Whatever your definition of a joke is, you cannot deny the masses. If the majority of people found this announcement to be humorous in the end (as I did), then it was funny. I think it was clever as it played on all our rantings over the past weeks about improvements we'd like to see. I enjoyed it in the end (because I was fooled for a moment too) and it sounds like the majority of people were able to smile when all was said and done.

So for those select few who are trying to "inform" the rest of us what a joke's true definition is, please RELAX. First of all, Freelancer is a GAME. It's not real life. It was designed for one purpose, FUN. And the faux announcement was designed for the same reason, FUN. So chill out and stop trying to "explain" the non-joke-ness to us. Taking "jokes" that seriously is inherently ironic.

Anyway, I just needed to get that off my chest. What's the big deal, after all? It was all in fun, and most people ended up thinking it was funny.

Well, now that I have read over my post, I'm sure I've started something...sigh...

As always...



Those are my thoughts, not yours, I'm WapCaplet[!

for gods sake,... looks at the systems names they are not even in line whit the existent

I hate this "holiday." This sucks! It wasn't funny at all!

Thank you,
Raptor013

at the risk of being offensive, some people are being a little wussie about this prank.

Here's the thing. Seems to me that most people found it funny. I know I did. Therefore the majority of people were entertained by it, had some fun with it, generally it was a positive experience (except for EB, whom we all are going to kill)

For those select few who were offended or put off or thought it wasn't funny enough or whatever, I think you must come to the conclusion that the main factor in preventing you from enjoying the humorous nature of this announcement, is YOU.

You can rant and rave all you want, but the fact is that MOST people thought it was funny. And really, that's the definition of a joke. If enough people think it's funny, then it is. That's how you measure funniness. There is no equation or set of "rules". If I tell a joke and people laugh, then it was funny.

If someone tells a joke and everyone laughs except YOU...well, you figure it out.

"He who laughs last, probably didn't get it." -Anon



Those are my thoughts, not yours, I'm WapCaplet[!

@WapCaplet

How do you know (for a fact, as you say) that most people found it funny? By the responses in this thread? I think you can safely assume that lots of people just moved on, disappointed and/or annoyed, without bothering to post something first. Do you think that's an unreasonable assumption?

What we have here is a Freelancer fan site that decided to lie to it's users that an expansion was in the works. An expansion that almost every fan is waiting for. That's the definition of "mistake", not "fun".

In my opinion, and it's only mine, I think that if people take this GAME that seriously, then their priorities in life are a little out of whack.

It's a game. The announcement was meant in fun. It's all entertainment.

That being said, it's obvious that everyone has their own opinion, to which they are all entitled. I do not mean to offend anyone, I do not mean to put anybody down. I am merely expressing my opinion.

I constantly hear people rant about "this is a Freelancer Fan Only site". I do not understand why someone would even be here if they didn't like the game. I don't think they should leave or anything, it just boggles my mind that someone would waste their time and energy posting complaints about a GAME on a website dedicated to that GAME.

Whatever. I'm sure the rants will continue, it just baffles me. I wouldn't even think of going to a Barbie site to post my comments about how I hate Barbie dolls and playing with them is boring, etc, etc. What's the point?

So maybe not everyone thought the announcement was funny. That fact of the matter is Freelancer is a GAME!! It is a form of entertainment, leisure time activity, FICTION. It is not real life. It's purpose is to provide fun and entertainment. That's it. If you take it so seriously that you are upset about a fake announcement ON APRIL FOOL'S DAY (hello??), then you have missed the point of the GAME. In my opinion...

And remember, those are MY thoughts, NOT YOURS.
I'm WapCaplet.

Edited by - WapCaplet on 02-04-2003 00:10:14

Argh! For the last time, EB didn't do it, he only posted it. Z0PharX wrote it and I edited it for his horrendous spelling errors

Seriously, some people need to relax. It's just a joke, I don't see how this warrants a two-page long rant about April Fool's jokes. If you believed it after the first line I'd say it got you.

I thought this was a really good April Fool's joke. By the way, with the addition of more random missions that would be a really cool expansion pack. Let's hope Digital Anvil pays attention to it.

Oy people, get with the program... I made that "press release", not EB...
btw...
Zupir = Zophar, Tosan = Tasiin, the other one = NEO (clan on elite)

I figured the system names might kinda clue people in, but I guess I was wrongish.

@WapCaplet

Generally, it's pretty easy to say that people who doesn't laugh at something take things too seriously.

I can honestly say that I'm not taking this game very seriously. That doesn't mean I can't see the error these site ops made when they posted something like that. It's just plain common sense rather than obsession over a game IMHO.

Here's a little pointer for further April jokes, take it for what it's worth considering my obviously limited sense of humor:

As an April Fools joke, it's usually better to joke about something getting worse, when it isn't, than to joke about something getting better, when it isn't. Makes sense?

As for people claiming this is a "fans only" site, that probably stems from the censorship that has been in effect regarding posts containing negative opinions about Freelancer.

Most people who complain actually doesn't dislike the game. They dislike certain aspects of it. They're not "wasting their time and energy", they are trying to get the aspects they see as bad in the game changed. Expressing their opinions on a big fan site is probably one of the most powerful ways there is in doing that, since if the developers plan to devote more time to a title, you can be pretty sure they are taking a look at fansites for ideas.

I thought it was funny Besides, the game hasn't even been out for a month, and "The Reckoning" has already been used in another game.

Joke or not, one gets the feeling that some things about FL were rushed out the door at M$... and it wouldn't be a big surprise if they had a sequel ready so soon... its just all the bits they cut at the last moment to get it released (finally). It would also be in keeping with the standard M$ policy to charge extra for features that should have been in the game in the first place. Re: Age of Empires:Rise of Rome wherein the Romans should have already been included in the game or the neverending M$ Flight Squirmulator yearly microimprovments (or in some cases performance downgrade).

-NL

So we have to buy the expansion pack to avoid cheaters? As if I'm not gonna buy it, but still. It's the principle