sugarvalves [1963573] —
Original article
As Dunmugmeh approaches a decade of Torn service in September of this year, he may start to look back to reflect on what he has achieved. And with more bazaar sales than anyone else, the fifth highest number of bazaar customers and his current status as Torn's eighth most prolific criminal, you'd think the accumulation of wealth would be a major source of pride for the Elysium head honcho.
Yet despite his efforts in both crime and consumerism, Dunmugmeh finds himself far down the Torn rich list with a personal fortune of $12billion - just about good enough to scrape inside the top 4000. But to focus on such numbers is to do Dunmugmeh a great disservice. Because while he has accomplished a considerable amount in crimes and trading, one of Dunmugmeh's greatest achievements may have slipped under the radar of most casual observers.
For while his contemporaries have been concentrating on building stats and waging war, Dunmugmeh has transformed himself into Torn City's most effective and inspiring mentor.
(Pictured: Ralucakiss84 (left), being taught by Dunmugmeh (right) how to disguise the fact you're about to buy mug someone)
"It feels good to help people along in the game and become better players. I want to make the game a nicer place as well. "
"When scamming became legal (in 2007/8 I think) that brought me out into the open more trying to help people with advice and warning people that 'investors' just wanted their money to play blackjack with, many 'investors' had an accompanying blackjack crying thread as well it was fun making fun out of their whining."
Dunmugmeh says that, in addition to crime clicking and his bazaar, his work in helping others is one of the main reasons why he has remained in Torn for so long. He feels that veterans who are bored should attempt to find fresh ways to play the game, and that teaching new players is just one of the options available - if they can find the right player.
"Most of the time my help goes to waste, I have helped dozens and dozens of players and 80% of them lose it all on the casino. I mainly help players with advice now and less of the trading. It's pretty hard finding players who are worth investing time in though."
"Antony1111 is the best player I have helped. When he started he was weak and poor and by the time I finished helping him he had grown into 1 of the biggest statted players in the game. The people who I help I generally help with trading and advice on how to get what they want in the game."
Antony1111 is now a successful member of Subversive Alliance with a networth several billion higher than his mentor, so Dunmugmeh's tutoring is clearly effective. As well as receiving hints and advice, Antony1111 was further assisted by his teacher's generosity when it came to making purchases from his young charge - a charitable act Dunmugmeh has repeated for his latest students.
"I'm only helping a few little players at the moment with advice and paying them good money for their stuff. They are doing alright but progress is slow, they might not want their names to appear."
"Sometimes I help maybe 5-10 players a time but if some fall by the wayside for whatever reason I don't rush to replace them it has to be someone who I think is worthy of help. 1 thing I don't like at the moment is the fad for restarting, the worst thing you can do to cripple yourself. I won't help players like that they are beyond help and bad at playing games."
One student whose progress is anything but slow is a name which will be all too familiar to Torn citizens; not least because we've featured this player in their very own Tornography just over a month ago. I am of course talking about the notorious Ralucakiss84, who Dunmugmeh considers to be his second best pupil...for now.
"Raluca is catching everyone up at the moment. I mainly help him with advice now though did help with trading earlier. I am coaching raluca on what he is doing wrong and I think he knows it now, I think he thinks he has enough money to just rise above his problems now."
The problems of which Dunmugmeh speaks are a source of frustration among some members of our community, with many players taking issue with Ralucakiss84's brazen disregard for etiquette and honour. His pupil has been confirmed as a buy-mugger by several victim testimonies, but Dunmugmeh insists that the more damaging accusations against Raluca are entirely without merit.
"I have a problem with cheating and scamming I have no time for any players like that I won't have any dealings at all with them. I don't think he [ralucakiss84] has been doing any of that at least not the way how the big mega scammers do it. I get lots of complaints about buy mugging, I have only heard of 2 situations even close to scams and those got fixed within a few hours."
Dunmugmeh is forced to take to the forums with frequency to defend his errant student, with a thread on Raluca's shenanigans also calling into question his own reputation, as fellow players struggled to understand why he would support such a player.
This reporter was quite vocal in support of Raluca's playing style in said player's own Tornography, and now I feel I must be equally forthright in my defence of his tutor. Dunmugmeh is a generous player who gives his time and money for the betterment of others. A quick browse of his forum comments proves this beyond doubt, as the vast majority of his correspondence involves doling out advice and tips.
