Selected Editorials (1999)

Let's get something straight (12/20/1999) by Bundy

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (12/19/1999) by Bundy

Fire for effect, over (10/13/1999) by Totentanz

A little something from TF past, to lighten your day (10/10/1999) by Totentanz

Integrity, Character and Sportsmanship (10/09/1999) by Bundy

This will make you mad (10/04/1999) by Bundy

Friends, Homers, Bundymen, lend me your beers (10/03/1999) by ben

The State of the Game - as I see it (09/22/1999) by Bundy

Here's something to think about (09/20/1999) by Bundy

Monday, 20 December 1999 1700Z
Let's get something straight -Bundy

It seems that I managed to create a little hate and discontent with yesterday's update. Not really - the hate was already there and the discontent is always just beneath the surface.

Having said that, I'd like to say a few more things. As for my dislike of conc and rocket jumping, I'm entitled to my opinion. Those of you who are ready to hop on a forum and slam me for my opinion are some of the first ones to defend your right to your opinions. To those of you who are lurking the forums waiting for a chance to jump on something without at least trying to get clarification first - I say bite me.

On the other hand, I received several emails from people who wanted to discuss my post with me and we are having a nice dialog. Even though we don't necessarily agree on everything it often turns out that we agree on more things than we disagree. In fact, it isn't unusual to come to the conclusion that we are saying the same thing but in a different way. If anyone has a problem with what I say you are more than welcome to write me. I will respond. On the other hand, if you are just some slug who doesn't have anything better to do than hawk the forums looking for a chance to start a flame war - I say again: bite me. Most people have an idea what to expect when they come to this page. It is a TF/TFC (and TF2 when it comes out) community opinion/editorial page, people. It is NOT a news page, nor is it a feel-good page where I'll tell you what you want to hear. I don't address clans nor do I talk about leagues or matches. I stick to talking about public servers. If you don't like that, you should spend your time elsewhere. There are plenty of other pages out there.

Now, I'll spell it out to those of you who are looking to pick apart everything I say and I'll try to be as brief as I can: TFC IS NOT WHAT IT COULD BE! Sure, it's a great game. There is no denying that. It is head and shoulders above whatever is in second place. The resources (servers, news pages, etc) carried over from TF are second to none. But, sadly to say, too many of you have no idea whatsoever what you are missing. It seems to me that there is WAY too much emphasis on winning at any cost, and personal glory. Both of which drive people to do things that detract from the game - not only for others, but for themselves as well. The lack of Sportsmanship is evident in just about every pub game you join.

I, for one, KNOW that the game could (and should) be a lot more enjoyable. Before you condemn me for my opinions maybe you should stop and think that just maybe I know what I'm talking about. But it's more fun to shoot the messgenger, isn't it?

Let me put up a quote for you. I found this at Old Skewl - Team Fortress, the way it was meant to be..., a league dedicated to the way TF used to be. Read it and think about it.

Old Skewl, the name, the phrase itself, encompases all that this league is, what it stands for, why it was brought to life, what it means to us, and perhaps, to you. Some of us remember a time in Teamfortress when honor played on the battlefield. Mixed in with the blood and horror were grudging admissions to an enemy proven stronger. A time when a man would pick himself up off the ground and shake the hand of his foe. Many of you only came along long after that time had passed, and missing that time is a travesty in our opinion. So now, in honor of those long forgotten times of hero's and legends... I bring you 'Old Skewl'. A tribute to times past....play with honor.

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Sunday, 19 December 1999 1745Z
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... -Bundy

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". This opening phrase from Charles Dickens' classic novel of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities, can also be applied to describe the current state of the Team Fortress community.

It is the best of times in many ways. Hardware is available at decent prices, video technology is improving at an exponential rate, large hard drives are dirt cheap, cpu's are getting faster and faster and there is no end in sight. The AMD Athlon^™ (currently at 750 MHz) is now in production at 1 GHz. That's 1,000 MHz. The NVIDIA^™ GeForce 256^™ chipset is capable of processing ten million polygons per second, motherboards are available that will support dual processors, major manufacturers are supplying systems loaded with Linux operating systems, and high-speed internet connections are becoming more readily available to the masses.

