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The Hashashin are disbanding

Printed From: Illyriad
Category: The World
Forum Name: Broken Lands
Forum Description: For everything related to the Broken Lands Continent
URL: http://forum.illyriad.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=10502
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 20:46
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Topic: The Hashashin are disbanding
Posted By: Sayez
Subject: The Hashashin are disbanding
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 19:39
The subject says it all.

There are several reasons for that.

First of all, the decline in interest in this game by many of our members, and following from that, a strong decline in activity. Second, me burning out as leader (and nobody being left to take over the job).

Starting about a month ago, I had a serious health issue, which lasted for several weeks. It that wasn't a happy time for me. I also couldn't be bothered to do much in Illy, and certainly didn't have the focus to plan any operation (or anything at all, actually).

But if there was one positive aspect during that time, it was that I didn't feel the (self-inflicted) pressure to keep my alliance entertained with operations anymore.

It was also eye-opening that Josh (PublicRelations) was the only person who took over some responsibility during that time to pick up my slack. Just as eye-opening, many of our members no longer seemed to care about the inactivity at that point. Which is OK. But it showed how much their interest in Illyriad had already waned.

When I took over leadership of Loki last year, after Gragnog had stepped back, it was due to a feeling of responsibility. Nobody else was willing to do it, so Loki would otherwise have disbanded sooner of later. When Jejune silently disappeared in January, SIN was left in a similar situation. Again nobody else stepped forward to take over leadership. So in the end, and after some encouragement by Tink, Josh and Grag, I took over leadership of SIN as well. Since I felt bad to leave the Loki members behind, I decided to merge both alliances.

It was a bad idea, and I really should have known better. It further increased the administrative burden on me. Josh helped me a lot, but there is only so much he could realistically do. More importantly, the members of both alliances had vastly different interests in game, and a very different playstyle. Merging the two alliances created additional conflicts. In the end, few members of either alliance were happy with the outcome. A better leader than myself may have salvaged the situation, but I couldn't.

In particular, I'm pretty bad at dealing with people. To my own surprise, I've been getting along in RL reasonably well. Having a job where most of my colleagues are at least as nerdy as myself, and some are "on the spectrum" as well, obviously helps.

But more importantly, a friendly tone of voice and expression go a long way to signal that the (unintentional) bluntness or insensitivity of what I just said may not have been meant that way. That obviously doesn't work very well on Slack though. Actually it doesn't work at all. And as a result, I've probably pissed off more SINners than enemies during my time as leader.


Meanwhile, the interest in Illyriad of many of our members has declined further. Lately we've been spending more time talking about other games to play (instead of Illyriad), than about Illyriad.

Three days ago, Tink, one of the few remaining veterans of 300 and the SINdicate, quit. Last year, the departure of a few SIN core members caused other members (who had also lost interest, but kept playing anyway, to not let their team mates down) to quit as well. And now, Tink quitting seems to have started yet another such cascade within the SINdicate.

To clarify, I'm not really mad at any people who quit (and certainly not at Tink). In fact I appreciate their team spirit and loyalty, which kept them playing after they had lost interest themselves. And I'm actually relieved that I can now give up the alliance leadership, which I had never asked for, and leave this game as well. Without the bad conscience I would otherwise have had for letting down our members as well as our allies in 300.


So, in the end, I decided to do what we should have done in January (when Jejune quit), or possibly even earlier (when the core of our veterans quit).

To disband SIN.


What will happen to our members? Some of them will quit the game.

Others will go casual (in fact, many of them already have). And that's OK. But SIN isn't the right alliance for that.

Some might join one of the very few remaining military alliances.

I will be around for a week or two, sort out a few things, use our remaining alliance prestige (probably to hand out some cheesy medals), and will then probably follow either Stuk's example and find a sitter, or Tink's example and abandon. I had briefly thought about moving back to Elgea, but can't really be bothered to rebuild (and re-sov) my cities *again*.



Replies:
Posted By: Bill Cipher
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 20:06
This is what happens when you put a  newbie in charge...

he ****s up everything


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Posted By: Helmsman
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 20:08
Illy won't be the same without SIN. 

Unpopular opinion: I believe the decline with many old timers leaving is the movement to make Illy more warlike. Internet is FULL of PvP games and very few like Illy that are city builders with PvP enabled. Illy is not set up for strong PvP action. The mechanics prevent that and I think that was the intention of the Devs. I hear all the time that Illy is just turning into  Farmville. Well, IMO, thats just whats it is supposed to be with the ability, but not easy,  PvP combat. Many of us old folk prefer the laid back style of Illy. A friendly, helpful community. The silly role play in GC. The knowledge that one can go to sleep at night and not worry if their cities will be there in the morning. Many reasons why lots of folks have stuck around for the last 7+ years.  *end rant*  


Posted By: WarPath
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 20:13
BC....dude sometimes you just need to learn to stfu


Posted By: Cesena
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 20:32
Well known problem we also had to cope with at Saints/Unbowed. There will be another SIN in the future, as we still stand as Saints. And yes, we will grow again also.