Nevertheless, Ralucakiss84's playing style doesn't sit well with many. But should Dunmugmeh be judged for wanting to steer such a player onto the right track? I feel he should be commended, if anything, and I suspect many of those who complain are merely envious of the success Ralucakiss84 has achieved under his tutelage.
Dunmugmeh simply wants to help make players into the best they can be, regardless of how they play the game. And if this is the only way newcomers are able to shake up the established order, then I for one welcome a few ruffled feathers if it helps us challenge the hegemony of the elite.
Such is the efficacy of Dunmugmeh's teaching methods that you'd expect both Antony1111 and Ralucakiss84 to pass him in several areas within the next twelve months. Torn's very own Mr Miyagi has produced several Daniel-San's during his time as a mentor, and it is doubtful these will be the last power players to owe their success to Dunmugmeh's advice.
But their surpassing of their master should not be taken as evidence that Dunmugmeh is a spent force, content to live vicariously through the achievements of his pupils. Dunmugmeh continues to push hard for personal accolades in every area of Torn; a fact demonstrated by his recent move to eighth place in the crime hall of fame.
When we first began speaking in April of this year Dunmugmeh was ninth behind Silom. At present, he is around 12,000 offences short of seventh place Boxcar182, but as a veteran of this discipline, you'd imagine he could make short work of this lead if he so desired.
"Crime clicking has always been my driving force though. It's not just nerve 2 crimes I click either. For about 5 years I spent $10 million + a day at times on mistletoe madness and stinky swamp punch to aid my crime clicking.
"You may notice I haven't taken much Xanax. That is because for the first few years of this game I thought it was a crime clicking game first and foremost. I barely did any training at all for a few years."
We will investigate how Dunmugmeh managed to get by without Xanax in a short while. But first, with a revamp on the horizon, I wanted to know how one of our most prolific criminals felt about the current state of Torn crimes, and what he hoped the forthcoming update would bring to the system.
"They should have more of an effect on the game i.e. unique loot items for each different crime some of the loot items could be minor collectibles but some should have a use as well. I.e. New Weapons, armour, boosters."
"So much more can and should be done with crimes. Now they are mainly just a merit earning exercise with low rewards and low risk. Some high risk crimes could injure you and reduce your stats for a day or 2, there could be better loot items. I think busting should be made a lot harder and jail times increased for high risk crimes."
As someone with firm opinions on the current crime system and a predilection for advising others, I wondered if Dunmugmeh had ever considered joining the Committee to help shape Torn's future in a more direct manner. But far from seeking to join this body, Dunmugmeh thinks it should be scrapped entirely. Or, at the very least, gutted of its current membership.
"I don't think there should be a committee due to the corruption issues, it should just be the developers testing the game and who decide what goes in it. The committee could be partially replaced with polls, where everyone can cast an opinion and voice their views on planned updates."
"If I did join to weed out the nerds that probably won't work, I would imagine the dodgy people on the committee have always communicated with their pals with outside chat programs or email. The geeks who have moles on the committee need to be shown the door; they distort the economy of the game and can buy anything they want including stats which is the main thing."
Since I was unable to find concrete evidence of such wrongdoing, I declined to press Dunmugmeh further on this matter. As a member of the committee myself, any accusations published would have to be 100% verifiable. Nevertheless, I encourage any readers with knowledge of such acts to contact the TCT at your earliest convenience.
Let us return instead to the matter of Xanax. Dunmugmeh indicated earlier that, as a new player, he had avoided the energy-boosting drug and indeed training for many years. So what were his reasons for this, and why has he instead taken enough LSD to down a herd of elephants?
"I took the decision really early on to not be on the rat race of chugging xanax and spending a fortune rehabbing and when the gyms changed years ago I stayed with that plan after reading about the sports science lab. That is when my training started and I started using energy refills and all my recharging energy into training through all the gyms and getting to the lab."
"I didn't actually start taking LSD until AFTER I got to the lab. There was less knowledge around about the sport science lab in those days, by the time I got there it was common knowledge you could still use a lot of drugs in the lab. I know my stats would have been higher if I chewed through 3 xanax a day for 6 years, I am active enough to have done that but I have made my choice and I'm sticking to it."