There are some excellent map makers who devote countless hours creating outstanding maps for us to play. HellFace, a personal friend of mine, is a good example of this. He has been making maps since the early TF days and is a prolific contributor to the scene. He also wrote a program (Vote) which permits the players to vote on the next map but unfortunately the latest release of TFC has a bug that doesn't let Vote work properly. His popular map, Darkness is being updated to Darkness2, and the interesting thing about his maps is that he actively solicits player feedback on forums, via email, ICQ, or any other means. To download his Darkness and Betrayed (I love that name) and to check his progress, go to DARK/BETRAYAL, his map page.

One of, if not the most positive things that I see now is the evolution of a group of players who are dedicated to team play and helping others. TeamPF. The TeamPF stands for Team Play First. THAT is what TF/TFC is all about, isn't it? I'll talk about DMFortress (Death Match with classes) later, but these guys are walking the walk. I have nothing but respect and admiration for what they have accomplished. Before I had to take an involuntary hiatus from the game several months back I was doing my utmost to promote Honor, Sportsmanship and Team Play. Even though I often felt it was for naught, the seeds I helped to plant took hold and grew. Folks like Totentanz, Kinlord, Gudlyf, Cheat_H8tr, EricP and many others I don't have room to mention here nurtured the ideal of Honor and Sportsmanship in an environment where wankers are the norm. I sincerely thank all of you for fighting The Good Fight^™ in my absence. Upon my return, I found many references to something called "TPF" on the Planetfortress Forums. In fact, they have their own forum there. Make sure to go to the PF Forums and click on the TPF link. There you will find a great bunch of folks who are quite knowledgeable and are willing to help you with just about any problem you have. TPF are without a doubt the most helpful and accessible people in the game. Speaking of forums, the folks from Valve frequent the forums and answer questions. That shows their willingness and desire to see what the players think and to help them with their needs.

I can't possibly talk about the good things without mentioning Pinhead. Pinhead is one of the smartest people I know. He is a wealth of knowledge on many subjects but the one that he is most noted for is his indepth testing in pursuit of a better ping and how to reduce lag. Unless you are running on an OC3 you definitely need to visit Pinhead's page. Many thanks, Pinhead.

As you can see, there are the best of times in many ways. The community has grown a lot since the introduction of TFC and with this growth there are a lot of new players who have never played TF. Along with the new players there was a shift in the "identity" of the typical player. I, being an old school TF'er, welcome the influx of more mature players that have made a home with TPF and some of the clans. On the other hand, I can't say that I'm enamored with the physics of the Half-Life engine when applied to TF. I never even accepted rocket jumping, much less all the conc jumping that is part of the game now. The game has been bastardized to the point it is barely recognizable now, even though the eye candy is great.

It's time to segue into the second part of my post - that of being "The worst of times". Like I said in the above paragraph, the eye candy in TFC is outstanding, but it comes at a price. The bar has been raised in terms of baseline equipment requirements. I don't have a problem with it since I a) have a job, and b) don't mind spending the money to have good equipment. To paraphrase Scatterblak, another friend of mine, "Good players get good equipment". In other words, don't expect an old Ford Pinto to keep up with a Porche. The Porche will win every time, all else being equal. This also applies to your internet connection, but there is less you can do about that part. Let's face it - DSL and cable modems are not available to everyone. In fact, there are still a lot of places where 56K isn't an option. As far as the hardware part goes, there are many players who don't have the latest gear and have no way to get it. Since the public has become convinced they must get "the internet" for little Johnny, they have bought some pretty tacky units for their kids. These kids are quickly frustrated when they can't keep up with the rest of the pack and often become wankers who do their best to spoil everyone else's fun. I'm not saying that they are all that way, but come on - don't tell me it isn't a big part of the problem we have on public servers.

