Amusing Letter

[Aryte]

The Mercz sent this beauty to Sparta . . word is like ten of them have resigned already. Wow.

Do you enjoy SL combat? Good. You should know, however, that there are problems with the group you currently reside in, issues that don't just harm one or two groups, but Sparta itself, and the entire military community. There are much more rewarding groups to belong to, and this note will detail exactly why. Even if you would die for Bruno, there are some facts in this note you should know about no matter who you are.

First I shall take this moment to say that I don't hate Sparta or any of it's soldiers. We feel that the Troops of Sparta are, for the most part, honorable fighters and good people, and are fully welcome in this combat community.

But it's a relevant truth that Bruno is damaging the reputation of his troops. For months we've had a trickle of former Spartan officers and Soldiers joining not only our military but Ordo as well.

Why? Are they just disloyal traitors of Sparta? No, they are not. They have been pushed aside by Bruno simply because they wanted to do what was best for the group as a whole.

The reasons why Bruno has done this to so many of his own High Command can only be answered by the ones he has hurt in the past.

Atribi Paulse was the Spartan who took over the Phalanx after shade was forced to leave. I was unable to interview Shade on the matter, he was quite busy training new Merczateer soldiers and taking care of real life matters.

[13:09] Phillip Hultcrantz: Ok, so to begin. Tell me about your time in Sparta. How was it? Did you have fun?

[13:10] Atribi Paulse: Towards the beginning it was

[13:11] Atribi Paulse: When we had Sefirosu Rau

[13:11] Atribi Paulse: and Wasaac, and the high command were a lot more involved in the training procedures then they are now

[13:12] Atribi Paulse: When I joined, I was recruited by Wasaac Hax, hes still a strong member of sparta and one of their most dedicated members

[13:12] Atribi Paulse: I was pretty much under the wing of Shade and we worked together a lot and climbed the ranks

[13:13] Phillip Hultcrantz: Ah good. So what happened? Why were you given command of the Phalanx?

[13:13] Atribi Paulse: After I accepted an Officer Position I was Made the first officer rank O-1, and for a couple weeks I worked close with Shade

[13:14] Atribi Paulse: He asked me to become 2nd Command of Phalanx

[13:14] Atribi Paulse: which is the infantry division

[13:14] Atribi Paulse: I took the position to help shade while also working on the Spartan Special Operations/Black Operations Division

[13:14] Atribi Paulse: and was made O-4

[13:15] Atribi Paulse: then Shade wound up being demoted for something that was completely untrue

[13:15] Atribi Paulse: and I told him that I would demote myself in order to get him his rank back after two weeks time

[13:15] Phillip Hultcrantz: Alright. And when was the turning point of your career? When did things...go downhill?

[13:15] Atribi Paulse: well

[13:15] Atribi Paulse: After Shade was demoted to O-4

[13:16] Atribi Paulse: he said he'd stick around

[13:18] Atribi Paulse: After about two weeks he left the Phalanx and Sparta, which is when I was given full command of Phalanx. I told Bruno I never wanted a Command position like that but it was forced on me due to lack of experience in other enlisted members. So over the next few months I worked to hold Phalanx together and did it rather well. One day I found out from the rest of the Command we're close to losing the sim. So instead of sitting around doing nothing I decided to ask Ordo's Commander Aryte if we could use one of the void sims he controls until we were able to get the sim back on its feet. After doing that Bruno found out I requested aid from an enemy and branded me as a traitor and I was demoted.

[13:19] Atribi Paulse: Following that being called a traitor by all the enlisted members aside from the other commanders I decided it was no longer my place to be there, especially after what Bruno said to me. So I left and went freelance.

[13:20] Phillip Hultcrantz: So... you were demoted and labeled a traitor because you wanted to help?

[13:20] Atribi Paulse: Indeed.

[13:20] Phillip Hultcrantz: Is it so wrong for one man to ask another for help? Does it really matter if you ask an enemy? I mean this is just a game after all.

[13:21] Phillip Hultcrantz: Just, seems odd to me.

[13:21] Phillip Hultcrantz: But anyway, what made you join the Merczateers?

[13:23] Atribi Paulse: Well, after being in Vanguard for a two months I finally made my choice to leave because of personal reasons. Then I was a mercenary for a month then Shade spoke to me after a while

[13:24] Atribi Paulse: I was trained to criticize Mercz in the beginning in Sparta as an enlisted so I decided to see what the army I criticized most was like

[13:24] Phillip Hultcrantz: Are you happy here?