Dunmugmeh passed 3 billion in stats just a few months ago, and he is well aware he could have been stronger had he gone down the Xanax route. But with many substances rumoured to be facing a complete overhaul with the forthcoming Drugs 2.0 update, Dunmugmeh feels the city's addicts would be wise to consider how this may affect their daily activities.
"Yes when you don't have much energy then you shouldn't attack much. At the moment 90% of my attacks are on missions and a lot of the time that is 1 or sometimes 0 attacks a day. I do hit warring factions a little who attack mine but not much. To become strong without the energy from xanax attacking MUST be kept to a bare minimum or you will always be weak."
That being said, Dunmugmeh would still recommend Xanax to any new players if they are to avoid being pummelled on a daily basis.
"The gym is your friend and this may sound strange coming from a sport science lab user. You should take xanax. If you don't you will be weak for 5+ years even if you do the right things."
Dunmugmeh may not be a stat-master, but this relative weakness makes him uniquely informed to help players who also lack in fighting ability. He estimates that during his formative years he would lose around 90% of his fights, but that his ability to hide money meant this never really affected his in-game progress.
Dunmugmeh often kept his cash safe by placing bids in the Auction House of a lower than market value. His ingenious method of protecting his assets meant that not only did he avoid being mugged for large amounts, but that he'd also occasionally end up winning an item on the cheap as an added bonus.
Not that Dunmugmeh was always successful, mind, as an old player by the name of Youngblaze once relieved him of $500million in a single mug. The pair were involved in a bitter feud at the time; with Youngblaze accused of being one of Torn's worst ever scammers and Dunmugmeh still relatively weak. Dunmugmeh's assailant buy mugged his bazaar while he was out at work, repeating the process several times as he waited for his victim to be released from the hospital.
A half-billion haul is no longer possible with mug protection in place, but despite his misfortune, Dunmugmeh seems nostalgic for a time when such dramatic moments were commonplace.
"The game is too safe now. Too easy. Its changed a lot since I started playing and everything seems to be getting easier and safer from what I can see."
This viewpoint is common among veterans who have been there, done that and stolen the t-shirt. Those with a decade or more of Torn City play look upon changes to the game as handing new players things on a plate which they had to work hard for. Despite this assessment, Dunmugmeh still enjoys himself in Torn and has little respect for those who complain.
"Ever since I have played I have noticed 1 thing there are a LOT of whiners who play this game who whine about every tiny little change and I find that funny. I think as time goes on I am liking the game more and more part of that is that I am stronger and have risen above most of the weaklings. I'm ranked 833 in the stats hall of fame as I type this."
"I am under the impression that there are a lot more players who play this game who are good at playing games than there used to be, I think many newer players have been mentored to start playing the game well from day 1."
Dunmugmeh has been responsible for helping many of these newer players make great strides in Torn City, but his opinion of the game's relative ease seems odd when compared to his altruistic lifestyle. If Torn really is so easy, then why give new players such good prices for their wares? I am sure Dunmugmeh was never on the receiving end of such generosity during his early years, so why do the newcomers deserve it from him?
Dunmugmeh admits he has been too nice at times, and this is why his bazaar lies 47th on the income table despite being top in sales and third in total customers. He describes himself as a nice player as long as someone doesn't upset him, with most of his anger saved for those who cheat and scam.
I have always been of the opinion that a certain level of scamming should be accepted in Torn City, as to me, it seems a perfectly legitimate way of earning a crust. But Dunmugmeh disagrees, as he feels such people corrupt the game to an unfair degree.
"No these people aren't necessary for the game. There are cheaters everywhere if you look, not just the multies and the bug abusers but knowing the 'right' people as well i.e. having a mole on the committee. That's why the committee has to go it's a shining beacon for all the cheaters to aim for to get on or get one of their friends on there so they can abuse it to get rich and spend lots of money on training/stocks/companies etc."
Once more, I feel unable to comment on this matter due to my engagement with the committee. But if the people of Torn would like this issue to be investigated, I urge you to contact me at your earliest convenience. However, when I say I believe that scamming should be tolerated, I do not include cheating via multies or scripts under this umbrella. I see scamming as a smart way to earn dirty money, with underhand tactics expected in a city like ours. But once more Dunmugmeh disagrees, and he says it should have never been made legal in the first place.