I see the equipment/connection problems getting worse as new games are introduced. Take TF2 for example. I, for one, am convinced that your basic P200 with 64 Meg just won't hack it for TF2. It played just fine in TF, will barely work with TFC and probably won't be a player with TF2. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. I don't want to be unable to enjoy new things because someone else can't keep up. Unfortunately, ol' Dad probably won't see the need in buying Junior a new box just to play a new game. So Junior becomes even more frustrated and either drops out or joins the Dark Side. The games of today DEMAND a decent system and a good internet connection, no matter what their minimum specs call for in their press releases. Game developers are in a quandary because they have to appeal to the broadest group they can. I believe Valve will to their best to maintain the playability vs. eye candy/features situation they can. I'm sure we'll be pleasantly surprised.

TF is going through what may be called it's death struggles now. It is the opinion of many old school TF'ers (and myself) that TF is packed with cheaters and is quite newbie intolerant. The new players are drawn to TFC and have no inclination to even try TF - after all, TFC is the latest Big Thing^®, is it not? For the record, I much prefer TF over TFC. As I said earlier, I don't care for the physics of the Half-Life engine when applied to TF. Additionally, the player models are larger (20% larger I think) and the maps "feel" smaller. This, when coupled with the different game engine physics, have enabled players to bastardize the classes to the point that defensive classes have become offensive classes. The Medic was NEVER intended to be an offensive class. Now he is a major part of any team's offensive cadre. What happened to healing your team mates? It is rare to see it anymore. I brought this up on a forum one time and was told that if you needed healing on defense you should go to the resupply locker and grab a health pack. Excuse me? Well, call it what you will, but that wasn't the intent of the class. Nor were Scouts intended to fly. The conc jumping mania that has become a stock-in-trade of Medics and Scouts have totally changed the makeup of the game. Soldiers use double rocket jump scripts to bypass the defenses on many maps while the Medics and Scouts simply fly over them. To my amazement, this is not only accepted but is condoned and encouraged!

My very favorite pet peeve is respawn "camping". You can visit nearly any forum and mention respawn "camping" and you'll be able to identify the less-than-honorable and wankers. Throw a rock in a pack of dogs and you're bound to hit one. heh. They come back with all the arguments about how it is a "valid tactic" and all that rubbish. Furthermore, they'll tell you that it is so easy to kill the offending "camper" that you have no reason to complain. Well, I'll tell you right now that the focus shouldn't be on whether it is a "valid tactic" or not, but whether it is the right thing to do. I could care less what two clans agree to do in a match - I'm talking about playing on public servers. There is no excuse to do that on a pub server. If these respawn camping assholes as so good, why to they insist on preying on players who can't defend themselves? If they are as "leet" as they would have you believe it seems to me they would "own ju" straight up without just getting cheap frags to make their kill/death ratio look good. Bah, I would ban them from the game for life if it were left to me. My isp is setting up game servers as we speak. I am likely to become the TF/TFC/TF2 admin for our server. Guess what? I'll ban you for life in a heartbeat if you wank on my server. Don't say you weren't warned. Not only that, but I'll publish your WON ID so other admins can ban you as well. heh.

I think this is the worst of times for our community because I don't see a lot of people actively condemning wankers and their lame practices. Even the TPF folks, whom I consider the most honorable group around, don't come out strong against wankers. Rather than condemn their actions, there is a general attitude of "tolerance" and mild disapproval. I say that you should call a spade a spade and be done with it. There is no doubt where I stand on this or any other issue and I'd like to see more people take stronger stands on issues that affect the community. Until wanking and respawn "camping" are deemed to be unacceptable they are here to stay. Until players stand up and speak out nothing will change. Until admins and rcon holders actually police their servers (yes, that was a deliberate choice of words), the assholes will have their way. I refuse to let them go unaccountable and so should you.

In summary, now is the time for us to get our act together for the next Big Thing^® - TF2. Just like I said before TFC hit the streets, we really need to make a decision on how we want things to go and act on it. I guarantee you that there will be another mass influx of people who have never played an online game in their lives, people who are refugees from Death Match games, and people who are just curious. The community will evolve (devolve?) and many changes will take place. It is up to US to influence it and help it achieve the level of gameplay we desire. I am so sick of joining a game and finding it is only Death Match with classes. The respawn "campers" are a classic example of this, but it is not limited to them. Have you ever entered a game only to find NO organized defense or offense? Of course you have. Have you ever entered a game only to be told "no caps!"? Of course you have. Have you ever entered a game only to find a team that is all soldiers, medics or scouts? Probably. Do you think this is fun? I don't. Do you think this is the way the game was intended to be played? I KNOW it isn't.