[13:27] Atribi Paulse: Yeah, its been fun so far and I hope to continue as a member for a long while.

[13:27] Phillip Hultcrantz: I'm glad to hear it. So, moving back a bit...

[13:27] Phillip Hultcrantz: What is your current opinion on Sparta?

[13:28] Atribi Paulse: I think they have a good command staff they just don't have someone in a high enough position to actually do something well enough to effect the outcome of the military. Bruno pretty much controls whatever direction their military takes.

[13:28] Phillip Hultcrantz: Do you think Bruno is heading in the right direction?

[13:29] Phillip Hultcrantz: And please elaborate on this.

[13:29] Atribi Paulse: I think hes heading in the direction HE thinks is right. Which is not the best direction for them as a whole.

[13:32] Atribi Paulse: He pretty much stalls their military in one place but not advancing anything they use. He uses his pride to try and pick out enemy militaries on every detail so he can force them to stop using somthing. After several discussions with other members of the High Command including Tracy Lazslo regarding some of our newer technology even they have agreed we are not pressing advantages. Bruno tries to follow STABLE which needs to be re-written and not taken advantage of by its creators. If the Spartan military ever wants to get out of the hole thats been created around them they need somone who has a more open mind towards SL politics and someone who knows this is a game not something you need to have control over everyone to make work.

[13:34] Phillip Hultcrantz: Do you think Bruno will ever allow anyone to gain the power to do such a thing?

[13:36] Atribi Paulse: Most likely not

[13:37] Phillip Hultcrantz: Well, what do you have to say to the current Spartans who are still reading this?

[13:38] Atribi Paulse: I say, try taking a stab at a better military, or if you can manage to get into a position where you can change Sparta then do it. I still consider Sparta my home because I spent 6 months trying to make it better and I would rather it not fall apart.

[13:39] Atribi Paulse: As much as I hate to see Sparta fall apart, I would rather see its members having fun rather then being stuck in a military thats falling apart.

[13:40] Phillip Hultcrantz: I see, well before I end the interview...what do you suggest people do to get away from what you've had to endure?

[13:40] Atribi Paulse: I'd say join a better military such as Mercz who have good morals

[13:41] Phillip Hultcrantz: Alright Atribi, thanks for your time, and take care Soldier.

It's blatantly obvious that this man is no traitor, and It's painful to see so many good people be hurt by one mans hatred of another group. Bruno has no valid reason to hate the Merczateers. Time and time again have we tried to talk with Bruno to resolve any issues and tensions between our groups but we are always blocked out by him. The time we spoke not to him, but to his officers and commanders, were we able to fix all standing issues and move back to fun and enjoyable combat, but alas once he sticks his nose into things, all of the hard work of people like Maury was destroyed by Bruno's arrogance.

I myself have been engaged in talks with Spartan commanders to keep issues resolved and cleared, but the second Bruno is brought into the picture, all of that work is erased. It saddens me to see so many good people's reputations tarnished by Bruno's lack of compassion for healthy fun combat.

The more I think on the matter the more I see the truths. Spartans are truly loyal people. They are there for Sparta and always will be. They tolerate Bruno for they see Sparta as great, but they are hidden from what Bruno does or simply do not wish to see what Bruno is really doing to them.

Now I could go on and on about what I've dealt with and who has spoken on these matters. But I won't I think this is enough. If you want further information on Bruno's past issues you need look no further than Vegna Fouroux, Sera Otoro, Apone Moller, and others not mentioned here.

Bruno has instilled a mindset that the Merczateers and the rest of the Iron Symphony militaries are evil, ignorant and stupid. These accusations are baseless if you take a moment to look into them. We teach our recruits the basics of morality and understanding between people and groups in our community in the very first phase of their training.

[17:47] Atribi Paulse: All the time I criticized Mercz

[17:48] Atribi Paulse: after reading the first thing

[17:48] Atribi Paulse: I apologize

[17:48] Atribi Paulse: you have better intentions then any other army with no comparison

[17:49] Atribi Paulse: And I am proud to be taking this training

There is nobody in the military community that views Merczateers weaponry and tactics as cheap, except for Bruno. We've purposely downgraded our weaponry to pursue fun, balanced combat, not a desire to win at all costs. Our explosive and special weapons require ammo to be collected from crates, and our bombs are less than 5m large. (Spartan's are an upwards of 4x larger) We do not use seeking weaponry to preserve enjoyable dogfights. Our weapons are realistic, with variable spread due to the weapon you're using that also vary due to your stance - standing, crouched or prone.

