We are a fleet that has many connections. Caspian-Division, in early April of 2013 suffered a loss that was unprecedented on many levels by how it happened and why the individual did it. It shook the foundation of our combined fleets of Caspian-Division, where in just a few short minutes; the hard work of individuals stretching fourteen months was wiped out. An individual upset that he had been removed from leadership was able to take over another members account and he severed the connections of many; but not the hearts that made those connections thrive. As much as I was a victim like so many, a concern I had was still being able to communicate with the fleet. The villain, who could not access the website which Caspian-Division uses to communicate outside the game failed at destroying Caspian-Division. Having the website for us also means we don’t worry about Fleet Email limitations from Cryptic. After losing the Fleets, both the Federation and Klingon we turned to the Website and using it along with Twitter and Facebook began rebuilding. Having connections severed on one side, does not necessarily mean we would have not had other connections waiting in the wings. Caspian-Division had made many friends in Star Trek Online and also made up of many members known to the community; through writing for on-line gaming website such as Massively by Terry Shull for example it did not take long for the word to spread that disaster had struck. Connections were being remade and offers of support began to pour in within hours. Meanwhile the painful lessons learned were taken to heart and with solid agreement among those present on Ventrilo, which is yet another valuable tool; three new fleet leaders were duly selected and organizing began. Caspian-Division had a back-up fleet bank (which was used for additional storage) and that was reborn and renamed to the present day Caspian Rising. The Klingon Fleet which had shared the back-up bank had to be rebuilding from scratch. Thankfully a member donated a place holder KDF fleet which was eventually named Caspian Honour Guard. It is perhaps what makes the community here on Star Trek Online so great, which with so many connections established we can grow to develop greater friendships and share what we learned from our disaster. There was much finger pointing, the arm chair quarterbacks chiming in on how they ran their fleets and how they placed restrictions on certain things became the norm in forums and that we should follow their lead. I still encounter the notion that one should restrict purchasing and or donations to the fleet banks but I found that can be disheartening to those contributing and participating in the fleets; and as some other fleets who are driven by the fear of losing their own work have closed off access to even the most basic supplies this can wreck connections so many have cherished to work toward developing. Communicating with Fleet Members is important, transparency on what is being done and where the fleet stands at any given moment is what we have learned to keep our connections well established and vibrant. We establish a connection at each point of our interaction and how one is perceived can affect how one is viewed; whether in the real world or the virtual in which we play. Management of the Fleet is no easy task and when you have two types of fleets it is never something that should be taken lightly. In real life I am a Supervisor of a group of men and women who if the need arises and have questions about something on the job; I have to take that time to help them and the same goes for the connections I have along with the many others that I have contact with. We work together to resolve issues, not hinder. It is how we like to do things in Caspian-Division. While there have been road bumps, some really deep potholes along the way; Caspian Rising and Caspian Honour Guard have risen to the challenges of rebuilding with the help of so many that it would be hard to name all who have contributed in making our connections stronger better and brighter. Caspian Rising is Tier 3, with the various Tier 3 projects nearing completion we look forward to rising to Tier 4. Our smaller KDF fleet, Caspian Honour Guard is amazingly nearing Tier 3 and with membership growing in part from the Legacy of Romulus release which has many creating playable Romulan and Reman characters we garner those players too. What does our future hold as Caspian-Division? We promote growth, extending a hand to those wanting to join in our endeavors. Lessons were learned but we took heart and did not look back at what could have been. Where do we go now? The special projects which added “fluff” to the Star Bases and Embassies of both Fleets were completed by the second week of June 2013. We have a new “Holding” that will soon take flight, that will enable us to develop our resources at a faster level and of course give those of us with idle fingers something else to do and of course learn from. One thing I want to stress is that everyone has their own way of running a Fleet. Caspian-Division having seen its share of drama I believe has risen above being a dictator fleet to one that is open and willing to share and help each other where and when possible. We have individuals who have stepped up and have been willing to help where and when the time has come; and they are our most valuable connections. We look forward to continuing communicating and growing with Star Trek Online and Cryptic as well to become better stewards of the legacy that has become our community. Thank you. Ballermaris.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:47:49 +0000
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