Is this the end?

[Claquesous]

What follows are my feeling and my thoughts, and I want to make it clear up front that my conclusions are not written in stone. If you would like to add, or provide further insight, please feel free. I also want to make it clear that if you believe what I'm about to say is a bad thing that I do not blame any one person and I am trying against my nature to not completely blame myself.

Since FF12 has come out, our linkshell has fallen below what might be called a critical mass or an event horizon in another field. Loosely speaking, I will define that in FF11 terms to be enough people so that there are always at least two people on at all reasonable playing hours. Once you fall below this point, you have the effect that Mayous and Almeada have already commented on where someone will sign on and find no one on the shell and leave. Last night, Mayous Suranx and I were all on at the same time but since no one was on when either of them got on they both left by the time I signed on.

FF12 obviously is a large reason for why this has happened. I know for a fact that Sephiros, Almeada, Lordofchaos and myself have been playing it more than FF11 lately. Those players alone would probably be a critical mass. It is not the only problem though. Just in the last few weeks we have lost Mikejones and found out we're losing Mayous to the army. We have also lost Esteban and Kolob to personal issues. Meanwhile the only notable recruit in the last six months who seems to be sticking with us has been Almeada.

I've said it before and I'll say it again now, the reason I decided to play FF11 was the FF. That's all. The reason I play(ed?) almost six hours a day was WanderingSouls. What made the linkshell great was the people that I shared a common goal with. In the beginning no one really knew what the goal was, but we knew we wanted to do it together. This blissful ignorance of what the heck this whole world was about served as a common bond. To an arguable extent, we were successful in that original goal. These days my goals are more obvious and so I find it hard to find someone new with whom I share that same bond.

The first members of the shell as I remember it were 1. Piraya 2. Kolob and 3. Myself. Within days this intrepid group grew with the addition of Aelfwise, Brixba, Deviltwo (Mikejones) and his brother Lydric, Friendlessvoice/Remedy, and Daedric. Many of them left quickly; others stuck around longer, but the only one left is Aelfwise. I don't think it should come as much as a surprise when I say that I consider Aelfwise to be my best friend in the game by far and hope to stick around him wherever our FF11 lives may leave us. I also felt a special bond to my recruits - the people that I invited who became important members of the shell. If I may draw a familial analogy, I should love all my Linkshell "children" equally, but the truth is I loved my personal recruits more. Both Ziquan and Lummox have left us so I don't even have anyone left with whom I share this bond either.

So where does this melancholic diatribe lead us? I still love everyone even if I don't share as strong a bond as I share with the people I listed above. I would be perfectly happy to sit on the shell alone until someone shows up if I knew people were going to show up eventually. However, I don't think it's fair for me to ask others to do the same. As I see it we have two options. We can either try to recruit again and try to rebuild WanderingSouls into the once great linkshell it used to be or we can evolve.

Recruiting is hard. Part of why I wanted to level Montparnasse and do all the annoying things again (Kazham keys, LB etc.) was a hope to recruit people with whom I shared this bond again. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I didn't need to share this bond. I could just ask Lordofchaos, Kaelsam, Aelfwise etc. for help. Secondly, though I had recruited as Claq based on personality alone my view on Montparnasse was already tainted. I was too acutely aware of what made a talented player and just couldn't bring myself to invite a n00b. Finally, the myopic decision of becoming linkshell leader instead of Aelfwise meant that I could never invite people directly as Montparnasse.

If it isn't abundantly clear by now, I think the better option is to evolve. I do not plan on breaking the shell or bringing down the site. The site costs me nothing and one inventory slot out of hundreds doesn't seem like that great of a burden either. I would hope that people would still check the site and keep in touch. Clearly Piraya, Ziquan, Tehya, and Kaelsam still feel the draw to post even though they have all long left the shell. The pundits may ask, "Claq, we could never plan an event while we were a linkshell what makes you think we could plan one if we no longer exist as a full time social linkshell?" I would have to concede that this is true, but I would argue that perhaps by going our separate ways we will actually expand our opportunities. If the leaders from our shell move on and become leaders in new shells we have a much larger possible audience to plan new events. This reasoning isn't completely without precedent. For those that have been around a while we shouldn't underestimate Tehya's role in making us great. She was a member of our shell, but she always had that shell of her own with which her true allegiance lie. Many of our "Linkshell events" of the past were actually joint events with her shell.

