This is a call to action.
This is a call to action going out to every profession on Rubi Ka, every player that has a shred of decency, every player with a heart. Because when it all comes down to it, behind the fancy nano armor or the senpai coats, we're all people. As awful as we are to each other both in game and in the real world, there lies a spark of divinity, the angel upon our shoulder, the conscience that gives us pause and calls us to help our fellow man in his time of need, whether it's clan, Omni or neutral.
For months I've silently watch the Anarchy Online message boards and read about the plight of the Fixer. Personally I've never played as a fixer so much of what I have to say comes purely out of ignorance, but speaking from the heart, I feel awful for what fixers have had to go through. I feel awful for every time I've overlooked a fixer in favor of another profession and I'm disgusted at myself for ever, EVER charging a fixer for any of my MP buffs. I can sit here all day and tell you how much my Metaphysicist heart goes out to you or I can, for once in my selfish AO career, do something to help.
I've read many posts telling fixers to simply reroll as something like an MP and let the matter be done and to you all I shake my head in disgust. "It's just a game" you say, "get over it" you say. I'm here to tell you that it's not just a game. The most precious gift we have to give in this world is time, because it's the one thing we can never get back. When you give someone or something your time, you give them a peice of yourself, a piece of your life. Folks spend 100s of hours playing Anarchy Online, meeting people, making new friends, acquiring equipment, etc. To ask them to give that up simply because the game designers lack the sense to properly implement professions is the worst thing I've ever heard. Our characters on Anarchy Online represent a considerable amount of time and money spent and pissing it all away is sometimes not an option to us, as we lose more than we ever gain.
A fixer's one hope for excelling is in a nano formula which we've all heard of called "Grid Armor". While the instruction disc itself is rare enough, the requirements to put it on are absolutely ridiculous. From what I gather speaking to other fixers, all nano skills are dark blue for our speedy friends, which makes wearing grid armor even once the crystal has been made, something of a task. Funcom as we all know is not exactly brilliant in their choices. While grid armor will be given a significant boost in the next patch, the requirements to wear it are still out of control and with the upcoming changes, fixers will no longer be able to store multiple GA pieces in the bank for later use, as their nano skills will be too low to wear the armor. That, coupled with the fact that SMG guns are horribly underpowered is enough to make many of our fixer friends leave AO permanently.
What can we do to help? This next part goes out mainly to Metaphysicists, as we will soon be the crutch that many professions will depend on even more than now. Our Mocham's Gift line of nano buffs gives +140 to any nano skill and lasts a full hour. Normally a high lvl MP will "sell" these buffs for around 50-100k each. I do feel this is a fair price, as it reflects our time and costs in acquiring these spells and the time and effort spent to lvl up enough to use them. Engineers mainly want these buffs to bring out extremely big bots many times their own lvl. I have no problem with that, as more time, effort and money spent SHOULD equal better results. But the likes of Fixers, Nanotechnicians and Adventurers care less about being uber, they only want to survive. They only want to be on equal playing ground with the rest of us, to be an asset to the team, to succeed! Your cries to Funcom have been ignored or mishandled and they will be in the future as well. Funcom is far too arrogant and incompetant to make decisions that will help one class without seriously damaging three other classes at the same time. But we don't want to lose our fixers, adventurers and NTs, so heres what I propose (and I hope this will start a trend to the community):
All Metaphysicist buffs for fixers are now free for ALL fixers, Nanotechnicians and Adventurers, regardless of affiliation. While I'm often unavailable or in a mission, I still encourage anyone in need of help to call on me when you need a hand with implants, buffs, etc. You will never pay me a penny for anything, not even a grid armor or nullity sphere disc, and I absolutely mean this. We all deserve to have fun in the world of Rubi Ka, despite the hand that has been dealt to us and we all deserve to be playable classes. If we're ever to change anything in this game, we have to stop shouting at each other and make one big noise. Together.
To Funcom, take this seriously, as together we can do alot to ruin your idiotic nerfs, leveling difficulties, etc. Imagine my ql 189 heal pet on a lvl 13 fixer and you'll know what I'm talking about. You want to make fixers' nano skills dark blue? Fine, I'll buff them with expertise plus Mochams' gift for a quick +160 nano skills boost. And that kind hearted Doctor and enforcer over there will hopefully boost their HP. Perhaps the wealthy trader will perform a gratis wrangle for our fixer friends, but I understand that's a more difficult request, as there's a bit more time and effort that goes into casting a wrangle.
While one person can't do a whole lot, I'm asking that we all come together and help these professions until a fix (if ever) comes about. In the meantime, I invite you all, clan and omni, to ask anything of me if you ever meet me in a town, outpost or in the middle of nowhere. You will all be treated as brothers, despite the position that Funcom puts us in. I only hope that other will follow this idea and take 10 seconds of their time out to help as well.
I bid you farewell and wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
TheDeacon
lvl 128 Metaphysicist, Rubi Ka 1
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