11-01-2023, 10:50 PM
Defender of the Year: Quebecshire
Ananke Award: Takkaviita - Takka has been a reliable force on the spotting field as far as I can remember, though Spotting in general has been lackluster. I want to see more people in the running for this in the coming year, and I think some great prospects like Drew are showing their dedication - but I first truly noticed Takka for their spotting, and I do think they deserve recognition.
Anarchotopia Award: TGW
Sir Lans Award: Vincent Drake - No other updater here, in my mind, has been as skilled or as variable as Vinny. Again, just in sheer prowess alongside incredible presence of updates (Vinny was surprisingly one of the most reliable minor updaters in the first half of the year!) made any Vinny update distinguishable - ask raiders, they'll tell you plenty about having to go up against Vinny tiebreaker puppets :^) When he's around he has great stories and/or update spirit and is probably best suited to answer any questions, and was key in teaching me to become the best updater that I could be. And really, when the updates got shitty and very quiet, he was there if he possibly could be, so I have to shout out my king!!! No updater perhaps has been as impactful.
Operation of the Year: Magna Aurea - I realized that this may not have been everyone's favorite operation, but after lots of consternation, I feel like it is mine. Our big three wins, which have all been nominated, all hold special places in my heart for various reasons, but Magna Aurea was such a labor of love and frustration while diving into the deep end of something I was so unfamiliar with that being able to come out on top after infinite pain and stress simply felt so amazing. I loved everyone that participated, be it in the sieges or the refound team, and I never felt closer to the community of friends who showed that they were willing to help out and be more than just players of a game, but devotees to a cause, teammates to the end, and ready to do what needs to be done. Magna Aurea restored my faith in our faction, and in our ability to win coming off of what felt like a one-off shot in South Pacific and a terrible hit in Yessssss alongside a very painful two-month-long losing streak of constant raider holds that people don't remember in the summer. It tested us in the ways needed to prove to me that we were simply the best.
Newcomer of the Year: Concrete Slab - this is a painful vote for me, because I love all the newcomer candidates dearly
I especially really wanted to vote for Aura and/or Kivu, both of whom have been such incredible helps in the update planning process, and their contributions can not and should not go unnoticed. Kivu has been probably the most reliable and consistent volunteer in liberations large and small in the back half of the year, making key contributions where needed and being great in truly unlocking the LDF in the way we needed - his training and tag-team work with Quebec was inspiring :> Aura has been just as incredible in the update planning process, being incredibly willing to work to help TGW show up where it needed to be while displaying the interest and friendliness that has just been so characteristic of his amazingly awesome character :> Both Aura and Kivu have earned my infinite respect in everything that they've been willing to do, and I hardly feel like liberating would be the same without them. Shout out to you two!!
CS has been an incredibly dear friend, a fantastic defender, and a motivated machine where he needs to be. I don't want to judge one or the other as better, and I won't, because these newcomers have risen above what I personally feel like most can do, including myself. They are the shining stars of a defender faction that has had amazing prospects, and no one represents this better than CS, who has simply been immaculately charismatic, amazing, and clutch where he needs to be. There are some people who simply bring the magic in certain parts of this game, and CS does it in the area I respect most - community culture and outreach. Like, come on. Everyone loves CS, including the million SPSFers he turns out when called upon. Incredible wins and massive turnouts? All CS. Fun updates and hype sieges? CS. Incredibly out-of-pocket one-liners that make your eyes bulge? CS. He stands out in every way needed (physical or no) and is just someone I'm so proud of, and I truly, truly hope he continues to stick around and do whatever he wants to do, because his presence is more than enough :>
Lifetime Achievement Award: Numero Capitan
Numero Capitan Award: Numero Capitan
Karputsk Award: Quebecshire - I can't liberate without Quebec. It's simply too hard. He's there to provide the energy, the motivation, and the strategy necessary not only to bring forth the LDF to light, but also the entirety of Libcord. It's hard to see, perhaps, what liberating is like without Quebec, because I think he's stepped back towards the backstage level this year, but where he is there he has done incredible things. Ask any update commander, liberations without Quebec are literally impossible because there is simply not the same level of engagement at times, and when he's around it feels like we absolutely can do things - and when he's around, things feel absolutely winnable. I also just personally felt that when liberations took a toll on me, Quebec was often there to keep me in line, and I really do appreciate that. He's been a wonderful person to work alongside.
