5/19/2011: Cutting the crap.

[Cameron]

Alright. This is going to be a long thread. And it may very well piss off some people. But I feel that the decision I am making is the right one, and the decision that would have been made originally if not for my hubris and temper issues. But before I get into any decision making, I need to apologize.

Back when we first re-opened the boards, I took full 100% responsibility for killing the previous forum with my inattentiveness. Somewhere in the year + between then and now I seem to have forgotten that. I've blamed my delays on so many things I've lost count. All of them were legitimate excuses, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I was essentially refusing to make time for a number of people who were counting on me, and in doing so, I have let you all down. Now I sit here, ready to pre-maturely close the door on my Board Battle forever. I have written a very poor excuse for a summary of the final part of the story. One that does it no justice and gives none of the participating characters a chance to have any input. And I find myself wondering WHY I am doing this. And the real answer is, because I'm a petty lazy bastard who took various complaints the wrong way and allowed personal issues with two people to not only turn me into a slavering ogre of my former self, but totally kill any enjoyment I was having running the Battle and the Administorum in general. And in turn, this was killing everyone else's enjoyment as well. I have heard rumblings that I have become unapproachable. I spent a lot of time waving this off as mindless drivel, because seriously, my contact info is strewn all over this site. But obviously I must be doing something to perpetuate that mindset. For all of these things, I apologize. I may not be a public servant, but my primary responsibility here is to ensure the happiness of our users, and I've been doing a poor job at that recently.

Now I know these are just words. And to be honest, I don't expect any of you to believe a word I'm about to say. You've heard it all before. But I am fully aware that I am killing the boards (again) with my inaction. And I have come to the conclusion that just handing over the responsibility to someone else will not help. It sets a dangerous precedent that anyone who gets in over their head with running Epic can just walk away from it like I am doing, and that is not the way I want Epic to ever be run.

For too long, I have let real life keep me away from my responsibility here. Not running the boards, or making the users happy. No. My true responsibility to you all is to finish the Eye of Terror campaign. No excuses. No IRL issues. Just fucking do it. And that is what I intend to do.

But once again, you've heard this before. I may very well be just blowing smoke up your asses. I fully understand that I am not capable of winning your trust back on my own. Therefore, I have decided to go with the only thing that has actually WORKED for me since I restarted the thread. I WILL finish the Eye of Terror campaign. But I will NOT be it's Battle Master. I have declared myself too inept to handle that responsibility.

As of immediately, Faidth is the sovereign Battle Master of the Epic Battle. The Eye of Terror campaign will continue, with Faidth at the helm and myself serving as her navigator. Anything I post will be approved by her, and she will set my deadlines and enforce them. I have always been a much better person overall when teamed up with her then I ever could be by myself. Together, we will bring this battle to it's proper conclusion, and I will complete this story that's been in my head and on my heart for YEARS now.

The Board Battles are not mine. They are everyone's. But god damnit, the Administorum IS mine, and I will not see it run into the ground by my own foolish bravado and stupid frustrations. Fuck this noise. We're getting it done.

I will turn the floor over to Faidth. Please remember that she is the Battle Master, so direct all inquiries or concerns to her, as she has forbidden me from discussing this with anyone lest I jam my own foot in my mouth again.

Forever in your service...
Cameron Aileron

[Faidth]

Let's get a few things straight:

1.) I might be the Battle Master, but this is still CAMERON'S BOARD BATTLE. It will be run entirely in his vision and will be concluded with the dignity it deserves. I did not sit through years of intermittent posting to see this battle end in a lackluster way. So, bearing that in mind, there is still quite a bit of this story that remains to be unveiled, and if you're looking for a quick conclusion, that's not happening. This battle will end when it is meant to and not a moment before. So, if you're not in it for the long haul, PM me immediately so I can write your character out of the story.

2.) I am committed to incorporating new PCs as soon as possible. For you new users who have been patiently waiting to see your characters join Epic, your efforts will be rewarded. The guidelines for creating Epic characters have been posted and pending approval, new characters will be added in as quickly as I can manage it.

3.) I will be posting a minimum of once a week. I think this is perfectly reasonable, and if you don't agree, I don't give a fuck. I will not commit to a promise I can't keep, but I will attempt to post more than that when I can. If I cannot post for longer than a week, you will be made aware of that immediately. Once I post exposition, you have a week to respond to the post. Any character who does not respond by that time will be god-modded. If I must god-mod you more than three times, your character will be removed from the battle. If all participating members post before the week is up, I will do my best to post immediately after they have done so to keep the battle moving. If you make it a point to criticize the pacing at any time, you will be warned once, then removed. If you want a great ending, you must be willing to work with me. If you want a piece of shit, I'll adhere to the unrealistic demands that some of you seem to have. As far as I'm concerned, this is a matter of quality over quantity and I would rather post one excellent piece than several seemingly insignificant posts, so if I don't respond to your character the same day you post, you know it won't be longer than a week until you get a reply. 

This is supposed to be fun, entertaining and engaging. This is Cameron's battle, but I'm in charge, and if you forget that, you will be promptly reminded of this. If you have a problem with the way this battle is being run  YOU WILL CONTACT ME ABOUT IT. I can be as approachable as you need me to be, but I will not tolerate, petty, ridiculous in-fighting between participants and unless you have a legitimate concern, I don't need to hear about it.

4.) THE NEXT POST WILL BE UP TOMORROW.