Well, I have finally caught myself up on the recent discussions that have come up. This board is not one that I regularly read, so the mental reminder to keep on top of it escaped me for a short time, but a recent post that was sent my way reminded me to scurry on over here and see what was up.

First, I do apologize for not being over here sooner. :)

Next, I want to allay any fears that the Ranger guild (or even DragonRealms) is headed down the path of destruction.

Finally, I want to stress to everyone some simple facts that apparently many people have either forgotten, or just overlooked for a short time, as well as what few details I'm willing to discuss about this entire situation:

1) No one lives forever. James Bond can attest to that. If it weren't true, they would have never named that movie what they did. Since this is a good example, I'll take it and run with it. Who's the best Bond? Personally, I think Sean Connery was the ONLY Bond, but before (and after) him, there were several others, many of which other people will say were "the ONLY" Bond. David Niven (yes, he was Bond in one movie), George Lazenby (yes, he was Bond in one movie), Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan...all of them were Bond in their own special way, but none of them wanted to be Bond for the rest of their lives.

2) Treveri himself posted relatively recently that he felt it was time he moved on. This was something that was going to happen eventually. He was not able to devote the time or energy to the guild they he knew it deserved.

3) No one (and I repeat, NO ONE) who's not a staff member knows a single thing about this entire situation, so any assumptions or theories about what happened are pure speculation. I've seen several comments floating around out there made by people who flatly know nothing about this situation and therefore have no basis on which to make said comments.

4) Just as we don't talk about anything that happens to another player with the general public, we also don't deal with specifics about anything regarding GMs, be that anything from their personal information, hirings, firings, transfers, resignations, disciplinary actions, etc. Simply and bluntly put, it's really no one's business other than the person/people involved. I don't say this to be rude, so I apologize for it sounding that way if you feel it does.

5) Quoting a recent letter to staff that was sent out after Treveri's departure:

"...we knew that for whatever reason, Brett was at a point where moving on was inevitable, it was just a matter of when. The details are unimportant. The point is that it's done and we all wish Brett the best in
whatever his path leads him to in the future. The amount of work he's done for DR in the past is massive and there are more than a few significant parts of DragonRealms with his mark all over them. As a part of DR
history, he's right on up there with Zoha when it comes to the reasons why DR is what it is today."

Having known Trev in real life, I have said to him many times, and will continue to say, that I respect his work and ability, as well as him "as a person". It was simply time for a change.

Continuing the quote from my letter to our staff:

"There are more changes on our horizon, some more significant than others, but all of them will impact us as a team, as a community, and more importantly as a family. Some will be as simple and as common as the changes to policies or procedures that happen on an almost daily basis, some will alter the way we look at development and resource allocation to make our team more efficient, more productive, and bring the spark back to everyone's eyes that was there when you first walked behind the curtain, and some will shake the very foundation of the way the game is designed as Simutronics and DragonRealms moves into the 21st century.

"What will be the result?

"Changes will make some players will revolt...Changes will make some players sing our praises...Changes will make some GMs panic...Changes will make some GMs let loose with an almost primordial sigh of relief while they say "It's about time!"...

"...but the only constant thing that we can and will do, is change, because change is a good and necessary thing in order to develop and grow."


The replacement for Treveri will not start out equal to Treveri in any way, save one. He (or she) will care deeply for the game and for your guild. I'd put no other person in that position. To do so would be silly.

However, it's important for you, the guild members, to remember that to assume someone would be able to fill Trev's shoes from day one is not a reasonable assumption. It may happen, but it's not something that you can demand or even realistically expect. When Gonk left the Thieves guild, many of the same cries of "You're destroying the game!" rose from the sewers. His replacement, Royce, has done wonders for their guild.

In summation, I would not be in my position if "the powers that be" didn't think I was able to make intelligent and appropriate decisions. Trust us to know what's best for the game and the guild and I will promise you that we'll do our best to provide you with that: The Best.

GM Solomon :)