The Syndicate

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:08 pm love you, G, and very happy you are part of our community!! @G-Man

Thanks. I can see how my post might be confused for a mopey self-scorning kind of drivel, but it’s nothing more than a public service announcement. Points 1 and 2 are objective truth. Point 3 is just a bummer of a coincidence. This might be the first Sockys I miss since joining.

With only days left to vote, I have a request: Don’t vote for me for Lifetime Achievement Award.

1) There are at least a dozen people more worthy of the honor this year than me. Honor some of them first.

2) Last year sucked for me. If I am ever going to receive the honor, I want to at least receive it after a year I am proud of. Don’t cheapen the award for my sake.

3) I can’t even attend the Socky Awards this year. I just realized over the weekend that we’ve had company scheduled for awards weekend since mid-December. If I am ever to receive the honor, I would like to be present for it.


Hopefully most of you have already voted by now and your LAA votes went to folks not named G-Man. If for some reason you did vote for me, please change your vote.

Thank you.

Before folks get too far into this and lock in their votes, I always like to advocate for some folks who deserve a look when casting your Lifetime Achievement Award votes. After a lot of thought, here are my own sort of categories for LAA consideration:

FIRST BALLOT POTENTIAL
Speedchuck- This plays into a once-running gag of 'it feels like Speedchuck has been here forever.' It feels weird that he is only now eligible for this award. He may have eased off the gas in recent years, but he was on fire the moment he stepped into his first game here. He's got excellent win rates overall, by faction, and across a spectrum of game styles. He was always a joy to play with and he hosted several excellent and creative games. He was also elevated to a few site-level roles over the years. His résumé is about as complete as it gets.

TonyStarkPrime- Another member who has excellent stats and continues to just plug away at playing games his own way. Charming, witty, funny, and several other superlatives that can be used to express how TSP is someone you don't come out of a game thinking ill of. He's also a lovely presence on the Discord chat, especially in Walrus events. It should not take long for him to join this elite group.


WHY AREN'T THEY IN YET?
Dom- Always a force to be reckoned with, plus he's got stats that just can't be denied. He seems to pop in every once in a while, so he's perhaps not as visible as he once was, but Dom has serious Old Guard equity predating The Syndicate. I believe he has held several site-level roles over the years, including MODing, which is vital to a healthy playing experience. Do overlook Dom much longer. He's more than earned his ticket.

Dragon D. Luffy- Fierce in combat, ridiculously organized and creative as a host, and elevated to site-level roles, DDL is one of those no-brainers that seems to have suffered two straight years of stiff competition. Only three people have hosted more games than DDL on The Syndicate and all three of them have received LAA status. There's so much to his credit that I don't see how this can't (finally) be his year to get recognized.

DrWilgy- Few can claim to have played as many games on The Syndicate as him (100+!). Few can claim the kind of elite stats that his record boasts. His quirky independent streak and his sense of humor make him a breath of fresh air that you didn't realize you needed until you've taken it in. It's DrWilgy's world and we're all better for living in it.

Dyslexicon- How many players can confuse you, stab you in the back, and totally fleece you in a game while also being so darn endearing? Dyslexicon is another member who ran into a brutal first year of eligibility last year. Boasting one of the highest win rates in all The Syndicate, it shouldn't take much longer for Dyslexicon to be looking fabulous accepting this award.

Jackofhearts2005- Not only does he 'never get lynched,' but he also almost never loses as a baddie. Jack had some of the highest first-ballot equity we've seen last year, but alas- 2020 was a brutal freakin' year for the LAA. He doesn't have to shut up when he can put up the way he does in games. He is a shoe-in for the LAA, and he really shouldn't have to wait another year.

Kylemii- Another player who has been around the block enough times to put up great stats across several metrics. I could have sworn that he hosted a game, but the Hall of Fame section says otherwise. That's a moot point, however, as Kylemii served as The Syndicate's 2021 representative to the Mafia Championships. Anyone who earns the trust and support of the community to serve in that role is clearly someone cut from a special cloth. This is his fourth year of eligibility- what more do you need from him?

Sprityo- Originality and humor are the hallmarks of Sprityo's tenure. Phenon, anyone? That was brilliant stuff! Also brilliant are his playing stats. How much brighter does his star have to shine in order to get some LAA recognition?


WHY NOT NOW?
Fingersplints, Marmot, and Quin all burned hot at one point, but then spent some time away. Now they're all back and just as beloved as they were before! All three of them currently hold site-level roles, which means they had enough respect and admiration from this community built up that they could be immediately trusted in these roles upon their return. Each one has a unique story that deserves to be enshrined with the LAA. Why not now for any one (or more) of these icons of the community?

Scotty- He hosted one of the most successful non-mafia games ever run on this site. He's also been seen hanging around again. Who doesn't love Scotty? Who isn't jealous of Scotty's stats?


IT'S NOT LIKELY AT THIS TIME BUT I'M STILL GOING TO STUMP FOR THEM BECAUSE I'M OLD, DAGNABBIT
Black Rock- She's been part of the creative force behind some of this community's (and its predecessors') most exciting, innovative, and unique games. She doesn't play these days, but her influence has left its mark.

Glorfindel- I really, really liked Glorfindel.

Golden- An absolute legend of old, both here at The Syndicate and in the land of long-forgotten mafia sites of yore. His playing stats are elite. He hosted Battlestar Galactica, one of the highest achievements in fusing flavor and gameplay of all time. He also served as The Syndicate's second-ever representative to the Mafia Championships. If he can't get in on all this alone, then he should automatically receive LAA status the year in which he finally returns.

Ricochet- He may not have liked me very much by the end of his time here, but I always admired his brilliant perfectionism. Ricochet was, without a doubt, a true artist when crafting a game. I'd like to think that his level of craftsmanship would get recognized at some point.


FOR THE LULZ
Ika and Silverwolf. If you recognize the names, you probably know how epic their tale was.

Oof. It may take me the full two weeks to sort out my Lifetime Achievement Award votes. The list of worthy names is long, and paring it back will be more arduous than ever before.