Much like a very wise man said about government: "The people get the government they deserve" - I will say that you'll get the gameplay you deserve. If you don't do something about it, you have no right to complain. If I've said something that has made you think, then I've accomplished my goal. If I've said something that you agree with, that's even better. If I've said something that has made you see things in a different light - well, that is great. I just hope that the Honorable folks who never participate on a forum, never write an editorial and who are letting someone else do the talking for them realize that it is also up to THEM to fight The Good Fight^™.

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Wednesday, 13 Oktober 1999 2030Z
Fire for effect, over... -Totentanz

While reading through the Oktober 11th news (excuse the spelling, I've lived in many countries, and some things stick with me), I found an item posted by Mr.Potatohead, labelled "Grass Root Killers". After reading the cut-n-paste from the person maintaining this site, my Brody-detector read at maximum, and all the alarms in Fort Bundy went off all at once. I knew this was a bad sign, even just from the tone of that small post. So, after suiting up in full protective gear, I decided to follow the link, and see what else these cretins had to say... Allow me to quote some of this stuff here. As is the tradition here at Fort Bundy, the offensive material gets the YELLOW text - as fits them, and RED gets used for item of special emphasis. Grab your Asbestos undies and your Kevlar - we're off on another strange journey, into the arsehole zone....

From their section titled "We are TM":

So, we have 3 different types of TFC Mercenaries.

Mercenary - Just plays alone. Does what they need to do to win and be the best they can be. - Ok, I can deal with that - no problems whatsoever..
Lone or Semi-Mercenary - Plays the game, but when someone crosses their path, they dedicate the rest of their time to killing that player, and ruining his ego. - This, is commonly known in TF as a "complete prek". "when someone crosses their path"? - what kind of utter crap is this. So, if this person decides to, they are going to abandon all semblences of TEAMplay, and go hunt someone down? PREK!
True Mercenary - Taking requests! Ruin the egos of the players on the other team that cross you, piss off your team, or are just plain out butt cracks. - This, friends is what I refer to as a poster child for retroactive birth control. THIS is exactly what is WRONG with the TF community today (NOTE: I use the term "TF community" to include both TF1 and TFC). There is absolutely no call for this sort of behavior. They go around ruining games for other people, for their own sick sense of pleasure. This is the type of cretin I would like to see added to a Community-wide Banlist. In Tot's triumverate of of "Cheaters, Lamers and Arseholes", they rank firmly in both of the last two categories.

Mind you, that was a quote from the webpage itself, describing what they are. Disgusted yet? But wait, let's go over some more, now.. oh, and remember:

Apart from what you may think, True Mercenaries is NOT a clan!!! If anything, we are an ANTI-clan organization!

Going down their roster page, some of the people listed there are obviously confused, and didn't bother to read the "We are TM" page. Minor issue, only.

Then the webmaster has a section entitled "Clans", and in the about clans, he gives a decent description there about clans. He actually makes a GOOD statement in it- "Lastly... CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER in the TFC gaming world. " Finally, a bit of sense in the madness, even if it does contradict the definition of their organization. Then he has a place for clans to submit their info to be listed there. WHY? I would have to say that that there is more confusion going on here, on the part of the webmaster/grand poobah of this place.

And another important point about clans and this whole "Mercenary" idea. In all three of the major TFC "leagues" - the IGL, STA, and OGL - have a No Ringers policy. What does that mean - it means that unless you are an legit, active member or recruit of the clan in question, you can NOT play in a match, otherwise that clan in in violation of the rules, and subject to disciplinary action. Usually at the least, that match is forfeited due to violation of the rules, and possibly even ejection from the league. Kind of makes the idea of Mercenaries working for clans USELESS, huh ?

Ok, lets go back into rant mode. here's some choice quotes from some of the members of this "fine organization". *spit* NOTE: I purposedly did NOT put in mailto tags in there names. There's an old saying - " sure, you can wrestle a pig - but you'll BOTH end up covered in mud."

