Dante
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Posts
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Joined
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Original Post updated with Krimson Guard, no link added though as I couldn't find one.
As for everything else, I'm glad you've all kissed and made up now but couldn't you have had the courtesy to take it to an OOC thread for the plot? Not really what I'd intended for this thread.
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Quote:I'm doing my best but the Devs won't let me.Originally Posted by Venture
No sane, ethical person would have anything to do with the Well as described.
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Quote:Very good point, I was trying to catch a runaway child this morning while updating the thread so I've gone back and clarified the difference between the recaps and the Newspaper thread. Good call on the IC Story thread too, I've included that.Originally Posted by Ravenswing
Thread's good, Dante. I'd comment on the threads though. The GG and Pocket D threads are obviously catch-up and coordination, and serve a different purpose to "In the Newspapers".
If any more is forthcoming, I'm more than happy to keep editing the post. I'm very happy for it to be a colaborative effort to give a flavour for all Union RP.
Also, I must have a look at Justice Row too, given that the Militia's headquarters is in uptown Kings. -
Quote:I think this is most likely how it will happen, especially as a lot our RP happens in the evening which would be about middle of the afternoon for you. However, once the merger happens, I think some kind of IC meet and greet would be a good idea. Mmmm.... I've already got a few ideas forming...Originally Posted by Viseur
I feel that the most likely thing is that the currently existing group cohesion will remain intact, with perhaps a few Virtueites joining in the beginning. Most will likely come over, bring there friends, and form their own groups. Though considering how most of us only really have time for one group as is, I'm not sure how fast this would happen, if at all.
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Tricky question to answer. I reckon there are less villain RPVGs than hero ones but I can't really comment on how active they are. I reckon it's fair to say that most folk have villain characters but I've no idea how often they are played.
Purely from my observation I'd say hero side is more active but who knows what goes on in SG bases?
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Quote:Thanks. I'll do what I can to answer.Originally Posted by Cien_Fuegos
wow continuation.... I like your guide have two questions
1. Is it always at 9 GDT/ 2 pm pacific the galaxy meeting/ i work till 5 =(
2. do you roleplay hami or mothership raid or big major events?
1) I'm not an attendee of the GG or PD meetings most of the time so I'm going from what I've been told and what I've picked up from those who do go. As far as I'm aware, the times are accurate but I don't think there would be anything to stop people going at any time. A lot of RP gets co-ordinated through the global channels but I expect, with more people playing at different times around the globe, we might see places like Pocket D populated a lot more than just those specific times.
2) I... could imagine that would be quite chaotic! I think there was a roleplayed Mothership Raid a few years ago but I've never seen one since. Mission based RP tends to happen in the little gaps such as between mobs or when discovering glowies etc. With raids, there's not much pause for thought (hence why I'm not a fan of them) so I reckon it'd be quite difficult. Doesn't mean we couldn't try though!
As for continuity, I'd agree that we can do it most of the time because of our smaller population. And even then, we still have plenty of disagreements. A lot of supergroups maintain their own continuity which on the whole ties up with what everyone else is doing. We can keep up to date with the two recap threads and the 'In the Newspapers' thread that help show what's going on in Union. I'd like to think we can maintain it once the server lists merge, I guess we'll wait and see what happens.
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*Ducks head back in again*
Hey people.
This thread has inspired me to write a brief guide to Union RP that I had been saving for the actual server list merge. However, this inspired me to finish it early:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...91#post3543291
As I've said in the guide, it's not perfect, nor complete (I can't know everything) but I hope it helps give you some flavour for what we get up to on Union.
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Greetings all.
I had originally intended to write this for when the server list finally merged but as questions are already starting to fly, I figured maybe now would be a better time. It also allows for any clarifications and corrections to be made long before the server list merger takes place. I’ve been here a fair while but I will be the first to admit that I don’t know every corner of Union RP and so if you feel that something here has been incorrectly described or would even like to offer your own take on something, please, by all means add it to this thread and I will update this post.
