Wow, I certainly have been far from an active member (on the forums, and RP in game for awhile now), but in my naive mind, I hadn't thought I'd ever see this come to pass. The potential closing of a continent rather than the creation of a new one?
I have played Battlemaster since 2002-03 when a friend of mine in high school pulled me in to help out his realm, Callaway, on Atamara. This was my first taste of Battlemaster and I remember playing it countless times during Keyboarding class, Study Hall, visits to the Library, etc. This game has been a huge part of me for a long time, even if I have made (and deleted) two accounts over the years before this one, all for different reasons, but that is getting off topic...
The point is, I was far more active in the past. Life has caught up with me and thrown so many more distractions at me that even putting in my 10 - 15 minutes a day (for basic gameplay) can sometimes be very difficult to accomplish. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that other things keep getting in the way. There is not enough time for any or all of my other hobbies, but again, I am getting off topic and probably just repeating exactly what many other people have to say about their own conflicts with life and BattleMaster.
I want to apologize for not being active on the forums and only adequately active in the game. I want to apologize for not giving this game the attention it deserves and not getting as invested in any of the realms or continents that I currently play in. I want to apologize to all of the players over the years who had crossed paths with my short temper, resulting in the deletion of my old accounts. I want to apologize to everyone who was thrilled to see the original design of Dwilight and had such high hopes of progress for the game when the island was first released (I did the first rough draft of Dwilight in my spare time, the community touched it up, added the region names and borders, etc. It was a very special time indeed). I want to apologize to Tom for my former dedication to help come up with new ways to make better, more modern maps and ultimately failing to deliver. I want to apologize for not fulfilling my role as a tester in my latest return to BattleMaster. As a player and a fan, I have failed BattleMaster. For that, I apologize.
With the pity party out of the way, I definitely want to get down and dirty with the rest of you about discussing possible ways to save BattleMaster and perhaps see it grow further in the future. I will start with this "welcome" message, to let you all know that I want to be a serious part of it once again, despite my spotty and less than reliable record and history. I will then follow up by reading every page of this thread thus far and offering a much more insightful post. I am probably far from the best person to be involved in an effort to brainstorm on what to do about saving a beloved game in a situation such as this (all of my friends I've tried to get involved, for example, either stopped playing or are barely active enough to follow military orders, I am literally the only one left of my actual friends, which is sad...), but you can bet that I will make an honest effort this time, or at least go out in a blaze of glory trying.
My apologies for a somewhat depressing, non-constructive post, but I did want to make an entrance that at least might catch some attention in the process. At the very least, you guys can feel some solace in knowing that you have another (enthusiastic) member to your efforts.
