On Reddit, a Minecraft player talks about his first online friend, who protected him from the dangers of the internet.
Do you remember your first experience in an online multiplayer game? Did you engage in heated battles with friends in a shooter, or did you explore an MMO with strangers?
For many, Minecraft was and still is the gateway to the world of gaming. Not only because of its creative single-player mode, but also thanks to its countless multiplayer servers. There, you can build worlds together, forge alliances, or compete against each other in a wide variety of game modes.
On Reddit, a player recounts how his first online friend gently introduced him to the world of the internet and how, many years later, he learned that his friend had long since passed away.
“I’m 11 years too late to pay my last respects.”
In the Minecraft subreddit, user Aedessia recounts one of his most important childhood encounters. “Just found out that the first person who played Minecraft [multiplayer] with me has passed away… And I’m 11 years too late to pay my respects.”
Just found out the first person in Minecraft MP to play with me passed away…And I’m 11 years late to pay my respects.
by
u/Aedessia in
Minecraft
The screenshots show the memorial that Aedessia dedicated to his former multiplayer partner: a small island with a Nether portal, complemented by a statue with a shield and diamond sword.
In the comments, he tells the story that connects the two of them. In 2011, he got Minecraft for his 14th birthday and a few days later met the player Vindocte on an online server. Vindocte made him a member of his faction and taught him everything about the game. But that’s not all:
[He] asked me how old I was. I was 14. He immediately switched into big brother mode and explained the dangers of being unsupervised on the internet. How to recognize problematic behavior, how to protect yourself, emergency numbers for child safety in my country, things like that.
After the summer holidays, Aedessia lost contact and never heard from his online friend again. He now knows why. He found out via social media that Vindocte had died years ago. To pay tribute to him, Aedessia turned an island on his private server into a memorial.
“I didn’t know how much he influenced me and my life until I found out,” he writes. “Rest in peace, Vindocte. Without you, my online journey would probably have been much more dangerous.”
In less than a day, the post has already received over 10,000 upvotes and numerous condolences.
- “I’m sorry, bro. What a way to find out. I’m glad someone remembers him, and I imagine how much good he would have done in the world if he was already willing to take the time to help a stranger’s child in Minecraft.“ – u/bluecrowned
- “Honestly, thinking about him 11 years later is the greatest respect you can show him! I can only hope that a few of my internet friends will post something about me 11 years after my death.” – u/_t_h_r_o_w__away
A user quotes Lord Hood from Halo 3. According to Aedessia, it’s a very fitting quote:
For us, the storm is over. The war is over. And let us never forget those who went into the howling darkness and did not return. For their decision required immeasurable courage. Sacrifice, the unshakeable conviction that their fight … our fight … was elsewhere. As we begin to rebuild, this slope will remain barren, a memorial to the fallen heroes. They have all ennobled us, and they will not be forgotten. We often don’t realize how much influence fleeting encounters on the internet can have on us. Sometimes they lead to friendships that last for years. Sometimes it’s just a few hours spent together, but even that can leave a lasting impression.
Have you had similar experiences in your gaming career that you still think about today? How many of your online friendships have lasted to this day? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!