Best Of

I don't think it's weak to own a mistake and work towards correcting it and making sure it doesn't occur again in the future. Learning from mistakes is the only way this game will progress positively. I don't think it's weak to make concessions because we screwed up and let this happen. This is a common occurrence in business and many businesses/companies have positive outcomes for being open and honest about what they're doing.  That's no different than what we're doing here.

I'm not sure why this sets any kind of precedent that in future events, all you have to be is 'close enough' to get first place? Yes, maybe if there are issues that screw up it up immensely enough, we may have to do so, but if something goes off perfectly, or even with minor issues, I don't see why that would be the case. We could sit here all day and come up with scenarios that may require this kind of action, but that's rather pointless. Things will be judged on a case by case basis and we'll make the best decision for the game as a whole. If you can't tell by now, I'm okay upsetting some people if I truly believe it's the best thing for the game. Would I rather make decisions that everyone agreed with? 100%, I absolutely do.  Realistically that isn't always possible and players always think that it's the other side that we should upset.

As far as a 'special' event. I understand the frustrations and hesitations towards that. They make sense and I definitely get that. I'll talk with Aonia about it more - there's potentially a RP impact we need to take into consideration (why is he suddenly a TA?!) 

It is clear that people view Ascension in different lights. Many of us see it as 'don't let the other side win'. Their playing to not let Ixion win isn't wrong. Just as playing to raise your Sealbearer isn't wrong either. It is a competition. That means 1 winner. Having there be 2 winners means that there is no point. That's not a competition. Should it be more about the RP and 'sealing away Ketheru'? Perhaps, but that's not why some people play. That's not what Ascension is to a lot of people in the combat sphere.

Doing this, even if you are changing the events for 2021 and onward, soils it and the trust in the admin. Why not just reward the first place prize in all contests to first and second then? This decision sets a precedent for all future competition (be it Seal, Ascension, or otherwise) that getting close enough in second place means you should get rewarded top prize as well. This decision was arrived at with consulting only 2 people. That's not the game. That's not even the major leaders on both sides. If more than just Choros and Ixion were consulted, that would be fair. Of course Ixion is going to say yes. And Choros is put in the tough spot of either being the person who says 'no sorry, you can't share this with me' or 'sorry team, I know most of you played to stopped Ixion, but we now share the win'. It is a lose-lose question. All this shows is that if you want to be rewarded for being on a losing end, just complain enough until the admin cave and give you want you want.

It has been said that Ixion will get TA and a special event to go along with it. This is just more salt to the wound. It will be even worse if he is claimed as a TA of Time like it seems like it will be. Even if there are no domoth powers to Time, having him be the first and only TA of Time would be an insult. Could I be wrong? Absolutely, but any sort of special TA-ness is just wrong and makes Ixion seem like the actually winner over Choros.

Would saying no one wins this year be better, that the Time Seal destroys Parhelion and leaves Choros back in his mortal body, and there is no TA this year? Perhaps, who can say with all the tensions as high as they are.

Much props @Orael I fully admit I was up in my feelings and wanted to send a really toxic message after Ascension had finished and we all got that TF. But I had to like, take a friggen breath and backspace out of it. I hope I didn't come off to you as anymore of a PoS than I can be at times. I think you guys are doing a great job from what I've seen and sorry if I came off as more than a concerned player. 

Yeah what I can't get past is the thought that Ixion being stopped is the real win, not actually raising the person you supported. Says so much more about a determination to spite than to win. I'm sorry Choros that this is the vibe coming from your support. I am happy you managed what you did, and this also says so much about your own sportsmanship. Talk about being the bigger man! A huge boost to your character in my eyes.

Admin restored a lot of faith with this move, that mistakes are not only acknowledged but they seek to fix and make amends. Everyone upset that their work was 'lessened' now maybe can understand how the other side felt, that all their hard work to plan and plot and spend money and all those same things was also robbed by something out of their control. Doesn't feel nice, does it?

All these efforts to remove discrimination and racism and the like, and now this hugely bold move tells me a lot about the heart of our admin and I'm liking what they are shaping.

@Parhelion - I'm sorry that a decision we made has affected you so negatively and drawn all this attention towards you. I'm sorry we put you in this position. It was likely unfair of us to do so, but we were simply trying to make the best decision we could and felt it important to get input outside the administration. For all of that, I'm sorry.

It's extremely disheartening that an issue we've decided to rectify because we feel it is what is best for Lusternia moving forward is creating such toxicity and hatred towards other players. Take it out on me all you want, I can handle it, but to turn on other players because they disagree is something those of you who did should feel ashamed of. 

This decision was never about taking anything away from anyone. We're not discounting Glom/Celest/Halli's work here - they put the work in and it shows. Everyone on their side knew what to do. We're not buying into the complaints about Creeping Doom and how it 'won' them Ascension (Ixion holding it for 56 mins against that strategy shows otherwise). Everyone understands and acknowledges that both sides worked incredibly hard and were prepared for this. 

What this is about is saying that 'hey, this lag that -everyone- complained about, that -everyone- agrees was a problem' had a major effect on this outcome. That isn't Glom/Celest/Halli's fault. That isn't Mag/Gaudi/Seren's fault. That's our fault. 

Hindsight is 20/20 - maybe we should have delayed Ascension. Certain players were pushing for delaying Ascension further before it even began. Maybe that was the right choice, but regardless of if it was the right choice or not, it's not the choice that was made. We can only move forward from here.

I know what it means to win Ascension. I know what it takes to win Ascension. I know how it feels to have that victory attributed to lag and not to the efforts I and others around me put in. This isn't something that is foreign to me and yet, from what I observed, this lag was something else entirely. This lag being something else entirely seems to be a common perception among all the players - not just the 'losing' side, but the winning side as well. This lag having a real effect on the outcome is all but certain here. It doesn't really seem that anyone is or has argued against that point.

I understand that this course of action is different than anything that Lusternia has done in the past. 

I fully understand that there are those of you on the winning side that would not have complained had Ixion won originally. I've seen those of you during the entire Ascension maintain this attitude throughout each victory or loss that you faced, even when you personally lost in the last few seconds. I hear and appreciate your willingness to roll with the punches and forge forward regardless of the outcome. I know that this decision may upset you and make you feel like your efforts weren't worthwhile. We do not mean to make you feel that way.

I also know that there are those of you who said you would not complain that absolutely would (and have) complained when your side lost. I've seen those of you who have gone off on your tirades and arguments when things didn't end up your way and blame the administration for 'allowing' it to happen. There are even those players who are saying we should have included the playerbase as a whole in this decision arguing to us that players can't be trusted to vote 'for the good of the game' in things that aren't going their way. To these players, I also know that this decision may upset you and make you feel like your efforts weren't worthwhile. We also do not mean to make you feel this way.

I also fully understand that this will open us up to further criticism down the line when players don't think we made the right call. We're already seeing that in regards to the War Seal event. If you want to know the reason why we didn't enforce it there, feel free to message me and I'll give it to you. I'm not interested in starting a debate on our decision there in this thread though. What I promise is that we will strive to make the best decision for Lusternia, as a whole, that we can. I won't promise it will always be the right decision because we can and do make mistakes. I will promise to try and learn from those mistakes as we move forward.

I know the decision made today has upset a lot of you. I really do feel that it is what's best for Lusternia moving forward, and I do hope that those of you who are upset will continue to stick around and trust that while you may not agree with all the decisions we make, that we are earnestly trying to do our best for -everyone- as a whole. We will continue to listen to your views and criticism and opinions.