I think that doing another set like the v-set is not a great idea. Even though I think they hold it over everyones head that they are making the V-Sets, I think they do a good job at playtesting and developing. Trying to make another official v-set Could be like comparing The NFL to the AFL, or World Football League. Although good in theory, It will be hard for this second set to be taken seriously.

FWIW, I really don't think that anyone is trying to "Hold it over everyones head". I'm truly sorry that it comes across like that in any way. The simple matter is, in order for the community to continue to survive down the road, the players must take charge to see that it happens. So, people who have been involved with the game and the community at large since the very beginning (or at least close to it) are typically going to be some of the best informed people to work on that route. It just so happens that Dean had an official position as the DCI Net Rep before WOTC discontinued the game, so he was already in a position of leadership. So he's chose to continue on in that position.

He's not (and neither is anyone at Gamers) attempting to make a big deal of it. The simple matter is though, someone has to step forward to be the leader, or else it ends up being a slew of people arguing across the internet, with no real progress ever being made.

To date, Dean has made extremely wise choices, IMO. He may have assumed the role of community leader himself to some degree, but he has delegated out almost every bit of responsibility that he can. He's hardly involved in the V Sets at all. He gave some ideas just like the rest of us, but beyond that, has pretty much stayed completely out of things.

In addition, SWMGamers has just simply been around longer, and has had a much bigger role in the community overall. Bloomilk exploded onto the scene, and Shinja picked a perfect time to do it (when swshoebox.com was lagging behind by at least a set), and Shinja really blew the other sites out of the water when it came to the squad builder. So, naturally, this site has attracted a ton of attention because Shinja did just such a fantastic job with the squad builder.

But, when it comes to the game surviving, that depends not on a squad builder, but on a community, and the community depends on not just online forums, but real life tournaments, major events, prize support, and the like. This is what Gamers has been good at providing the last 3 years. We've had consistently close contact with WOTC employees and the Organized Play people when they still supported us. And even after WOTC has gone away, Dean, Jim, and others have tirelessly devoted their time to building contacts and working out deals with places to get prize support for minor conventions and things like that.

So, it really isn't that anyone tries to "lord over" each other or anything petty like that. These guys don't do this work just to be prideful about it. They do it because they love to see the joy in the other player's eyes when they get to participate in a big event. Do you guys realize that Dean played in the Championship this year, and that's the first time he's done so since 2007? I don't remember the specifics, but he's hardly played in ANY tournaments at GenCon during 2008-2010. He basically comes for the weekend of GenCon, just to make sure that all the rest of you have a good time. So, when attitudes that might seem like he's holding something over your heads come out, it's usually simply because somebody makes some snide remark about him or some other well-respected person in the community, without any knowledge or regard to the level of commitment and effort these guys give to game.

These guys are humble about the work they do for our community, they really are. But they are also defensive about it. There is a difference. 9 times out of 10, they are defending the work that other people have done. And we ALL hate other people being negative about anything at all. Negativity in the community (posts bashing other sites/people, posts claiming the game is dying, stuff like that) hurt the community, and so it typically causes these guys, who pour out the hearts/lives for this community, to immediately jump on the issue and defend whatever needs to be defended. Sure, sometimes they go over the line, and doing the "wrong things for the right reasons" isn't a good thing, but we're all human. The key is to focus on and remember the fact that these guys are just doing what they think is for the best of the community. If you truly disagree with that, try to chat with them in a CIVIL manner, and it can usually be sorted out. Most of the time, it's just simply because people don't truly understand everything that goes on behind the scenes. Heck, I'm VERY involved in a lot of the behind the scenes stuff, and I still don't understand everything that's going on most of the time. ;)

Anyways....sorry for the long-windedness. Just thought I'd share some thoughts on it.

for those who want to see the stats for the guild of nine they are being posted in the customs section under The Guild of Nine

Ben Skywalker is up now inthe Guild of Nine

As a business owner I can tell you that this split is devastating. If the community is split between management and the people ultimately the community will fail. This site is way easier to get around, has a squad builder, and a collection manager which makes this site an incredible tool in keeping the community afloat. If there continues to be childish rubbish on how or who gets to post the info all that is going to happen is the same old peeps will go to gen-con and the same old peeps will play each other and no new blood will WANT to test the water. Which will make the community go stale. Quit thinking that this site is HARMFUL what will keep this community a float is info to be spread how ever peeps can get it. For the most part this rift of who gets the post and how you have to get the info is in my opinion the only thing I think Gamers is failing horribly at.

Cater to the masses not the classes.


P.S. BTW Gamers I love your V-set and thank you for all your time and effort you have put into it it is really great what you are doing. I will be buying the cards from you a soon as you make them and in Kearney Nebraska our community already play with the previews and love them.

Without even seeing the stats he's already better than the WotC version just by virtue of having "Pilot" in his name.

Thanks Lobotnik. Cool. Is there a translation button somewhere?

+1 (this goes for kezzamachine's joke as well ;)