Originally by: Gideon Fawkes

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It is amazing that there are so many folks so stressed over this. This "feature" was a mechanism by which a player who had to step away from the game for a bit; say for business tavel, military training, or college finals - then they would be enticed to come back to the GAME when they were able. This was a perk and the "feature" as it was described a few years ago does mention that if a player steps away or has to let thier account lapse for unforseen reasons then thier training would continue.

I have to wonder how many people who are so upset are some of the same who abhor macro-mining. (I count myself among that number; macro miners = maggot runts). I'm pretty sure that those macro-miners have active accounts. However, they probably spent those long months training to Exhumer III or V on ghost accounts. How many of these folks will say that macro-miners are wrecking the economy with their acctions?

This reminds me of a company picnic a few years back. One of the less tactful co-workers - instead of bringing immediate family - invited his whole clan and thier neighbors to the event. My friends and I stopped counting at around twentyish. These folks effectively camped the grill for several rounds of free cheeseburgers and soda. As the supplies dwindled under this onslaught, one of the more simple minded of their lot began wrapping up burgers and stuffing them in her purse for her neighbor and the neighbors children when she was notified via cell phone that her friend lacked the gas money to attend.

(Hmmm... Salary-luxury= lack of necessities)

At any rate, these were not inherently evil people. They were just of that mindset that one must indulge every freebie to the fullest and don't stop until someone closes the faucet - even to the point of being tacky or if it denies anyone else thier due.

In the end, instead of an enjoyable afternoon at the lake with horse shoes and kids making fiends with co-workers kids, the managment has settled for a dinner for two voucher at the local steak house presented to each of the employees. It kinda ruined the whole concept, but it was better than expecting that everyone was capable of understanding the spirit of the gesture.

Myself, I do not have a ghost training account and so will not understand the soul crushing tragedy of losing this exploit. But for those of you with burgers stuffed in your shirts or purses, at least you still have developed uber-carebear characters that you can sell or transfer to your paid accounts. After all, there is still a mechanism for that.

In the end, the line has to be drawn somewhere. And much like a business manager that wishes to show gratitude to employees and thier families, it kinda sucks that you have to draw the line where it imposes on everyone and ruins it for those that understood the spirit - and unspoken limitations - of it all.

My 0.02 ISK.

Gideon Fawkes - Cheap combat alt of a paid account.

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