Fox - I have nothing to say, u wont c me but i will c u... - Lovely. intelligent AND literate, :P

[::]4*L0M[::] - [::]4*L0M[::] is GOD's gift to bounty hunting. Any time any place if the price is right. - Gee, what do get paid in? I'm kinda fuzzy on this whole "Bounty Hunter" concept in TFC, myself.

Zurf - Im willing to piss of anyone (practically)if you ask if u ask nicely enuf (and the target isnt a clanner(dont wanna be killed by an entire clan)). i have lots intersting was to kill them slowly, or quikly (3 feet outside the base) and im capable of being a total ass hole - oh boy, another real winner here, and oh-so brave too. How about being hunted by an entire Commonality? ^_^

Q - Death has no set schedual but I'll be happy to arrange the meeting. Clans are for the emotionally deprived. If I thought that being in a clan would make me a better person I still wouldn't join one. - for the emotionally deprived, eh? I'm wondering if he got turned down by a few, you know?

Drool - I'm the fat guy with the big gun that just took out half your clan. See? I'm waving. At you. - Uhm. excuse me. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ok, I feel better now. At least this one was humourous.

WhiteShadow - I dont care to get a score of 1/50 as long as my frag is YOU. - Wow, impressive. But it seems to me that a GOOD Mercenary would be a PROFICIENT one, eh?

Ok, that's enough before I get any more nauseous. What should be, as proponents of Honour, Sportsmanship and Team Play, do about this? Time for Tot to play with the new toy! That's right - it's instapoll Time!!!

The last thing I wanted to address, and this one is a sad one - to me at least. Mr. Potatohead has ALWAYS been a proponent of the principles we espouse here at the fort, and even in his capacity as the excellent newsie that he is, if he did post an item with some sort of questionable or disagreeable content, he would always put a witty comment at the bottom, that would give an indication of his view of that item. The comment this time was nothing like that. Tater, please - I'm hoping that it was merely a mistake, and that you didn't manage totake the time to check out the content of that item your received. You had always done that on "the Sycamore Tree" (which I miss greatly). Give me a sign, please? And folks, PLEASE do NOT flame Tater on this matter - he's a good person that does not deserve any abuse. Ok?

Tot walks out of the commo centre, lighting another Pall Mall. He mutters, "It going to take a lot of Geritol and cough syrup to help blot this from my mind, to be able to rest." Brothers, sisters - fellow warriors - I've had my rant. It's time to decide what the TF community should do able this. I await to hear your voice in this matter.

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Sunday, 10 Oktober 1999 2300Z
A little something from TF past, to lighten your day -Totentanz

I was digging through my archives of old TF stuff I had stored away, and dug up this little gem. I had saved it, back when I was still an HPB, and unfortunately, all too often, this is STILL a truism. I'd like to dedicate this to the warriors of clan [30+] - a fine bunch they are, and they host 2 of the best-run and most enjoyable TFC servers I've had the pleasure to visit, despite them being West Coast, and me on the East.

The HPB's Prayer
----------------
Lo, while I step off the battlements into the green grass,
I shall not fear the 30 ping snipes.
I shall not fear, for I am so lagged, I will merely find myself in
the comfort of my respawn.
And tho I die quickly, albeit over and over again,
I shall not want.
For in the end I know,
they are all ping.
Amen.

That being done, it's time for a smoke break. Between this, and sneaking in to spike ben's cough syrup with everclear, things should get a little interesting around here. ^_^

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Saturday, 9 October 1999 0600Z
Integrity, Character and Sportsmanship -Bundy

I once heard integrity defined as 'Doing the right thing even when no one is looking'. Integrity isn't like a jacket that you can take out of the closet and wear when you are going somewhere. You either have it, or you don't. Your integrity is something that no one can take away from you and can be considered one or your most valuable assets. You can't buy integrity, nor can you sell it. You can't always define it, but you know it when you see it (or the lack of it).

Integrity is one of the key components of your character. The way you deal with other people and situations is in great part determined by your character. Your character is formed by interacting with people and situations and can be developed (or strengthened) by striving to do 'the right thing'. Conversely, if you put yourself into situations where you allow yourself to do things that you know aren't right (even though no one is looking), your character will eventually suffer. It will erode. Just as you can strengthen your character, you can erode is as well.

