THIS is a tale of intrigue, deception, theft and betrayal.
Remedial was the leader of Goonswarm, one of the largest alliances ever formed in online gaming.
I am a member.
When Remedial, then a lawyer-in-training, revealed in April he needed money to pay rent, the 5,000-member strong Goonswarm raised US$2,800 ($4,050).
Some even attended his wedding.
The game, EVE Online, is a spaceship game set in a faraway galaxy. It is operated by CCP of Iceland. It has more than 200,000 subscribers.
Remedial watched over the 'Titan fund' and leaders solicited members for donations.
A titan is the most powerful ship in the game and only a few exist.
There was about 70 million isk (isk is the ingame currency).
ABSCONDED
One day, Remedial transferred 55million isk to another character, and ran off with the funds.
That is worth about US$4,500.
Since it is possible to use isk to buy timecards (used for subscription), isk has a real world value.
Some of the donated isk came from the sale of timecards Goonswarm members bought with real-life money.
Many members were amused. Others were outraged. Some suggested harassing him in real life. Others even said to report him to the Bar of his state.
In the end, nothing happened. The consensus was that it's just an online game.
CRIMES GALORE
Thefts, scams and simple deception proliferate the game. Defaulted loans are routine.
In 2005, a group called Guiding Hand Social Club infiltrated another alliance and stole US$16,500 (estimate by PC Gamer magazine) worth of ingame loot.
Then there's the Eve Investment Bank scam of 2006, possibly the greatest robbery in gaming history.
The perpetrators convinced other players to invest in their corporation, promising great returns.
They accumulated 700b in isk and disappeared.
If sold on eBay, it would have been worth around US$119,000 at the time.
In the real world, the perpetrators would probably have gone to jail.
