The Culture of Tron

General Stuff about Armagetron, That doesn't belong anywhere else...
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TWeeTY
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:11 pm

The Culture of Tron

Post by TWeeTY »

I cannot remember when I started to play tron but it was around 2001 (it was called something else in the distro I used). I didn't play continuously since then - there were years I didn't play. I was trying out my first Linux OS and it was included with the distro at the time. It was part of Mandrake and Suse, and Corel Linux too as I remember. When I began tron, some of the players were Pirate, Lucifer, Steh5eger, Spinace, Slack, /dev/null, Ser, Dr Joe Tron, iceman, n54, TiTnASs, Gene, Reverend, EggCozy, Misery, Swampy, Pyro, BladeRunner, Wizzy (Leader of MBC), Teflon, Trixy, ohnoes, War Monkey, Masterbator, Kyle, the Pig (sometimes known as bacon etc.), Gss, Swampy, Snafu, Freekill, Hi (I credit him with the popularization of open play), Pure, Dompij, Mandrake, Ralph Wiggums (Knucklehead), Hank, Crunch, Nemostulae, Bug, Phallus Maximus, Limette, Locutus, Anumeric, God_Bitch, Seal Clubber, Tank Program, Your Mom, Tiz, BigNose, Mo, Christopher, Matthew, String, Freewheelin 48(now 68+?), Truck, Als used Cars, Rza, Razor, Subby, Karma Koma, You, Ew, Compguygene, Sinewav, Kamp, Zig, Ben, Oscilloscope, Kat, Vlad the Impaler, Spyder, Kinda Slow, xdude, Mateo, Johnny, Devil, Mike, Pressure, (of course, Z-Man), Kamakaze, etc. etc. etc. (I watched many of these begin as new players)

I've had the privilege of being in the grid with many more, and usually most players are great human beings once you get to know them. Even my old friend, (whom I miss) who was once the very worst bad-boy of tron is really a nice guy below his flaming troll persona in the game. I've met some special people here, and this is the magic of tron: those who play here. Tron culture are the players. They create an environment that is attractive and encourages improvement in the skills of the game, and beyond. Bullying and bull$..T talk should be discouraged because these attitudes do not attract more players. Okay, I admit it. I am probably older than most players here. But I know older than I who still play here too. If you are under 19, then I was playing this around the time you were born. Egads! But what is it that keeps people in this game? Is it bad manners? Is it the fun $hiz talk? Maybe. If it is done in fun, but I cannot see personal attacks and abuse as 'fun' conversation. I think this would rather keep people from coming back. They could easily write this game off as a dead has-been game from another era. I assure you, they would be wrong in that conclusion. Yet, it would be understandable for them to assume the negative if that is how they were treated while trying to learn.

When I started to play tron, I had to connect with a dial-up modem. My fps was about 12 and I used to take all the details and textures away to increase response on my screen. Suffice it to say, it took a lot of practice to get the timing right, and much of it seemed like luck at first. The whole game could fit on a floppy 1.44 Mb. I used to have a copy on one. Tron is a wonder of a game that has certainly stood the test of time. Some of the old crew can still be seen online now and then .. me included.

I'm saddened by some of the young players that seem to have taken over tron culture. One in particular has ddossed me several times (and many others too) and closed rooms down with their nonsense tantrums. Also, bots are becoming more frequent as a result of these new tron hackers. I understand that they also bring some new levels, and have tried to stir up interest in tron again, but their methods are wrong and often pathetic. These new little tron thugs like to use racial slurs thinking that because they treat tron like an arm of the dark web they can. They are very abusive and tyrannical in their methods and communications. Of course, we just have to put up with it. Yet, I still think tron is under active development by the original crew if I am not mistaken?

My favorite server level is Mud Puddle (a continuation of Swampland) and I am an admin there. One of these very rude and abusive individuals came in with their ugly stuff. I banned him for 60 min (he had been abusive to me in another server and was stalking me). He was livid and I think he ddossed Mud Puddle as a result -- or he had some ownership of the server and just shut it down. That is childish and doesn't reflect well on tron culture at all. Don't misunderstand me, I am not expecting tron players to be model citizens -- (chuckle chuckle) but there are some actions and communications which should be cause for warning to those who would usurp leadership via hacking methods. (i.e. bots, ddossing, other crap). I have not mentioned anyone here because I could get their identities wrong. It is easy to alias and pretend to be someone else. Yet, I think others know who the trash-talking trolls are. They often swagger around like they own the game. I generally have thick skin, but when someone decides they can take the culture of tron into the nastiest and obscene categories imaginable (like talking about having sex with my mom, or racial slurs) , I take issue. As a moderator, I warn then boot. The devs and other admins should try to lift the culture of tron out of such unfortunate company. I know it is difficult to stop completely, but let us not consent to it by giving it free reign. A culture is a kind of environment. A positive uplifting place is attractive to the best elements of the game.

