Media Team Resqignation: An open letter to the server

[Tekill]

You are right, we can be jerks - sorry about that.
Thanks for all the cool stuff!

[tankteddy]

This is truly Tragic, and I am ashamed that it had to come to a point in which you felt that it was needed to step down. Jude you have does some of the most AMAZING things on this server and even helped so many come to better understand just what it takes and how much work goes into creating custom content for this server. I am sad to know that my favorite place is slowly dying to a toxic community as BGTSCC for a long time has been my only escape from the daily sorrows.

I have been a long time player attempting to be active with Guilds, DM team, QC, Devs, and even Media team and area content, my skills are nowhere NEAR what many of the staff on this server do for the players and anyone that abuses or mistreats the staff in any way hardly even have the right to do so. I have seen some of the darker sides of BGTSCC as of late and will admit that it puts a major downer on what this community has been for me. I know many of the players/staff have been good, some greater than others. The fact that a few "Bad Eggs" have brought this community to a new low is highly unsettling. However, I also know there are players here that have consistently caused or escalated the negative behavior on the server. I do wish for our community to step up and become better and build the stories of our world.

I may just be rambling on but I can summarize this down to one key thing. Jude is right. Our server, which many treat almost like a second home, is hurting and all of us need to help change this for the better. There is not a single change on this server that is made to hurt the players. Often times DMs are left dealing with complaints about changes that they often had no part in. Devs are bashed for Buggy or faulty Codes or "poorly" designed classes. When in the reality of it all they take the time out of their days to even bring to life the ideas that some if not many of you wish to see. Bugs happen and some problems only become apparent after HOURS of play testing. Your QC team does not have the time nor the people to take every change made and test every possible outcome from that change often leading to missed errors. Your Media team has brought forth items, outfits, faces, emotes and so much more that I can not even begin to fathom the amount of time it may have taken to learn and create such things. All of this has led to people making comments about their work or even their person in a less favorable light.

Jude, I personally want to thank you for everything you have done for this server, and I am sorry to see you go. I know these words may be little but I assure you they come from a place of great respect. I wish you the best and brightest future.

[Tanlaus]

Jude we never really played together but I did like our chats on the staff discord. Ultimately the server is a much much better place because of your contributions, so thank you for that. Everyone has to step away eventually and you've more than earned an epic ride off into the sunset. But as you go just know that, at the end of the day, you really do have more appreciative fans than anything else.

[Rad-Icarus]

I wish you had taken my advice and put yourself on hiatus when you felt overwhelmed and under appreciated.

I'm sure you'll be back, your letter/post doesn't name names and it doesn't burn bridges.

Everyone suffers burnout, and from an outsider like myself, my perspective is that there are player groups that have been here eternally and will never care about me as a player because I wasn't there in the start when nostalgia demands they view those as better days and better players, and there are people so set in their ways they may never see the areas I've created because they aren't part of the real BG when it was better, or part of the grinding circuit they've done for a decade with almost no variation...that's just how it is.

Then you meet a few people that actually so appreciate your content and efforts, and it feels great, even if they don't know you created it. I know a lot of people raved about your work, Jude. A lot!

Anyway, if you do decide to stay, just stop pushing yourself and do the amount that feels right.
The world didn't end when I slowed down or took breaks!

[Dragonslayer]

Jude, I wish you all the best. I'm sure various individuals will bemoan your post as a pretty cynical look at our player base; and what's more make light of your opinion of it, but you're absolutely correct in your assessment. Your work is inspired, and you're an awesome guy to RP with. I wish you well in your future endeavors, and hope that we get to RP together again soon.

[Kiran]

Whether I agree or disagree with anything said does not matter, I want to simply thank you for the armour and anything you did in your spare time to enhance the game for others.

[Heretic]

Thanks Jude for the content you contributed to the server and placing the time and effort into creating it. I wish you best of fortunes in your future endeavors.

[Hoital]

Sorry to see you go, man. Barely dink around in Blender and can confirm that taking something like that on is no joke. You did so much for us as a whole and its all appreciated. <3

[mastajabba]

Does this mean Jonah and Nigel are finally going to go into a Tour of the Sword Coast?

