Just a thought!
After reading a thread by Eeckoman not too long ago and with talk on another forum for a game that is being release later on. I got thinking about my actions and words online as well as the those of others. Well I post this story on there and figured that it may enlighten others here as well.
"Salute to an Old Friend!
Got thinking about what I am looking forward to in games today and remembered a friend I met on another game. When I 1st got into MP on this other game, he ran in the same group as I. He was a disabled Vietnam Veteran and boy was he a grumpy old man. One night he was getting slapped around by some young kids, I mean 6, 7, or 8 year old range, they were talking smack and he was dishing out right back at them. He joined our chat group and asked for help and the others in the group promised they would join, but soon as he left. They all said the hell with it and kept doing what they were doing. Still didn't know him well, but decided that it was un-cool to leave someone hanging like that. So I found his GT and joined his game. He had gotten cornered in that little old fort I spawned in and rode in to help him out. It turned out it was him and I against the rest of the server and we won far more then we lost that night. Those kids kept calling us bullies cause the 2 of us was beating the rests of them and one threatened to go get his big brother, who I had apparently played against a lot. Every time I got on, this old Vet would always join me and would play the game for hours non-stop. We used to discuss everything we thought they would add to a sequel, cause at that time rumors were starting.
One day, after not seeing him around for a couple of weeks, I saw him on. In truth it was his nephew, who had been trying to get a hold of me. The nephew told me his uncle had passed away, but before he died he wanted me to know he enjoyed being my sidekick in the old west and the family wanted to thank me for being his friend. Cause that old Vet had been bed ridden for years and it was always a highlight to his day when he would see me get online.
So here is my salute to an old friend and a new game. Hope any new friends I make keep it as interesting as he did."
I wish I could say I'm innocent of toxicity online whether in this forum or any where else, but according to the CMs and the marks on my profile. Looking back it got me thinking about games and the toxicity I see. We should remember that to many it is just a "game", but for some it is there only connection to the outside world and the only friends they got and the these forums also are a connection to that game.
We really should be careful with what we say, specially if we do it just to be toxic or to troll another. It just might mean a little more to them then it ever would to us.
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