This Matter of eZombies:   Define
(Article 1of 3)
 
Zombies walk this eWorld.  They lurk, they haunt, they deceive, they  pose an ongoing threat.
 
Who are these zombies? They are comrades past who left the game because of school, work or jail. They are the poor s driven out by game mechanics and/or big nations steamrolling over the small ones. They are abandoned Multis, creatures of banned or self-dormant players. They are those one-shot register-and-never-logon-agains (I still find that perplexing, but hey, I'm only Living). They could be you – next month, next week, tomorrow, or even right after you log off from this session.
 
They are NOT the perma-banned. Those unfortunates are truly dead, never to rise IG again, unless … well, that is another matter for another time.  What's the problem with having a few zombies kicking around? Well, none, if you are really talking about a few. But many a small country may have rosters of 100 citizens, and have as few as 10 actives.
 
This creates difficulties for new players in a number of ways. Trying to make their way up the ladder is that much more difficult when a raft of dead people stand higher.  First, the comfort of becoming part of a goodly-sized collective is dashed by the realization of just how many non-players are on the list ahead of them.  That is followed by the exhilaration of moving up  quickly, finally followed by "holy crap HOW MANY are there ahead of me".  
 
For those doubting this progression – just how long has it been since you've been on that path? There follows the matter of a landscape crowded with phantom political parties, disconnected market offers, out of date journo postings, and unanswered friend requests. It doesn’t take long for noobs to feel like the game construct is a hollow s with little to nothing on offer. For too many, the response is "exit game."
 
In real life,none of this matters that much. In game, this zombie situation ranks among the most serious challenges to eRevollution's survival.
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 Article 2 of 3 - This Matter of eZombies: Defend (what eNations can and should do)
 
The wrap-up will be Article 3 of 3 - This Matter of eZombies: De-Zed (what Admin must do)