"....Um....Jack...you know you lost all of your trust rank by nuking your friends list in VRC right?"
"I lost trust by doing that?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Let me explain something to you once and slowly.
They. Lost. MY trust. Not the other way around."
"But..."
"but fucking nothing. I was getting stalked and harrassed by someone on my "friends list" and I had no way to found who or how. the fuck does it matter to me if I have a 'trust rank' when it seems to me all you have to have is a bunch of fucking goons exploiting th system? Why would I give a fuck about my standing in a community I can't trust? It's like telling me I should care about what a bunch of racists and biggots think. Because that's exactly what was going on and they, like every other motherfucker that thinks they can intimidate me into silence is going to learn the hard fucking way that's not the case."
"But you don't know who was doing it."
"Doesn't matter, it's the fact that they're advertising to kids but letting the level of trolling and harassment to happen on their platform. That's why I don't play Tarkov or Ark, because I'm not going to let cruel people use me as a punching bag for their torture fantasies."
"You know not everyone was doing that."
"Not all men dude, not all men."
"...."
"yeah, that's what the fuck I thought. This bullshit has been going on in the gaming community for too fucking long and I'm fucking tired of it. I'm not playing along with the bullshit, I've already proven time and time again that I have more skill and knowledge in the gaming space than they do by playing by the rules. And the fact that they can't keep up without cheating, exploiting, or abusing the systems alraedy in place shows me that either devs are inept or the community not a space for children."
"Well, some people would argue that's the case because Furries and Queer people are on the platform."
"Bro, Furries and Queer people are the only ones trying to make that a safe space for kids. Because they've lived the abuse, but the thing is, the very abusers trying to bully people off of the platform are the same ones that villianise those communities for even existing. It takes all of the time and energy for Queer, I'm using that as blanket term for the LGBTQIA+ and furry communities to protect themslevs from that kind of shit. Do You know the reason I started cosplaying and going to conventions?"
"Because you like hot girls in skimpy outfits?"
"Becuase young people trying to express their love for fandoms and nerd stuff were being harassed and attacked outside of the conventions and abused physically and sexually when those "good christians" thought they wouldn't be held accountable for those abuses."
"But you had fun right?"
"When I'd forget who I was, sure. When I was able to loose myself in the art and joy of the exprience. but no every time I set foot in a convention hall or space with large groups of people I'm looking for the bombs. Literally and figurativly. My imagination, as you may have come to discover reading this and the other thigns I've written that I visualize in minute detail. I see where the bombs would be placed to do maximum damage and I check them. I see where an amature, who thinks they're going to do damage would place one, and I check them. Because in my minds eye I see the effects done to the crowd. I'm constantly scanning hands and sillouttes for weapons. I can't, not. That's what 20 years of war in Afghanastan did to me."
"But you didn't serve, you never went over seas."
"Exactly. What the fuck do you think I've been doing state side all these years? Tell me what the fuck my job was at the airports."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. Oh."
"So, what are you going to do with VRC?"
"My job."
"What's the mean?"
"I give the devs and the community a chance to prove me wrong. If they don't, I take my buisness elswhere. I was interviewing them, not the other way around."
"Interviewing them for what?"
"As a place for the Role Playing Guild to call home. I've looked at all the other platforms and found them lacking and if/when I end up in office I'm going to have to pass that torch and I want to make sure it's in good hands before I do and it's going to be a platform where everyone feels welcome and abuse not tolorated."
"You can't make everyone feel welcome, that's not possible."
"No shit sherlock. Pretty sure I've been clear about where I draw that line and why I have to find people willing to do what I did in the physical world but in the digital one. I've been nothing but clear about any of that."
"So what is the plan then?"