This thread is to help our NA colleagues acclimatise to Union RP should they wish to roll up on Union once the merger is complete. It is also intended as a general reference to anyone else regardless of where they come from or whether they are a new player or a veteran. It is by no means comprehensive but I hope it gives you a flavour of what to expect from Union roleplay.
Who am I?
Well my name is Dante (subject to global name changes) and I have been here for about five and a half years, roleplaying for at least five of those. I’m what I describe as a mission based roleplayer, enjoying IC banter and interaction while fighting for / opposing justice. I’m less into social RP but I also like forum RP as long as it doesn’t get too confusing. I suffer from chronic altisis which will probably kick off again as soon as the server list merge occurs.
I have played briefly on Virtue via a couple of trials when I got a little cheesed off with the EU servers so I have some idea of what I am comparing Union to. I know that some of our community have played extensively on the NA servers so I welcome their observations.
Union RP – A General Overview
So, Union. Unofficial Roleplay server since the inception of the EU servers many moons ago. Although described as the RP server, it doesn’t seem as prevalent as it does on Virtue. In general, it’s unlikely that any PuG you join will be roleplaying, more likely the players and teams you will encounter will be OOC most of the time. And, like the best of servers, we still get our fair share of tools, power spammers and god-modders. Roleplay tends to occur in set locations or within specific Supergroups or at set events set up by the community. It’s the intention of this guide to help you find those people and places and enjoy interacting with the Union RP community.
One of the major differences you may notice is a sense of continuity in Union RP. Whereas RP on Virtue seems to occur in ‘instances’ that have little or no effect on each other, Union, with a smaller population of roleplayers, is able to link these things together (mostly) seamlessly. What this means is that when you encounter SuperHero X in forum RP, he will be the same SuperHero X that you encounter in game. And if SuperHero X makes a recap post where he declares that he defeated his arch nemesis Dr VeryBad in a fire fight on Sharkhead Isle, that’s taken as given history and can be referenced by other roleplayers should they wish to. Events carry over and form a cohesive history for that character so that events can continue to affect them. If Dr VeryBad managed to damage SuperHero X’s shield in a forum RP battle, it may well still be damaged when you speak to him in Pocket D later that night. Indeed, the player may well have changed shields to reflect this.
Does this have downsides? Certainly. As a rule, destroying large parts of the city is generally frowned upon as it god-mods the community into accepting that something has changed about the game. Equally, events involving signature characters can have undue impacts on others. But on the whole, it works and makes for a rich, immersive atmosphere.
Roleplay Locations
Pocket D
Pocket D maintains is reputation as being a centre point for social RP. Mostly upstairs on the blue side from about 7PM GMT (12PM PDT / 3PM EDT) until late, there’s normally a crowd of people hanging out there from both sides of the metahuman divide. RP sometimes happens elsewhere in the D so don’t be afraid to go looking around. During winter months, the ski chalet is a popular location even if it does mean being snowballed by folks as they go to get their winter missions.
Galaxy Girl
http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Galaxy_Girl
Long before Pocket D was a glimmer in DJ Zero’s eye, there was Galaxy Girl. Once a location for meeting then jumping off to do missions, GG (as it has become known) is a social hub for some Union roleplayers. Located behind Hero Corps Headquarters in Galaxy City, the GG meets normally start from 9PM GMT (2PM PDT / 5PM EDT) and go on till whenever.
Other Locations
Roleplay can often occur in other places but these are often RPSGs meeting there for some purpose. Places such as the quiet room in AE buildings are popular thanks to the Power Suppression as are out of the way places around the world map. Plenty of RP occurs within RPSG bases as well where the entrance can be controlled and the surroundings managed to perfection.
You may notice the absence of any villain equivalent locations. Attempts have been made to get social spots off of the ground there, most famously, the Clock tower on Mercy Isle. However, these failed to catch alight and slowly died a death a few years ago. These days, a villain’s options are PD or RPVGs.
