My Public Apology to UNC & Pax

[Nihimon]

I would like to publicly apologize to UNC & Pax, specifically to Bluddwolf, Xeen, and Areks, but also to everyone else who has had to endure my sniping and to the mods who've had to step in and put a stop to it.

This game is very important to me, and it's important to me for very specific reasons. I felt threatened by what I saw happening, and I reacted poorly.

This community is also very important to me, and I feel partly responsible for the negative tone it has taken of late. I "washed my hands" of it in the middle of another thread, but that's not enough. I also need to publicly apologize and publicly promise to just let it go. It's not my place to try to force anyone to accept anything.

I hope that this public apology will be enough to put an end to a lot of the sniping that is directed back at me, but if it's not I understand, and I still promise to just let it go. They say time heals all wounds, and we have lots of time.

Nihimon

[Bringslite]

Bravo Nihimon. I want to apologize also. I have written things that were not helpful, myself. Many times. :)

[Aleron]

Well said, Nihimon, and I'm glad to see a post like this. Will offer my own sincere apologies to the aforementioned (and any others I've slighted) in the hope of a more positive community.

[Bluddwolf]

I accept this apology with great gratitude and also would like to add my own, for those times when I too should let things go.

I have had several, almost many, conversations with Nihimon and Andius on TS and those conversations have NEVER come off the way the written words do on these forums.

It is those hot button issues that I believe we collectively see "red", and to be honest, I don't know why I argue so vigorously for certain things I have no plans of participating in. Example: I have little or no intentions of being Chaotic Evil.

Even settlement politics is something I have little desire to delve in to very much. I have always meant to keep things simple, and be just a bandit and a leader of a small company of bandits.

I and I'm predicting the UNC will make our name in the game, and not on these boards. We intend for that name to be a well respected one, intimidating and feared perhaps, but still respected.

I shall follow suit and stop the sniping as well, and I ask the members of my company to do the same.

Bluddwolf

[Andius]

I would like to applaud some of the members of Pax leadership such as Bringslite who appear to be making an honest effort at reconciliation or at least a greater level of civility.

I have been attempting to tone down my rhetoric a bit, and engage in less heated forum arguments for the sake of third parties. I hope that those efforts have been somewhat apparent.

I would like to apologize for any instances in which I have initiated hostilities or said anything with the intention of causing insult.

I would be interested in lowering the level of hostility with other players and factions, and will try my best aid this process if I feel both parties are doing so in earnest.

I would also like to apologize to Areks for yelling at him on the TSV teamspeak. I must admit I was fully in the wrong in my behavior.

[Sennajin]

Nihimon and Andius, it takes a big person to admit fault, and I won't lie, we're had our fair share on the pax side, as well, and I'll apologize, as well, for any instances where I've stepped across that line.

I know we don't always see eye to eye on what we think are good ideas, but i assure you, we want the best possible game and the best possible community to game with in PfO.

Pax will never support anything that would be detrimental to PfO or the PfO Community as a whole. So, while we may have different views on how to get there, I promise you, the end goal (great game and a great gaming community to play it with) are the same.

[Charlie George]

I applaud your bravery Nihimon, and I appreciate your and everyone else's sentiment on the matter.

I have stated as much in another thread, but like others have stated I am completely on board with a complete cease fire on the behaviors we have exhibited to create the current forum climate.

I can speak for Pax on that matter as well, as we have cautioned our officers to move in the same direction. I see that Bludd has also agreed here to a correction in behavior.

All together I am hopeful moving forward.

[Hobs the Short]

:)

[Areks]

I am not, nor have I ever claimed to be innocent when it came down to the bickering. I apologize for any of those comments that I made that initiated or perpetuated this conflict of words.

Also, I greatly appreciate the apologies of both Andius and Nihimon. I can do nothing more than echo the sentiments of my fellow Paxians and further reaffirm that Pax will never do anything that is detrimental to PfO or her community.

[Harad Navar]

We are all mirrors.

[Keovar]

I'm sure I do it too, and must apologize as well.
Lack of voice tone makes things prone to escalate, I think, and I believe anonymity can be intoxicating. Would more voice chats help us remember to see one another as human first, and debate opponent somewhere after that? There are probably no two of us who couldn't find some topic of disagreement between us, but aren't we ultimately on the same side, from the perspective of wanting to see a great game develop?

[Qallz]

I accept your apology, on behalf of PAX gaming and UNC. Thanks.

Note:I am in no way affiliated with PAX or UNC. Thanks.

[Lhan]

Group hug?

What? Too soon?

Seriously though, I'll add my apologies for when I have overstepped the mark, and my appreciation for those above who have done the same. This thread is what makes PfO different, at least for now. That may change come OE, but at least let's try and keep things amicable for as long as well can.

