The Perils Of Canned Dialogue

I’ve just started a new MMORPG. It’s going pretty nicely as I start the first real quest (after the tutorials). Important note: I’m on a canned server, which means I can only use the pre-made phrases to chat.

I head down the path to the city. Another gamer is there. They immediately send “stop following me.” I try to type “this is the only path to the city,” but that’s not one of the approved phrases. I ignore them.

In the city, I head for the old merchant. The same gamer from before shows up AFTER I do, and I realize we’re on the same newbie quest. They again send out “stop following me.” I start searching through the canned phrases, but the closest I can come, “let’s go on a quest!” doesn’t seem like a good response.

This goes on for another ten minutes, with us following the quest objectives at about the same speed and them spamming me. I even send in a “no. Stop following ME!” which gets more spam. Eventually, I start screaming at my screen “we’re on the same quest, you idiot!” All of a sudden, as if they somehow heard me through the screen, they leave. I never saw them again.