Special Events
There are often special occasions run by SG and VGs that are advertised on these boards. The Mercenaries Ball is a popular event that happens a few times a year and the recent return of the RP-PvP Event, Gladiators, proved popular with PvPer and non-PvPer alike. Keep your eyes peeled for these on these boards and on the Unionverse Wiki.
Global Channels
There are a number of global channels it’s worth signing up to if you want to meet fellow roleplayers on Union. The largest is probably Union Roleplayers which has a generally chatty crowd most of the day. The channel is fairly relaxed and used mostly for chatter, banter, forming teams and some very, very off-topic moments. Moderation is light but excessive bad language is frowned up as there are still kids playing this game.
GGOOC is the other big RP chat channel but this is mostly linked to the Galaxy Girl meet. However, as you might expect, there’s a lot of cross over between the two. Both are open and OOC but give a great place to meet new friends and get a feel for Union RP.
Common Conventions
From what I have seen, the conventions surrounding communication appear to be fairly universal. Different SGs use different methods, but in general, the following guidelines may help you (apologies if I’m teaching you to suck eggs here).
Local is always IC
Team Chat is IC if they have methods of communicating i.e. comms units
Supergroup chat can be IC or OOC depending on the team
Global Channels are almost always OOC
If you need to say something OOC in an IC channel, the good old double bracket method is the same here as elsewhere, namely ((OOC comment here)).
If you’re new to roleplaying or just want more tips and advice, I can heartily recommend Zortel’s rather dandy guide here: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=164362
Recap Threads
To help keep folks up to date, there are a few threads that keep Unionites informed of what is happening around them. These tend to be specific to the meeting points mentioned above.
"9PM Under Galaxy Girl's Skirt" - http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=157757
Last Night in Pocket D - http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=164573
Furthermore, for all gossip, rumours and media activity relating to hero and villain activity, there's always this thread too:
In the Newspapers! - http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=170420
And for standalone stories and creative pieces, the IC Story Thread allows for this too:
The IC Story Thread - http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=162543
Super / Villain Groups
I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention some of the more notable super/villain groups around on Union. With a smaller population, there are fewer RPSGs around but they tend to be strong groups with a fair number of members. I cannot expect to incorporate every group here so I have listed the ones which seem to be the most popular. Rather than attempt to describe them, I have instead provided a link to their profile on the Unionverse where they can speak for themselves.
Hero Groups:
The Foundry http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Foundry
Unity Vigil http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Unity_Vigil
The Militia http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Militia, boards - www.themilitia.org.uk
Nighthunters http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Nighthunters
Villain Groups:
The Corporation http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Corporation
The Court of the Blood Countess http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Ca...Blood_Countess
The Cadre http://www.themilitia.org.uk
The Krimzon Guard http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Krimzon_Guard
Unionverse Wiki
http://union.virtueverse.net/wiki/Main_Page
Our sister site to the Virtueverse, the Union Wiki has been kindly set up and maintained by people who deserve to be thanked on a regular basis by us lesser mortals. The home for a vast amount in IC and OOC information, it contains a good few years of Union’s RP and is a great resource for anyone seeking out likeminded roleplayers.
As I said at the beginning, I don’t know everything and I’m certain that I’ve likely missed loads of stuff which could well be helpful to Virtuans (is that a word?) who want to come and join the fun on Union. If you do think I’ve missed something, feel that something needs better clarification or hell, if you’d like to provide some more detailed information on any of the things I’ve mentioned, please either add it to the thread below or PM me an I’ll update the post.