"No. I'm not happy with scamming being legalized either. All it's good for is reading funny whining threads on the forums. There are so many innocents and empty heads who play this game who get scammed and some quit over it. So the game is losing players. So many innocents who need to have their hand held when playing this game."
I find it interesting that Dunmugmeh acknowledges the damage a well-played scam can have, but not the brutal effect of a half-billion-dollar mug. I suppose this could be because scamming takes street-smarts and subterfuge, whereas making a big mug involved a bit of luck and the click of a button. This made it easier for large mug victims to hit back and recoup their losses, whereas attempting to scam a scammer is nigh on impossible.
Dunmugmeh teaches his students how to avoid the attention of scammers - and with Ralucakiss84 on his books some may say he's conducted first-hand research - but you have to wonder whether there's anyone out there taking the opposite approach. Is there a scamming tutor in Torn? Would our city's most nefarious con-artists be willing to share their secrets and take fraud and swindling into the mainstream?
Who knows, but if there are, Dunmugmeh will work tirelessly to ensure these dishonourable thieves do not prosper on his watch.
"Be wary of scammers lots of people play the casino and lose all the time so they have to groom new scam victims all the time, you should click ignore or not respond in any way to them. Don't be frightened if someone threatens you or tries to bully you click ignore on them and problem solved, maybe get some friends who are stronger than him and tell him to stop."
Dunmugmeh went on to advise players to avoid spending too much time at the Casino, as he's seen many with potential quit the game after losing everything in a game of blackjack. Dunmugmeh is doing his utmost to secure the future of Torn City, with countless hours of effort spent helping others to avoid trouble and retain their love of this filthy rotten place. But what about his own future? Where will Dunmugmeh be in one year from now? And if he could make any changes to his past, what would they be?
"I think other players think I am a grumpy old man who has a mountain of trinkets on his bazaar and has a fetish for clicking crimes. I don't really care to be honest. I think 1 year from now i will be more or less the same but with 700 million more stats for more fighting power."
"I'm not as active as I used to be in my earlier years in game so everything is slowing down a bit, trading in particular. I'm still online a lot but am idle a lot of times. You can do the bare essentials of gym and crime clicking within minutes so I will make more progress there. You can't be here for 12 hours a day or you will burn out!"
"I'm happy with most of what I have done. 1 mistake though is past spending. For about 5 years I spent $5 million - $20 million a day (depending on market) on Bottle of Mistletoe Madness to click crimes. If I had my time again I would have spent half of that on FHC to use to train my stats."
One further regret Dunmugmeh may have is in his choice of name, as having chosen this moniker in his third year here, he feels it has contributed greatly to the increased frequency of muggings he receives. If you give the people of Torn a big red button with the words "Don't Push" on it, they'll mash it with their fists all day long until their arms are nought but bloodied stumps.
But aside from that, Dunmugmeh has very little to regret and a great deal to be proud of when he looks back at his accomplishments. Not many people would take the time to guide new players through the swamp that is Torn City, and even fewer would do so for the sheer pleasure of it. Dunmugmeh has shown his students that there is a different way to play the game; whether it's through avoiding Xanax, rejecting nefarious practices or paying a fair price for goods and services.
And, unwittingly or not, he's also helped disrupt the game's balance by assisting players like Ralucakiss84 who operate in new and dangerous ways. Dunmugmeh may be trying to keep his young scholars on the straight and narrow, but there's only so much you can do when a player seems hell bent on causing chaos.
Dunmugmeh's impact will be felt in Torn City long after he walks onto a freeway at 3 in the morning during an LSD-induced episode. Most players' legacy comprises the money they've earned or the wars they've won, but Dunmugmeh's achievements consist of real people who will help to shape this city's future.
You may still disagree with Dunmugmeh's commitment to helping lost souls find a better way. You may still deride him for keeping the company of accused scammers like Raluca. But if this is the case, then tough luck sweet cheeks. Quit complaining, get your arse in gear and start mentoring some people to fight back. Because one thing's for sure; Dunmugmeh isn't going to stop helping those he feels need his guidance.
