TheDirtySwine's final thoughts on THD, the community, and KAG

THD community,

I found KAG many years ago. I distinctly remember searching: "game like terraria and minecraft" into Google when I came across a YouTube video showing off KAG. I was amazed at first glance. I saw knights, archers, builders, castles, collapses, and giblets galore! I knew that KAG had the potential to be the next big thing. I think we've all had that thought cross our minds at one point or another...

Back then the game was free. We had the option to buy premium for more heads and special servers if I recall correctly. There was even the promise of a few other features that have mysteriously faded away into the background. Those extra features didn't matter to my 12 year old self. I didn't need anything more than to have fun, and I was having plenty of it!

The first day I got premium I remember logging on to the official MOLE server. Back then MOLE was the greatest group of players in the game. Everyone in MOLE was incredibly helpful, friendly, and outgoing. I wanted to be apart of that. Every time a player with the MOLE tag logged on, I'd greet them with their name and a few exclamation points: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEFFFFFFF" I'd exclaim! And they would say "Hey Dirty!" right back. Soon I was introduced to thebonesauce and looked up to him like the older brother I never had. He took care of me, and vouched for me when MOLE was recruiting. I have shared so many fond memories of playing with such an amazing group of people. In a way, they were like family to me.

These experiences did not last forever. The update came, and turned KAG into what it is today. The core of what KAG is stayed, but things got a bit more complicated. It turned many classic players away. The game just wasn't the same. It turned from a carefree game, into something where you had to try much harder to have fun. Knights didn't need builders anymore. There were no tickets. A tower that took ten minutes to set up, could be destroyed in seconds. Where did the simplicity go? Where did the fun go?

Suddenly, there was a shift in how the community would interact with each other. It was no longer, "You must be new, let me help you." It was now, "What the fuck are you doing? Don't you know you're not supposed to build like that?!" Everything became much more serious. Everyone wanted to be the best, and try that much harder.

With many of classic's largest clans gone, Kedram decided to start up a clan called Zen. It was limited for only the best players in the game. It fed that notion of the tryhard attitude that continues to exist in the community to this day.

Not much later, Sangfroid had entered the community. He fell in love with this game, and wanted to rise among the best players. At his prime, he would devour the entire enemy team with a few slashes of his sword. He was the Michael Jordan of KAG. It was truly an amazing sight to see.

Many kills later, Sangfroid released "Tender is the Knight," a montage video of his legendary lone wolf killing sprees. Geti featured his video in the news section, for the whole community to see. Everyone wanted to be just like Sangfroid.

Everyone fought to have Sangfroid in their clan, thinking that they would be recognized as the best clan because of him. Sang decided to start a clan of his own called frisson. Not long after, people began wondering which clan was better: Zen or frisson?

The community continued down the same path long past the end of Zen and frisson. Who is the best knight? Who is the best clan? Everyone so caught up in egotistical matters. Even I, thought I was not going to be remembered without a head of my own! What happened to the carefree community that is now in the distant past?

Mumble channels were made. Discord channels were made. Circlejerks began to form. Only the cool kids were allowed to be apart of the channels. If someone didn't like you, everyone didn't like you. No wonder this game couldn't keep new players around!

The problem with KAG extends much farther than its internal issues like bugs and the steep learning curve. It's the toxic cesspool of garbage that this community has become which has doomed the KAG's success. Too many people thinking that they matter more than anyone else just because they've been in the community longer.

It's certain players that contribute nothing but negativity to this community. Bitching and complaining "I don't like you so I'm going to throw a temper tantrum until they finally take away your admin status." It's players that purposely won't play Apex so they have no chance at being in the tournament finals. It's players that constantly bitch and complain at the release of every update. Have we all forgotten that it's just a game?

I decided to write this post because I want people to be aware. THD created a game that will be in my memories long past my teenage years. I desperately wanted to see the success of KAG. Now that, that time has passed; I don't want to see us make the same mistake again. I love each and every one of you for all the amazing experiences we've shared. In the future, please be mindful of what you bring to the community and how it affects others.

Sincerely,

TheDirtySwine

 

noone remembers your head, but you're widely remembered as the worst admin ever (except maybe blue_tiger). just saying

 

I have a huge feeling that this thread will be closed soon after turning into a flamewar playground.


Let's try to make it as late as possible and let's all make memes about TheDirtySwine first

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 11, 2016, Original Post Date: Aug 11, 2016 ---

First meme

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 11, 2016 ---

Second meme and probably my last one - I'll let the rest of kag community do some too

 

Wasn't this the exact purpose of Apex? MLK 2 might not have ever ended if you guys had maintained a total monopoly on the very best players in the game. I wasn't around for the first MLK but from what I gathered from that tournament, at least there were multiple clans that had competitive teams so there was a little bit of variety. But when MLK2 came around many players that played MLK had left the game already and the competitive scene was near death. Don't point at clans like Zen or frisson for creating a climate that you helped expand by creating a clan that had the only purpose of having a complete and total monopoly on the very best players in the game and whose only purpose was to destroy other clans that had less experience or had lost a lot of their own players (Zen?)

From the SURGE vs Apex thread

I distinctly remember asking your clan several times to have a clan war during MLK freeplay and you guys said no. Maybe that was because we had put together a squad that actually had a fighting chance against you guys unlike the first time when you destroyed us without mercy, having no consideration for the people in my clan playing in their first clan war? I'll admit there are definitely a lot of flaws to this game, but many of the points you just brought up in your post you helped contribute to. And I'm not going to lie, there is definitely a lot of toxicity in the community. But I think you should evaluate how you contributed to that toxicity yourself.

 

I remember something about getting a tiger if you got premium, where the fuck did that go... or have I contracted dementia

 

Bacon was in classic lmao.

 

wasn't mole in classic too?

I don't remember 2011-2013 (May) times very well. I only remember that I got banned for speedhacking and that I loved playing on RTDM. Don't really remember anyone except Snareslash and Dark-Ham. Also I remember the Action [!] clan, it was in my opinion the best clan, even better than MOLE.

 

Yes.

 

You probably are thinking of this:

One of the earlier versions included a tiger and a starving lamb instead of a bison and a chicken, around classic times. I think it can still be found here: https://kag2d.com/_kag/assets/kag2d-artbook.pdf (currently down, wait for kag2d.com to be back up)

 

Do you mean the lions?

 

iirc there was another version too, earlier than the version with the lion/lamb
It had a tiger in it I think.

Lion version here:

Spoiler

 

Locked. There's a thread for these kinda things in beginners box.