Finally, let me just say I’m looking forward to meeting new roleplayers (as I’ll be stepping into the Virtueverse as soon as I get the opportunity) and that I hope you have a great time joining us on Union. -
Quote:Emphasis mine. I've never found that being rude did anything other than make the person it's aimed at less likely to want to help you.Originally Posted by SlickRiptide
If you're dissatisfied then, by all means, express your displeasure. A large enough groundswell might prompt a change in plan. However, do it with intelligence, courtesy, and most of all with tact. Accusing the game devs/publishers (NCSoft probably had some input into this, you know) of treating you as "loosers" is a wonderful way of getting yourself dismissed as someone who is simply one of the emotional people who is part of the collatoral damage that they naturally expect to incur as a result of making this kind of decision.
I am displeased. Even if they did purge all the trial account names, I still suspect that I will lose the global I've had for five and half years. As somone with more alts than you can shake a stick at, people are used to my global. Hell, my other half even got a t-shirt printed with it emblazoned on the back. So yes, I will be sad if I lose it but I always knew it was a risk that would come with the merging of the server list. On the whole, I am pleased with the merger but I never thought I would see the renaming of the majority of EU accounts as the price that had to be paid. Especially as this will not affect NA servers one jot.
There's been a history of the EU community lagging behind the NA in terms of service and although things have improved, this latest move could be interpreted as just another kick to the shins of EU subscribers as it impacts us the most heavily. With a smaller player base, there comes a tighter knit community and facing the fact that we could all be called something different in a few months time because it is 'the most efficient' does feel as if the path of least resistance was chosen over the one that would harm the community least.
In the end, it's just a name and I'll adapt. But the way that this part of the plan has been handled, especially in such an arbitrary potentially discriminating fashion, really has soured my mood and spoilt what would otherwise have been a very happy occasion. -
Quote:Here sir, I believe this internet is yours.Originally Posted by Slazenger
So If I get this right, if a name collision occurs and you get a letter chopped off, Bright Spunky would be known as a Bright Spunk, or Magnifico The Cocky would be know as Magnifico The **** rofl.
Come up with a better way guys come on, this lacks imagination.
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Hi! And hello from Union.
Union is the unofficial EU RP server and from what I can tell from the community, not many of them will be abandoning it any time soon. So yes, there will be another RP friendly server coming your way.
What I will tell you in advance though is that the RP is not as prevalent as it is on Virtue. You normally have to look in the usual places to find it like Pocket D, Supergroups and around a little statue in Galaxy City.
But we're here and looking forward to seeing some Virtue roleplayers sometime soon.
And yeah, I'll be coming over to Virtue as well as I'm almost out of slots on Union.
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Quote:I remember it well. For a short while I got quite a sucky global until I got the chance to change it. And yes, I know that I can add the EU to it myself but I'm annoyed that I may have to when my NA equivalent could be some trial account that hasn't been played in years.Originally Posted by Gangrel_EU
There is *nothing* stopping you from adding an EU suffix... you will get a global rename token if you are so affected.
Side note: The fact that your initial "new" global will be based off the character that you 1st login after this change is nothing new. It was how the allocation for Global Chat worked... and also the reason as to WHY i didnt get my current Global name.
*shrugs* -
Quote:Oh I most certainly am excited about this for the very same reason but the wipe of the EU global names is a real kick in the teeth and, quite frankly, spoils the joy of this announcement.Originally Posted by Negate
Finally, I will be able to kick butt along-side my neighbors across the pond!
I always expected to have to change my global to avoid conflicts but I was hoping that it'd be an EU suffix, not potentially losing my name to a trial account created 4 years ago. That really does make me feel like a second class customer and that my loyalty over the past 5 years means nothing.
Sorry to be negative but this might make sense in terms of the amount of work required but it sours the celebration and devalues the loyalty of the EU playerbase.
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Wow, thanks for sticking up for us. I'm sure if it were NA globals being lost, there'd be even more nerdrage.
How about some constructive ideas rather than just responding with 'suck it up Euros'?
Edit: thank you to those posters who are coming up with better ideas than the current plan of attack. Much appreciated. -
Well that's me hosed then. Do you have any idea how many other Dantes there are out there? There's no way I'll be able to hang onto that global once the merge happens. And so poof, a part of my online identity disappears in a puff of smoke possibly due to some Trial account from three years ago. You can colour me disgruntled.
