For one person, perhaps that only extended to slaying monsters in a realistic first-person way. For another, maybe they wanted to escape the pain of real-life, for some maybe it was about the accomplishment and competition that they couldn't achieve physically, mentally, financially, politically, or in any other sense in real-life.
For her, maybe it was something she was unable to ever experience in her lifetime if not for virtual reality, the gift of sight.
Most of them turned back quickly, but a few started to laugh with a mocking tone. If I could hear the laughs and mocks, I was sure she could hear them too. I glanced at her face expecting to see embarrassment or something, but she remained poised and calm throughout all of the chatter.
She wasn't shaken at all, at least not externally.
The presenter found the crowd rude as it seemed she had thoroughly enjoyed that answer, so she attempted to settle the crowd down by asking another question, "You know, I quite liked that answer and I think it's worth exploring."
The raucous part of the crowd took exception here and scoffed at the thought. I didn't really like where this was going, whether she truly believed the answer was a good one or not didn't really matter, at this point the crowd was attempting to belittle both the presenter and the girl to my left.
I didn't like bullies very much, especially group bullies who were cowards on their own.
Then one of the guys that had been laughing spoke out, "If the only positive of the far North is that it lacks a population and has pretty scenery, I think that speaks more to the character of the person who would enjoy such a thing. Some people do prefer to be alone, and the scenery is certainly pretty."
Some people took his words as sincere; those people have misunderstood his intent. Though he spoke and voiced his words in a positive and reassuring manner, they were veiled insults. From the tone of his voice and the delivery it sounded as if he were taking her side, defending her difference of opinion. But in the words, he was mocking her further as an introverted loner whose sole purpose was to enjoy the so-called beautiful scenery.
If I really wanted to stretch I could say he was even attacking her intellect.
As someone whose humor is most often of the dry nature, and whose insults tend to stay dry as well, I understood what he was saying.
An asshole like me wouldn't miss something like that. I knew from the way he was laughing and mocking moments earlier.
He was insulting both the girl to my left and the presenter Emily up on stage. I had heard enough. I raised my hand next. "Ah, yes, in the back," the announcer said while trying to force a smile.
She was surely apprehensive about continuing the topic.
"I would like to espouse on the merits of the statement made earlier. It is of my opinion that the beauty of the North is explicitly related to its isolation, but not purely or solely in an aesthetic manner," with the beginning of my statement I had the entire room staring back at me.
I was always known as someone who was well spoken and with a somewhat deep yet clear voice that carried well I could command some attention.
These peons would do well to listen.
"For the way I see it, the most important prospect of isolation is the scarcity of other players, not in the scarcity of resources. If we quantify NPCs, raw materials, supplies, natural resources, quests, hunt-able creatures, and territory as in-game resources at the disposal of the player-adventurer, the one common denominator for all of those listed resources, are other players.
"If comparing, strictly speaking, the amount of quests available in a region and then comparing it to the amount of competition between players for said quest's requirements, I believe the relative proportion of player to quest would greatly favor those in the North.
"If we were to examine the lack of NPC trainers that are available in a smaller region, it is wrong to measure quality by quantity where specialization would be the more prudent measure. Nearly every class is represented in the North by an NPC; they are just more spread out without needless duplicates whereas in the other kingdoms they are clustered at every major population hub.
"Is there a difference in ease of use? Certainly, but that does not render the North useless, the North is simply more efficient with its numbers. But what of the poor weather you ask, well, what of it? It is cold in the winter and requires some clothing and a fire at night. Are these requirements too much to ask of a player? I was not aware that players were incapable of gathering firewood and wearing clothing in this game.
"Ah and lest I forget, the raw materials and natural resources, there simply cannot be enough to go around in the North. Well, perhaps this would be true if the population received a massive boon but as it currently stands the numbers are more than sufficient.
"In closing, I do not encourage or recommend coming to the North if you already deemed it unworthy, please stay where you originally decided on. But if you are a new player or relatively removed from your starting location, there is plenty of opportunity to be had in parts of the North. And it really is, possibly the most beautiful part of the continent. I mean, the Aurora Borealis isn't half bad to fall asleep to every night, at least if you like that kind of thing."
Well, I hope I elaborated properly; I'm not even sure myself.
Effusing like that makes me forget what my original intent was. I looked down for a second in the silence and noticed I was still crossing my arms and had my foot up on my knee, I certainly looked ultra-casual here. Oh well~ what can you do when comfort is a high demand.
No one replied or laughed or mocked, they all simply turned their heads back to the front and a momentary silence filled the room.
I hated it.
Was my reasoning off, or was it my delivery, or maybe I was incoherent?
Bah, whatever.
Yawn.
I was getting bored, and sleepy.
The presenter started nodding her head like she had caught on to something and couldn't help but agree, frankly it looked like she was kind of crazy since she didn't say anything and was standing on stage nodding away.
But then she started to talk and it seemed a little less crazy, "If I may ask, for clarification purposes, you believe the most important thing in the North, the selling point if I may, is the scarcity of other players? Correct?"
Yeah, I think that's what I said, right?
Well, to reiterate, "That's correct."
She smiled as she decided to prod further, "Then, if we were to take that a step further, that even though the starter villages in the far north are rated an abysmal 0.5/10 and the burden is on the player to succeed, you believe it to actually be advantageous to start there?"
Yawn, did we really have to keep this up.
"If you're referencing the Northern Triangle, it's only as advantageous as you are willing. The North is what you make of it, success won't come easy and it won't be handed to you. But if you're willing to persevere, then the opportunity is there."
Clasping her hands together with a smile, she spoke once more, "Lovely, thank you for your input, I believe you have shed a lot of light on the subject matter."
Finally I thought, we can change subjects or call it a day, I just want to eat and leave.
But before we could change the topic, the guy who had spoken out earlier with his sardonic comment decided to interject once again, "Simply for the sake of playing Devil's advocate, I have to say… everything you have mentioned is pure hearsay, it is pure conjecture. What proof, what evidence do you have to back up your words?
"The 0.5/10 rating is a factual rating. The lack of quests, NPCs, hunt-able creatures, raw materials, natural resources, trade… all of those are factual entities.