What do integrity and character have to do with sportsmanship? Sportsmanship reflects your integrity and character. Specifically, when relating this to Team Fortress or any other internet activity (other games, IRC, chat rooms, etc.), you may feel that no one is looking. After all, you are using a 'Quake Name' that you picked for your persona. Some people really go to great lengths to develop their online persona. Some become well-known for one reason or another. But the thing about it is this - no one is really looking, are they? They don't know your real name, do they? They don't really know anything about you, do they? Besides, who the heck are they, anyway?

It is easy to feel anonymous when you play Team Fortress, get on an IRC channel, or whatever. But your character is showing every time you do it. Even if no one knows the 'real' you, you are either developing or eroding your character. Remember, that is the true test of integrity, doing the right thing EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.

Sportsmanship, or the way you play the game, is really a reflection of your character. It is easy to see if you have integrity. It is easy to see if you are a cheeser and don't care one whit about what you are doing to other people. There are wankers everywhere, but there are also honorable players too. It just isn't right for the honorable players to have to put up with the antics that they do.

The next time you have a chance to 'do the right thing', do it. Not only will you feel better about it, you will be strengthening your character. When related to Team Fortress, you will be adding to the quality of the game plus you will be doing something that is very important. You will be leading by example. You will be putting yourself in a leadership role, even if you don't realize it. Believe me, it is very obvious to me when someone is leading by example. Leadership qualities, like character, are developed and strengthened by exercising them.

Right now there are new leaders emerging. This is a natural and normal progression. There are more and more decent and honorable players standing up and speaking out against the people who would rob them of an enjoyable game of Team Fortress by cheating or otherwise disrupting the game. I see more people stepping forth and assuming the mantle of leadership all the time, and I think it is great.

A lot of what I have said isn't directed solely towards Team Fortress. Much (actually all) of it applies to your everyday lives as well. What I have told you has taken me decades to figure out. I hope it will be of some value to you.

Note: I first published this article in January, 1998 and I think it's as timely now as it was then. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

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Monday, 4 October 1999 2305Z
This WILL make you mad- -Bundy
...or at least it should.

Unfortunately many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed (not only the idea of our "country") but the men who served and sacrificed during Vietnam Please take the time to read and forward to as many people as you possibly can. It will eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that "we will never forget". Lest we forget..."100 years of great women" Jane Fonda should never be considered. The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat. There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Jane Fonda's participation in what I believe to be blatant treason, is one of them. Part of my conviction comes from exposure to those who suffered her attentions.

In 1978, the Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a former POW in Ho Lo Prison-the "Hanoi Hilton". Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in clean PJs, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American "Peace Activist" the "lenient and humane treatment" he'd received. He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and dragged away. During the subsequent beating, he fell forward upon the camp Commandant's feet, accidentally pulling the man's shoe off-which sent that officer berserk. In '78, the AF Col still suffered from double vision-permanently grounding him from the Vietnamese Col's frenzied application of wooden baton.

From 1983-85, Col Larry Carrigan was 347FW/DO (F-4Es). He'd spent 6 years in the "Hilton"-the first three of which he was "missing in action". His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned/fed/clothed routine in preparation for a "peace delegation" visit. They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that they still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper, with his SSN on it, in the palm of his hand. When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like: "Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?" and "Are you grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors?"

Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper. She took them all without missing a beat. At the end of the line and once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to the officer in charge...and handed him the little pile. Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Col Carrigan was almost number four. For years after their release, a group of determined former POWs Including Col Carrigan, tried to bring Ms. Fonda and others up on charges of treason. I don't know that they used it, but the charge of "Negligent Homicide due to Depraved Indifference" would also seem appropriate. Her obvious "granting of aid and comfort to the enemy", alone, should've been sufficient for the treason count. However, to date, Jane Fonda has never been formally charged with anything and continues to enjoy the privileged life of the rich and famous. I, personally, think that this is shame on us, the American Citizenry. Part of our shortfall is ignorance: most don't know such actions ever took place. Thought you might appreciate the knowledge.