There's always going to be sacrifices and I was prepared for that. I'm just disappointed that it had to be done this way and that age and status of account is disregarded. An EU suffix would have been preferable to be honest. -
Quote:Im going to have to respectfully disagree with you there. I was introduced to the Praetors by existing contacts, I ran their arcs, I even made a few moral choices that favoured them. I didnt have to hand over De Vore or Belladona to Mother or Praetor Sinclair but I did and with a smile on my face as any loyal citizen should. That time I shopped Praetor Berry to the Emperor, Cole even came to see me and tell me what a loyal subject I was. What a guy! Sure feels like siding with Cole and the Praetors to me.Originally Posted by je_saist
At no point in either of the Going Rogue Loyalist Storyline are you allowed to side with Cole for the sake of siding with Cole.
Regardless, I think the major source of disconnect between 1-20 Praetoria and Incarnate Praetoria is due to the nature of the beast. 1-20 is all story arcs, places that allow for exposition, characterization and getting more in depth with the story. The Incarnate content is all TFs and Trials, hardly the best medium for storytelling. So if I were to blame anything for the distinct difference between the two, I would point the finger at the Maria Jenkins arc and the distinct lack of one on the villain side.
I ran the new MJ arc the other night and found it distinctly unimpressive. Sure, its new and shiny and has had another lick of paint but it still felt like an old arc thats just been spruced up. What if some of that new mission tech had been put into it? What if I could have spoken to the Praetors first before diving straight into an attack? Hey, what if it was coded so that it picked up on your badges and could tell your character was an exiled Praetorian now fighting for Primal Earth? Now that would have made for some fun interaction! But instead, they do what every other AV Ive ever fought in this game does: throw off a few snappy lines and then attempt to remove my head in the fastest way possible before becoming just another sack of HP to whittle down. Just like how they were in Issue 2.
And then of course, theres the complete absence of anything villainside before the Apex TF. What about those Loyalists who went to become villains? When did they make their sudden decision to fight Cole? As the leaving text says, theres the option to side with him when he invades. Except there isnt. And theres no explanation given for why. Sure, we can make assumptions and suppositions but nothing that reintroduces the Praetorian threat for villains. If the Devs are going to expand on Praetoria in the future, this is one area that would make the transition so much better.
Anyway, Im not trying to convince anyone here so feel free to disagree with me if you wish. If you like it, fine, Im glad for you. Enjoy. I feel short changed. I play CoX to be part of the story and this is one area where I feel the story has left me cold. For a five and a half year veteran, thats a big disappointment especially as its about their flagship Incarnate content. -
Quote:I'm allowed to side with them in 1-20 content.Originally Posted by Golden Girl
I still waiting for the list of all the ways in which 1-20 Praetoria isn't the same as Incarnate Praetoria
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Quote:I'll be in my bunk.Originally Posted by NinjaPirate
"This is how it all ends... Pond flirting with herself, true love at last.
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I've been remiss in saying thank you for this thread, especially for the build suggestions, I'm very impressed.
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IIRC, Victory is the unofficial EU server on the NA server list but I'm sure it doesn't matter too much. We'll be everywhere soon enough.
For me, I'll be rolling up on Virtue to experience some of their RP. I doubt it will ever take over from Union for me though. -
I know I'll be starting on Virtue but I'd like to think I'll try all of them eventually.
We should all roll alts on them dressed in tuxedos, commenting on their tea and demanding that it's a 'pavement' not a 'sidewalk'. :P -
Quote:This is one of my two main issues with Praetoria. I really like the idea of being a Loyalist, it was different, it was fresh. It allowed me to be a real villain for a while (namely levels 1 - 20). But that option ends the moment we're dumped into Primal Earth. It feels like I've been mis-sold. Don't get me wrong, I love the new Praetoria, I like the look, the missions but the disconnect between level 20 and the rest of the game is huge.Originally Posted by Jophiel
"New" Praetoria is only interesting when you're actually doing the Praetorian thing and forced to think that maybe there's a legitimate reason for Cole doing what Cole does.
