Hello, and quite possibly goodbye.
I joined a guild once I received an invite, and things went well for a day or two.
I was told to write someone for cheap credits and build this and build that, do this and do that.
All could be considered helpful advice until I was told all lower ranking members had to send Madhi their voodoo chests.
She was kind enough to point me to the rule and indeed I would have to give her my voodoo card to remain in good standing.
This posed a dilemma for me because in addition to reneging on my current card partner who had only helped me I would only receive a card back once every two weeks.
This sounded a bit one sided and I suddenly felt I was being used or conned because I am new.
So I reached out to Caladen who seemed an OK bloke to chat up and he was the only one showing online at the time.
I expressed the thought that such rules would impede my growth and due to the fact there was no set rotation nor was there
a set time to be promoted (this rule gives cards to higher ranks to be determined by leaders and one member had complained they had been there months with no promotion) this seemed to be and in fact was a pyramid scheme and benefited only the older ranked players.
I set out to explain why I felt that way and at some point I begin to lose trust in his answers I thanked him for his time and for having me and I left.
The conversation however continued and despite my best efforts to see it as anything but bending the game mechanics intended for new players to gain voodoo being harnessed for the gain of older players, I could not.
The mention of mechanics and a one sided deteriorating conversation led to me being told I knew nothing and at my game age he had accomplished this and that and I was clearly inferior.
He told me that if I had a problem with the pyramid scheme I would have a hard time in this game (I took this to mean fleecing new players was normal) and reiterated I did not know the mechanics and they were not being bent in any way.
This led me to asking about something I had read in our chat, so I asked him if the arranged buy between Madhi and senior member The Accountant to purchase his ships he had on the market so he could buy them back from her was bending the mechanics. He replied he was not aware of it.
He asked if I was 12 likened me to a defiant child and I wondered at what point he felt he was my parent but tried to keep the conversation free of off topic discussion that would not address the concerns I was having.
So I post here in hopes to hear from the community at large to see if you agree new players should give up items of value for weeks and months on end to benefit older players as was insinuated or if there is a reason to stay. I do not want to waste my time playing against a stacked deck or a crooked community.
Thank you for your time, Mime yori kokoro
Kanu