Now that I'm done with my magniloquent bombast perhaps I can summarize. I think the days of WanderingSouls being a full time social linkshell may be over for now. I hope that we can keep in touch and continue to enrich each others' playing experience. If you have any comments please feel free to post them, but please keep them positive and as my right honourable friend Bill O'Reilly would say keep them pithy (unlike my own comments).

[Claquesous]

Eh... Moby Dick was better.

[Piraya]

The major problem I see with what you have posted is the emphasis of WanderingSouls being a linkshell. It started as a linkshell but became something larger. I can count on 2 hands the people I hold closest from our group. I don't consider them a part of the linkshell...I consider them a part of my WanderingSouls family. But apparently things got too busy, people got too preoccupied with other things and lost touch with what we had and apparently we can never get it back. I don't post or observe these boards because I'm interested in whats going on in the game...I do it because I'm interested in what is going on in your lives, my family beyond bounds of blood and name. I will remember you all as friends whether you part ways with me completely, my dream was for us to be together as a family regardless of linkshell/game/etc. And the only reason I bugged anyone about Lineage 2 was the hopes of sharing something I enjoy with you guys again but do not have any expectations of you joining me, just a hope. In the end I draw upon the positive memories we shared and can hold onto those forever if you choose to let our bonds diminish and fade into nothing. I love you all and will miss you terribly...but I will always have my memories.

[almeada]

I agree claq that the ls as a social ls has been dying down since ff12 and alot of ppl aren't on as much anymore, also losing MJ and soon Mayous, it would seem that everyone seems to be preoccupied at the present time, but I feel the same as you, in that, if i know that someone is going to be logging on eventually i will stay on even if i'm the only one on at the time.

I for one have had a hectic schedule lately with odd commission jobs here and there and school and my mad dash for CoP missions, but I'm on alot on final fantasy XI, more so than any other game. Some of you guys i have on my friends list, but i don't have you claq, or aelf on my list. I know saturday i searched for you on 5 or 6 different times, but I didn't see you or mont on at the time. I was glad that we caught each other the other day though and had an outing in fei'yin, even though it was late and we were logging soon, it was a fun time to just go out and do something in game together as a ls, even though it was just us 2, lol. Anyway, I'll send you a friend request and aelf. Also on a side note, mayous and i just finished riverne site A01 and we are catching up to you claq, but i forgot what mission you were on. Anyway, hope to see you and everyone else online soon.

[Suranx]

yea, being the only 1 on the ls for 6hrs or more till claq is on, well, it gets to be quite lonely. Wandering souls has been my main ls cause its my faborite to be on. i hope to see ppl on it in the near future.

[almeada]

I'd like to do something to bring the ls together again as far as ffxi goes. my good friend, the one who got me to get ffxi in the first place, has started a new venture to get himself interested in ffxi again and do more things in game as oppossed to just leveling up. We are doing all of the CoP missions and he started a ls just for the missions. I had already told claq about it and mayous, and both were interested, however claq is ahead of us already in those missions. we usually are going to have the missions for friday nights, but because some ppl needed to catch up to everyone, like myself, i have been doing missions pretty much everyday to catch up. anyway, I would like to take up claq's suggestion and do, shall i say, a joint ls event where on friday nights we all do CoP missions together. I think that would bring WS members closer and we can all have new experiences and stories with each other to share and get closer to each other with. Also, it will open the doors to new friendships with others as well.

Anyway, just a thought i wanted to throw out there.

