This is going to be a long post, so sit back, grab a Coke (or a beer or some tea) and settle in. I'm going to talk about quite a few things in the next few pages, and I want your complete attention. These are important things.

The Darktide Source started a while back when a bunch of us came over from Harvestgain, mostly in response to an excellent Druss article entitled, if I'm not mistaken, "King Of Darktide". I think that most everyone who read it became enchanted with idea of bringing the Source over to DT where we could be the REAL Bringers of Light...not just lenders of money and body recovery help.

I know I was excited.

My level 23 on HG, Shakuras (he of the roadside dinners, feigned indignity and Isparian stories) was quickly forgotten as I threw myself head over heels into the server...reading several hours a day on Darktide's politics, strategies and history, all the while levelling my character.

I fought alongside Druss, Muttfyre, Deao, Mizu-No, Mhon Ti, Joshie Trash Talker, Sac, Nansense and others on the outskirts of Bandy Hill. We tussled with Theros the Bear, Mystic Archer, Healerer, Sybexx, Forsaken Grave. Do you recognize these names? You might not, but I remember them like it were yesterday. Darktide tought us some harsh lessons in those early days...we arrived hopeful and left humble.

The good old days? Anyone remember old-timers like "The Jarhead"? I haven't forgotten a one (except Sensai).

I was indeed humble, decked out as I was in yoroi legs and a dillo coat...but I did not leave. For a month or two my only companions on Darktide were Chinook and Dhali...and of course the man who was for a while the second highest level in the Darktide Source...Suya'n The Hand. (Newer members never had the chance to meet Suya'n...but some may remember him. Back when there were scant few people on the server, we did everything together. Chinook has also met him in RL)

Suya'n was a great believer in the importance of loyalty and leadership to make XP, and that was why he never did quite agree with our recruiting policies...he wanted to take every anti he saw and make a big super monarchy ;) He levelled up to 30 without Item Magic and had no plans to get it. There has never been a more gimped character in the DT Source, but he persevered. A dagger fighter without Life Magic. It was his Atlan that was made out of the Quality Ingot I looted offof a LV 16 Code Line in Mayoi.

I levelled up gradually, and suffered a couple of blow-ups along the way. The first was when I was killed repeatedly by Sybexx, and my actions after the killing are what inspired me to make many of the initial rules of the DT Source. The following is a post I made to this list after my run-in with Sybexx:

Hell is Darktide even playable? Hit town, kill some guy who is attacking
people for no reason...that's what we do, right?

BOOM! Level 14 guy jumps me when I am at half-health. He takes my armor,
sells it. I run back in, ask him what the hell that was about. While we're
talking I turn red again,

BOOM!, he kills me again. 10%

I go back. BOOM! 15%. He kills me again.

His name is Sybexx BTW. I'm just an idiot for trying to go back and get my
armor, which cost me about 7,000p Just a moron. It's my fault. I'm still
pissed though because he killed me for no reason other than to take my stuff
and sell it. Why would I think that anyone would actually give a shit that
I had to slave away killing BS to get that armor? No one cares...I'm the
fool here, thinking that they're decent enough to leave me alone when I am
killing MURDERERS.

Then, I go out to Bandy Hill to work off Vitae. I kill a Raider and get
left with 16 HP.

MYSTIC ARCHER shoots me in the back. I run and ask him about the truce. He
says that he kills any anti-PK.

Then kills me.

I hate Darktide. The place just brings out the worst in me, I'll tell you,
when Mystic killed me, I was about to punch through my computer screen.

Right now I am 18% Vitae with no armor. Where do I go from here?

I lust logged out to avoid throwing my computer out the window. Writing
usually calms me down.

Rrrrrrrrrrrr...

Usually...

The Silent Spearman.

Hardly sounds like me, does it? I whined. I begged for my stuff back. Again, some of you younger DT Sourcers will not ever have seen this, but it happened. It makes me cringe to remember it. It wasn't the only time I lost my temper with this game. Anyone remember this post?

It is this simple guys. I am going to be doing a lot of swearing in this post. Don't read it if that kind of thing offends you.

And so it begins....

For the first time ever, I almost quit the game, just tonight. Usually I am the mildest of men, and generaly I don't get too worked up when bad things happen to me. And I love this game, I really do. I like the people I have met, the quests I have been on. The adventures I have partaken in and heard about. That being said, it's all insignificant in the face of the biggest mistake Turbine has ever made.

