At the very end of my post on March 7, 2014, I announced that I would be closing down my blog sometime in early May. There was an overwhelming and altogether unanticipated response to that very announcement. My blog's e-mail inbox began to fill. Private messages were sent via the LOTRO forums. Even my lesser used Twitter account was receiving direct messages. I've even got a few messages over Facebook. So many people asking me to continue posting here. It really was my expectation to showcase my final outfit in May...but I find myself reconsidering that decision after seeing the support Material Middle-earth has earned the past few weeks.
I don't have to remind anybody, at least that's how I feel, that everything eventually comes to an end. My kinship has basically quit the game. All the friends that I began playing LOTRO with have all gone. Helm's Deep and the associated changes were unprecedented disappointments. Since January, all I've done is log into LOTRO to make outfits. Lately, it hasn't been enough to capture my full attention and the will to play diminishes each passing day. The time will come when I leave LOTRO permanently, of that I am certain.
I still plan on retiring from my blogging, but I'll make a compromise for the community and my followers. I will continue to create outfits until my supplies are completely extinguished. That means dyes, marks, medallions, various landscape barter tokens, mithril coins, and my crafting materials. I have no intention to replenish those supplies either...and there's not much left of them. When the time comes, I will make the announcement about two weeks in advance.
Thank you for your support!
Nathrien
I am still incredibly sad to see you leave, but I can definitely understand where you stand. While I am no where near at the end of the good content, many of my level cap friends have been expressing their sadness and concern relating to LOTRO, and it is making me scared for the future of my characters and such.
ReplyDeleteBut thank you. Thank you for presenting a compromise. I look forward to with eager anticipation your outfits each week, and I appreciate the time and effort you put into your outfits and your blog. Also, thank you many times over for the support you have shown my meager blog... it has definitely helped to grow my confidence as a cosmetic blogger.
Making a compromise is the least I can do for everybody. Too many blogs related to LOTRO, whether cosmetic or not, have simply been abandoned without notice or warning. I didn't want to add myself to that list and just leave everybody hanging. I wanted to conclude my blog with dignity and as much respect to everybody else as possible. Though my end is approaching, as well as for others, it shouldn't mean that you worry too much about the future of the game. Keep playing. Keep outfitting. Enjoy all that's offered.
DeleteTo hear replies like this means a great deal to me: "Also, thank you many times over for the support you have shown my meager blog... it has definitely helped to grow my confidence as a cosmetic blogger." Knowing that I've made an impact, no matter how small, brings joy to my heart. These are the very type of messages I've received and the reason why I'm going to continue until I no longer can.
I am deeply saddened by this decision,Nathrien, but also understanding. So many beloved Lotro blogs have shut down or are in the process of doing so . . . I too share the fears of Makaia. Lotro was my first MMO, and my characters and fellow players are so close to my heart. They are as close to Middle-Earth as I have ever gotten, and that makes the pain so much more worse. It makes me wonder if I will even bother to stick around with all of you gone. . .. . . . but, thank you SO much for all you have done for Lotro community. I can't even begin to say what an impact you've had on me as a blogger. Mae govannen, mellon nin.
DeleteThere have also been a combination of outside factors contributing to my decision. My kinship, Turning of the Tide, had grown so large that LOTRO itself couldn't contain us. We've become a multiplatforming community, and each of us officers have taken charge of different chapters. I've grown so close to those people that they've become my gaming family...and it wouldn't feel right to leave them to find another kinship. What we've come to miss regarding LOTRO, we've found in other games. Tolkien's Middle-earth will always have a special place in my heart, regardless of LOTRO's future. I've had these feelings since November, and when I heard about Whiteberry from Tales of Arda and read her site's farewell address, all those reasons came into focus with an unexpected clarity.
DeleteLike I told Makaia, I'm glad that I've had an impact over the past two years, whether on a personal or community level. Keep blogging. You don't have to stop because everybody else is. I've been hoping to see your return and what new outfits you'll create. I may not comment all the time, but I do browse through all the blogs. I'll still be around with my weekly updates for a while. In fact, I've drafted a dozen outfits for Material Middle-earth at this point. And, with some certainty, my remaining supplies should get me through August and possibly some of September. I've got my eyes set on that upcoming steel blue dye, and I would love to experiment with it in an outfit or two before I leave : )
Multi-gaming communities are a real blessing, especially with buddies from whom you can take a hiatus if your specific gaming interests diverge but with whom you can pick up right where you left off when favorite games are shared interests again. Thats how it was for me and OZ Clan for probably two years while I was getting really deep into LotRO. Good on you for sticking with your folks though.
DeleteI haven't seen them 'til just now, but I really like your March outfits! Just remember to play and create for enjoyment--your own!