got time
[Mayhemme] tells you: I play cause it's a nice way to blow off steam with friends that involves far more strategy than our usual multiple online chess games. there's a seccinct answer.
[Mayhemme] tells you: and it's easier to coordinate play with more than two folks =)
[Mayhemme] tells you: I really don't believe that online violence begets further irl violence, but by nature I'm not a violent person
[Mayhemme] tells you: I mostly play healers, but I do get my nuke on.
[Mayhemme] tells you: and it's fun to see folks, both realm-mates and challengers, be so very clever and adaptive
[Mayhemme] tells you: The end
You tell [Mayhemme] heya im back lemme catch up
You tell [Mayhemme] wow, interesting. How do you think the game affects you, your family
your mind, your body, your spirituality... do you feel compelled to play?
You have slain a Blackfang Wolf!
[Mayhemme] tells you: I excercise 1 hr / day weekdays plus nice hikes sat and/or sunday
[Mayhemme] tells you: My family is spread it's a nice way to be with them (siblings play with us)
You tell [Mayhemme]: so you play warhammer with brothers and sisters?
[Mayhemme] tells you: I work probably 50-60 hrs week
[Mayhemme] tells you: Yepper and college friends and colleagues
[Mayhemme] tells you: very fun bunch
You tell [Mayhemme] wow
[Mayhemme] tells you: On three servers
You tell [Mayhemme] that sounds awesome!
[Mayhemme] tells you: Play probably 20 ish hours a week
[Mayhemme] tells you: It's a fun evening activity my husband and I share =)
You tell [Mayhemme] and youd say youre better off for those experiences
You tell [Mayhemme] thats amazing
You tell [Mayhemme] you are the perfect gamer, not all are like you
[Mayhemme] tells you: LOL hardly
You tell [Mayhemme] no really
You tell [Mayhemme] you use it with moderation, with a purpose
You tell [Mayhemme] many play as a way to escape
[Mayhemme] tells you: Perfect welcher, really - cheap way to go hang out with
the folks I hold dear, even when we're worlds apart =)
You have slain a Blackfang Runt!
You tell [Mayhemme]: :)
You tell [Mayhemme]: well thankyou for your time
You tell [Mayhemme]: warjammers.blogspot.com if you wanna watch us progress
[Mayhemme] tells you: No worries - have a great night and yeah, I bookmarked
you guys on my laptop...Quite a hoot : )





So it turns out Mayhemme is a professional, adult female from Alaska who plays Warhammer with her family and friends in order to spend time with them over long distances. She brings up some legitimate points: Warhammer isn't about violence, its about tactics and strategic multiplayer competition. Perhaps we should be studying Second Life! Interestingly, this perfectly agreeable woman initially used game-culture insults (asshat!) and reacted with typical violence to our protest. What does this say about the people playing warhammer? They're open to anything IRL but react reflexively out if you break their magic circle?

Anyway, thanks to Mayhemme for putting up with us, hope you're still reading and we'd love further comments.

Most interesting statement in the whole thing? "Meredith"'s only comment:
[Scenario Party][Meredith]: playing this is my protest against real war


-Yoimchiln