Drain Health I.

In the words of Darktide poets everywhere, WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!

Let me tell you a story. A story about a LV 39 Spearman, and a LV 27 Mage. The Level 39 Spearman has SPECIALIZED MAGIC DEFENSE. That is a sizable sacrifice...12 whole skill points. Let me repeat that...he has SPECIALIZED MAGIC DEFENSE. Specialization is indeed a benefit to your skill level, that much is true. For 12 skill points, I would expect nothing less.

The mage has probably specialized Life Magic. This brings him into an elite class of Life Mages, giving him VALUABLE extra points with which to ply his trade. Spec'ing Life costs 8 points. Costly, but some would say worth it.

I'm the Spearman in question, and I poured 20 DAYS of blood, sweat, and tears into my character. TSS is a labour of love and I want him to excel, I want him to be a formidable force. For 20 days of work, I deserve as much.

Let me tell you right now that The Silent Spearman, LV 39 Warrior from Darktide, IS A COMPLETE PIECE OF SHIT CHARACTER. COMPLETE!!!!

Off on another tangent, before we get into the bulk of the tale: Flame Bolt I, a DAMAGE spell, will do what? 8-15 points of damage? NOT BAD FOR A LEVEL 1 spell, huh?

And Heal Self I, that heals what, 8-15 points of damage? Pretty good for a Level 1 spell!!!! Can't complain about that?

AND THEN THERE IS A FUCKING BULLSHIT LV 1 spell that deals 45 to me and gives YOU 35 HP in return.

WHAT...

THE....

FUCK?!??!???!?!?!?!?

THAT IS BULLSHIT! BULLSHIT!

AND GUESS WHAT?

The LV 27 Mage that I fought, 12 levels below me, and with my SPECIALIZED MAGIC DEFENSE (which cost me 12 fucking points, same as Life Magic!!!!) HIT ME EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME with Drain Health I. EVERY TIME!!!

NO EXCEPTIONS. NONE. He didn't miss once. It was the LV 27 Mage against a LV 39 Melee and a LV 20 Archer with Item and not Life, and his health never dropped below 4/5 of max the whole time.

ALL MY MIGHTY LV 39 charcter could do, the character who was the product of 20 DAYS of playing time, was to SIT THERE AND HEAL. I couldn't do ANYTHING ELSE.

WHAT THE FUCK
WHAT THE FUCK
WHAT THE FUCK

We were totally owned! It wasn't even fucking close, Chinook was hitting for 16, 9, 11, stuff like that but who fucking cares when the mage is gaining 35 HP every three second at the cost of 10 mana or LESS.

Goddamn it, my character CANT KILL ANYONE! I HAVE A WARRIOR WHO CAN'T KILL ANYONE! CAN'T hurt melees (and they can't hurt me either), can't hurt mages!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS CHARACTER GOOD FOR?

WHAT DID I GET FOR MY TWELVE SKILL CREDITS FOR SPEC'D MAGIC D EXCEPT TOTALLY and IRREVOCABLY FUCKED OUT OF 20 DAYS OF MY TIME.

CHRIST!!!

LV 1 War: 15 damage...can be dodged.
LV 1 Heal: 15 Health
LV 1 Drain: 45 damage, 35 health..CANT BE DODGED.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT!?!?!?!

GODDAMN IT I HAVE JUST SPENT 20 DAYS OF MY TIME FOR NOTHING!

NOTHING!

Drain Health I is NOT FAIR. Believe me, I hate to resort to using to juvenile and simplistic a term as "Not fair" (the traditional cry of toddlers and playground brats), but how else can you describe that spell? I cannot believe Turbine allows this shit to go on!

Spec'd Magic Defense, killed by a LV 27 Mage. 12 levels below. SON OF A BITCH! How can this happen? HOW!?!?!

Turbine, how can you let this SHIT go on?

Goddamn it I love this game, but how can I play it when my character, fully buffed, can't even defeat a mage at a level you can get TWINKED to in about a two weeks?!?!!

All of my energy is exhausted. All of my will is drained. I love this game, and I love some of the people I have met. I love Darktide.

But how can you ask me to play when the character I love is totally an irrevocably flawed?

I hate the position this has put me in.

