Good bye

[Lithium]

If these people considered you a 'friend' the same way you consider them a friend, then they would not have left you the way they did.

[jessercas]

Thats the thing, they didn't leave us, they left the guild. And those that are our friends still talk with us, support us, and play with us despite our guild affiliation.  It saddens me to think that if I schedule a specific time and open chat channel to play and be with my friends seperate from guild that it will be frowned upon. Because like I said, they didn't leaveME they just left my guild.
I agree with both likwid and faiden that the hatred and negativity towards people I respect and care about (even though they are human and make mistakes) is very hard to swallow.

[Tbone]

To me a guild is a community - a group of people. Whether they are PvPing, PvEing, getting drunk, or what have you, it's about who you're doing it with. A guild isn't a set of rules. It isn't another job. It's hanging out with people.

I think a few people have lost sight of that. They expected the guild to be a means to something else they wanted. I think if you take a step back and see that, the smaller issues don't matter as much. People are never going to make every decision that you think is right, even when you're in charge. You'll always have some conflict with leadership (I personally have a problem with authority I think). A part of being in a guild is sacrificing a bit of the complete freedom of your gaming style/time in order to be a part of a community - a team.

If someone leaves the guild, the best reason is that they just don't mesh with the community. I can respect that. When someone leaves because the guild isn't giving them exactly what they want or because leadership doesn't agree with everything they do or say, I have a harder time swallowing it. I still think it's better for them to leave if they've got issues, but I feel bad that they just can't seem to have a good time with the people they are with.

And so what you need to understand is, truthfully, if someone leaves the guild, they do leave you. They leave the community. They are saying that "my time with you and this community is not worth the personal sacrifices I'm making to how I want to play the game". That's fine and I don't hold that against them if that's how they feel, but I think the rest of the guild needs to understand that. They are forfeiting going to FA events, wearing the FA tag, and being a part of a circle of friends that includes you.

The guild as a whole cannot continue to support that person. I know that these people were our friends and I don't expect everyone to stop talking to them and stop hanging out with them, but you cannot expect the guild to bend over backwards to let non-FA into our Teamspeak and into our events and into our community when they have decided to reject all of these. This isn't a personal vendetta against these people - this was their decision. These aren't people we kicked out - they left of their own accord. They left FA. They left me. They left you. Denial will only take you so far

All of this said, everyone on all sides please stop with the negativity. I know some people are passionate about this, but it just fuels the fire.

[NoCry]

I know some people are passionate about this, but it just fuels the fire.

There is no passion, there is serenity;)

[ZephixLeer (Zephic)]

...

As for everyone else I wish you all the best but I either lost respect for you or didn't really know you well enough.
...

Ouch... Gotta watch making those lists... You always end up leaving someone off who works too much and thought you were a friend.

I'm ok with someone leaving quietly or saying goodbye to a few friends. But that part could have been left off. Not cool sir, not cool at all.

[Faiden]

Aww Zephic =( I know that you are his friend too!

[Sared]

I'm on his list twice!

[waz_here]

To me a guild is a community - a group of people.

Leaving the guild is leaving the "community".  Whenever someone leaves a guild, they have their reasons.  Whether anyone still in the guild thinks that person is right or wrong, what's decided and done is done.  I understand that people in the guild are trying to "set the story straight".  I believe that whenever someone leaves a guild, the guild should analyze why that happened to determine if there is something that should/should not be done to avoid future losses.  I know that happens within the leadership, and I know you can't please everyone.  The hardest thing to swallow is the number of losses we have had recently.  Yes, it makes me question what is going on.  But then I remember.

IT'S A GAME.

And I move on with playing when I want to play, enjoying the pieces of the game that I want to do within the time I choose to insert into my REAL life.

They left FA. They left me. They left you. Denial will only take you so far

I interpret that statement to mean that I should take it personally.  I don't take it personally, and I don't appreciate what I read as an attempt at getting in the last word with a backhanded negative statement when you say yourself

everyone on all sides please stop with the negativity

But, I'll rack that up to you are human.  We are all human.  Sometimes people get frustrated to the point of rage quitting.  That doesn't belittle the fact that a guildie was unhappy enough to leave.  

I don't see any difference between playing with an ex-guildie or PUG or non-guildie friend or relative.  So yes, I do plan on playing with Ex if I come across him in SWTOR.  Playing with Ex added to my game enjoyment, so I don't plan to sacrifice that.

IT'S A GAME.

The most frustrating part of all of this is that the guild quits like this always seem to end in a "who can piss the farthest" match, and I feel like I'm stuck in the middle getting pissed on.  Then I remind myself.

IT'S A GAME.

And I get on with my life.

[Anamodiel]

I wouldn't take it personally, Zephic. I mean, honestly, I wasn't included on that list, either. Who couldn't love this face and this hair?!