How do we really feel?
by Allyio

There is great debate among the players of Medievia over the ‘where’ command. Should Vryce put where back into the game or leave it out? What are the pros and cons of where in CPK zones?

In order to understand the debate, one must understand exactly what where does. The where command, as it suggests, displays the current locations of every unsneaking player within the scope of its command. Until recently, this command even worked in the wilderness.

In an attempt to put the allure back into CPK, Vryce completely removed the where command from inside any CPK zone. It was assumed that more players may venture into CPK related parts of the game if the threat of being *zerged was removed.

The results of where came with mixed emotions from the player base as a whole. In the last election, Tithonus rallied for putting where back into CPK, while Ameha stood against it.

I spent some time recently talking with players who CPK, and realized the opinions of the where/no where command vary as much as the player base itself. Some players felt that having no where inside CPK made the solo CPKer feel safe basically because they could not see ‘the other guy’ coming. Still others believed having no where was an unfair advantage to them because they could not see ‘numbers’ and wanted to know how many they were about to be rushed with. Several people suggested adding the *listen command to CPK without putting where back in but were quick to point out that Vryce had already said this could not be done.

While the majority of CPKers asked found it offensive in some way to be “zerged”, no one would readily admit that they had never been on the zerging end of a CPK battle. When asked why this was such an issue, one hero explained to me that “it’s not considered to be a zerg unless you are on the losing end, otherwise it’s a CPK.”

Several heroes felt that having no where made the “new” CPKer feel safer, because they could not see who or how many people were in CPK with them thus encouraging them to try CPK in the first place.

When asked whether or not removing CPK actually changed anything, the response was overwhelmingly diverse. One hero said that places like FGS seemed to not be rushed as much since CPK where was removed, while yet another hero explained that not having where made his job easier for shadowing players. Another said that having where versus no where made no difference at all because regardless of who they could or could not see players would continue to use ‘numbers’.

As I sought to find the answer to my questions, it became clear to me that there is no final answer. Not one player among the hundreds who play Medievia agrees on the where command. Each person has their own opinion of the pros and cons of the command and their own reasoning for each.

I came away from my investigation feeling confused and mildly amused at the fact that Medievian players agree only to disagree. Is having no where in CPK simply a placebo for the newly found CPKer fledgling? Did it change anything or will it change it anything putting it back?

This month's election is focused on whether or not where should be put back into CPK. Last months candidates had solid reasons on both sides why the where command should be put back in or left out of the game. The debate goes on, and we do not envy Vryce’s job of sorting out the right decision among a player base that is so varied in its opinions.

*Zerging is a term used to describe a group of players who use the sheer force of numbers rather than skill or strategy to defeat an enemy.

*Listen is a 3D sound/command used in Medievia for zones that have been coded for its usage. It uses a players “breath” to show the location of a player coming in your general direction.