Once you leave Praetoria and get into the "real" world, it's just "Rrwar! Cole! Evil! Rrwar! Evil BABS! Evil Positron! Rrwarr! Evil Valkyrie! Evil Sister Psyche! Rrwarr! Stop them from destroying all you love! Rrwarrr!!!!" and any depth is immediately blown away by Goatee Universe once more.
Secondly, I'll agree that there should be a story around unlocking Incarnate powers but I dislike how it is tied to just one story. Although I admire the Devs for sticking with one story and wanting to finish it, IMHO, there are better stories to explore, some of which the players have been begging to see continued for years. Sticking solely to one plot means that it will sour very quickly and in a few years time players will probably tire of it once they've run all their alts through them. Far better to have a number of routes to gain your powers in the same way that Patron Arcs at least have four different stories to explore while unlocking their pools.
Anyway, I'm pleased people like Praetoria, I kind of do too, I just wish it could fulfil the potential that was promised in Going Rogue allowing people to truly choose their side and that other plots weren't being sidelined in favour of it. In the meantime, there'll be other things I can do in game including rolling up new alts on the formerly NA servers.
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Quote:I suspected this as well given those two steps but I didn't want to get my hopes up.Originally Posted by Zombie Man
Not wanting to be cheeky, but when they moved all severs to Austin... kinda saw this coming. Some things telegraph the next step.
Like maybe being forced to use a unified NCSoft Launcher means tha
I'm certainly very happy about this as well. I've really enjoyed sharing the forums with our American (and other nationalities) friends and I now look forward to sharing the game with them too.
I'll certainly be rolling up afresh on Virtue to check out the RP scene but I'd keen to experience Freedom and I hear that Pinnacle have drinks too!
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Quote:Couldn't have put it better myself Bill. i20 looks like it's going to have little for me in it other than the server list merge, but as I said before, I can wait, I've got other things to do.Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Reading through this -
Server list merge - Yay. Good. About time. Hey, you Euro-altaholics, guess what... more slots!
As for the rest... lots of me shaking my head.
"Bring a stealth member..."
Great. So now we're planning stuff around "must have" powers? Or even "Strongly suggested" powers? Really guys?
Remember the "Casual" theme? Or is someone drinking the "pity slot" nonsense?
"street clothes not very heroic" - so what? We have some anyway, and more are appreciated. How about *not* limiting things?
"Praetorian story is too good to leave behind" - no, it isn't. Besides, other stories have been "left behind" for a while.
"Personal lairs impacting performance" - uh huh. I find this a bit hard to believe.
Shadow shard a "big undertaking" - no, it isn't. It's a large, empty set of zones. Here's a suggestion - practice looking up backstory and lore to put some GOOD content in Dark Astoria, then do the same with the Shard. You don't have to redo the zone. Just PUT SOME DAMN CONTENT IN IT (and update the old, week-long task forces so they're not such a PITA.)
"Epic ATs are hard to maintain" - WTH does this even mean? Or did someone's brain explode trying to write the crap arcs VEATs got?
In answer to previous questions though, there are stories still left standing such as: Rularuu, Dark Astoria, the low level drugs ring, the low level magical artefact trafficking, Shiva, Ouroboros, The Council vs The Fifth Column, Kheldians, Cimerora... I could go on.
I have no problem with them expanding on Praetoria, I'm just disappointed that it can't be done while advancing the storyline in other areas. It's also a shame that the Incarnate system is so closely tied to this (in my opinion) lacklustre story. Hey ho. -
Quote:Actually, I suspect it's more going to be like, "You damned Euros need to learn how to spell straight! It's COLOR goddamit!" :POriginally Posted by EU_Damz
Wonder how long before we have a "damn europeans taking over our servers!" thread