[Pope Random Access Memory the ∞]

Qallz wrote:

I accept your apology, on behalf of PAX gaming and UNC. Thanks.

Note:I am in no way affiliated with PAX or UNC. Thanks.

...

Yeah, anonymity is intoxicating alright.

*pokes the mask* ;)

[Qallz]

Pope Random Access Memory the ∞ wrote:

Qallz wrote:

I accept your apology, on behalf of PAX gaming and UNC. Thanks.

Note:I am in no way affiliated with PAX or UNC. Thanks.

...

Yeah, anonymity is intoxicating alright.

*pokes the mask* ;)

Truth is, I have a handsome face under this mask, but I just don't want everyone else to be jealous of my good looks.

[Ezekial Krows]

Nihimon wrote:

This community is also very important to me..

I don't think anyone can or would deny that you have been as much an advocate and enabler for community growth as any of the other major voices on these forums, Nihimon. It was apparent in the few Teamspeak discussions we have had, and in the major resources you maintain.

We all bring something unique to this table, and that, at times, has caused us to butt heads. It also encourages growth, both in terms of hammering out game mechanics, but also the relationships we build before we even have a game to play.

I know I'm still as excited as ever to play this game, and it's not all about the game mechanics for me; Sandboxing is just as much about the politics, and building a solid community.

There are many MMOs, with many forums that see bickering, petty language or cheap shots thrown between community members. Very few, though, are the ones where the community members come out and apologize for those mistakes.

Qallz wrote:

Truth is, I have a handsome face under this mask, but I just don't want everyone else to be jealous of my good looks.

We appreciate this humble gift you deliver to the forums, Sir ;)

- Krow

[Lam]

@Bringslite

Thank you for the sanity thread. It may not have caused this, but some MAY have started reconsidering.

Thank you

lam

[Sepherum]

I have to say, as a frequent reader of these boards, I think 'These people are smart and cool. Can't wait to play this game with them,' far more often than 'Whoa, that was harsh and uncalled for.'

[Shane Gifford]

I hope everyone remembers these things going forward (not just the parties involved here, but other groups watching this thread). This board is honestly pretty great, a real island of thought against the modern internet's standard of writing. I hope we can keep it that way for now, and in the future.

[Being]

An interesting read that might be salient is Alone Together by Shelly Turkle, a 'Society and Technology' Professor at MIT. There is an NPR interview available here.

It shows courage to apologize.

[Diella]

As many have said above me it takes great courage to admit fault. When one read poster that you hold in high esteem snapping at each other it bring sorrow to one heart To see a thread like this bring joy to banish the sorrow. I hope we can go forward from this knowing that we all want what best for the game.

I think we should bear in mind that as a forest has many paths from one side to the other Pathfinder will have many paths we will travel to the goals we all hope to share. Some we will share openly with other and some path we may hope to travel to avoid or only travel them lightly. So as we talk about our hopes for the game and the paths we wish to travel know that our guides will make our journey an interesting and fun filled one.

[Being]

A finely cut gem has many facets.

[theStormWeaver]

I don't even know what happened here, but I think its good that you all (the most prominent members of the community) have been able to deal with your disagreements and agree to promote a positive atmosphere in the community.

Bravo!

[Summersnow]

Lets all gather around the campfire and sing Kumbaya...

Seriously though any project such as this that inspires passion in people will also inspire passionate disagreements.

It is important that the disagreements are about improving the end product and handled with some sort of civility so the disagreements do not end up becoming about the disagreements themselves.

[Xeen]

Nihimon wrote:

I would like to publicly apologize to UNC & Pax, specifically to Bluddwolf, Xeen, and Areks, but also to everyone else who has had to endure my sniping and to the mods who've had to step in and put a stop to it.

This game is very important to me, and it's important to me for very specific reasons. I felt threatened by what I saw happening, and I reacted poorly.

This community is also very important to me, and I feel partly responsible for the negative tone it has taken of late. I "washed my hands" of it in the middle of another thread, but that's not enough. I also need to publicly apologize and publicly promise to just let it go. It's not my place to try to force anyone to accept anything.

I hope that this public apology will be enough to put an end to a lot of the sniping that is directed back at me, but if it's not I understand, and I still promise to just let it go. They say time heals all wounds, and we have lots of time.

Nihimon

Having been out of town for a week I did not see this.

I would like to accept your apology and make one of my own. I will look to keep things more civil and drop some of the passion down to a moderate level. I know I have flung plenty of my own mud and I apologize for it.

o7

[Nihimon]

Thank you, Xeen.