So Long And Thanks For All The WAAAGH!

Because this promises to be a lengthy post, here's the short, short version:

This is my last post on WAAAGH!, as I'm moving my blogger flag to Bio Break full-time. There, I will continue to discuss WAR (as I am, of this writing, still playing the game) and other MMO topics that strike my fancy. I have several reasons for this move, as detailed below, but none of them is that I hate WAR or blogging about it. WAAAGH!'s archives will remain hosted here as long as GameRiot likes. Please update your feeds/bookmarks/links to me over at Bio Break -- I'll see you there!

And now, the longer version:

It's Monday, and around WAAAGH!, that usually means a new fresh week of discussion and meandering articles. I'm sorry to disappoint the routine! But hey, part of the fun of being a blogger means that I get to keep you on your toes. Although no one likes change, and seemingly sudden decisions like this can throw people into a tizzy, hear me out, and I think you'll realize that all is not doomed.

A little over a week ago, I made the decision to shutter WAAAGH!, and to give myself seven days to think it over and make sure that was what I truly wanted. It was, and here we are. Actually, I knew this day was long coming, a fact that prompted me a few months back to start up Bio Break, my little blog protégé, as a way to transition from a very specific one-game blog to a multi-game discussion.

My reasons? There are a few, to be sure. The first is that I simply have more to say about MMORPGs and gaming than what is strictly limited to Warhammer Online, and I'd like to say it. The second is that I want to regain full control of a blog again -- I appreciate the opportunity that GameRiot gave me for extra exposure and a bit of financial compensation, but I miss the full range of features that Wordpress offers, and I like feeling completely free. The third -- and this is probably the oddest one to try to put into words -- is that WAAAGH!'s always been tempting in the sense of getting a big head while doing it. I'm pleased and honored beyond belief that this weird little blog has grown tremendously over the past year, and that so many people have been kind enough to mention it and link to it. But sometimes I felt my ego get a little too attached to it, and I needed to know that my priorities in life put God and my family before anything else. Very soon, I'm going to have a kid, my schedule will change, and I have no idea how that will impact my gaming and writing time. So in a way, this is a test I'm admitting to myself: to see if I can simply walk away from a successful blog and be okay with it. To be okay with letting go.

And, in a way, this is how I want to end the blog. On my own terms, not ending with a whimper, not with an angry "WAR SUCKS!", not feeling obligated to continue it without any passion. I'd rather end it on a high note than a low. Perhaps I even avoided jumping the shark. Perhaps not.

Now, I'm not quitting blogging, and I'm not quitting WAR, and I'm not going to stop combining the both. I think you're going to see a lot of WAR talk over on Bio Break, and I even started a new feature this past week called AFK, a sort-of successor to Da Bloody Twenty. But I know in my heart that this will be different, for while going to a multi-MMO blog format is remarkably freeing in so many ways, it's also a lot more difficult to build up a large readership because it's not as mono-focused. I know I'm throwing away a very high Google rank (WAAAGH! comes up as the #1 search return for "waaagh"), and it's possible many folks will see this move as a betrayal of sorts, or that I'm no longer throwing my full weight of fanboyish love behind WAR. Yet I hope that won't be the case, I hope that many of you will visit me at my new(ish) home, and that we can once again have huge unimpeded discussions over Greenskins and foolish Engineers there.

Man, I never thought I'd miss open commenting so much, y'know?

I have a lot of people I want to thank for all that's behind WAAAGH!, so if you've read this far, just bear with me a little bit more, and then return to your regularly scheduled programming:

• To Mythic -- You guys created one heck of a game, and although I have picked on it, been overly emotional about silly things, and even threw a few heated words your way, I hope you know that it's always been out of affection for what I found to be a great product and a terrific experience. I look forward to exploring your world for many years to come.
• To Mark, Carrie, Josh, Mark, Andy, Jess and the rest of the devs that gave me the time of day, and occasionally more -- Thank you. Very few MMOs treat bloggers with the sort of respect that you all do, and it made my day. More than once.
• To Snafzg -- I know that WAR's been a huge up and down for you, and perhaps a final down. But I'll never regret that you got into it, because I gained a great friend in the process. The Greenskin, in addition to being a smartly written blog, gave me my first big leg up in the blogosphere. I'll never forget it -- see you in the next game, buddy!
• To Keen -- While we might not be the same type of player, it was a blast to do ChaosCast with you, especially as you put in so much hard work over it.
• To Arbitrary and Spinks -- I still remember first seeing Book of Grudges pop onto the scene, with tiny one-paragraph posts. You guys became a legend, and I'm very happy to be connected with you guys. Rock on!
• To Regis -- You've been just as much of a great support for the WAR community as me or anyone else, and Blog Warhammer was a stroke of genius.
• To the awesome folks at Warhammer Alliance -- It's my last post on here, so I'm allowed to say that this was always my forum of choice. You guys created one of the best MMO forums I've ever seen, and have been a pillar of support and information to WAR players and the writing community. May WCPI live on for a long time yet!
• To my friends across many, many WAR blogs -- I hope you won't feel offended that I don't mention you by name here, because there's simply so MANY of you (Werit, Pete, Jennifer, Ardua, Rog, Thulf... it just goes on and on). But know that you have a solid place in my Google Reader, and I will be visiting, commenting and linking to you as always. Keep up the good fight in WAR, and write like your game depends on it!
• To Chrono Chaos -- Don't go back and kill my grandfather as a baby to prevent this, eh?
• To God -- Who is my All, and gave me whatever gifts I have for writing, humor and insight. I hope that a hobby even as silly as this has pleased You in some way.
• And to everyone else -- THANK YOU for reading, for commenting, for supporting and for giving me the encouragement to keep on writing! Don't let, for a second, WAAAGH!'s closure stop you from playing the game -- enjoy it, and keep in touch!

Deep breath...

WAAAGH!

~ Syp

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