Our military has a class system (Aeronaut, Assault, Specialist, Support), which uses different gadgets and tools to work together to achieve goals, not just a huge army with superior firepower. When we attack Sparta, we leave nearly 2/3 of our army at Badnarik to honor Bruno's "no swarming" request. When Bruno refers to a Merczateer "swarm" it insults me that he does not see that we've organized squads with specific objectives, due to the class members in each squad, that excel based on teamwork, not the efficiency of their weapons.

If we were cheap, we'd give our entire army SAT-8 Semi Automatic Shotguns (Defense Proficiency Merit Unlock), fly 2000m over the enemy base with our AD, completely ignore the battle ground laid down for us and TP thirty Merczateers, fall onto the roof, and when inside, offset shoot through walls and spam grenades lagging the sim to hell and then claiming victory when the sim crashes. We don't do that. Some armies do. That's their problem.

The Merczateers take pride in a solid, fair achievement. We have fun doing what we do. We accept our defeats and embrace our victories, we value morals and oppose those with none. This is what sets us apart.

We don't send you this letter for the good of the Merczateers, we send it for the good of yourself, and the military community as a whole. A leadership that refuses any kind of diplomatic confrontation based on genuine hate, that cannot be talked to or reasoned with, has no place in the community. Sparta could be a great military under alternate leadership but sadly this is not the case, and never will be.

So our requests to you are simple. First, realize Bruno's faults and the direction he is taking YOUR military. Second, seek change, seek a place where your voice will be heard, a place where you can actually have good genuine fun, a place where you can feel like you're actually working towards a cause and have the chance to grow, advance and achieve. The Merczateers sees no wrong in you being a Spartan, there is nothing for you to apologize for. The people of Sparta are good, but Bruno is not. What's the point of SL militaries? Fun, and you'll have a whole lot of it here.

~Phillip Hultcrantz, Merczateers Aeronautics Overseer

~Anthony Lehane, M

[Aelus]

Good read!

[Krow Ames]

Very well written and thought out. It highlights Bruno's faults and his alienated soldier's dedication despite their status with Bruno.

[Rei Kuhr]

Personally, Philip does touch upon something I've noticed for a while. Some groups really do seem to pile upon the technology, as if it really is a race to "win". Of course, nobody wants to be defeated, but I think the principle of the matter is to have fun more than to be victorious. Of course, this doesnt mean degenerate into cowboys and indians. But instead of pulling out a BFG 9000 and annihilating 30 people in one shot, have a go with a standard rifle. See how well you do. See if you can get the other side to do the same. Just have fun with it.

[Jayce Iredell]

Psst Tsume, you are about to be sniped.

[Kristian]

Mhmm i've personally been in phillips position for both the mercz and the Ordo.Everytime i negotiated with sparta about several topics bruno always was the moron that was't willing to co-operate. I underline every word in this letter. Sparta is good ,Bruno isn't.

[MikeMurdock McMillan]

I used to be part of sparta for a few months. Bruno was one of the reasons I left due to he was arrogant, Picks ONLY people that see his veiws [ Or brainwashed] for higher positions. That and he appoints people due to activity. I try my best to help any SL group from Building to helping out the cadets. I did build a mech and armor for the mech division of sparta when I used to be with them.

Another reason I left is that bruno doesn't know the word busy. When I'm not in SL military combat I work on stuff for my store or a RP sim I'm in and I get 15..... 15 Teleport offers from Bruno or high command screaming to there lungs that I am needed to defend the base. I know that I can come when I can ,but When it's at a time I'm in the middle of a deep roleplay or close to finishing a item for my store is not the good time to im me. It got very annoying to the point I tend to ignore the IMs and Teleport offers.

As for Bruno's point of veiw of the IS it's that of a horse with blinds on. It's narrow and stupid. He takes SL militarizes far to seriously. to me it's a game and that's all. Hell I have friends in the IS, AI, and vanguard. I treat them with the same respect I treat folks in Ordo and it's allies. Not go "OMFG YOUR WITH MY ENEMIES *BLOCK*" Because that's what Bruno did to me and Sera when we joined Ordo