I am pretty sure this is my first post where I have actually quoted myself:
Now that is not to say that he isn't willing to help the SSX, or that he doesn't have friends in the SSX.
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It is best to remember that this is not a debate on if the person was being malicious, or evil, or had bad intentions. Clearly the post and the responses reflect that it is not.
While I do not believe that my post is majority of the spark of QD's irritation, I certainly feel that he was address what I had stated. If all I had said was the first sentence, I could understand why you would feel you should address it, but as shown above I did show that it was not a negative or mean thing that he had done. Nor that there was reason to justify why he left.
Thankfully, QD, you provided your own way of backing up what I said in my post about character. For example, this is your words:
I don't care about being the best, or the first, I want to push the envolope, I love doing it, I dance on the edge and enjoy it, but that is not for most of the Exiles in WoW, hense, why I moderate myself......often...
You don't care about being first or best, but you do want to see what there is out there, ie push yourself to achieve the games limits. Yet, you do not leave the SSX. In fact you lead the SSX. You find those who share your temperment and forge ahead. If you can't find like minded, you go with others outside the SSX to do it. BUT, you never leave the SSX.
That is the crux of the problem. I have not heard nary a word spoken in this thread that would indicate that anyone should not achieve the most that they can achieve in any game. We are not for limiting what a person is capable of doing. We just don't focus on that as a term for existing in the SSX.
Just look around at the many groups that we have. Every single one has a different play style (by game dev design, or just the people there). We don't cut people for playing differently. We don't (typically) scorn people for wanting the best from a game. Every group has the freedom to do what it takes to achieve whatever goals they deem to be for their group. Provided they promote friendship over the game itself. Ultimately games come and go, friends hopefully stick around.
QD, you have lead the charge in every game you have played where there was an SSX group. Many times you were already part of a group in a game before the SSX had a group there (or even back when we were SSC, ie Neocron). But, you dug in, made it work for the SSX, took charge, worked with the players, and as always gained the admiration of all those you met. You made friends and kept those friends, and worked always hard and diligently with those friends.
So, let me ask you, how would the people in the SSX WoW-EU group, who have come to depend on you like a parent, if you decided they weren't good enough for you any more and was holding you back; and you left to join another group who you felt had more experience, better equipment, etc. In general, a group that wouldn't hold you back.
Seriously, the SSX is not, nor ever will be about being the best. We have not ever put anywhere that our goals and purposes are to be the best, greatest, or most influential group in game. We can't be. I personally have believed always that people should be here becuase they love being here. No matter whether they play games we are part of or not. The idea of a family has been bandied around many many times. With that in mind, if the goals of game are more important than people you play with, the SSX isn't the place to be.
As you said in your own words:
For some people, enjoying a game means different play styles or limits - or no limits, that you can't find in SSX.
It backs up what I have said above. The only question you haven't answered is:
If we aren't good enough in one game for someone, why should we believe that we are good enough in another for them? There is the rub. I will gladly walk away from this discussion if you can provide an answer to that question.
The problem is I don't think you can provide an answer that would alleviate the doubt. If you could, I would imagine you would have already used that excuse to be part of the more experienced guilds in WoW. The ones that don't frustrate you at every turn, and every attempt to help them. What is the frustration worth, if it is so simple to get up and leave the others behind? I am actually more surprised that you do not find the rub against you, that you are not worthy of sticking around with to help with the frustration. To get his elbows dirty and fight the long, good fight. To be the same quality leader you have proven time and time again.
You know that I bow to your courage QD. Your tenacity, and your love of the SSX is known and felt by all that know you. There are only a few people that I know of that the majority of the SSX tends to know and respect. You fall in that short list of people. You lead, and most people follow. You have earned that by always sticking the SSX members no matter the plight or the difficulty, isn't that the definition of being SSX?
So, are you sure it doesn't bother you that someone doesn't think we are worth the effort?
** NOTE **
I do not know Riki, nor have I played games with him. I have not known his full character, how he plays games, etc; since the beginning of this discussion. My points have all been founded solely on the fact that he left the SSX guild becuase we were not able to get to where he wanted to go. He must be a pretty great guy considering the discussion in his leaving message, and everyone saying how much they were going to miss him. I can only converse about him on the one fact I know, which is never enough to fully judge a person. While Riki maybe the one in question that this has happened with, this discussion should be kept to this one point:
What do we do with a member who may, or may not, be part of several groups, and has left the SSX group in a particular game becuase our group was not good enough for them?
I can see this thread approaching that dangerous ground of seeming to be a personal attack, and I do not want it to become that. Please keep this in mind as we continue this definitely interesting discussion.
