Resignation

[Nor'baal]

Good morning, afternoon and evening to our members across the globe!

Today I'm announcing that I will be resigning as Faction Leader of the Republic, with @fyremage and @Krajin taking over with their characters Gregory Rhone and the GAR commander. They are some of the best AFLs I've had, and will do the role a great service by continuing.

This decision was not an easy one, and was formed around my growing concerns around the direction of the timeline, and the toxic uncooperative atmosphere it has fostered, an atmosphere that has stalled any and all attempts I have made to try and speak to people about it, as a vocal and hostile minority of players seek to gloss over the concerns of many of our newer members.

I firmly disagree with the PvP focus of the timeline, especially when the Republic was hammered into shape with the express desire to have half its membership as Senators, not warriors.

This PvP focus has in my view derailed the storyline, and lead to it becoming more of a pernickety play of who can out write who, and has caused players to resort to not RPing outside of their immediate group of friends, for fear of losing a character they spent a lot of time on.

It has generated a horrible "Us Vs Them" mentality, that has divided the site, and its members - the focus has become 'winning' not 'storytelling'.

Story wise, the factions now focus around a bizarre form of space chess in which members fight for control of grid squares. Gone are planetary battles, gone is the security that ASK RP could bring, instead replaced with the every present worry that literally anyone can just rock up and take a heavily defended and highly populated world, with three people and some writing skill.

Due to the PvP focus being the only real way to advance the RP, people are now literally seeking to destroy other people's stories in favour of their own, something I three to four years ago was told was not why we RP'ed here.

OOC tensions are absurdly high, arguments are rife and nothing is being done about it. The Republic focused at the start of the timeline on its senatorial RP, which was excellent, however it was then forced to create a Grand Army, one that could meet the PvP needs of the timeline.

Few people have taken it up, as once again the republic doesn't attract kill hungry players.

I feel as though my stepping down will allow me to go away and enjoy RP once again, away from the constant competition that the main factions must now endure.

I have just started a new job, and the vast majority of my time is rightfully taken up by work, and spending time with my friends and family. I want to come into the site to have fun, in a cooperative story telling environment, and not spend my entire evening arguing with people over PvP. It isn't fun for me, so I'll be speaking to some of my friends here, (you know who you are ;) ), and working on stories and groups we can progress together in.

In my eyes there is no cooperation anymore, no faction speaks to one another, and all this causes is OOC arguments "because the rules say it's ok".

It's time for those rules to change, in response to the growing number of players that are expressing a valid concern about the hostile nature of the timeline, that is being derailed by a need to focus on how to kill one another instead of on how to write a good story together.

I was always told SWRP was a cooperative story telling site, not a competition.

It seems that is no longer the case, and as such I am resigning as FL for the Republic. I do not have the time to fight the uphill battle to get these unfair and toxic rules changed. I believe their where made in good faith, indeed I helped make them, but now we have seen that they can and are being abused - and it's time for them to change.

I know some people will laugh, saying it's pathetic to leave and that I am wrong.

You're welcome to do so, as I won't read the comments, and I quite honestly won't give you the time of day.

My only advice to the new FL would be to continue to listen to your members, develop and foster cooperation, and never, ever let players who seek to ruin the faction for their own gain sign up.

Thank you, and to Fyre, Beta and Krajin, I'm only ever one PM away.

 

[Jabonicus]

While I personally disagree with you, do what you feel like is right. Have a good time.

 

[Logan]

Most everything you said here was a lie. You've left the republic in capable hands, so at least there's that.

Later, guy.

 

[Breeso]

I've seen some stuff people were up to this timeline. He is right

 

[RedneckLoves]

In all honesty I can only shake my head at this. From where I'm sitting, you were the one being difficult and causing tensions to run high.

But whatever.

Hopefully you can sill find a way to have fun on swrp without the main faction tensions you apparently perceive.

 

[Taz]

I've only been back a few weeks and I can see he's right on some points about the PvP. But besides that we're all here to have fun so if he's not having fun it's time to change. Having work with him on Czerka and in some Hutt stuff last timeline I think Norbs is a good dude and has good ideas for RP. I look forward to what you do next.

 

[The Kyzer]

Bye Norby! Welcome to Post-FL freedom.

Can I call Fyre Bender "Fyre Leader" now?

 

[Black Noise]

Good luck in your personal endeavors, hit me up if you'd like to rp together!.

 

[Andrewza]

In my opion the 1 main faction was the root cause of it all. It created a us vs them mentality. Somthing i dont like either.

 

[Dmitri]

Farewell, and hope to still see you around the site.

