DARKFALL, KGB AND THE FUTURE

Hello friends, enemies and acquaintances,

I have followed the recent announcements and innuendo with some amusement and some sadness. I was unaware that there had been a great schism within KGB in AOC. How many of those have occurred over the years? It is sad to contemplate. For those of you who do not know me, I was once a member of the finest guild in all of UO, KGB. In the heady days of Pacific, membership was about doing the right thing, defending the weak and cracking the skulls of some of the most notorious guilds that Pacific and then Siege had to offer. We did it with style and grace. We were a huge family then, and as with all families, we had a uniqueness which other guilds envied. We also had the typical infighting and problems that all families had. Even with those, and I was surely a part of a few, we prevailed in a game world in which we seemed to be the most hated “good” guys out there. Our leadership was strong and the personalities continue to herald their merit even today; Nathan Rahl, Hard Cash, Toxiclore, Kia, Wildcard, Azryk Azur, and many others who have gone on to greater things or have left this world for the next in r/l.

Regardless, through good times and bad, we prevailed, we saw members rise above themselves, putting aside their own needs in games for the good of KGB. I still recall the first house, just outside Trinsic, that everyone worked so hard to obtain. And then the second, and the great war with the Imperium that followed. In time, we were still there and the Imperium was gone.

The greatness of KGB existed in UO because of who we were and what we did. We were not fractured across multiple game worlds, but mostly focused on UO. We did have a few members go off to EQ and then come back, but mostly, we stayed focused on the world that meant the most, allowed us to be the most and in which we thrived. A world like that was not seen again until Shadowbane. Alas, SB brought with it so much promise and also so much pain. In fighting and personality conflict led to my resignation, much to the delight of some. But KGB thrived there still, becoming one of the key names in the game and for a time, ruling without peer. Why? Because the membership stayed focused yet again on each other, and the world you chose to dwell in. Of course, SB had its flaws, as all games do, but it came closer than many. DAOC provided some amusing relief and we had fun there, but it also saw the loss of a core group from KGB, again, over the personal desires of some who could not see past their own selfish needs rather than support the guild and the success of the group who would leave. Then there was SWG and WOW and finally AOC and WARHAMMER. None of those four provides or provided the game environment that KGB thrives in, in which real consequence exists and there is a need for a good aligned, solid force that thrive on both the mechanics of the game and the protection of the innocents.

Darkfall appears to have the qualities that many KGB and I myself have searched vainly for these past years. It contains elements which were the best of both UO and SB and it will provide KGB with the driving world needed for the continued enjoyment of the members and the expansion of one of the longest standing, renowned guilds in on-line games of this type. But only if you remember who you are and where you come from. It will only work if the vast majority of your membership dives in with the full gusto that you gave UO and SB and DAOC. Darkfall promises to be different from the grind that has become the norm and promises to enrich you if you give back to it wholeheartedly. What does that mean? It means you bypass the need to be an individual who is renowned and feared and you work to make KGB renown and feared first, then yourself. Individual accomplishments will only be effective and worthwhile if you do them to bring glory to KGB and your guild mates. Those members who are not interested in Darkfall, as THE focus of your guild, should be minimal at best, in other words, a very small percentage of your membership. If I was king for a day, it would be simple, but that is not Jets way. He wants you to be happy and to enjoy your game time as a member in whatever game you choose. But the membership should also recognize that Darkfall is the game of focus and limited membership, support and other resources will be given to other realms you find yourselves in. This was the old way and it worked well before the faction stuff went in.

KGB’s strength has always been in its ability to draw together, to find the most effective way to meet the game world’s demands head on and to over come the enemy with skill and determination. A battle may be lost here and there, but the war never is. Look back into the history of the guild. You will see that I speak from both experience and knowledge. KGB has never lost the WAR. (We did come close in SB, thank God Jet can talk smack with the best of them..LOL)

I guess my message, long winded as usual, is this. KGB can once again rise to the greatest it has ever been, if in deed DF is the game we have waited for. I am thinking it is, from all of the information I can find on it. I hope that you who are members also will come to this realization. KGB will only succeed if the vast majority of you (note that I would love to be able to say ALL OF YOU) enter the game world and work together as the true embodiment of all you have ever wanted to be. Anything less will see you fail, and in that end, a dynasty of on line gaming will go with it.

