A Tribute
 

A TRIBUTE

Background
When I first started playing POTCO, I had no idea how big it was, how many people there were, how popular the game was. Within minutes of signing in, I was hooked. Over the next few weeks, I found many good friends and some of these are still my friends. Eventually I found a guild that I really enjoyed being a part of and these people became my ingame family. Alas, that guild died out shortly after the re-release of the Pearl Boss Battle. I was alone again. For 3 weeks I was the only person in that guild.

Quite by accident, I found another guild, and they seemed to be pretty alive and vibrant, so I asked if I could join. This was in late March, 2008. The Elite Circle became my new home in-game. In June, I had an idea, to create a 'sister' guild which would be only for players that had already achieved a level of mastery. The new guild would be for their second, third, or even fourth pirate. A place where experienced players could get together and help each other relearn the game.

It took 3 tries to get a name, and eventually only by mispelling it could I get it approved. Dueces for the fact that it was for 'second' pirates, Wild for how we were going to play the game. Initially, Dueces Wild only had about 5 or 6 members, but they came in from all different guilds. At about the same time, the guildmaster of TEC went missing. The senior officers held the guild together very well, and the guild, TEC, continued to operate. For over 3 months they ran this way.

By September, it became obvious that the GM wasn't ever coming back, and that something had to be done if the group was going to continue. After a few discussions, it was decided that the best thing to do was to move all of the TEC members over to DW, and so that is what was done. Dueces Wild became the new guild, and wasn't just for second pirates any longer. After the move, DW had about 60 members. Dueces has grown and prospered.


TRIBUTE
During all that time, I was always in awe of certain of the larger guilds. Mostly, they were just names to me, stories that I heard. One of them was the War Wenches. They were a long established guild, pretty large. Stories about them and their antics were everywhere. I considered making a female pirate just to ask to join the Wenches, but never did.

Late last year, during the time period when the FIRST big batch of players started to leave the game, the Wenches started to lose members. Eventually, they fell to the point where they only had a fraction of their members playing. The core players. Eventually, their GM, Bella, came to the Dueces and asked if we would be willing to accept the remaining members of War Wenches as members of DW. We were thrilled to have them, and at the same time appalled that such a successful guild as WW would be placed in such a position. Most of the remaining Wenches moved their Pirates into DW.

One decision that was made was that Bella, and Piper, and maybe one or two others, would remain in WW. They would bring in second, or third, pirates to DW, where they could play. They would leave thier main toon in WW and keep the WW guild name alive and active in the event that Disney would release new material, improve the game, do SOMETHING that may entice the old timers that had left to return. In other words, DW would become a temporary home to the Wenches, until their members came back.

Last night, Dueces Wild held a private party to celebrate their 1 year anniversary as a guild. We ended the event at our usual place, and were having a really fun evening. Without warning, Bella came in as Bellatrix, (WW GM) and declared that she was moving her to Dueces. My immediate reaction was one of extreme sadness. For her, for the War Wenches, and for the game itself. To remove the Guild Master of such a well known guild is an admission of the state of the game. I could hear the sadness among others in the game. I even told Bella that I would bring her in, guild her, but that it hurt to do so.

I think that, when the War Wenches logo left Bella's name, at least 6 officers of DW hit the guild invite button. We will never know who exactly guilded her into DW.
Sawyer then went and brought Piper over.
Thus officially ending the War Wenches.

The War Wenches may no longer have a GM, and will play no more as a guild, but they will live on in the players and in the Dueces Wild guild. It is our honor to have them.

This is a tribute to the War Wenches, and to all the other large and successful guilds out there that have gone away.


I have compiled a list of guilds that, at one time, held a place on the leaderboards, but no longer exist. I know that there are MANY more than those that I have listed. I will gladly add names to this, if people ask me to, (PM please, don't fill the thread with guild names.) but I want it to be solely for those guilds that were large and well known. The guild had to be on the Top 100 list at one time.

War Wenches
The Elite Circle (Now Dueces Wild)
Bad To The Bonez (BTTB)
The Dolls
Partners In Crime (PIC)
Dragon
The Pirates Templar
Unguilded Valor
Tortugan Terror


Gone, but not Forgotten.

This is by far one of the best things that I have read. Our pirates walk and the history being made in our guilds and around. Bittersweet ends and new beginnings.

Here's to War Wenches and to all the other guilds that are "large" in our hearts.

And to Dueces Wild.


Thank you for sharing this Basil - very touching.

Aye Basil, I have truely enjoyed reading this. It always saddens me to see guilds die out, but the memories keep them alive forever.

Very nice, Basil. Here's to the fallen guilds.

To our Adopted Sisters
 

Basil.. it is indeed extremely disheartening when established guilds fold. Even more so when guilds that have been icons in the game are lost.