"Same as it's always been. Offer a supurior product, pay the workers what they're actually worth, not what some fucking investor trying to make their bottom line look better thinks they're worth. I'm going to Unionize the platform. I'm going to give every dev, programmer, Q.A. Tester, and moderator something the suits have been trying to avoid giving them since the gaming community emerged. I'm just missing 2 things. A union rep and a name. Thought I"m thinnking "Digital Workers Guild" or the "DWG" and petition to have them adopted as a branch(s) of their hollywood counter parts. I've been carrying the contract for that around in my backpack since 2015 in preperation for making sure I stayed to the letter on the emulments clause. Be it for 10 or 10 million people, I was going to make sure they ended up with pay and benefits equal to that of any other profession."
"What's the catch?"
"The catch?"
"Why are you finding it so difficult to find a platform create such a Union and/or guild?"
"They have to accept the porn stars and strippers along with Ms. Rachel and Steve."
"yeah that ain't happening."
"Says the corporate shill."
"Strippers are dancers. Everyone agrees on that point."
"And porn stars?"
"Stunt performers if I've ever seen one. Body on the line, peak physical prowess in thier...endevours."
"Okay....let's say I'm willing to listen to this argument. Why 'Guild' instead of 'Union' ?
"Because if the independant contractors aren't represented and protected then no one is."
"That's...actually a good point."
"Yep that's why I fucking hate Mat Mercer."
"Wait, you hate Mat Mercer?"
"Well, more like jelous because he stole thunder."
"What thunder, you don't even run int he same circles."
"Yeah, but...yeah but....yeah but... by hosting games with actors and voice actors that dickhead created the precident I needed to make all this work. Like the mathmatical proof of a physics model."
"And you're jelous of that?"
"Yeah, I wanted to do that. And every time I hear someone bring up Critical Role I just want to kick a baby."
"Don't kick the baby."
"I know, it's just a figure of speech."
"I was agree.....you know what, never mind."
"Oh...sorry, having to figure out how to negotiate with economic terrorists that gaslight the shit out of everyone makes me forget that folks may actually be speaking in good faith and down shifting the gears isn't an immediate thing."
"Economic terroists?"
"Billionairs."
"But not all....you know what? .I hear it now."
"Exactly."
"You might have to be the Uniion rep to bargain on their behalf."
"Fuck."
"You're good at it and everyone sees it."
"Fuck."
"You've already drawn up the paperwork for pay and compensation standards."
"Fuck."
"You've demonstrated time and time again across every project and platform you've worked on that the model works and that you'll protect artists and profesionals even if you don't like their work."
"Fuck."
"You plan on using the settlments to pay everyone that's worked on the project for free their fair wage."
"Fuck."
"When there's trouble you call D.W."
"I still need paid myself."
"Just collect Union Dues, there's already a book keeping firm down the road that can handle the accounts and pay roll."
"I'm not going to use Union dues to enrich myself, besides, you know my phiosophy. I don't get paid until they get paid."
"So what are you waiting for?"
"The Devs to make an apppointment and come to the table in good faith so we can create the precident the industry needs."
"How do you know if they got the message and are ready to negotiate?
either when my rank hits trusted by their account over ride or they knock on my door. Pretty sure they know how to find me."
"So what do you expect out of it then, your pay?"
"already told ya man. $20.05 million, after taxes. and I'v already laid out what I plan to do with it. To the penny. I just need to be in a position where I can negotate from a position of "Fuck you." and relocate after."
"You already operate from a postion of 'Fuck you."'
"Oh yeah...well...I'd like my bank account to reflect that instead of having to question my sanity all the time."
"Let's say the Devs agree to terms and you get your pay out, what's the missing piece to the puzzle that prevents you from pulling the trigger on the deal?"
"Because, the rest of the guild needs to be paid what I am when the dust settles. We make that happen and I'll sign the paperwork."
"Which guild?"
"DBRPG, the players that have sat around my table over the past 30 or so years. My friends thought I abanond them to become a shill, a narc, a rat depending on who you talk to. when the reality is I took the message of SLC punk to heart and ingrained the old saying into my every action."
"What's that?"
"With great power, comes great responsibility. Now if you'll excuse me a player has a question and I try not to leave them waiting when we've got a campaign underway."
