Respecting the Prey

Respecting the Prey
Written and Submitted by Blitz(john8u2 Resident)

Having been asked by a friend to do a few articles for this blog, I thought I would start with a two parter on Respecting the Prey in The Village: Slave Hunt.  In this first part, I wanted to talk about the hunt or chase part of the game, and in the follow-on I want to cover the capture.  The Obligatory Statement:  Let me say very clearly that these are MY opinions and insights and do not necessarily reflect the views, rules or  opinions of any of the staff or owners of The Village: Slave Hunt sim or Second Life in general.  Your mileage may vary, some exclusions apply, VAT may be applicable, if after reading you see any signs of a rash or other ailment, please consult your physician.

Part 1 - The Hunt

Being a guy and a gamer, I have played countless hours of the different multiplayer flavors of COD (Call of Duty) and Halo.  The one thing all of my friends and I have agreed upon is this simple fact...what makes a great match is the effort expended and skill displayed by both parties to try to win.  That's what makes it fun, right? The chase (or hunt) part of The Village: Slave Hunt is no different.  If your selected Prey is more skilled or knowledgeable about the map than you, it isn't their fault, it's yours.  That may seem harsh to say, but just like when a new set of maps come out in those other games, you have to get out there and learn the map.  Learn how to jump from place to place on the map without falling to your death.  Try to remember where the mantraps are.  These things will stand you in good stead, I promise.  If you get caught somewhere you can't get out of, talk to your prey and maybe they will teleport you out.  Give them a little head start and then continue on.  Offer the same to them if THEY get stuck.

Also keep in mind that it is NOT your Prey's fault that you decided to play Second Life on your Grandfather's laptop...you know, the one with the junk video card, the jerky mouse, and a dial-up connection to the internet, while she is playing on a high end, gamers wet dream of a workstation with a fiber connection directly to the Pacific coast backbone of the 'net.  Those are extreme examples, but my point is that glitches, interruptions, pauses, and yes, even crashes happen.  Deal with it.  Don't take it out on your Prey...they are typically dealing with the same problems.

This part is the hardest part....always keep in mind that we all come to The Village: Slave Hunt for different reasons.  Some of us want a short hunt with a fun role play ending...others just want the grand hunt of the ages and no role play endings.  It is not your Prey's fault if they came looking for something different than you.  I have been on short chases that ended with a good bit of role play, and I have also been on extended chases with very little role play (one seriously extended chase that left me with my eyes rolling around in my head for 10 minutes afterwards....and she KNOWS who she is).  The point is that getting upset with your prey for wanting to have fun in a different way than you wanted is childish.  If you wanted a shorter chase and you are 10 minutes in and no closer to your quarry than you were at the beginning it's probably time to reconsider your choice of prey.
 
Lastly, just as in COD or Halo or many other FPS's...don't poach another man's prey.  This should be a brotherhood of men kind of thing...respect your fellow Predators.  Just because some luscious vixen fell to her capture right at your feet doesn't really give you the right to take her.  Some other Predator has probably been chasing her around like crazy and will come zooming around the corner at any minute.  On the other hand, if no one shows up after a few min (or you could just ask the Prey if she was being chased) perhaps it'll be your lucky day.  Poaching however is just going to lead to hard feelings all around.

Always remember that the Prey is here to have fun (and maybe get their kink on just like YOU)...show them some respect or you will find all the prey sitting in the Safe zones when YOU come out to play.  From a role play perspective, Gor (in my view) was not a series about little boys chasing hot women...it was about MEN chasing hot women.  Man up...do the work it takes to become a great predator...and you will find that the Prey will respect YOU for it.  The more we all try to abide by these simple, common sense ideas, the more fun we can ALL have.

In my next installment I will talk about the capture portion of The Village: Slave Hunt.  I hope you enjoyed this first article, and I invite your comments.