[Lordofchaos]

I for one will admit that i have spent way to much time on ff12 i have been neglecting u guys. They started required overtime at work (god i hate microsoft) so i will be doing 60hr work weeks (the joys of being a supervisor) until closer to Xmas and they also just hired 75 new hardware tech for me to have to deal with. Once the OT stops i will back on FF11 a lot more like i was before.


If anyone does need me for anything again all u need is to post and tell me when and where and i will make the time.

[Mayous]

WanderingSouls has always been my family, Since I was a weak little Black mage. I miss you guys alot. I've heard some very disturbing things about a certain person that will remain nameless. Also there has been some things said that I do not care for and the person that said them has been removed from my mind so to speak. As you all well know I've been around for a long time, and I am around alot. Also as most of you know I may not be around much longer. It's not that I'm just leaving the WS ls it's that I'm proboly leaving FFXI altogether. I really would like to take the time in this post to let a few people know exactly how I feel. Piraya, You were a great friend and mentor when I was a Black mage, and when I disappeared for 6 months and came back you had left and came back a different person. I miss how you used to pick on me cause my gear wasnt the best or because I didnt know how to set a macro right or something to that extent. I really wish you were around now. Claq, were do I start? Well I've known you since you were about lvl 50 thief and were just starting the LB's. You were always ready to help someone and seemed to enjoy the game so much. I miss the comment's made about you always being to slow by Aelf and Lummox. Aelf, You have been more then a friend to me and will always be in the back of my mind as that silly White mage. You've helped me more then anyone in this crazy FFXI world. I'm really at a loss for words when it comes to me telling you how much you will be missed. Lord, I still think your a Slowga Galka but you've been pretty awesome in my short time hanging out with you. I really didnt get to know you as well as I'd liked to but our time hanging together was fun none the less. Almeada, You are like family to me my friend. Your always there to give me that push, to PL me those few lvl's, or just there to make a comment that makes me wanna slap you but is so funny I have to laugh. I know I owe you a debt that can never be repaid because you've made my exp in FFXI better for have known you. Suran, What can I say about you Suran, Dont eat the plate......No you've made thing very awesome on the LS and you always kept me thinking no matter what. You'll be missed my friend. Esty, Along time ago I seen you everyday for most of the day, Hell I even still have your Centurions sword you let me borrow when I first hit lvl 30 on pld, if that tell's you how long we've known each other. I am sad that we didnt get to pt like I would have wanted. You will always be on my mind. Seph, I'll miss you always wanting to plunder someone's booty....... You have been a very good friend to me and done things to make me laugh so hard I cried. Take care buddy. Well this post has gone on long enough and I'm sure your tired of reading this so I'm going to end it with I'm sorry if I didnt directly name you off and Everyone in WS ls has made it a blast to pt, adventure, destroy mobs, get mpked, Lay face down in the sands, and just shoot the breeze with. I will miss you all and I'm a better person for having known all you awesome people. I can say one last comment to always be true


"I will always and forever be a WanderingSoul"

[almeada]

Hmmmm, i'm kinda speechless may, but you know there is probably no suprise to know that you are one of my closest friends from WS and the game in general. Heck, you were the one that gave me a pearl, lol. I consider you like family too bro. Even if we weren't doing anything in game and we just roamed around Konschtat Highlands slaughtering sheep, it was fun just to be there joking around and making the best of what would normally be a boring time, lol. You are a big part as to why i like this crazy world of final fantasy XI and you will be missed in game and out. You still have my cell number and if you don't already know, you can call me at any time to talk about whatever. Whenever you decide to go back to the army, i pray that you're safe and you come back soon. Well, let me get going before this gets too mushy, lol.

[Sephiros]

I am afraid I dunno what to say, things happen for me because I am commissioned on and off so gretting on all the time at set times is rough. These days, Gears of War, and Call of Duty 3 are what I play occasionally. I beat main FF12 stuff but need to go back through for extras.

My number is always available if you need something or have comments.

989-327-3716
redsquirrel2k3@yahoo.com
myspace.com/redsquirrel2k3

As far as FFXI, I will return when I have enoguh time.