I don't want to reroll. But I don't want to play like this, either. I know that some say that on DT I should have known what not picking Life Magic would mean. And I make no excuses, I went in blind, and I payed the price. But now that I know the horrible truth...what is left for me here. I CANNOT, CANNOT go through another 20 days of mindless levelling,of being small, getting random PK'd. I cannot and will not go through that again.

Turbine...this spell is unfair. You must see that...it is the only tool a LV 27 Mage needs to defeat a Melee 12 levels higher who has a LV 20 Archer with him and is fully buffed.

ANd the mage didn't even have banes on! He just had Impen and Armor! I could hit him for 5 to 6 a shot but SO WHAT? SO WHAT WHEN HE WHACKS ME FOR 45 and gains 35 EVERY 3 SECONDS?!?!?!?

If I don't heal, I get harmed to death. If I do heal, he gets more and more Life each time.

12 skill credits wasted.

1 ridiculous spell

12 levels below

45 damage a shot

35 damage healed

3 second casting time

=

One cancelled account.

Somebody give me one good reason to stay. I dare you. Tell me I'm wrong.

TSS

Close to quitting that time, but no cigar.

Ok, I admit it...I'm too hooked to quit. The point I'm trying to illustrate is that we all have our bumpy roads. I've been through as many hardships as anyone so I know what it's like to suddenly realize that your character could have been better or that you've ben playing all wrong or that no matter how high you level, there will be a guy 10 levels higher camping your Lifestone in the morning.

To continue. Don't forget the guys who paved the way, and the guys who came along for part of the ride. Anyone remember Solis ibn Qu'alir? How about Super Nova? They were around. What about our enemies of the younger days? Elemental Blast (who is now PMS Rage), The Lord Nun (who is now Go), and the rest of their little posse? Lava before he rerolled. Remember when Primuss ruled Mayoi with an iron fist? When Malaria, Parabolic and Seventhesis would make our lives a living hell?

We were building our roots when the Stonehold Wars were in full swing, when Lop was the number one anti monarchy. We were rising like a hurricane when Fletchp was the largest monarchy on the server, when Eight-The-Feared still played. When Joy Of Villiany was not under Patryn but the infamous Ronald McDonald, one of the most misanthropic SOB's ever to play the game. We grew up when Loch and Tai Lo Quan ruled Eastham, when Og lived in the burial grounds.

I was online when Lop slew the Nexus Crystal and the most powerful armor in the history of Darktide was taken by the person who clicked on the Core Gem the fastest (Mistress Of Desires).

We were out there when the original Peniuses were ruling Yanshi at the meager levels of 22 and 24. When Mordok would roll through town once a day and kill the lot of us.

For a young guild, we have seen a lot of history. Don't forget it.

Eventually Druss and Sister C made the move over to Darktide, and that opened the gates for many more...most of which are still with us today. You know that era. But don't forget what came before it.

We are the best monarchy on the server because we have the nicest people. We are the best because we are mature, we are all friends, we share what we have. We are the best because we have the most FUN. We share our tales and stories, we laugh together and cry together. With this monarchy I can have fun hunting Olthoi with by buddies, or just as much fun shooting the shit with the friendly folks at the mule spot. I love this monarchy. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Druss, Sister C, Mizu-No, Sensai, Kumo, Dhali, Drake, Chinook (well, I already knew him), Khali, Mhali, all the rest through this wonderful game, and nothing can ruin my fun. I might die twice and feel a little perturbed, but I will be back the next day ready to have a blast. It's just the way I am.

I've been thinking a lot lately and I've come to some important conclusions, and made some important decisions.

The DT Source will never have more than 30 members. I took a vote on this and then asked myself why, since had the decision been for the cap to be abolished, I would probably have stepped down as monarch. 30 it shall be. If you remember, long ago I asked it to be twenty.

I will only be accepting vassals who are personal friends of longtime Source members or trusted Source members. Why? Because I know I can trust these people.

With these new criterion, some people are going to be released, and some people will be moved around in the tree.

Unless I get sufficient objection, Golden Pestilence and Egral-al-Sinep are to be released, with my apologies to both men. They will probably be upset at me for this and have every right to be, since I am changing the rules on them in the midst of their fledgling Source moments. Still, that is the decision. With the enormous slew of boyfriends, personal friends, girlfriends, spouses etc. that might want to join us, we don't have any room for a couple of guys we don't really know. They can be our friends. They can uphold our ideals. But they aren't going to be part of the Source, because the Source is very special to me, and I just don't feel I know these gentlemen well enough.