So if you want Torn City to become something better than it is today, follow Dunmugmeh's admirable lead, and give something back to your fellow dirtbags.
Yet despite his efforts in both crime and consumerism, Dunmugmeh finds himself far down the Torn rich list with a personal fortune of $12billion - just about good enough to scrape inside the top 4000. But to focus on such numbers is to do Dunmugmeh a great disservice. Because while he has accomplished a considerable amount in crimes and trading, one of Dunmugmeh's greatest achievements may have slipped under the radar of most casual observers.
For while his contemporaries have been concentrating on building stats and waging war, Dunmugmeh has transformed himself into Torn City's most effective and inspiring mentor.
(Pictured: Ralucakiss84 (left), being taught by Dunmugmeh (right) how to disguise the fact you're about to buy mug someone)
"It feels good to help people along in the game and become better players. I want to make the game a nicer place as well. "
"When scamming became legal (in 2007/8 I think) that brought me out into the open more trying to help people with advice and warning people that 'investors' just wanted their money to play blackjack with, many 'investors' had an accompanying blackjack crying thread as well it was fun making fun out of their whining."
Dunmugmeh says that, in addition to crime clicking and his bazaar, his work in helping others is one of the main reasons why he has remained in Torn for so long. He feels that veterans who are bored should attempt to find fresh ways to play the game, and that teaching new players is just one of the options available - if they can find the right player.
"Most of the time my help goes to waste, I have helped dozens and dozens of players and 80% of them lose it all on the casino. I mainly help players with advice now and less of the trading. It's pretty hard finding players who are worth investing time in though."
"Antony1111 is the best player I have helped. When he started he was weak and poor and by the time I finished helping him he had grown into 1 of the biggest statted players in the game. The people who I help I generally help with trading and advice on how to get what they want in the game."
Antony1111 is now a successful member of Subversive Alliance with a networth several billion higher than his mentor, so Dunmugmeh's tutoring is clearly effective. As well as receiving hints and advice, Antony1111 was further assisted by his teacher's generosity when it came to making purchases from his young charge - a charitable act Dunmugmeh has repeated for his latest students.
"I'm only helping a few little players at the moment with advice and paying them good money for their stuff. They are doing alright but progress is slow, they might not want their names to appear."
"Sometimes I help maybe 5-10 players a time but if some fall by the wayside for whatever reason I don't rush to replace them it has to be someone who I think is worthy of help. 1 thing I don't like at the moment is the fad for restarting, the worst thing you can do to cripple yourself. I won't help players like that they are beyond help and bad at playing games."
One student whose progress is anything but slow is a name which will be all too familiar to Torn citizens; not least because we've featured this player in their very own Tornography just over a month ago. I am of course talking about the notorious Ralucakiss84, who Dunmugmeh considers to be his second best pupil...for now.
"Raluca is catching everyone up at the moment. I mainly help him with advice now though did help with trading earlier. I am coaching raluca on what he is doing wrong and I think he knows it now, I think he thinks he has enough money to just rise above his problems now."
The problems of which Dunmugmeh speaks are a source of frustration among some members of our community, with many players taking issue with Ralucakiss84's brazen disregard for etiquette and honour. His pupil has been confirmed as a buy-mugger by several victim testimonies, but Dunmugmeh insists that the more damaging accusations against Raluca are entirely without merit.
"I have a problem with cheating and scamming I have no time for any players like that I won't have any dealings at all with them. I don't think he [ralucakiss84] has been doing any of that at least not the way how the big mega scammers do it. I get lots of complaints about buy mugging, I have only heard of 2 situations even close to scams and those got fixed within a few hours."
Dunmugmeh is forced to take to the forums with frequency to defend his errant student, with a thread on Raluca's shenanigans also calling into question his own reputation, as fellow players struggled to understand why he would support such a player.
This reporter was quite vocal in support of Raluca's playing style in said player's own Tornography, and now I feel I must be equally forthright in my defence of his tutor. Dunmugmeh is a generous player who gives his time and money for the betterment of others. A quick browse of his forum comments proves this beyond doubt, as the vast majority of his correspondence involves doling out advice and tips.
