Quakeweek
May 7, 1997


Archives

Kasparov Demands Quess for Round 3

id Hires Garth Brooks for Quake 2 Soundtrack

Texas Separatist Holds Carmack Hostage

Jury: id not Responsible for Camper's Death

Marine Quake Scandal Erupts

3D Realms Licenses Plot Engine From id

id Responds to Call for Volunteerism in Education

Sujoy Roy Appointed as Prime Minister

Quake Recalled

Children's Television Workshop Sues id Software
International Red Cross to Begin Operations in Quake


Red CrossGENEVA, SWITZERLAND (Jeff Miller) - In a statement issued early this morning, the International Red Cross (IRC) announced that it has established a cyber division charged with enforcing the Geneva convention on Quake servers worldwide.

"We're quite aware," says Luc LeCorps, director of the cyber division, "that the atrocities in Quake are only simulations, but who knows what the future might bring? The level of brutality we've witnessed to this point frightens all of us. We need to start enforcing international law online now. In a recent battle between Sweden and Finland, the death toll surpassed two thousand, and Sweden hasn't been an aggressive world power since Charles XII in the 17th century! These cyber conflicts, left to themselves, could very well escalate into RealLifeTM conventional warfare."

"And what happens when these game companies develop RealPainTM and RealGibTM technologies four or five game generations down the line? When mothers go up to call their child to dinner, they will not be pleased to find their pride and joy reduced to a quivering mass of minced up muscle if proper international protocols have not been followed."

Borrowed from TeamFortressLeCorps explains that the IRC has traditionally been concerned with the humane treatment of POW's. "In Quake, however, POW's don't apply--there's only the quick and the dead. This does not mean, however, that the IRC has no online mission--the state of medical care on Quake servers is, quite simply, barbaric. Most clans have no medical facilities whatsoever, and, with various health kits scattered about the battlefield willy-nilly, the wounded are often expected to walk directly in the line of fire in order to care for themselves. On servers where medics are available, they attend almost exclusively to their own troops and, what's even worse, actively participate in the spread of pathogens among enemy forces! Biological warfare is a gross violation of international law. Clearly, the IRC has a role here."

The IRC is also concerned with the burial of the dead. "Clans have evidently arranged for the disposal of unidentified body parts, but severed heads remain in place indefinitely. Once we discover a way to pick them up, we will begin gathering remains and identifying them for next of kin."

In order to more efficiently accomplish its objectives, the IRC is searching for an appropriate vehicle mod. Quake Command's Quake Kart looked promising until the demise of that site, so, presently, they are negotiating with the developers of Quake Rally. "They want a big white van with a red cross on the side and all weapons removed, " says Ridah, one of Quake Rally's developers. "I've told these guys a billion times that they'll just be a fluorescent sitting duck with a big red target painted on each side, but they're really insistent. They're just asking to be gibbed."

"We are concerned that players will not recognize the sign of the Red Cross," responds LeCorps, "and we fully expect to be fired upon. But we're experiencing the same problems in other hot spots where lots of child-soldiers participate in combat. We're dealing with it."

#mR_er33t!, a regular on many servers, had the following to #say when asked about the presence of the IRC: "whOAh! liKe wE cAn tALk tO OuR BUDS wHiLe giBBinG aWAY? l33t!

"How very lame," responds LeCorps.

According to LeCorps, the IRC will not be present for the Red Annihilation tournament on MPlayer. "The lag is so huge, we don't anticipate any serious casualties, but expect to see us on all other major servers and tournaments soon."