The other two people in the Source whom I don't feel I know well enough are Elron and Dark Arkon. I really want to get to know you guys better and I'm hoping I'll see more of you in-game and on the list. Because of my respect for Acid Sin and the circumstances surrounding Dark Arkon's lack of playtime, I'm not going to kick him out. (Also, Dark seems very nice) Elron has proven himself a worthy member many times over, but I still don't know him that well ;) (this sounds ludicrous, since I recruited him, but it is the case nonetheless) Still, he stays.

But I repeat, Golden and Egral are to be released. My apologies, and you have every right to feel slighted, though I mean no disrespect. I hope in time you can understand that you joined at a difficult time, and this decision comes as a result of changes that have needed to be made for a long time.

Next, in a paragraph all it's own, I'd like to extend my offer for anyone who doesn't agree with what I'm doing as monarch to a) Speak out or b) Leave, on good terms. I'd suggest JOV or maybe Alberon Mindeater for another monarchy, or you can start your own.

I'm just like you. I want to log on, play with my friends, chat, and have fun. I don't want to have people I barely know in my monarchy. There is no room in this monarchy for people who don't communicate, and who spend their AC lives in hiding. We are a community, and if you're in this monarchy I want to see you on the list.

Sensai is a perfect example of this spirited communication, and I'm proud to have him in the Source. Other people like Druss, Mhali, Sister C, Oberion, Nicolas Easter, Chinook all actively participate on the list, and often write articles that entertain me for hours on end as I read them again and again.

Part-timers? you guys are welcome to stay in the tree, but you're not clogging up the experience flow. Still, who doesn't want to see famous Source warriors like Drake Draco, Dhali (even if it isn't Dave), and coughPEDROcough under the Source tag when they log on to say hit to their buddies and go on quests? Drake will be sworn to me, and so will Dhali, as well as anyone else who plays part time.

The tree is going to look like this:

(level-name)
1-TSS
2-Druss
3-Mhali
4-Sensai
4-Erie
3-Acid Sin
4-Dark Arkon
4-Nicolas Easter
5-Ash-Raven
2-Sister C
3-Zak'Nafein
4-Kumo Miyamoto
5-Pedro (coughSWEARINcough)
4-Oberion
3-Mizu-No
4-Chinook
5-Herrimone
4-Elron
2-Fletch McGee
3-Fingulfin
3-Kalir
3-Khali
3-Zebediah
2-Drake Draco
2-Dhali


After everyone gets high enough, we can toss Dhali and Drake into the 5th tier (maybe Drake can be under Sensa) ;)

That's my basic plan, though as usual with spur of the moment trees, a lot of things could be improved and I may have forgotten someone. (Sensai? Nope, he's there.)

All this writing is tiring me out, but I'll keep going, even if the closing of this letter is just one big reiteration of things I have already said.

Some random thoughts:

Elron would probably have more fun sworn to Natalie-Portman. I'm serious...they seem to be close friends and with Nat starting her monarchy, I think it would be a good idea to bid him adieu and send him to our friend Nat ;) Of course, if he wishes to stay, that is fine too.
If you quit, don't expect me to invite you back. Everyone has rought times and you'll come back on your own if it means that much to you.
Above all remember that I do my best to help you have fun. That is my number one goal. If you're not having fun then you shouldn't play. Why keep torturing yourself with a game you don't even enjoy? I'll do my best but if you're determined to be pissed off I can't help you much.

So many things on my mind tonight.

Sister C, release Golden when you can. Tell him to talk to me about it if he's concerned or upset. That's all for now.

TSS

And remember our rules.

No talking shit. Ever. Let them have their dignity.
No whining or excuses. Ever. Let them have their victory.
No stealing.
No killing the innocent.
Always give evil one chance to atone.
Always give help to those who need it.

And above all...no grief play. No spamming, begging or acting like an ass. And though this is an unwritten rule, if you're dumb as a rock and can barely string two sentences together, or you're 9 years old (Fingulfin is the perfect youngster, impresses me every time I talk to the lad, most of the DT youngsters are complete idiots) and have maturity level to match, I don't care if you're MY BEST FRIEND, you are not getting in.

I don't want anyone in this monarchy that I wouldn't sit down and have a coffee with in real life.

So far we're doing pretty good.

I don't know what you think of this post, but if you have comments, let em fly.

TSS