SE really needs to instance Dynamis and Limbus.
I get if it's an overhaul of the code they have in place and it creates too much work. Einherjar isn't instanced, but that's a 30 minute event when you compare Limbus taking up to 1.5 hours or Dynamis taking up to 3.5 hours. The BCNM/KSNM structure is a good way to go about it.
Why am I ranting about this again?
Means that we're having issues with run-jacking obviously.
For the past few months, we've run into this shell called DynamisBunPai that's apparently led by Japanese player named Aatst. Normally when we run dynamis on Sundays, it's ~3AM in Japan. This shell has decided it would be a good idea to start at 11PM Japanese time (or 8AM my time). Normally, this wouldn't be an issue except for the two following things:
1. Most JP shells are starting 2ish hours before this. Guess who's going to be delayed?
2. Even if a zone isn't occupied, guess who fails to start on time?
If you said "DynamisBunPai" to both of those questions, you'd be correct.
After having bumped into them a couple times (re: had to move zone or start upwards of an hour late), it was pretty apparent this group wasn't just some randomly thrown together group (even though Aatst is constantly shouting for members in Whitegate). So I tried to talk to them to see if I could get them to start using the same calendar that we do to schedule their events. It was then that I discovered another problem:
They only do Xarc.
Every single one of my communication attempts with this group failed. They completely ignored me.
[Insert stereotypical Japanese culture comment here.]
I figured since they only did Xarc, we wouldn't have much of an issue except for maybe once a month. So I let it go for the time being.
Until they bumped us out of Glacier.
Until they bumped us out of Windurst.
...and Until they bumped us out of another Xarc.
So now I'm pissed enough to try to talk to them again. Same sort of deal. Completely ignored. Even outside of Dynamis in the early A.M., attempts to talk to Aatst went ignored despite the fact I saw him moving from zone to zone.
Now I'm even more pissed.
Taking matters into my own hands, I took note of the fact that two Sundays ago, our Valk run was full with a waiting list. So I figured an impromptu Xarcabard run conveniently scheduled at the same time Aatst's group was to go in was the best medicine to get their attention.
Standing at the trail markings with the 16 people who volunteered their services, the goal was pretty simple:
Get all the extensions, force Aatst's group to change zones. Getting the extensions with 16 people was something Obsidian had never done before. It was certainly not unheard of, but it was something we weren't exactly prepared to do. Prior to entering though, Aatst took notice of us and the following conversation happened:
(This is off the box I play Q on, which is run in full screen mode...)
Aatst: {Xarcabard}?
Q: Yes
Aatst: me go @ 1h
Q: No you're not.
Ten minutes later...
Aatst: me go Xarc
Q: No
Aatst: me go Xarc
Q: No
Aatst: me go Xarc
Q: No
Aatst: me go Xarc
Q: No
Aatst: me go Xarc
Q: No
Aatst: {/slap}
Aatst: {/slap}
Aatst: {/slap}
Aatst: {/slap}
Aatst: {/slap}
Aatst: {/slap}
I didn't want to harass him verbally until he had given up what I've come to term "JP High Ground" (translates to: GM Favortism). Now that he had done so.../grin
Q: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWPOORWITTLEMIDGETCANNOTGOTO{XARCABAR D}WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Double-edged comment. Sarcasm and a reference from JP culture that he was sure to understand.
About 10 minutes after that...
Aatst: {/random}{Xarcabard}?
Q: No.
/blist add Aatst
I was done dealing with him. If he wanted Xarc, he was going to have to beat me to breaking the glass. Otherwise, he gets to move his group to a different zone in the same manner that we've had to do a number of times thanks to them.
Now you might be asking why I didn't take that opportunity to actually try to talk to him about using the calendar. For starters, his english is pretty bad if you didn't notice. Secondly, I don't speak Japanese and auto-translate only goes so far. Thirdly, I'm paranoid about writing out web addresses in tells across cultures as GMs seem to have their insta-ban panties in a wad. Lastly, it was pretty clear from the getgo that the guy is a child and likely wouldn't even attempt to use the calendar. If you have to say "me go Xarc" over and over and over again trying to get your way, I get there's a language barrier there, but no language barrier is going to make you repeat yourself constantly trying to get your way and then spam {/slaps} when you don't.
About 10 minutes after he made it to my black list, he packed up his linkshell and moved to Glacier. You could say I won the stare-down, but remember...I'm still pissed.
He moved to Glacier where I had Nirion (Canuck's mule) waiting with another glass.
Aatst: {Dynamis-Beaucedine}?
Nirion: Yes
Aatst examines you.
Aatst sighs dejectedly.
I was forced to make a decision though. The group that was occupying Xarc still had about 30 mins left on their glass. If I hijack the Glacier run, I run the risk of having them come back to Xarc and potentially win the glass-breaking contest. This means I would have dragged 16 people out of bed for essentially nothing. So I figured I'd let Glacier go.
I un-blisted Aatst at that point.
Aatst: {Dynamis-Beaucedine}{Do you need it?}
Qtipus: No.
And he entered very shortly afterwards. The Xarc run itself was kind of sloppy, but that was mostly due to the sheer difference in man-handling lots of demons against trying to finesse your way through to get the extensions. Obsidian isn't a finesse shell yet, though we're taking some long strides to that goal. We picked up I think 5 drops, RDM being the best of them and Kakashibankai (Shitshi)winning the lot war for it. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun during the run itself too, which is a huge plus.
My dealings with Aatst weren't done yet though. I still felt my point hadn't been made. I checked out Dynamis Calendar and took note of the fact no one had Xarc or Glacier scheduled this past Sunday. Nirion still had a glass. Aatst's group was poised to enter the zone.
Saturday night, I had positioned Nirion at the zoneline into Xarc and unequipped his pearl. Sunday morning when I got up, I took note of a group in Xarc and watched to see when they would exit. Aatst's group was together and waiting at the trail markings for the other group to exit. As soon as I saw them exit, I ran Nirion in, broke the glass and entered the zone.
You can probably imagine there were some pissed off people at the trail markings. If you can't imagine it, then here's proof:
I didn't bother to reply to any of them as I felt it was extremely comical of them to ignore tells when they jack a run, but then all of a sudden manage to grasp their english speaking skills rather quickly when they get jacked.
Anyway, I managed to kill one of the extensions and die a couple times trying to get a second extension. I think if I try this again, I have a better approach to getting the second extension with the resources I had available to me.
Bottom line is this:
Aatst knows who Obsidian is now. I'll wait to see what happens a few Sundays from now to see if they're going to attempt to cockblock us. I suspect they will, so there might be some more of these posts in the near future...
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