Nevertheless, Ralucakiss84's playing style doesn't sit well with many. But should Dunmugmeh be judged for wanting to steer such a player onto the right track? I feel he should be commended, if anything, and I suspect many of those who complain are merely envious of the success Ralucakiss84 has achieved under his tutelage.
Dunmugmeh simply wants to help make players into the best they can be, regardless of how they play the game. And if this is the only way newcomers are able to shake up the established order, then I for one welcome a few ruffled feathers if it helps us challenge the hegemony of the elite.
Such is the efficacy of Dunmugmeh's teaching methods that you'd expect both Antony1111 and Ralucakiss84 to pass him in several areas within the next twelve months. Torn's very own Mr Miyagi has produced several Daniel-San's during his time as a mentor, and it is doubtful these will be the last power players to owe their success to Dunmugmeh's advice.
But their surpassing of their master should not be taken as evidence that Dunmugmeh is a spent force, content to live vicariously through the achievements of his pupils. Dunmugmeh continues to push hard for personal accolades in every area of Torn; a fact demonstrated by his recent move to eighth place in the crime hall of fame.
When we first began speaking in April of this year Dunmugmeh was ninth behind Silom. At present, he is around 12,000 offences short of seventh place Boxcar182, but as a veteran of this discipline, you'd imagine he could make short work of this lead if he so desired.
"Crime clicking has always been my driving force though. It's not just nerve 2 crimes I click either. For about 5 years I spent $10 million + a day at times on mistletoe madness and stinky swamp punch to aid my crime clicking.
"You may notice I haven't taken much Xanax. That is because for the first few years of this game I thought it was a crime clicking game first and foremost. I barely did any training at all for a few years."
We will investigate how Dunmugmeh managed to get by without Xanax in a short while. But first, with a revamp on the horizon, I wanted to know how one of our most prolific criminals felt about the current state of Torn crimes, and what he hoped the forthcoming update would bring to the system.
"They should have more of an effect on the game i.e. unique loot items for each different crime some of the loot items could be minor collectibles but some should have a use as well. I.e. New Weapons, armour, boosters."
"So much more can and should be done with crimes. Now they are mainly just a merit earning exercise with low rewards and low risk. Some high risk crimes could injure you and reduce your stats for a day or 2, there could be better loot items. I think busting should be made a lot harder and jail times increased for high risk crimes."
As someone with firm opinions on the current crime system and a predilection for advising others, I wondered if Dunmugmeh had ever considered joining the Committee to help shape Torn's future in a more direct manner. But far from seeking to join this body, Dunmugmeh thinks it should be scrapped entirely. Or, at the very least, gutted of its current membership.
"I don't think there should be a committee due to the corruption issues, it should just be the developers testing the game and who decide what goes in it. The committee could be partially replaced with polls, where everyone can cast an opinion and voice their views on planned updates."
"If I did join to weed out the nerds that probably won't work, I would imagine the dodgy people on the committee have always communicated with their pals with outside chat programs or email. The geeks who have moles on the committee need to be shown the door; they distort the economy of the game and can buy anything they want including stats which is the main thing."
Since I was unable to find concrete evidence of such wrongdoing, I declined to press Dunmugmeh further on this matter. As a member of the committee myself, any accusations published would have to be 100% verifiable. Nevertheless, I encourage any readers with knowledge of such acts to contact the TCT at your earliest convenience.
Let us return instead to the matter of Xanax. Dunmugmeh indicated earlier that, as a new player, he had avoided the energy-boosting drug and indeed training for many years. So what were his reasons for this, and why has he instead taken enough LSD to down a herd of elephants?
"I took the decision really early on to not be on the rat race of chugging xanax and spending a fortune rehabbing and when the gyms changed years ago I stayed with that plan after reading about the sports science lab. That is when my training started and I started using energy refills and all my recharging energy into training through all the gyms and getting to the lab."
"I didn't actually start taking LSD until AFTER I got to the lab. There was less knowledge around about the sport science lab in those days, by the time I got there it was common knowledge you could still use a lot of drugs in the lab. I know my stats would have been higher if I chewed through 3 xanax a day for 6 years, I am active enough to have done that but I have made my choice and I'm sticking to it."