To all the War Wenches:

I know it was incredibly hard to give up something you built and cherished, but know that you have enriched the Deuces by joining us. I couldn't imagine DW without you Wenches.

I may not have know you as friends before you joined the guild, but when I first started posting on POF I ran across a little thread that I just thought was awesome. A humorous little thread that summed up what it meant to just have fun with the game.

:D "Fight hard, Shop Hard"

http://www.piratesonlineforums.com/f...ead.php?t=4694

Loved your sense of humor and sense of self then, and am honored to be able to play the game with you now.

You will always be War Wenches to us, "Our War Wenches!"

(consider yourselves irrevocably adopted)

Aww, that's really nice Bas.

It was sad to move Piper, and while I will always look back on my Wench days with fondness, I'm very happy to be a Duece now, too. :)

Very nicely said Basil, and Kelly.

To the Wenches :buds:

Thanks for sharing Basil, It really touched my heart reading that.

Heres a tribute to the fallen guilds including my once home Partners In Crime, let Partners N Crime live on forever with the memories of PIC.
Coulden't said it better myself Zeke.

A Toast to our Brethern who are gone, and to those who still play on in new found locations :rumgt7:

Nicely put everyone, here is to all of the gone (but not forgotten) guilds :buds:

Since you guys do this to me all the time... (jumps on Basil's and Kelly's bandwagon) DITTO!


I raise my bottle of rum to you all. That's right... I said a bottle. And it's mine! Not yours! Well... okay, I'll share.

Tis a sad day when such a great guild hits bottom...Me heart goes out to you & to your valiant efforts to keep it going on POTCO. But you have found a fine home in DW...Me hats off to all of you...

*raises a mug of rum to the "fallen" guilds*

Glad to see WW have a new home though. Thanx for sharing Bas

That was very moving Basil. Great tribute.

*salutes each and every "fallen" guild*

Here's to great memories and great times to come!

Glad to have you on the crazy train with us!

Haha, sorry about that Basil.

Avast me hearties drink up... Respects to the mighty guilds O the past.

Guess i'll go delete my only female pirate.... she still had the War Wench tag.

aye i'll toast to that....my first home was high sea drifter....and several others... then i found TEC and history tells the rest of the story...since all my pirates r DW's now....miss playin but still waitin for more content...

basil...ya old sea dog...ya went and got me all misty.

as a war wench (Molly) i too am moved by your recap. however, being a silver lining kind of guy, joining the dueces was really meant to be. two like minded guilds of whackos, malcontents, ocd's, and generally disturbed individuals (my apologies to the one or two guild members who don't fit this description) proved to be the sole reason i played the game.

an honor being a duece...and Basil - thanks for being you...

AYE! Well put Basil. HUZZAH and tip of my hat to those fine guilds.

Well said Basil! Makes me wish I'd been around back then. There's nothing sadder than long time players leaving a game, any game. But that Top 100 guilds go with is tragic. All the work and time and dare I say it love you put into something... I can't imagine how hard that last moment of giving up a guild you built is.

:buds: Here's to the fallen guilds and the players who loved them, the next bottle's on me mates, may they live on forever in Pirate Infamy, cause isn't that the idea?

A toast..... To the fallen..... Thier exploits pave the way for the rest of us to follow...... They have left behind tales to be shared by all..... The once mighty names of infamous guilds now ring as ghostly echos from beyond....... Gone but never forgotten.......

Sorry I am late to the party!!

Basil your words made me cry. It was that or the severe pain ...... I did read what you wrote first thing after waking up after sugery.

I have to agree with so many others when they say it is a shame to see great guilds fall by the wayside. However, Thw Wenches are not gone!! We will live on through DW!!

The decision was based on many factors. Of the many one main one was I felt that WW deserved a ful time guild which I can't provide. On another note, after playing with DW for so long it would not have felt right to me to ever resurrect the WW. I would feel wierd playing without any of you on with us. That and I would want all new Wenches to join DW.

Bella

BELLA!!! How is you?! Miss you!

My Umbrella Academy was a huge guild - yet, not a loud one. We started out with all adult Officers, and held SEVERAL spots in the top 100 for consecutive amounts of time! We were in the top 10 many times.

The guild grew and grew - and officers started worrying more about QUANTITY than QUALITY. So.. I disbanded the members at the time, and decided to start over completely.

I now have - by choice - 9 members. =)

Id like to remember it as a large and successful guild - it STILL is successful, and STILL is accepting members, I just want to play with the members before I add them to make sure they are an addition I can be proud of, and who I can count on to conduct themselves in a way thats becoming to my guild. I've seen members from some of the 'top guilds' behave HORRIBLY. I wouldnt want that in my guild, and wouldnt tolerate it.

So...Huzzah UA! No longer huge, but now quality, over quantity.