Fargo: So, uh, Professor. Let's cut to the heart of the matter, no pun intended. When given free range of action, do gamers -- and by association humanity -- inevitably pull toward acts of evil? Is my desire to rob some random courtesan, burn down his house, and loot his farms outside not only natural, but inevitable?

Dr. Reis: To answer that we first need to step back and answer the more basic (but hairy!) question: what is "Good" and "Evil?" Now, many scholars think --


Bob: Here's what I think: "It's ain't evil if you don't get caught."




Dr. Reis: What!? What kind of ridiculous worldview is that!? How could you possibly live productively in a society where its values were based off of enforcement or lack thereof? You'd either be living in anarchy or a police state!

Fargo: Or Florida.




Bob: Oh yah, well if I'm so wrong then how do you explain my character sheet, hunh!? Look at it! I'm a LEVEL 39 RANGER. I own two castles and I killed a black dragon. Back at home I have a dual-class thief/mage who can cast level 6 spells. Dick.

Fargo: Gentlemen, gentlemen! Let's settle down and argue like adults. Next topic: Just before our discussion here today I was visiting the enormous Morrowind city of Vivec where the city guard, an imposing man in Ordinator armor, growled at me. I want to go back, stand up on the bridge, and pepper him with arrows until he starts juicing like a lawn sprinkler. And none of you can stop me.

Dr. Reis: ...what's your question?




Fargo: Oh, nothing. That was just a statement of fact. NONE OF YOU CAN STOP ME! Mwa-hahahaha! Bob?



Bob: Right on!




Fargo: Here's a question for Dr. Reis. Haven't you ever just wanted to drop-kick a halfling? You know, maybe give him a shot to the goods and send him whirling through the air just to see what it would look like?

Dr. Reis: Not until I met Bob here.




Fargo: Along those lines, one of our fellow GameSpy editors, Christopher "shaithis" Buecheler, stated in another recent GameSpy Grudge his desire when he plays games to, and I quote, "become a solid mass of scar tissue and to stand atop a pile of indiscriminate human remains taunting the Gods themselves with my hideous unearthly strength." Dr. Reis?

Dr. Reis: That's a very, very disturbed individual you have working for you.



Bob: One time shaithis banned me from the forums, so to get back at him I went through and voted all the topics as "0" in the user ratings. THAT SHOWED HIM! Ha ha!


Dr. Reis: You know what? I take it back. The human race is doomed. Doomed, doomed.



Fargo: [Playing Morrowind] Oh, what was that, little Ordinator? You say you're watching me? Well, watch THIS, in-lander! My katana scrubbing your face like a bar of soap! Ah ha ha ha!


Bob: Take a screenshot! Take a screenshot!




Dr. Reis: [Sobs quietly]