On linkshells

This is a rant post. The 'report card' post will follow either later this afternoon or this evening.

I've grown disenfranchised and a bit frustrated with the CatastrophyCrafters linkshell, which has become progressively more quiet with the conspicuous absence of several longstanding regular members, either due to a virtual absence (shell on + absolute non-response) or real one (shell off).

It feels much as it did last year, as if the shell were created on a whim by the original leader to just get some people together, then virtually abandoned in favor of other activities with other shells. In essence, it has become a large chat room and nothing more, although it had in fact started out as something more. Yes, I like chatting, but I also enjoy activities with these people, and the leadership seems to have given up in this area...once again.

When I found out last night that several of my friends had basically emigrated to yet another "endgame linkshell", known as PhoenixDown, I became resigned to the death of what I had once known to be CatastrophyCrafters: an active social shell with a nice mix of new and veteran players having fun doing activities together and helping newer members progress.

On general principle, I will not apply to nor join PhoenixDown. I've grown exasperated with the fractured concept of activities in this game and such linkshells are a part of this broken model, in my opinion.

I shouldn't have to switch to another shell to enjoy endgame related activities, nor switch to another to socialize with the people I've befriended. The concept of 'applying' to a linkshell is also broken and detrimental, and mostly a pretense at objective selectivity in most cases.

I want to be in a group of people who don't feel the need to pigeonhole their activities. People who actually focus on coordinating said activities, have fun together, and support each other rather than farming members out to activity-specific shells to 'get the job done.' After 2 years with the linkshell, I think all of us deserve more respectful engagement and participation from members in the existing group. And after 2 years, my own patience is coming to an end.

I would understand this happening in a shell with an unbalanced roster or social schisms. But this wasn't the case with CC. There were so many mid to high-level players in this group who, for the most part, got along and could have accomplished something together. But no one picked up the ball, and almost every one has lapsed into the BS mentality of "graduating into" an endgame LS, with the occasional return to CC to throw the newbies a bone or just... chat until the next pickup party. Sad...

I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to salvage my connection to the group.

All I know is I can't keep the shell on permanently anymore.