To whom it may concern:
I was a civilian economic development advisor in Viet Nam, and was captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Viet Nam in 1968, and held for over 5 years. I spent 27 months in solitary confinement, one year in a cage in Cambodia, and one year in a "black box" in Hanoi. My North Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Ban me Thuot, South Vietnam, whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I was weighing approximately 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs.). We were Jane Fonda's "war criminals." When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi, I was asked by the camp communist political officer if I would be willing to meet with Jane Fonda. I said yes, for I would like to tell her about the real treatment we POWs were receiving, which was far different from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese, and parroted by Jane Fonda, as "humane and lenient." Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees with outstretched arms with a piece of steel rebar placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane every time my arms dipped. I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda for a couple of hours after I was released. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She did not answer me, her husband, Tom Hayden, answered for her. She was mind controlled by her husband. This does not exemplify someone who should be honored as "100 Years of Great Women." After I was released, I was asked what I thought of Jane Fonda and the anti-war movement. I said that I held Joan Baez's husband in very high regard, for he thought the war was wrong, burned his draft card and went to prison in protest. If the other anti-war protesters took this same route, it would have brought our judicial system to a halt and ended the war much earlier, and there wouldn't be as many on that somber black granite wall called the Vietnam Memorial. This is democracy. This is the American way. Jane Fonda, on the other hand, chose to be a traitor, and went to Hanoi, wore their uniform, propagandized for the communists, and urged American soldiers to desert. As we were being tortured, and some of the POWs murdered, she called us liars. After her heroes-the North Vietnamese communists-took over South Vietnam, they systematically murdered 80,000 South Vietnamese political prisoners. May their souls rest on her head forever. Shame! Shame!

(History is a heavy sword in the hands of those who refuse to forget it. Think of this the next time you see Ms. Fonda-Turner at a Braves game)

I've given up on looking for an outpouring of moral outrage over this. But I, for one, will not forget and will certainly never forgive Hanoi Jane. May she burn in hell.

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Sunday, 3 October 1999 1720Z
Friends, Homers, Bundymen, lend me your beers -ben

Today I would like to talk about respawn camping. Ok, shush, stop the groaning, I’ll try to make this interesting. Hey! Stop throwing those tomatoes. I mean it buddy, it’s not like I’m forcing you to read this. Ok, thanks…=)

Just to lay some foundation for this article, I would like to pose the following to you. Respawn camping is lying in wait to kill newly spawned players. I think this definition is broad enough to validly include people that actually stay in the enemy respawns and those that lay a trap outside the respawns and await emerging players. Respawn campers live for the sole purpose of fragging the enemy at their most vulnerable time.

I’m not going to turn this into some whining bit on how respawn campers ruin my games. Frankly, they don’t affect me at all. Not to say I am highly skilled, any player with his wits about him will be able to unseat and destroy the camper with no problems.

One could ask why the issue of respawn camping is constantly rehashed. Well, for one, I like making you all suffer through recycled arguments. Recycling is good for the environment after all. Why just today I cut down a tree so I could recycle it. Yes, yes, no need to thank me, I’m just looking out for our planet. I care too ya know. Anyway, the reason I want to address this topic is because we are here to talk about Honor, Sportsmanship, and Fairplay. Personally I think that respawn camping goes against all three of those tenets and I’m going to do my best to convince you all too. (Well you all if we happen to have some random reader stopped by, otherwise it’s just you reading this Bundy)

My thought is that any halfway skilled player can effectively defeat a respawn camper. I do not wish to get into tactics in this discussion but trust me, you can do it. If it is possible for almost any player that’s figured out how to change his name from ‘Player’ to defeat a camper then the point of camping must be for the sole purpose of killing lesser skilled players.

Now, I may have a very twisted view on things, feel free to correct me on this but this doesn’t seem very sporting at all to me. It is no more indicative of sportsmanship than fighting a man with both hands tied behind his back. One might as well go out driving and aim for the pedestrians, they’re easier targets after all.

Of course, I may have this all wrong, maybe respawn campers only camp because they are bored. Yes, that must be it, why else would they do it. Oh, wait, if they are doing it because they are bored then the game must be so lopsided that they can afford to stick around the enemy base doing nothing helpful for their team. But hold on a second, if their opponent is so weak that they can do this then they are still not practicing Fairplay. Heck, I bet that if they switched teams they would have the fight of their life.