[Shadowspinner70]

Finally found this post.

Thank you, Jude, for all of your content. It's a good reminder for anyone (including myself) who can get rash out of passion or at worst malice, and what have you. If you're ever ready to come back, do come back, as much as I don't think this server will be ready for your return. This really is a perfect reminder for us all to pause and consider rolling with the punches or take whatever is going on to the right people, not go absolutely scorched earth as much as we may want to, all that.

So thank you most of all for this message.

[Requiem]

Just wanted to say thank you, Jude.

We hadn't much interaction in your time here, but in the times we did I had always respected you voicing your opinion and your concerns. You gave reasons why and respected feedback, turning it into a healthy dialogue. This isn't really about agreeing with your point as much as I wanted to let you know I respect what you posted, that you came forward and voiced your opinions, and that I wish you the best in whatever you set your sights on next. Although, I doubt you'll need much luck for what it's worth. Your ethic and contribution to the server speaks volumes.

Take care of yourself and once again, thanks.

[DM SummerBreeze]

Thank you Jude, I always enjoyed whenever I interacted with you as a DM or as a player.

I understand your feelings in this post, and I speak for myself when I say I have recently experienced similar types of things. I enjoy being a DM, and I enjoy that there are a few players out there who come to me not just for DM related topics, but even just to speak to me as a person about problems, issues, or even advice, and I think this community can be an amazing place. Like any place though, it has its "ups" and its "downs". I have felt a lot of negativity around the community lately (not necessarily directed at myself, or DM team overall.) about a few of the goings on as of late, and it seems to be piling up a lot and I know a lot of people out there are feeling pretty overwhelmed with it, myself included for a time recently. A time where I began to rethink my decision to take on the position I am in once I am finished with current plots, the thoughts have crossed my mind too but ultimately I chose to dive back into it again.

I think that everyone in this community needs to do some self reflecting, by this I do mean everyone, staff or player and take a good hard look at the things around them. Ask yourselves, are we contributing to the enjoyments of those around us? Are we contributing to our own enjoyment? Is being here adding something to our lives? Are we having fun here? If you at the very least, cannot tick that last box, then it's time to look at a solution that works for any of you to change that. This is after all, a community that is supposed to be about having a good time together and a shared enjoyment of D&D, lore, storytelling and most importantly of any of that: making new friends along the way. Remember that for every new or old player we as a community drive off with bickering, finger pointing, gaslighting, or in-fighting is someone who might be able to bring a lot of flavour to this world you choose to spend your time in.

The community is the content. Never forget that. Be nice to each other, the world outside of this place is bleak and difficult enough as it is. Lets make this place a shelter from the storm.

My lines are open for anyone to chat, you all know where to find me on discord. <3

[Wolfrayne]

Shame to see more talent leaving the server, we sorely need creative people.

As someone who has been on the server a long time and seen both sides of the fence ill be the first to admit it is easy to forget that everyone is human behind the screen.

The world is a scary place right now for a lot of people, some are not as lucky as others especially with everything going on. Stress levels are high and many of us in the role play communities are here because we long for those moments where we can be anything but ourselves, at least in my own experience.

Communication is not the same as comprehension and we have such an extensive range of players for all parts of the world, different personalities all coming to share the same love of a good story so we need to take a moment to step back and remember that at the end of the day we are all just people. Sure we argue and disagree about all kinds of things all the time but its that variety of opinions that keeps things from being one sided, we all need to just give as much as we take from each other.

You cant always win.

[Zanniej]

Thank you for all the time and effort you have dedicated to this server and community, even when it didn't give back what you hoped from it.

You are a wonderful person, and I hope you won't be a stranger!

I will personally be forever grateful for everything you've created for this server, and I can't imagine others won't be, since you've made so many of the beautiful things for this server.

Take care of yourself!

[DM Boo]

Take care Athorn.

Discord has a hell of a lot to answer for. I wish players would simply not use it.