Parting perspective while I can. -Triumph Version

(Yes, this is mostly a cross-post from the general discussions section, but I don't think the admins will mind. Besides, this is a clear violation of the "No 'I quit.' " forum rule. )

I'm kind of torn as I'm posting this. As much as I'm hating losing the community of the game, I have to confess I'm not been "here" as much for the game. Many would remember that I would change my forum avatar somewhat frequently, then in April, my forum Avatar stopped changing. I would think that most people know what the pink ribbon represents by now: Breast Cancer.

My mother was diagnosed at the end of March with stage 2 breast cancer (almost stage 3). She had a lumpectomy and they caught the cancer in one lymph node. This prompted the doctors to check other spots (false positive on it spreading to her liver), and start an extremely aggressive chemotherapy treatment. She is now 50% done her chemotherapy treatments, and during November she is due for a month-long schedule of radiation therapy. I would recommend everyone get screened on a regular basis for cancer. I wouldn't wish this process on anyone.

Needless to say that this has been playing havoc with my emotions. One of my emotional foundations has been the group of close friends that I've played with, the people from the Triumph Server, and the people in this game's community as a whole. While I might be losing the interaction in the game, I'm still going to be in touch with many of you through various means.

I'm going to take away many cherished memories of my time here, like talking with Mercedes Lackey during the Going Rogue Beta or FINALLY getting the Master of Statesman TF after a month-long series of attempts. Then there was the City Scoop. I still find it hard to believe I managed as much I did for the Scoop while going to College. The people that were a part of that project were truly dedicated to making the game more enjoyable for everyone.

I know I was extremely vocal at aspects of the game I disliked. In my defense, I would say I let my passion get carried away. I hope this helps explain some of my posts, though I'll admit a large part of my posting style is a persona more than an accurate picture of who I am.

For the people on Triumph. I know I was constantly pestered because I enforced Triumph Watch a bit more than other mods. I was doing my level best to be fair to everyone (despite a few people saying otherwise). I will miss the variety of players I've met since I started this game in 2005. I was (and still am) a bit uncomfortable with my celebrity (and notoriety) on Triumph. I'm still amazed that people would wait till I started an Incarnate Trial before joining. Personally, I always felt I could do better.

I made some really close friends in my time on CoH: Sayaki, Taryn, and the rest of my inherited super group the Incandescent Cell (which will always be mispelled). I've said goodbye to more fun players than I'd care to count. I've also managed to somehow become friends with some of the top players on Triumph and other servers: Arcanaville, Emerald Fusion, Kay Parfait, Ultrabatz, and many from other servers. At this point I think I've also managed to team with at least 80% of Triumph at one point or another.

I'll finish this post with this parting song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpFRBmRgDcY

Of all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm e'er I've done,
Alas! it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.

Chorus:
So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
Then gently rise and softly call
"Good night and joy be to you all"

Oh, all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all.

Chorus:
So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
Then gently rise and softly call
"Good night and joy be to you all"

If I had money enough to spend,
And leisure time to sit awhile,
There is a fair maid in this town,
That sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips,
I own she has my heart in thrall,
Then fill to me the parting glass,
Good night and joy be with you all.

Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters

I always looked forward to reading your posts about the new badges in each build.

I enjoyed teaming with you much, much more that that. Thank you for everything you did to keep Triumph the home for my main toons.

Very sorry to hear about your mom's cancer, Snow. Thoughts and prayers go out to you both and your family in hoping she can remain strong enough and pull through for the rest of her chemotherapy treatments.

A big thanks to you for being one of our leaders on our beloved Triumph server. Interacting w/ dozens of other players and having a community in MMOs makes it very fun, but having leaders to create events and bring the community together makes it great. Being a leader puts yourself out there even moreso to be loved by some and hated by others, and as everyone knows, you're not gonna please everybody. And being a leader is not always fun, in fact it actually can turn out to be a lot of work, and maybe sometimes it can turn into not being fun anymore. But being a leader can help create and shape a great community- and sometimes you won't be able to see or realize that until we have a situation like our "End of Days" here in CoH. We have a GREAT community of people here on Tirumph.

Eventually I'll have my turn to post my thank yous to various players and my thoughts on the game, but for this post I will just say a big thank you to Snow Globe, aka Eric Sutton. Thanks for being one of our leaders that helped to bring Triumph players together for our various events. Thanks for continuing to mod a channel and yet be pestered for it by a select few, just so that the majority can remain having fun. Thanks for being one of those people to help shape our online community.... into an online family

/e thumbs up

-Batz

Nah, you weren't overly-strict in Triumph Watch. You were just making up for me being the laziest, least mod-like mod ever.

You were always a lot of fun to team with. Without you and the others in the Cell I would've probably quit a long time ago.

That sucks about your mother. My thoughts go out to you guys.