Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Okay.
[member="Kiskla Grayson"], you're awesome, babe. Keep on keepin' on, you're doing great.
Everyone else take a deep, deep, deeeeep breath. Pet a puppy. Read a book. Watch a movie. Kiss your gal/guy/gramma. Chase a kitty. Fold your clothes. Clean your room. Do your homework. Eat some food, savor it, enjoy it.
This is a game.
This does not matter.
This will not decide the fate of your real life.
If the internet is making you so angry that you're willing to get nasty to people on the other side of a computer screen, then you need to reconsider your priorities.
That said-
I'm on both sides of the coin here, concerning things between the Pubs and OP. I've got a char in both factions, albeit Avalore is far more active than my OP alt. I've seen the ups and downs of both factions, I've tried to help where and when I could. Like many members, I work full time and have a very busy schedule outside of internet timies. I do my best to be involved, but I simply don't have the time to participate in Invasions with any hope to keep up. My contributions to the Republic are thin, but where they exist I have tried very hard to make them positive and enjoyable. This character has been put through the ringer and I've really enjoyed every piece of her story that has developed alongside the Jedi, the Republic, the Sith, and this whole war going on. I've made lots of new friends and helped create lots of new stories despite change, loss, and strange interruptions of the Darkside kind. This is what it's all about people: writing a story about conflict, dealing with the challenges thrown your way, soldiering on despite poor odds.
Let me tell you, the truth of the matter right now for the Republic is this: we're at poor odds.
The truth of the matter right now for OP is this: they're at poor odds.
Both factions are floundering in their own ways, regardless of whether you want to see it or not. It's happening.
What can we do about this? We can meet these challenges head on and make the most of the story as it grows and molds and forms.
We have reached a dry crossroads here with the Republic's story. We're battered, broken, bruised, and smarting from the beat-down by OS. Sure, we've got the biggest blob on the map, but we've got the least cohesive memberbase on this entire forum, and it's been this way for some time. People are constantly nattering, arguing, and generally being nasty to one another. Guess what guys - things will never work out if it continues on this way.
Change is the only constant, and we need it bad.
We've been given two really awesome ideas to consider here by Kiskla, one of which has already been in discussions for some time, the other is something that is a potentiality. Nowhere was it ever written that "Yep, this is it. Flip a coin boys and girls cause it's not going down any other way."
This was Kiskla's first major proposition as FO and you guys have let her down hard.
We elected her, damn-near unanimously. The majority of us happily voted for her. We're a basket full of peanuts, guys, and I didn't really see anyone else chomping at the bit for the job. Hell, I don't even think Kiskla put herself up as a choice. She didn't, actually. I, me, Avalore Eden, was the first person to put her name down. Sorry guys, it's my fault that we now have a competent, intelligent, thoughtful person for a leader who may or may not have missed the first rule of putting up votes as an FO. (For the record, Kiskla, the rule is: always give the option of "I don't like these options. Let's do something else.") Because people need to have their two cents, no matter what sort of member they are.
Cut her some slack guys and stop being mean. It's uncouth and nobody likes being on the receiving end of Nasty Negative Nancys. Not you, not me, not Kiskla. Nobody.
So - to my vote.
I was the jerk that tied all three votes at 7.
I am for the merger, and here's why:
Both OP and Republic are struggling with activity.
A merger of the two factions will absolutely help boost activity by providing more things for the members to complain about (because we all know that's the best fuel for the waning activity flame), a fresh new story that both fronts must take into IC consideration, and a chance for two very creative minds of Kiskla and Ayden to collude and work together to figure this whole thing out.
It will force, yes force, one cohesive story upon both factions.
Aside from having a common enemy and war, that's about all these two factions have going at the moment that unites their members. The Republic is the most divided I have seen it since first joining SWRP over a year ago, both OOCly and ICly. We don't have a common goal, we don't have a common story. Everyone does whatever they want, and even though that's ok, we still need to have that one big reason to come together and it shouldn't only ever be reliant on war.
Having two reliable leaders is a good thing.
Though Kiskla may be new to the FO position, what I have seen of her both OOC and IC and what I have read from her is very promising in my opinion. She's done well to set a good example for new writers, she goes out of her way to be friendly with everyone, she puts forth a noticeable effort to craft fun and engaging stories for the members, and though I've had very little personal interaction with her, everything I hear about her from those that have is good. Ayden is another steadfast icon of this forum. He might be slow to post at times (a lot of us are guilty of this) but he is reliable and dependable and a solid writer. He is a well of good ideas, and he has shown time and again that he can and will be the better man for the purpose of good story. He's willing to talk things through, make things work, make sacrifices, and be honest. In a merger between the two factions, I have absolutely no fear of there being unfair discrepancies or decisions. I am confident in the ability of these two to come to fair terms, to include the members in the process, and do their best to make it a positive engagement.
The opportunity for story and development is amazing.
Every member will have a job in making this merger work. Down to the very last soldier, senator, and padawan. From assessing defenses of newly drawn territories to building a new presence for the Senate; meshing ideas between militaries to dallying out shared technologies. You're worried about OP gaining all of Republic's tech? Guys. GUYS. Have you seen the tech that OP has at their disposal? Have you seen the freaking awesome ships Ayden has in his fleet? The idea of combining our tech and military powers alone is mind-boggling. You're afraid that the NFU's are going to go by the wayside in favor of the Jedi? OP is built upon the muscle and minds of NFU's. Ayden knows how to make use of NFUs, there will be plenty of need for them. The list here goes on and on and on.
With our powers combined, we are Captain Pla- er, we will smash the OS!
If you think we stand a chance of stopping the hurt-train that is OS alone, then darling you're delusional. The same could be said for OP. I don't know about you guys, but I'm less concerned about losing our name than I am about the continuing damage OS will rend upon us if something isn't done soon. Every victory they gain over us and other factions is a strike to morale, IC and OOC. From a writer's standpoint I am in love with the scene set by this war with OS. It has given me so many opportunities to write really fun, engaging stories that have shaped Avalore as a character immensely. I am drooling over the opportunity to formulate a new, super awesome story with OP to curb-stomp the Sith. I want to taste victory folks! I'm tired of this bran-mash defeat. But I also want to struggle a bit, you know? Because insta-win is never fun or fulfilling, that's why nobody really likes dominions all that much.
Galactic Alliance is a cool name.
I'm gonna go a bit shallow here. It is. I think so. It sort of rolls off the tongue and you have to fill your lungs to really enunciate it properly. That's a powerful name there, guys.
I'd rather be an Ally than a Rebel Rouser.
The idea of guerrilla warfare as a Rebellion on the run is a bit taxing for me and looking at our track record with invasions - if we're honest with ourselves, guys, I don't think we have it in us to last much longer if we go full-tilt Rebellion. I don't want to be on the run, I want to have a safehouse. I want to feel like I've got something strong to count on when things get hairy. I don't feel that right now about the Republic. I feel like things are crumbling. I feel like our foundations have been washed out.
The ability to rebrand two historically successful factions will be good for PR.
We could make this awesome. We really could. We could become the megalith of the forums. Investing our time into a new image, a new standard, will absolutely bring more members. Activity breeds activity. Positivity breeds positivity. Both of these will bring interest. If we can all get behind the same idea, same banner, and start moving in the same direction, I know we'll build that steam back up. And when people see our hurt-train on the move, they're gonna want to be part of it because everyone loves being part of something great. That's why OS is doing so well, so let's learn from their success and steal their thunder.
