So, I hate ganks too. I've died to them historically a lot. I'm one of those players who doesn't really bitch when it happens - I basically expect the full lewt every time I die.

That said, I have been a part of the "gang mentality" and large gangs in the past. In all cases, it has been very much like the "mob mentality" that is so often discussed among sociologists and psychologists in everyday society. We have numbers, they do not. We have a pretext under which we can attack them, and so we attack. Looting at that stage becomes a purely personal decision, but when everyone in your 5 on 1 gank decides that they can "loot two items because that's their fair share", you can see where that leads.

You sound like you haven't played for that long, so here's a suggestion for you to try to at least understand - I find that in understanding the mentality and the motivation there is generally less resentment when I play the other side. Play an Imperial Blade. Sometimes the odds will be stacked in your favor. You will have priests and mages to run around with. You will also log in sometimes and have nothing but outlanders and paladin squads ganking you down. It's a fact of life in hero range. To be honest, this game is not about equipment. I used to think it was. Granted, it's nice to have equipment, but this isn't WoW. I think it was when I began to only have 3-5 hours per week to play that the game began to take a different cast to me.

How your character deals with these situations will define him or her. How do you handle a situation where you are in a "gank squad". How much power do you have in that situation? Is it a "team"? Or is it a principal-constituent type of relationship? Do you form loose coalitions? Are you a loner?

The Immortals do a better job these days than ever before in trying to genuinely understand your character and his/her motivations. Use that to your advantage. When you get full looted, it sucks. Every loss, however, is an opportunity. It's an opportunity for you to understand and develop how your character responds to such a situation, and to leave your mark upon the realm.

Characters can live a long time in CF. Even the shortest-lived races have several hundred hours, and few people age die. Frustration and boredom are the two primary reasons people delete.

With the right attitude and approach, both frustration and boredom can be overcome. I think if you can accomplish that, you will find yourself having more fun and getting the most out of your characters.

Your fun shouldn't come from bitching - it should come from overcoming adversity and developing your character in spite of it.

Reward yourself through your character development, and you will be rewarded for it. And good luck.

T