Worst Invasion / Worst Operation of the Year: Yessssss
Meltdown of the Year: Injunct The Communist Bloc
Belgium Award: Quebecshire
Eluvatar Award: Pronoun
Blackbird Award: BoM
Mentor of the Year: Grea Kriopia
Ananke Award: Takkaviita - Takka has been a reliable force on the spotting field as far as I can remember, though Spotting in general has been lackluster. I want to see more people in the running for this in the coming year, and I think some great prospects like Drew are showing their dedication - but I first truly noticed Takka for their spotting, and I do think they deserve recognition.
Anarchotopia Award: TGW
Sir Lans Award: Vincent Drake - No other updater here, in my mind, has been as skilled or as variable as Vinny. Again, just in sheer prowess alongside incredible presence of updates (Vinny was surprisingly one of the most reliable minor updaters in the first half of the year!) made any Vinny update distinguishable - ask raiders, they'll tell you plenty about having to go up against Vinny tiebreaker puppets :^) When he's around he has great stories and/or update spirit and is probably best suited to answer any questions, and was key in teaching me to become the best updater that I could be. And really, when the updates got shitty and very quiet, he was there if he possibly could be, so I have to shout out my king!!! No updater perhaps has been as impactful.
Operation of the Year: Magna Aurea - I realized that this may not have been everyone's favorite operation, but after lots of consternation, I feel like it is mine. Our big three wins, which have all been nominated, all hold special places in my heart for various reasons, but Magna Aurea was such a labor of love and frustration while diving into the deep end of something I was so unfamiliar with that being able to come out on top after infinite pain and stress simply felt so amazing. I loved everyone that participated, be it in the sieges or the refound team, and I never felt closer to the community of friends who showed that they were willing to help out and be more than just players of a game, but devotees to a cause, teammates to the end, and ready to do what needs to be done. Magna Aurea restored my faith in our faction, and in our ability to win coming off of what felt like a one-off shot in South Pacific and a terrible hit in Yessssss alongside a very painful two-month-long losing streak of constant raider holds that people don't remember in the summer. It tested us in the ways needed to prove to me that we were simply the best.
Newcomer of the Year: Concrete Slab - this is a painful vote for me, because I love all the newcomer candidates dearly
I especially really wanted to vote for Aura and/or Kivu, both of whom have been such incredible helps in the update planning process, and their contributions can not and should not go unnoticed. Kivu has been probably the most reliable and consistent volunteer in liberations large and small in the back half of the year, making key contributions where needed and being great in truly unlocking the LDF in the way we needed - his training and tag-team work with Quebec was inspiring :> Aura has been just as incredible in the update planning process, being incredibly willing to work to help TGW show up where it needed to be while displaying the interest and friendliness that has just been so characteristic of his amazingly awesome character :> Both Aura and Kivu have earned my infinite respect in everything that they've been willing to do, and I hardly feel like liberating would be the same without them. Shout out to you two!!CS has been an incredibly dear friend, a fantastic defender, and a motivated machine where he needs to be. I don't want to judge one or the other as better, and I won't, because these newcomers have risen above what I personally feel like most can do, including myself. They are the shining stars of a defender faction that has had amazing prospects, and no one represents this better than CS, who has simply been immaculately charismatic, amazing, and clutch where he needs to be. There are some people who simply bring the magic in certain parts of this game, and CS does it in the area I respect most - community culture and outreach. Like, come on. Everyone loves CS, including the million SPSFers he turns out when called upon. Incredible wins and massive turnouts? All CS. Fun updates and hype sieges? CS. Incredibly out-of-pocket one-liners that make your eyes bulge? CS. He stands out in every way needed (physical or no) and is just someone I'm so proud of, and I truly, truly hope he continues to stick around and do whatever he wants to do, because his presence is more than enough :>
Lifetime Achievement Award: Numero Capitan
Numero Capitan Award: Numero Capitan
Karputsk Award: Quebecshire - I can't liberate without Quebec. It's simply too hard. He's there to provide the energy, the motivation, and the strategy necessary not only to bring forth the LDF to light, but also the entirety of Libcord. It's hard to see, perhaps, what liberating is like without Quebec, because I think he's stepped back towards the backstage level this year, but where he is there he has done incredible things. Ask any update commander, liberations without Quebec are literally impossible because there is simply not the same level of engagement at times, and when he's around it feels like we absolutely can do things - and when he's around, things feel absolutely winnable. I also just personally felt that when liberations took a toll on me, Quebec was often there to keep me in line, and I really do appreciate that. He's been a wonderful person to work alongside.
Worst Invasion / Worst Operation of the Year: Yessssss
Meltdown of the Year: Injunct The Communist Bloc
Belgium Award: Quebecshire
Eluvatar Award: Pronoun
Blackbird Award: BoM
Mentor of the Year: Grea Kriopia