The Campaign Builder's Guild

This is the third resignation of sorts the CBG will see in such a short time, and I hate to do it knowing the possible impact it might have, but it must be done. I'm #3 to use the smoke bomb.

I've been discussing this with ElDo for the past few days - the CBG, that is - and my issues with it. There are and aren't actual problems with myself being here, but I'll get down to that. I just wanted to say that it's been in the works, as I've been in a gradual shift away from the place. I guess I really woke up to it when I posted and started working on Haveneast: The Amoia conspiracy - I started to realize that I didn't need to write another setting, because I had a perfect setting for it already, and that was the real world. But this is tangential and I'm probably just coming off as a crackpot at this point.

Like has been suggested, there has been a growing distance put between a lot of older members of the Guild and the Guild's functions, and I've felt it hit me hard. I wasn't and never have been as large a cornerstone as ElDo or RoM, but there was a time when I felt at home here and that time is over. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and my interests are changing, I don't know. There are some really amazing settings being put up here and some equally outstanding collaboration and participation in any sort of events that have taken place. I've made a few friends and probably a few enemies. I've grown a lot since I started posting here with an updated incarnation of Vilydunn - The Nightmare. I think maybe though my ability to grow has finally run out.

I've got a few reasons for leaving:

1) I just don't feel like a part of the community anymore. This is probably because it's a community for world-builders, and as time has gone on I've found less and less to build as my setting(s) is/are largely complete enough to not need more explaining. It also doesn't help that I can be rather cold when it comes to one-on-one communication.

2) I'm tired. Of writing. I always have new ideas to write about both for settings and specific tales in those settings, but here... I feel obligated to post more, like I'm on a schedule. Even though no one is pressuring me, I feel like I've always got a deadline. It's not only that, but I feel like posting all of my material leaves me drained faster. I also have no way of really participating Guild-style, because it's almost impossible for me to ever review the settings here with the little amount of time I have, so I can't really expect anyone to look at mine.

3) My interests have changed. A lot. This one comes in two parts:

a) I'm drifting away from fantasy and more towards sci-fi, and as I do so I find less of a need to create settings. There's less to explain, and there's also my issue of wanting to be able to actually "explain" how everything works now... making talking about things I can't explain from the dawn of time difficult to create. I find it easier to contemplate running games about military special forces' black ops missions uncovering conspiracies and horrible secrets about the world and the universe, and Star Wars Saga games, much easier. The only thing that hasn't changed is that my horror dial is on OVERDRIVE.

b) The divide between theory and application. You might call what we do contemplation, philosophy, existential in nature - I've recently been able to find it easier to sit and read formulas on XKCD's more scientific posts, and in engineering forums. I'm becoming more interested in the how and why as opposed to the what. As that happens my creativity and ability to just assume things are they way they are becomes more difficult.

4) Related to #3, my life path is drastically changing. I'm losing interest in video games and am affected by an increasing urge to memorize a physics textbook and learn multiple languages. As some of you know my wish is to obtain an Honour's Degree in Physics or something along those lines and join the Canadian Forces as an Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer or Signals Officer with an eventual transfer to Infantry or Combat Engineering once I get laser eye surgery. There are many times when I'd rather sit down and work out the details on how to construct a vessel appropriate for reaching the depths of the ocean or sitting down with several varieties of firearms and taking them apart to see how they function.

5) I feel there are a lot of people here posting simply incredible material that just isn't getting the attention it deserves. On the other end of the spectrum there is some material posted that is just too verbose and pretentious. I'm certainly not to be excluded from that crowd, as a lot of my stuff (the older material especially) was just writing to hear myself write.

I guess that's all for reasons; there might be more but I probably have forgotten them. I can't say for certain I'll be gone for good - I may return one day with an epic futuristic setting, or I may not - it's difficult to tell. I'll still be reachable, and it may be easier than ElDo and RoM have made it: I'll definitely be around the chat on the Otherworlders IRC network for those who use that. A couple people have me on Facebook, and my information is in my profile here if you want to reach me there. My MSN is bluehigh38(at)hotmail(dot)com, and my AIM sign-in is Mezerous. I don't imagine this will have as big an impact as I have never been that big a part of the Guild, except for when I was messaging people on AIM to tell them about awesome stuff I was about to post. I don't really know how to end this paragraph, because goodbyes are overrated.

For all that it was, is, and will be - it was a good time guys. See you later.

MadApe19, WitchHunt, Witchcraft, Troll, SovietTroll, WickedTroll, Joker

You shall be missed, you shall be missed.

I would make a why so serious joke about now but I would probably get slapped. Take care man, you were a wonderful poster and a good person to talk to.

Fare thee well, friend.

A third one...crap.

If I thought all of this was a great reason to leave, I would probably be out of here, too.  My interests are also shifting away from fantasy...but the Guild doesn't have to be all about fantasy.  Sure, it mostly is, but it doesn't have to be.

I appreciate that Joker didn't napalm the bridges on his way out like ElDo or make it a kind of, "oh, by the way" thing like Crit but, man, why is everyone leaving now?  Well, see you in the chat.