This might get long, so I bolded the LS names for those who want to skip the wall of text.
Started 3 years ago in an LS called Ifrit-something... forgot what the name was exactly. It had people like Durga, MrByte (i think), and some other people. It was one of those n00b LSs, at that time. Though the shells like FS was around then i believe. After that broke up, I got perl to a social shell MyByte and some of his friends were on, PizzaNinjas.
Then after I got my first characters to a decent lvl. I joined my first HNM shell, ZilartSoldiers. As with all/many of this kind it had its drama etc. Being a BLM back then I guess i was a little malcontent as some mages are since we get nothing or litle from SKY really. Also, i create waves almost everywhere I do. For the main reason, I don't and never have put up with bullshit, in any form. Also, my diplomacy level is like 0%... or close. So alot of people got rubbed pretty coarse. And the voice that tells you when to pick fights and when not to... mine died at childbirth. My linkshell has always been first priority to me, inspite of my manner. Starting with disagreeing with the LS leader on certain things, began to get certain treatment, in addition to certain other conflicts... eventually I was kicked out.
Then I looked around a bit and applied to and joined ZeroEffect. This place I found a great comfort, it was full of good people and a leader, Kailix, who seemed to care a great deal about the linkshell's best interest as well as that of everyone in it.
I was into the game hardcore then, and my characters made alot of progress. Eventually i started doing dynamis with FateSealers. Then applied and joined FateSealers a while after. Much of the same happened here, alot of people didn't like when i spoke up... which was often. People actually threw fits over disagreement with me (get under skins pretty good). Eventually shortly after the leader Vaelen left, I would openly voice my disdain/disagreement for things people like DustDevil would do.. like MPKin at HNM camps (which i refused to take part in and voiced i would not come to camp if our members would do such things). I was kicked not long after.
After this I wentt back to ZeroEffect (i had kept the perl to say hi occasionally). As mentioned by MasterG, ZeroEffect eventually became PhoenixDown as it entered the HNM/Sky scene. Here I pushed alot of initiatives and ideas and earned the respect of many... however as mentioned before, my manner is quote abbrasive, and whiners and complainers are never in short supply. I was "considered" like an officer to many in the shell, but without the actual status. When I asked about this, I was told "If you got sac'd, alot of people would leave". Well, I then decided that if whiners determined the leadership roles, this was not the place for me.. inspite of caring a great deal about the linkshell. I left and just floated around without a shell for a bit.
I applied to a few places like, Quetzal, and the then named ThoseWhoWill. I was accepted, but when I was perled the shell had just changed leadership and was renamed to Reborn. This shell was pretty good, led by Akima, the players knew thier stuff well enough. Not all... but was ok. But still, more of the HNM shell drama. I was in here for a while, as as usual always took the initiative on things and was sac'd after ashort while. But as always... no shortage of whiners over not liking "how keston does things". After being approached about it by the leader, I said that I'd prefer to be de-sac'd adn carry on as a regular member because I wasn't going to change and whiners would keep on doin just that. Eventually the leader got fed up of begging people etc to show up to events and passed on leadership. The shell was then renamed to HonorGaurd. Digger was the leader now. Not the brightest of the bunch, but competent enough and seemed to care about the shell.
As mentioned many times, my big mouth doesnt stay closed. There were people who left the shell to join Melior... but would come back on the perl trying to recruit our members for Melior. I told Digger this, he apparently didnt or didnt want to believe me. Also I saw an app from someone in our shell on another site, and noted in the linkshell when this person was asking for help with YY-Robe, that I saw no reason to get them one when they were planning to leave us. In the reform, Bewolfe (yes, the cocksucker pervert everyone hates) was made an officer and was contantly "whispering" in the leader's ear. I didn't like him, and made that clear. Anyhow, eventually I was kicked from there (i provoked this one intentionally...). Funny enough, all the good peopel from the shell was smuggled off to melior by the person who tried to recruit me to it when I was still in the shell, right under the leader's nose.
After that I roamed about again, just doin my own thing. Then applied to Quetzal again, JoS (maybe), and hmm... some other shell. Denied.
So I started thinking.. do i really want to be back in those situation again? No. Keston, no matter where you you, there will ALWAYS be the bitchers and whiners standing on the sidelines. How can you avoid this. Put yourself in a position where it doesn't matter, where you make policy, and have a free hand to do and carry out the vision that always seem to be derailed by whiners. I decided to make my own shell, a place where the effort determined what you had a right to, and where everyoone's personality, regardless of who had complaints, would be welcome. No bullshit, fairness, and to show what dedication really was. I made my own linkshell, SupaNova.
Started with some of the people from my social shell, and some friends also. The rest, i put my foot to pavement so to speak. Shouted in jeuno for days on end. The plan, was to infuse the shell with as many peopel as I could find and weed out the selfish and greedy in time. It worked. The shell started to grow and prosper, as as tiem went on, I quickly identified the selfish people as they came/passed thru and called this bullshit before it hit the ground. I created a point system, that was fair, and tweaked it as we went. Always keeping in mind what was fair to all in the shell. You put in time/effort, you had priority. For the first 6-7 months (after wiping to Olla first time in sky, haha... fun still) we had 0 losses to any god. I was very proud of them. Being a person on tactics and preperation, I'd spend hours explaining stuff to people. Most were sky/hnm n00bs, and had never fought a god or hnm. We had some veterans tho. I also provided meds with my own gil to start, as well as silent oils etc for those who needed. Here I led by example, giving everything for my linkshell and others did the same. It was a great feeling that feeling of family developed though our experiences, and any member would do anything for thier ls-mate.
However after 9-month, well.. I started to get tired. Doing most of the organizing and administration. It was taking over my life, time-wise. People didn't want to take part in events if i wasn't leading them, which put more pressure on me as I always wanted them to happen. I hated the feeling of someoen being let down because others wouldn't show up. Anyhow, big come to small... i decided that my linkshell being everything, i would never leave them for another. So my only way out was to quit the game. Sort of as expected, soon as I announced that, everyone started leaving the shell... some tried to keep it goin, but it didn't work out. I kid you not, the amount of stuff I did for my linkshell was not funny, big shoes to fill. So don't really blame anyone. I sold all my stuff.. but my LS always wanted a dynamis shell. So 1-month before I left, I put in more footwork and started shouting etc again and made a dynamis shell, Redemption. So anyhow, sold all my stuff and left the gil behind (62+M) as a "dynamis fund" to fund free runs for however long. A gift that would keep on giving so to speak.
Big Ups and Shout Outs to some of the best players I've known who were a part of my shell (there are others):
Nymph, Giglamesh, Lokiseinn, Feanaro, Brolli, Ragingbull, Siran, Damion, Mcmk, Aurara (emotional, but a really good kid.. knows his shit), Kristopher, Mrpopo, Cainn, Shakuras, Monet. Even though some didn't always see eye to eye with me, have always had my utmost respect.
Last edited by Keston is a Douche on Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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