Posted By: Tensmoor
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 20:38
I hope your health improves Sayez and that you find a game you enjoy.

I agree with Helmsman on both points.


Posted By: King Sigerius
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 21:55
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.


Posted By: Lagavulin
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 23:52
You expressed my thoughts too.  Thanks.


Posted By: Lagavulin
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 23:53
My above post was a reply to Hellmsman.


Posted By: BayNights
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 00:31
Better for them to quit now and save some face than have to explain away those pesky notifications in GC


Posted By: Zenorra
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 03:30
Sayez,
I understand completely how this happened. When the leader of TCol (Kale Weathers), suicided all of his cavalry up a mountain then rage quit, no one would step up and become leader either. I knew I didn't want to be the leader, but I felt a responsibility to try. The server war made a lot of our members quit the game, they got burned out or freaked out. Eventually, we grew again and I was able to find a capable and most loved replacement. After 7 years, I have finally stepped down. *happy dance* Please don't disband SIN, hang in there until you find someone who wants it. Hopefully, it won't take you 7 years like it did me. :P

To the rest of you with negative comments:
You might have disliked or even hated Sin, but you know that you needed something to plot against and attempt to destroy. Sin brought a lot to this game, and they will be missed by all if they are disbanded. 



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Posted By: Hucbold
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 11:28
I salute Sayez for the frankness of his post and, as always, wish him well with his health and his future RL endeavours. It appears that continuous war causes battle fatigue on all sides.

For the information of others, I have received no communication from any member (present or former) of SIN and as they are the architects of the PPP policy and several of their members have left their alliance while at war, it will be interesting to see what approach they; and the alliances they join; take and expect, collectively and individually to the wars they are leaving. We await developments.


Posted By: Grom
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 14:31
Originally posted by Hucbold Hucbold wrote:

I salute Sayez for the frankness of his post and, as always, wish him well with his health and his future RL endeavours. It appears that continuous war causes battle fatigue on all sides.

For the information of others, I have received no communication from any member (present or former) of SIN and as they are the architects of the PPP policy and several of their members have left their alliance while at war, it will be interesting to see what approach they; and the alliances they join; take and expect, collectively and individually to the wars they are leaving. We await developments.

Have you considered the possible (or in my personal opinion highly likely) explanation that no-one has reason to be concerned about being persistently pursued by Aesir?


Posted By: eowan the short
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 15:04
ffs... biff's going to be a nightmare in GC now... you couldn't have just said you were merging into CDS or something? :P

In all seriousness, its a real shame to see you guys go... you've been excellent villains in a great many people's games and plotting and scheming against the SINicate has filled many a boring lecture for me. 

I hope those of you who are switching games all the best, if any of you come back and need some res, let me know.

-E


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This is the thread that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some person started it, not knowing what it was, and we'll continue posting on it forever just because...


Posted By: Bill Cipher
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 19:26
Unlike you,

Biff actually has a life
When's the last time you've seen him


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Posted By: Small Boy
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 04:54
It is very difficult to keep a large alliance running by yourself, when your leadership is slowly becoming more inactive by the day and there are too many differences of opinion within your alliance to solve by yourself. And it invariably leads to burnout. 

We saw this happen with Captain Kindly in HugCr and Dravin the Sloth in eCrow. And those alliances were nowhere near as busy as Sin had to be in the last 6-9 months.

Best of luck, Sayez, in whatever you choose to do.

It would be a lie to pretend I'm not happy about Sin disbanding, because of various events over the last 12 months. But there's no denying the fact that Sin has been a vital part of Illy history.


Posted By: Snagglepuss
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2018 at 12:33
Originally posted by Hucbold Hucbold wrote:

I salute Sayez for the frankness of his post and, as always, wish him well with his health and his future RL endeavours. It appears that continuous war causes battle fatigue on all sides.

For the information of others, I have received no communication from any member (present or former) of SIN and as they are the architects of the PPP policy and several of their members have left their alliance while at war, it will be interesting to see what approach they; and the alliances they join; take and expect, collectively and individually to the wars they are leaving. We await developments.

You would have to send attacks to be considered "pursuant" Huc ?? I've been at war with Aesir for over a year and none of my cities have been touched by Aesir?


To Sayez and the rest of  SIN, join TCol and its business as usual. You all kept it going as long as you could and should be proud. 


Posted By: Lagavulin
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2018 at 15:27
Proud?  What drivel.


Posted By: Urian
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 03:51
You did good mate.



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