Lurker
Joined: 12 Feb 2005
Posts: 5
|
|
Maybe some editing/clarification is in order:
The Ronin is always, always a member of an "old guard," possibly even one of the higher-ups in the old hierarchy. They may not always have been so independent and driven, but restructuring of the forum hierarchy has caused them to lose any official power they once had. They are fiercely loyal to the old forum even if they absolutely hate the new elite, and feel that they are fighting for the "true spirit" of the board. This is what makes them act alone (because they feel no one else does), and also what can make them lose favor with the current ruling hierarchy. They are powerful, having had long experience and been on a forum since the beginning, and have a serious Nanny complex even if they have no moderator or admin priviliges.
As mentioned before, the Orochi is a very particular subset of Ronin, one who has been wounded and cast out by the forum he or she loved so much and tried so hard to protect. In reference to Kananzuki no Miko, which inspired this subtype, the Eight Necks of the Orochi were each ordinary people who had been twisted by despair and given in to the dark side. A Ronin-turned-Orochi feels incredibly ill-used and usually suffered through months or more of ill-treatment at his or her forum; they feel that they are at the absolute nadir of their online existence and are justified in wreaking havoc on their former community, which they see as having betrayed them.
They are indeed parallel to a Godzilla while attacking, but what differentiates them from Godzilla is the buildup: they will usually disappear for a long stretch of time, and if they return they will be barely recognizable. They will usually proceed to dismantle any friendships they once had, seeming to take perverse delight in hurting their former friends...even the ones who will at first sympathize with them. It's almost as if they're feeding off the new pain they create. The final step is a forum-wide assault, usually a technologically-oriented one like a DDoS attack or a root-hack (which is why they disappeared; they were "training"). When it's finally over, the Orochi disappears forever, never to be seen again. They may appear in a new place as perfectly ordinary netizens, but the cycle can repeat itself.
The Vigilante is more like the Guardian than either of the other two classes; like the Ronin, he or she will work alone, but usually for personal reasons, and not because he/she was part of an old guard and feels any sense of loyalty to the forum (thought many do). They are far less honorable and more devoted to their own personal causes; they run the gamut from "white hat" to downright criminal, unlike Ronin, who are nearly always "white hats" and are without exception devoted to a deposed forum hierarchy as well as the "spirit of the forums" whether or not either actually exist. Vigilante are actually sometimes more useful than Ronin, as some make it their personal mission to stamp out injustice or prejudice, for example. [/i] |
|
