Arelith

This skillmageddon update has really burnt me out, and after I finish the invisible blade tweaks and some bug fixes, I'm going to take a break from dev work for awhile. I have been spending significantly more time working on new classes, balance changes, or other random projects than I have playing. I will still be around, as a player, but I've reached a point where this feels more like an obligation and a second job than something enjoyable. I realized I never wrote one of these, so here's one to just about everyone. If you don't get mentioned by name, I apologize. I didn't skip you intentionally, I probably just missed you. I am coming off a 12 hour shift and little sleep and writing this between attempts at fixing skillmageddon bugs.

Thank you Awan for convincing me to join the dev team.
Thank you Aniel for teaching me that I could code.
Thank you Irongron for giving me the opportunity to try to improve (and occasionally break) your wonderful wonderful server.
Thank you Mord for saving me with your coding knowledge a million times.
Thank you Hoodoo for helping me so many times with so many things.
Thank you Niv, Symphony, and the rest of you Beamdog folk for helping out when we really break things, and for making this game work in the first place.
Thank you Jack for being an awesome dude and fixing all my stupid ideas.
Thank you Spyre for responding to and putting up with my 5 million @s on discord whenever I need database help.
Thank you Kenji for all of your balance help (and helping me with calculus).
Thank you Danger Dolphin and Bat Country for being wonderful voices of reason and letting me vent to you when needed.
Thank you Xerah, Kalopsia, Sofa, and the rest of the coders I've worked with for being wonderful and helpful people.
Thank you area builders for making cool new places for me to killbash you in.
Thank you artists for making amazing new stuff for me to killbash you with.
Thank you DMs for dealing with the fallout, especially with some of our crazier updates.
But most of all, thank you everyone who plays this server, for making this place so special and amazing and wonderful, and I never would have been here if it wasn't for all of you.

I will return to dev work eventually. It may be a month, or it might be a six or more, but this was long overdue. In the meantime, I am around if anyone needs help or advice. I'm not leaving. I'll still be here just as often as a player.

It goes without saying that the work you've done for Arelith has been nothing short of phenomenal and S-Tier. You are seriously talented and seriously generous. Thank you for all of your hard work, and enjoy your break. You deserve it.

Thank you for everything you've done, and enjoy the well-earned rest! Tremendously grateful for the continued work you've put in to keep this wonderful place evolving.

Hats off to you!

Thank you for all your hard work. I think you did the Loremaster rework, I really like how versatile it's become. It's good for both casters and melee, in a way I didn't think would be possible. The most telling thing is that the scroll market has returned. You made it viable for melee to use scrolls again. I think that's really cool, thank you.

thanks bud, you've done a lot of good work

take it easy

Garrbear, thank you. You've given us old folks something new mechanically, and I honestly do think novelty is the lifeblood of a long-run PW. Thanks for keeping the tank full, man. Hope you return to developing soon, you've got an obvious talent. Can't wait to see what you'll cook up.

Thank you man for all the classes and changes you added. You certainly put your stamp on this place.

Your contributions have been huge to the server's longevity. The irony to this old game is that new players you've helped bring in will never know themselves. Thank you!

Such a massive body of work, and with it a legacy on Arelith that will stand for many years to come.

Also, a kudos for knowing when to stop. Development on Arelith can very often start as a real joy, but as an urge to endlessly fix and optimise, to address the endless issues brought by enthusiastic (and sometimes dissatisfied) player chatter, it can soon turn into an obsession; a truly Sisyphean endeavour where no matter how close satisfaction may seem, that sought after perfection is just one...more...step...away.

In this respect, Arelith development is insidious, and as gratitude gives way to expectation, and a sense of achievement is gradually gives way to one of frustration. In what is intended to be a hobby for all of us, it is important not to lose sight of that goal; one simply of enjoyment, and of creation.

Garrbear may well return to active development, and while for Arelith I certainly hope he does, part of me is always pleased to see a developer with so much to be proud of, closing one door and heading out through another.

-tips fedora-

Pretty sure Arelith will survive while you're on vacation. Don't worry!

Your work is some of the best and I'm GLAD you exist in this community.

See you around, and thank YOU!

Thx for all you done!

Thank you Garrbear! I love your work.

Thank you for everything!

Amazing work throughout - hugely appreciated.

Thank you for helping create so much of this other world we live in.

Thank you for putting aside valuable free time to develop and implement changes, fixes and new fatures!

It's pretty damn incredible!

Thank you, Garr. Not just for working on the big updates but also taking your time and interrupting your own projects to fix general bugs sent your way.

Thank you for your work! Cheers to you!

Thank YOU, sir!

o7

Excellent work.

All of the stuff you and the rest of the team do are amazing! So appreciative of all your work and creating so much fun for us. Thank you 1000 times

So many thanks for your efforts to make this game we love even greater

I wish you the best of fun to play it

Here's to the coders! You crazy, amazing people!