Dunmugmeh passed 3 billion in stats just a few months ago, and he is well aware he could have been stronger had he gone down the Xanax route. But with many substances rumoured to be facing a complete overhaul with the forthcoming Drugs 2.0 update, Dunmugmeh feels the city's addicts would be wise to consider how this may affect their daily activities.
"Yes when you don't have much energy then you shouldn't attack much. At the moment 90% of my attacks are on missions and a lot of the time that is 1 or sometimes 0 attacks a day. I do hit warring factions a little who attack mine but not much. To become strong without the energy from xanax attacking MUST be kept to a bare minimum or you will always be weak."
That being said, Dunmugmeh would still recommend Xanax to any new players if they are to avoid being pummelled on a daily basis.
"The gym is your friend and this may sound strange coming from a sport science lab user. You should take xanax. If you don't you will be weak for 5+ years even if you do the right things."
Dunmugmeh may not be a stat-master, but this relative weakness makes him uniquely informed to help players who also lack in fighting ability. He estimates that during his formative years he would lose around 90% of his fights, but that his ability to hide money meant this never really affected his in-game progress.
Dunmugmeh often kept his cash safe by placing bids in the Auction House of a lower than market value. His ingenious method of protecting his assets meant that not only did he avoid being mugged for large amounts, but that he'd also occasionally end up winning an item on the cheap as an added bonus.
Not that Dunmugmeh was always successful, mind, as an old player by the name of Youngblaze once relieved him of $500million in a single mug. The pair were involved in a bitter feud at the time; with Youngblaze accused of being one of Torn's worst ever scammers and Dunmugmeh still relatively weak. Dunmugmeh's assailant buy mugged his bazaar while he was out at work, repeating the process several times as he waited for his victim to be released from the hospital.
A half-billion haul is no longer possible with mug protection in place, but despite his misfortune, Dunmugmeh seems nostalgic for a time when such dramatic moments were commonplace.
"The game is too safe now. Too easy. Its changed a lot since I started playing and everything seems to be getting easier and safer from what I can see."
This viewpoint is common among veterans who have been there, done that and stolen the t-shirt. Those with a decade or more of Torn City play look upon changes to the game as handing new players things on a plate which they had to work hard for. Despite this assessment, Dunmugmeh still enjoys himself in Torn and has little respect for those who complain.
"Ever since I have played I have noticed 1 thing there are a LOT of whiners who play this game who whine about every tiny little change and I find that funny. I think as time goes on I am liking the game more and more part of that is that I am stronger and have risen above most of the weaklings. I'm ranked 833 in the stats hall of fame as I type this."
"I am under the impression that there are a lot more players who play this game who are good at playing games than there used to be, I think many newer players have been mentored to start playing the game well from day 1."
Dunmugmeh has been responsible for helping many of these newer players make great strides in Torn City, but his opinion of the game's relative ease seems odd when compared to his altruistic lifestyle. If Torn really is so easy, then why give new players such good prices for their wares? I am sure Dunmugmeh was never on the receiving end of such generosity during his early years, so why do the newcomers deserve it from him?
Dunmugmeh admits he has been too nice at times, and this is why his bazaar lies 47th on the income table despite being top in sales and third in total customers. He describes himself as a nice player as long as someone doesn't upset him, with most of his anger saved for those who cheat and scam.
I have always been of the opinion that a certain level of scamming should be accepted in Torn City, as to me, it seems a perfectly legitimate way of earning a crust. But Dunmugmeh disagrees, as he feels such people corrupt the game to an unfair degree.
"No these people aren't necessary for the game. There are cheaters everywhere if you look, not just the multies and the bug abusers but knowing the 'right' people as well i.e. having a mole on the committee. That's why the committee has to go it's a shining beacon for all the cheaters to aim for to get on or get one of their friends on there so they can abuse it to get rich and spend lots of money on training/stocks/companies etc."
Once more, I feel unable to comment on this matter due to my engagement with the committee. But if the people of Torn would like this issue to be investigated, I urge you to contact me at your earliest convenience. However, when I say I believe that scamming should be tolerated, I do not include cheating via multies or scripts under this umbrella. I see scamming as a smart way to earn dirty money, with underhand tactics expected in a city like ours. But once more Dunmugmeh disagrees, and he says it should have never been made legal in the first place.