Tron is a fantasy about an enlightened future where programming can be fun. It is a game based on skill, speed, and strategy. Yet, there is a certain amount of class privilege involved too. Some of us cannot afford Rogs and high end graphics cards. Some of us own older computers that are almost as old as tron. So, we cannot jag and jiggle as good as those who have the newer rigs. Of course, they look at their extra abilities as skill LOL. Probably not really though maybe sometimes. Because some of us don't wish to quadruple bind and use tracer bots, we are called boring. This kind of embellishment is fine, but only if you do not demand your particular style in the game. Look, runners have run from the beginning of tron. BladeRunner was the first great runner before xdude. Game levels that demand us to dance around in circles wiggling out of little crevices and cracks .. well, sad. Fine, if that is what players want, but to me it doesn't resemble tron anymore. Tron is a death match. It doesn't mean sparing each other so I can see you dance. (That is my editorial blurb -- Servers can be set up for such play but no wonder most old players are not found there.) Some of the new server owners try to force others out of the older servers to play this hr wiggly stuff. One of them makes it very clear how much he hates Sub so he tries to pressure everyone into high rubber. This kind of tactic is bullying and should not be encouraged.

This is me venting ... but I acknowledge this game is bigger than my opinion of how to play it.

Recently, I heard that someone asked one of the known bullies why they abuse players. His answer was quite immature. He said, "Because it goads players on to get better." Um. No. That shows a very poor understanding of human interaction. The opposite is more likely the case. Players are people behind their Tron persona. Better to respect all and show kindness. This is more likely to inspire improvement.

One more peeve that deserves consideration. People that come on describing the drugs they are abusing should stop it. There is a worldwide opioid epidemic and games that may have kids playing do not need to encourage by a bad example. It is one thing to use oxys for chronic pain and quite another to use them for recreational purposes. They destroy people's lives. Kids will do childish things, and be emboldened to do dangerous things by some on line friend. Otherwise, my advice is to keep your bad habits to yourself. Bragging about your stupid drug use won't help you win the respect of anyone in the long run. Rather, it will cause you to lose it. Consider how that is working for you in your real life.
Last edited by TWeeTY on Thu Jun 06, 2019 6:04 am, edited 21 times in total.
Yukari
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Joined: Fri May 31, 2019 5:33 am

Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by Yukari »

Hi there. I'm actually glad to hear that there are some decent players here. Im new to Tron (started playing on the 29th of this year). Its interesting to see how much backlash there is when a new person comes on despite the game itself dieing. People try to act like tryhard thinking they're so special because they have "skill. I do respect the players that do care (Noodles, Nelg). Even though im absolute trash. This most made me decide that I should stay. Hopefully I can see better from the community :)
Rnoodles
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by Rnoodles »

Hi yukari good to see you on the forums!

I have come back to tron after many years off. I finally bought a flash new computer after playing xbox for so long and the first thing i downloaded was tron. I was super excited and booted it up only to find that there are no players online and almost all of the servers i used to play are gone.

I jumped on tron the next day at a different time to see if i could catch some of the Americans or eu players and sumo was filled with 4 players. When I joined i was welcomed with some lovely abuse from 2 players and noticed they were talking trash to a very new player, he left just after i joined. I have later found out that those 2 were swag and rookie. Not only were they trolling but they were threatening to ddos me and the server. Who the f**k trolls like that on a game that might only have 20-30 active players left?? totally bizarre, especially because I used to be friends with one of them.

I really hope swag and rookie read this and pull their heads in, you both play this game almost every day for hours, why not make a bit more of an effort to be normal so that when/if tron makes it to steam, players dont immediately rage quit.
I honestly couldnt give a rats if you want to "troll" me, i get it, i used to make a new alias every now and then on tron and be a little bit cheeky, but i would never act like this to new players or threaten to ddos.
TWeeTY
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Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:11 pm

Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by TWeeTY »

Glad to have you as a new player. I am happy that I could encourage you. If you run into wild trolls my suggestion is to silence them when possible. After a while they will get tired of themselves and leave you alone. This happens in all games. I am here to relax and not to watch little children act out. Yes, some of the littlest children live in big men's (and lady's) bodies. They use tron to finish a fight they were having in 3rd grade. There have been times that their nonsense tried to make me tired of tron altogether. I remember once I almost quit it for good. But this game is great fun and can develop skills and timing. Kudos again to the brilliant developers.
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Magi
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by Magi »

Damn, I'm not famous
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bye
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kyle
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by kyle »

I just wish I could find the time to play again. but with that comes the motivation to get the servers / ct forms up again also
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Nagi
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by Nagi »

pew, I forgot how to comment
bilbo baggins
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by bilbo baggins »

kyle wrote:I just wish I could find the time to play again. but with that comes the motivation to get the servers / ct forms up again also
if you could that would be insane....
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ppotter
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by ppotter »

Magi wrote:Damn, I'm not famous
Aren't you covered in this line?:
If you are under 19, then I was playing this around the time you were born. Egads!
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Magi
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by Magi »

ppotter wrote:
Magi wrote:Damn, I'm not famous
Aren't you covered in this line?:
If you are under 19, then I was playing this around the time you were born. Egads!
Savage. No, I'm 25 this year lol
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bye
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ppotter
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Re: The Culture of Tron

Post by ppotter »

Magi wrote:
ppotter wrote:
Magi wrote:Damn, I'm not famous
Aren't you covered in this line?:
If you are under 19, then I was playing this around the time you were born. Egads!
Savage. No, I'm 25 this year lol
Damn, knew you would be in your 20s by now tbf, but not mid-20s
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