Regardless of the motivation for camping, I can not see the Honor in it. Yes, you may very well be at the top of the frag chart, but it’s no different than cheating at poker, the win is hollow. I will say that there is one instance where I see it as valid to hang around the enemy respawn for even a fraction of a second. That is when you are escorting a flag runner into or out of the enemy base. But then, you aren’t really camping, you’re utilizing teamwork and providing rear guard cover for your runner.

Anyway, I see I’m rambling now…=) Bundy, I need more of that Geritol and cough syrup! I went through two cases today and I’m afraid I will keep rambling unless I get more! Well folks, this really is the end of the article, feedback, comments, daughters between the ages of 17 and 23, are all welcome.

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Wednesday, 22 September 1999 0310Z
The State of The Game - as I see it -Bundy

For those of you who know me, you know what I my values are. For those of you who don't, I have a very well developed sense of Honor, Sportsmanship and Teamplay. If you are offended by this you may as well click on another site because I don't pull punches. I call things like I see them.

I've been active in the TF community since almost the beginning and have seen many changes, some good, some bad. The game code and eye candy have improved immensely, thanks to TF Software Pty. Ltd. and Valve LLLC, Kirkland, Washington. Well, TFS merged with Valve (actually Valve bought them, but why split hairs? To me, Robin and John will always be TFS) and were able to tap vast resources and talent that wasn't available until then. I won't go into a history lesson, but suffice to say that they gave us TFC to hold us over until TF2 comes out. By the way, I want to personally thank the TFC team, especially Erik Johnson for all the hard work they did to get it out the door.

Shortly after TFC's release I was unable to continue playing for various reasons. One of which is a lot of travel associated with my job. I'll be finishing up a four-month road trip in a few weeks and hope to get back in the game again. Even though I am not on the servers every day I am still able to glean a great deal from various forums, web pages and from friends that I trust a great deal. So don't get your panties in a wad if I say something that you don't like because I'm not on the servers.

TF (and now TFC) has always been plagued by a lot if immature players who will do anything to be noticed. Well, let's face it - we all want to be noticed, right? Sure we do. We would all like to be recogized when we enter a server. That's human nature. The problem is that there are a lot of wankers who don't have the skill or maturity to be noticed in a positive way, so they do anything else they can to be noticed. I know you've seen them. I call them the "Look at me" type. They love to spam MM1 with taunts and profanity, have the "leet" names and usually do anything they can to p*ss you off.

This hasn't changed during the time I've been away. If anything, it is probably worse. TFS/Valve (I know, I know - the are the same thing now) took away the ablity to easily cheat. That leaves wanking. Respawn camping (I hate that term), Scout rushes, all offense-no defense teams (very common) and little-to-no communication seems to be the rule rather than the exception. By the way, I don't care what Clans do - that's their business. I address public servers, so keep that in mind.

I could go on for a long time about the lack of honor in the game but I'll save that for another time. Anyway, I finally get net access again and check out the PF forums. I kept seeing references to something called "TPF" and finally asked someone what it meant. Well, TPF is a group of players who have banded together to share information and help one another. They are a great bunch of guys and I like to lurk on their forum. Yes, they have a forum on Planet Fortress. Just go to the PF Forums and click on TPF. They also have a web page, http://www.teampf.org, which you can visit to see what they are about. It encourages me a great deal to see the quality and maturity of this group. They are concentrating on teamwork and communication, and I am hoping to infuse a little more thought on the Honor part of the equation :) To me, murdering a defenseless player in the respawn doesn't cut it. I think most of TPF agrees with me, but there is one particular sphincter who continues to promote the practice and is tolerated. But overall, I have to support what they are doing and am very happy to see a group like this! There are more and more players discovering the joy of helping their teammates and seeing just how much fun this game can be.

Well, I've rambled enough for today. No one's reading this anyway, so I'll call it a day. But I will say that I'm encouraged by what I see from TPF. Good work, guys :)

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Monday, 20 September 1999 0220Z
Here's something to think about... -Bundy

The Paradox of our Time
by George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

* George Carlin

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