Despite the sudden announcement, I've been planning my retirement for a few months now (and the other admins have been aware of my intentions for a while). Between work, family, and other issues, something has to give, and unfortunately BGTSCC has to be one of those.
I wouldn't say being a HDM was an entirely enjoyable experience. Sure, it had its delightful moments, ones that had me laughing sometimes, but it also had its moments of heartache, difficulty, surprise, if you can name it, I've experienced some of it. I've gained friendships, (more often) lost friendships, seen the best and worst of people, questioned my faith in humanity a few times, and discovered how you can develop Stockholm Syndrome for a game client. Overall being an HDM was an experience that isn't always rainbows but it taught me many things that I will value for a long time.
I'm impressed and humbled at the sheer amount of work the developers, artists, and other staff do to keep the server running, and for you players for being the ghost in the machine and breathing life to what would otherwise be an empty world of code. Compared to the stuff you guys do for the server, my involvement is peripheral at best, but I'm grateful for the chance to see what it's like behind the scenes, and to appreciate in some small way the effort that goes on staffside to ensure that players can keep playing and having fun.
So thank you all, and be cool to each other.
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