descentchampions.org

I wanted to apologize publicly. I know some of you think I'm overreacting -- maybe all of you do -- but I think this is important. The way we treat each other as pilots is really important for the strength of the community, and there are some things that you just don't say and that are really hurtful. Lots of Descent communities have dealt with this in different ways through our history, being on the lookout for 'attitude problems' or however they phrased it.

To me, it's a matter of honor.

Ladder matches provoke intense emotions. That's the draw, really. And to be able to handle that successfully means being able to keep yourself in check. The rules we have for what you can't say to other pilots -- they aren't arbitrary. They're there to protect the community, to keep us from hurting each other while under pressure.

Behaving honorably means putting everyone else ahead of yourself. Dishonor, selfishly. Making reckless accusations in game is selfish -- it might relieve a little pain for the person doing it, take a little sting out of a loss, but for the person receiving it, it can make them question why they bother playing in the first place. Doesn't happen all the time. Some people take it better than others, and some people take it better on some days than others. Doesn't matter how it's received; it's important to always show respect.

It's important to hold other pilots to that, too. I think that's true for every pilot; we need to show each other respect even when there are only two or three of us in the channel. It's hard to speak up. Conflict sucks. I heard Jediluke say some things to Bahamut that were way out of line, and I chose to ignore it. I shouldn't have, but Jediluke's a close friend, and I tend to side with him. But doing that says, silently, that I think it's okay to act that way, that I don't have a problem with what was said, which in a way is me participating in the attack. It doesn't help Jediluke, either, to know I'll let him get away with that!

I apologize to the community for not upholding its standards, to Bahamut for not saying something on his behalf, and to Jediluke for not helping him be a better pilot by holding him accountable. I've voluntarily chosen a three day ban from playing matches to remind me that this is serious.

Well, kudos to you guys for owning all that! Man, I think we'd all rather just play and have fun and no drama, but it always seems to follow Descent around :-O

There was nothing formal in place, but after getting too emotionally involved in things here you all might have noticed that I took a self-imposed month or so off here to get some perspective. So, no shame in it, guys, and cheers to all of you for owning up to your actions and accepting the consequences. If I'd thought this was a formal option earlier, I might have requested a ban for myself for the things I had said to JediLuke.

It's about having fun in this game we love, and I hope everyone comes back ready for that, as I plan to soon.

See ya in the mines!

water under the bridge.