My Goodbye - Morzan von Kazakov
My Goodbye 10/3/17
In two months, December 2017 I will have been in this community for 5 years. I have decided I no longer wish to stay. Looking at the community now compared to how it was when I joined in 2012, it leaves me sad. Its been said by countless people that this community is dying, It's even been said by me. And I no longer wish to stay until its death. In my egotistical self-righteous belief, I had made multiple attempts to revive the community with new ideas. Whereas some were more successful than others, They all failed. I will accept responsibility for the fact that for most of them I was not able to put in my full effort.
However, the community has shown that it is fine with the way it is. Why would I try any longer to change a community that's fine with how it is? Maybe some of you are not content with the way it is. But let's face it, there are so many new members who want high ranking positions and the current way this community is, they'll get them. Why would they support a way that they won't get the ranks they want?
Analogy
In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, It describes a group of prisoners chained to a wall. Behind them is a massive fire. Behind that is the exit to the cave. The fire makes shadows that they see on the wall up the front of them. To the prisoners, that is a reality, they don't know any different. But then one day, a prisoner breaks free and escapes the cave. What he sees is not the shadows on the wall, but instead what the shadows try to imitate. As he becomes used to his new surroundings, he realizes that his former view of reality was wrong.
He goes back into the cave and tells the prisoners what he has seen, but they reject him. They believe that the shadows on the wall are what's real, and they threaten to kill him if he sets them free.
The Community is in the cave
It's sad to say, but where's the community was once the man breaking others free of the cave, They ended up becoming the prisoners trapped in the cave on their own free will. When we as a community got trapped, there were those of us who refused to accept the shadows as our reality and what's real. We tried to save those in the cave. But instead, they ignore us, insult us, threaten us. So we leave, and those in the cave die in the cave of their own free will. They will never see the light because they reject it. Those that had never seen the light are scared of it. Scared of losing they're believed to be "Power" and their ranks. They would rather have a high rank in the shadow instead of what the shadow mimics. There are no people left to rescue the people in the cave, None who have rejected the shadows on the wall.
I'm Done
I waited, patiently for when the community would decide enough is enough and stop their current downfall. But that time has not come, and may never. My friends in the community have already left, Auel, Roxas, Jorn, Sketch, And many others. Most of you may not know who most of them are, that's how long they have been gone. Those that remain I may not hate, many I do not know. But there are a great many who I have no love for, no hate but no love. Why stay in a community like this? I stayed because I felt obligated to help it, but when that failed, I had no reason to stay. It's not fun to be in, it stopped being fun years ago. It shows no possibility for help and its chances of survival are low. If something changes, perhaps ill return. But for now, this is it.
To those in the Community
I'm aware that many would like to see me go, after all. I am trying to show you the ways you're wrong, and who likes to be told they are wrong? But for those that are left, who had never known anything different, or those who want something more, I wish you luck. The Great Officers are gone. Auel, Kusan, Myself, Vulnus, and Xinke. Sherlock still remains, However it looks like nothing is being done from his part to help the community. Its possible one of you will be able to fix this, But it appears you'll have many struggles along the way should you try.
Favorite Memories
Sadly, I no longer have access to my photos of the beginning of the community, but I'll still share what I believed made this community great.
First Three State Eras
Undoubtedly the first three state eras, The Old State, SAFF, and The Renewed State are why I stayed. There were many eras after that, but none came close to those three. In those eras, things such as citizen branches were a very big project that everyone wanted and worked on. A Military was not an achievement, it was but a baseline for real achievements to happen. Guild's that made it to a month of activity were not regarded as successes, But a guild that introduced something new was.
Baby Killing
When I would get bored in The State, I would normally round up everyone on and enter baby adoption houses and pk everyone. It was great past time and incredibly fun. It built the bond between soldiers that no amount of training could.
Government Meetings
Primarily the Old State parliament meetings and the SAFF Supreme Council Meetings. In those meetings, the ideas were discussed that would innovate the community and create common themes that are still used now. It was a collaboration of the best in The State, where all ideas were formed, heard, and voted upon.
Box Forts/Jousting
Box Forts
In an era most of you never knew, Officers would get walls, boxes and other items, make them movable and make two teams. Each team would get an amount of the items and make a fort in a guild house, then the teams would fight each other until one man remained alive.
Jousting
Invented by Auel, it's essentially jousting with swords. Two contenders would go to opposite sides of an arena. Run past each other and swing their swords, and repeat until one was alive.
Conclusion
This is not a goodbye like many others have done, I will not return in a day or a week. I sadly am not quitting Graal, although I do plan to go inactive. But I have no desire to play classic any further until something is done. I played classic for the community, and now that it's no longer anything respectable, I will not linger around. The Warrant Officer's will go to the next Clovis I deem worthy of controlling them.
Goodbye,
It had been a pleasure to serve you, and with you.
-Auel Morzan Atlas Clovis Von Kazakov