On a side note, no one forced you to create the GAR; that was your own initiative.

 

[Nor'baal]

I'm very disappointed in myself.

There where no GIFs at all in my post.

 

[Mistress]

All I know about this is I see my news feed taken over by an onslaught of ooc posts on a daily basis. Everyone's concerns should be seriously acknowledged, as it is long time members along with new members who are expressing their discontent.

Catch you on the flip side, Norbs.

 

[Green Ranger]

Resigning to make a point is a pretty silly move. You were in a better position to create a dialogue and actively work towards the changes you wanted than you are now. This kind of grandstanding's...honestly kind of weird tbh.

Dont get me wrong, your time as Republic FL was invaluable, it's just...this is a weirdly sour note to go out on.

 

[Nor'baal]

I would rather have fun in my time off from work than be barraged with insults from a vocal group of members (not you).

I don't have the time to work on this, so I'm handing over to someone who does. If nothing comes of it, I'll be glad I left, if something does come of it, I'll be glad I handed it over to someone with the time and drove to see it through.

I'm looking forward to having fun on this site again to be honest.

 

[Liam]

Wish this wasn't the case but you gotta do what you gotta do. Here's hoping that you're able to find a more enjoyable experience on the site.

 

[Raydo]

Who gave Norbs a sock?!?! Unacceptable.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I would like the record to show, frankly, that after I asked you to start talking to the other FLs about your concerns in either the Hall of Leaders (the private FL board) or the FL Skype chat, you only made a few comments before you resigned. You didn't even really try. I don't like to kick people when they're down, but I don't want anyone thinking that this is because there's an "uphill battle" to be fought here. You barely even started the conversation, there was no tension in the replies to you, and you just walked away from it, so that's really disappointing.

Sorry to see that you've resigned, though. You're a good FL. I hope the next FL takes the time to really communicate with other FLs.

 

[Nor'baal]

I'll just throw this out there:

Maybe if the admins actually stepped in to direct faction leaders, instructed players (and screw it, let's name names) like @Megilwen @RedneckLoves @Relent and of course everyone's darling @Prudence to back up, and stop constantly insulting the faction. Leaders they would actually talk.

The fact the admins have done nothing, and expect people without the authority of the admins to just magically warp together and solve all the problems, disappoints me.

There are problems, and those problems lie within the rules that people keep bloody quoting. The admins need to step up, and sort this out, tell the increasingly toxic PvP loving maniacs on the site that they are ruining it for the majority of people, and sort this out.

A minority of people, who bad mouth and attack others the second things don't go their way are ruining this forums story, leading it to be about winning not storytelling.

Yes, I started the convasation, then I left. You know why? Because being called an idiot, blind, useless, bigoted, ignorant and stupid really isn't what I like to do for fun.

I came here to have fun, not be insulted, not to bash my head against the wall trying to make people see something staring them in the face.

The us vs them idea spawned by the competitive focus of this timeline is ruining the story, the atmosphere and the RP, and it's about time the admins stopped quoting the rules, and started changing them.

 

[Krajin]

Do well in your endeavours Norbs! As for the new FL.. well.. we shall make them work *Crack-Whip*

 

[Nor'baal]

I'll just throw this out there:

Maybe if the admins actually stepped in to direct faction leaders, instructed players (and screw it, let's name names) like @Megilwen @RedneckLoves @Relent and of course everyone's darling @Prudence to back up, and stop constantly insulting the faction. Leaders they would actually talk.

The fact the admins have done nothing, and expect people without the authority of the admins to just magically warp together and solve all the problems, disappoints me.

There are problems, and those problems lie within the rules that people keep bloody quoting. The admins need to step up, and sort this out, tell the increasingly toxic PvP loving maniacs on the site that they are ruining it for the majority of people, and sort this out.

A minority of people, who bad mouth and attack others the second things don't go their way are ruining this forums story, leading it to be about winning not storytelling.

Yes, I started the convasation, then I left. You know why? Because being called an idiot, blind, useless, bigoted, ignorant and stupid really isn't what I like to do for fun.

I came here to have fun, not be insulted, not to bash my head against the wall trying to make people see something staring them in the face.

The us vs them idea spawned by the competitive focus of this timeline is ruining the story, the atmosphere and the RP, and it's about time the admins stopped quoting the rules, and started changing them.

^ in my opinion.

Just a note, in royally pissed off with this entire affair. The site is being ruined by a small number of members, so I'm stepping down so I don't have to deal with it.

Plain and simple, I came here to have fun, no argue with the same people every damn day.