An Insight into Primitive Society
They were so bored of playing dota tonight that they decided to try a cheapo version of the game -- 'Uther's Party'. Although the heroes used were dota heroes and were given skills for the purpose of the mini games, there the similarity to dota ends. Whereas in dota you have differing abilities, and complex strategies and can heal wounds and revive after death, in Uther's Party everyone starts out equal and you basically try to come out tops in a mad scramble to stay alive the longest, or to kill the most, or to complete a simple task without dying. Sometimes you were allowed to sabotage the other players so that they would die first and leave you the last man standing -- the victor of the field.
In one of the games a bunch of stealth assasin characters were trapped within the spokes of a burning wheel and would try to run as the wheel turns. The ability given to the players was 'Purge', a slowing skill to be cast on other players, which would be devastating as the moment you touched the burning spoke 'poof' you would die, no healing, no second chance. Most of the mini games were crafted along these lines, where you would try to keep alive the longest, one way or another. It was a desperate effort not to die first, even at the cost of another's life, truly a dog-eat-dog world.
That game was reminiscent of a primeaval world, where no alliances were forged and no interaction made on a level higher than 'kill or be killed'. It was a digital rendition of a Hobbesian concept of a primitive society, where life was 'nasty, brutish and short', where people died like flies and no one was more concerned. So this was what would become of society if there was no civilisation. Some interesting phenomenon were noted which shall be briefly described here:-
The 'Kill the Weakest' Mentality
This was observed in games in which the intention was to kill the other players and remain alive the longest. The players immediately identified the person who unfortunately had the shortest life and finished him off first. They then turned on the next weakest. Isn't this just an animal-like mentality of turning on the weakest of the pack? A bit like 'Survivor' to me.
The 'Stay out of the Fray' Phenomenon
Those who managed to do that, and hide unnoticed in a corner until the others had finished killing each other off scored better and survived longer than those who jumped headlong into the fray and started bashing other people up instantly. This seems like a sensible principle represented in miniature in this game, and one that is immediately applicable to everyday life.
There were other principles from which interesting lessons can be drawn:-
Don't be at the scene when shit happens
Sometimes when a player dies he explodes, or when an 'abomination' dies he blows up violently and those who are near take the damage. The moral? Keep clear of trouble, even when it does not involve you directly, to avoid being hit by flying shit.
Run ahead while someone else takes the blows
If you simply can't avoid all the shit flying around, then run ahead while someone else is standing in front of you, taking the shit. Too bad for the poor loser, but at least you keep your nose clean. That was what my brother did, reaching the end while another player became his 'meat shield'.
And another general principle:-
Just because that place was previously safe to hide in does not mean it always will be
Especially when computer aimed random bombs are being dropped over the entire map. Maybe the safest place to hide is one on which a bomb has just been dropped -- the principle that lighting is supposed to never strike twice.
Skill seemed to help the players, but sometimes even the most skilled player cannot avoid a lousy day.
People got bored after a few thrilling bouts of Uther's. There was not much of the question of honing one's skill, so the game was not excessively playable. Nevertheless, it was rather diabolical the way the creators of this little game placed things so that desperation was pitted against desperation. All the players were as prisoners and animals in a gladiator's pit, fighting teeth and nails to the bitter end.
It was still quite funny, though.
In one of the games a bunch of stealth assasin characters were trapped within the spokes of a burning wheel and would try to run as the wheel turns. The ability given to the players was 'Purge', a slowing skill to be cast on other players, which would be devastating as the moment you touched the burning spoke 'poof' you would die, no healing, no second chance. Most of the mini games were crafted along these lines, where you would try to keep alive the longest, one way or another. It was a desperate effort not to die first, even at the cost of another's life, truly a dog-eat-dog world.
That game was reminiscent of a primeaval world, where no alliances were forged and no interaction made on a level higher than 'kill or be killed'. It was a digital rendition of a Hobbesian concept of a primitive society, where life was 'nasty, brutish and short', where people died like flies and no one was more concerned. So this was what would become of society if there was no civilisation. Some interesting phenomenon were noted which shall be briefly described here:-
The 'Kill the Weakest' Mentality
This was observed in games in which the intention was to kill the other players and remain alive the longest. The players immediately identified the person who unfortunately had the shortest life and finished him off first. They then turned on the next weakest. Isn't this just an animal-like mentality of turning on the weakest of the pack? A bit like 'Survivor' to me.
The 'Stay out of the Fray' Phenomenon
Those who managed to do that, and hide unnoticed in a corner until the others had finished killing each other off scored better and survived longer than those who jumped headlong into the fray and started bashing other people up instantly. This seems like a sensible principle represented in miniature in this game, and one that is immediately applicable to everyday life.
There were other principles from which interesting lessons can be drawn:-
Don't be at the scene when shit happens
Sometimes when a player dies he explodes, or when an 'abomination' dies he blows up violently and those who are near take the damage. The moral? Keep clear of trouble, even when it does not involve you directly, to avoid being hit by flying shit.
Run ahead while someone else takes the blows
If you simply can't avoid all the shit flying around, then run ahead while someone else is standing in front of you, taking the shit. Too bad for the poor loser, but at least you keep your nose clean. That was what my brother did, reaching the end while another player became his 'meat shield'.
And another general principle:-
Just because that place was previously safe to hide in does not mean it always will be
Especially when computer aimed random bombs are being dropped over the entire map. Maybe the safest place to hide is one on which a bomb has just been dropped -- the principle that lighting is supposed to never strike twice.
Skill seemed to help the players, but sometimes even the most skilled player cannot avoid a lousy day.
People got bored after a few thrilling bouts of Uther's. There was not much of the question of honing one's skill, so the game was not excessively playable. Nevertheless, it was rather diabolical the way the creators of this little game placed things so that desperation was pitted against desperation. All the players were as prisoners and animals in a gladiator's pit, fighting teeth and nails to the bitter end.
It was still quite funny, though.