My 37 cents.

Special shout out to my friends Owain and Kalypso, whom I look forward to seeing in DF, whether across the field or beside me on the line.

Vuldan

I always knew you were hot for my husband. Kaly and I will not be in Darkfall, there are a variety of reasons and some possibilities on why we couldn't even play if we had wanted to, but we will be there on the sidelines cheering them on nonetheless.

I miss you vuldan and thank you for your post.

Inspiring

Well put Vuldan.

I didn't even get an honorable mention, Vuldan? Man, I thought we were much closer than that!

I rejoined in aoc which i honestly did not like at all and did not make much of a contribution there but i wasa proud member of kgb in swg and a aww inspired bystander in uo kgb was truely glorious on pacific.
point being since i got back in during aoc i got interested in darkfall and have eagerly been watching their web info on beta have signed up and put kgb as my clan and our web url as they asked for it in the beta application.
im very eager to play darkfall with kgb.
atm im still playing swg for kicks and pvp looking forward to darkfall

Morlander
swg,eq,eq2

Of Righteousness
UO pacific

That was a fantastic post, Vuldan. And yeah, if we want to make a strong showing in DF, everyone has to be strongly committed to it. As you know, I think CxC is by far some of the best competition around when it comes to PvP, and I always look forward to fighting against you guys on the battlefield. ... Although fighting side by side as you suggested would definitely be interesting, although realistically I think the other Coors guys hold too much of a grudge to ever allow that to happen.

In all the world, there is no other who more closely matches my outlook and gaming philosophy than Vuldan, ever the Warlord of the the KGB, sadly now in self imposed exile. Would that it were not so...

WOW! IT'S KGB! I MISS DAOC WITH YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

I might just have to get this game (although I would be very casual) just to reminisce a little bit!

OMG

Great post Vuldan this has to be the best I have read in sometime.

Count me in for DarkFall

Great post Vuldan - I look forward to getting to know you.

Great Post Vuldan, although there are many of us who have known of KGB's reputation and fought against them in the past that have now sought refuge among their numbered greatness, including myself.

I have personally seen and read of the accounts of the past and sifted through the aged scriptures and illuminated texts making KGB my last official home for me in MMORPG's, and a cause worthy my sacrifices, what little I can contribute I will. I mean to learn from the best the guild has to offer, and keep the company of heroes as sword sworn to KGB.

Darkfall should be another amazing time for KGB, much like Shadowbane was. I skipped AoC and WAR because they aren't what UO and SB are/were. I definitely intend on playing Darkfall like a madman, and even adding it as a second game to dungeonguru.net.

My only unresolved issue is which guild flag will I be flying. I know that doesn't sound great, but it's the truth of the matter. I definitely have never forgotten the days of KGB:SB. Those were glorious times, indeed.

I need to figure this out.

Great Post. I have watched Darkfall and had great hopes for the game.

I will be glad to be back in the KGB fold for Darkfall. I have been absent from KGB since Shadowbane failed.

To tell you the truth, I never did join KgB for any length of time, namely because of the fact I was always on the opposite side. That being said, I always admired the Shadowbane and UO guilds that have stood the test of time, especially those who were actually good.

It's funny though, even in my latest MMORPG, Warhammer, I still found myself looking for the kind of PvP that I experienced in the years I played Shadowbane; and with a guild like KgB. To be honest, Warhammer's endgame, is sorely lacking. It's funny, the reason I joined my guild in Warhammer, it's cause it kinda has the same format of KGB, and, when it fell short (they sucked), it got me kinda down ...

... that is until I recieved an email from, of all people, KGB. You guys are getting serious again? This is GREAT news! If you'll have a random stranger from Shadowbane, COUNT ME IN!

-Syloc