"No. I'm not happy with scamming being legalized either. All it's good for is reading funny whining threads on the forums. There are so many innocents and empty heads who play this game who get scammed and some quit over it. So the game is losing players. So many innocents who need to have their hand held when playing this game."
I find it interesting that Dunmugmeh acknowledges the damage a well-played scam can have, but not the brutal effect of a half-billion-dollar mug. I suppose this could be because scamming takes street-smarts and subterfuge, whereas making a big mug involved a bit of luck and the click of a button. This made it easier for large mug victims to hit back and recoup their losses, whereas attempting to scam a scammer is nigh on impossible.
Dunmugmeh teaches his students how to avoid the attention of scammers - and with Ralucakiss84 on his books some may say he's conducted first-hand research - but you have to wonder whether there's anyone out there taking the opposite approach. Is there a scamming tutor in Torn? Would our city's most nefarious con-artists be willing to share their secrets and take fraud and swindling into the mainstream?
Who knows, but if there are, Dunmugmeh will work tirelessly to ensure these dishonourable thieves do not prosper on his watch.
"Be wary of scammers lots of people play the casino and lose all the time so they have to groom new scam victims all the time, you should click ignore or not respond in any way to them. Don't be frightened if someone threatens you or tries to bully you click ignore on them and problem solved, maybe get some friends who are stronger than him and tell him to stop."
Dunmugmeh went on to advise players to avoid spending too much time at the Casino, as he's seen many with potential quit the game after losing everything in a game of blackjack. Dunmugmeh is doing his utmost to secure the future of Torn City, with countless hours of effort spent helping others to avoid trouble and retain their love of this filthy rotten place. But what about his own future? Where will Dunmugmeh be in one year from now? And if he could make any changes to his past, what would they be?
"I think other players think I am a grumpy old man who has a mountain of trinkets on his bazaar and has a fetish for clicking crimes. I don't really care to be honest. I think 1 year from now i will be more or less the same but with 700 million more stats for more fighting power."
"I'm not as active as I used to be in my earlier years in game so everything is slowing down a bit, trading in particular. I'm still online a lot but am idle a lot of times. You can do the bare essentials of gym and crime clicking within minutes so I will make more progress there. You can't be here for 12 hours a day or you will burn out!"
"I'm happy with most of what I have done. 1 mistake though is past spending. For about 5 years I spent $5 million - $20 million a day (depending on market) on Bottle of Mistletoe Madness to click crimes. If I had my time again I would have spent half of that on FHC to use to train my stats."
One further regret Dunmugmeh may have is in his choice of name, as having chosen this moniker in his third year here, he feels it has contributed greatly to the increased frequency of muggings he receives. If you give the people of Torn a big red button with the words "Don't Push" on it, they'll mash it with their fists all day long until their arms are nought but bloodied stumps.
But aside from that, Dunmugmeh has very little to regret and a great deal to be proud of when he looks back at his accomplishments. Not many people would take the time to guide new players through the swamp that is Torn City, and even fewer would do so for the sheer pleasure of it. Dunmugmeh has shown his students that there is a different way to play the game; whether it's through avoiding Xanax, rejecting nefarious practices or paying a fair price for goods and services.
And, unwittingly or not, he's also helped disrupt the game's balance by assisting players like Ralucakiss84 who operate in new and dangerous ways. Dunmugmeh may be trying to keep his young scholars on the straight and narrow, but there's only so much you can do when a player seems hell bent on causing chaos.
Dunmugmeh's impact will be felt in Torn City long after he walks onto a freeway at 3 in the morning during an LSD-induced episode. Most players' legacy comprises the money they've earned or the wars they've won, but Dunmugmeh's achievements consist of real people who will help to shape this city's future.
You may still disagree with Dunmugmeh's commitment to helping lost souls find a better way. You may still deride him for keeping the company of accused scammers like Raluca. But if this is the case, then tough luck sweet cheeks. Quit complaining, get your arse in gear and start mentoring some people to fight back. Because one thing's for sure; Dunmugmeh isn't going to stop helping those he feels need his guidance.
So if you want Torn City to become something better than it is today, follow Dunmugmeh's admirable lead, and give something back to your fellow dirtbags.
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