It Has Been An Honor To Serve Options

[ACIDSTEALTH]

My fellow citizens of The Abh Nation, I come before you today, the 2,266th day of my administration as your Commander-and-Chief, to bring you grave news. For as long as there has been a series called, "Seikai no Monshou/Senki", there has been a torch with a flame on it. Only a few great leaders have carried this Torch of Seikai. It has been passed down from one generation of fans, to the next. As the torch grows dim, one generation must surrender it to the next to keep the fire burning. 2,266 days ago, a great leader vanished, leaving the torch for anyone who dared to pick it up. On that day, I picked up the torch, and The Abh Nation was born. With your help I grew the tiny flame into a roaring fire. The Abh Nation reached an unprecedented level of prosperity. The light became blinding.

I am afraid however, that that blinding light has long since faded into the burning embers of a once glorious nation. As your Commander-and-Chief, I have held this great Torch of Seikai through its greatest hours, and it's darkest hours. However I have failed to keep the fire burning. I stopped fueling the fire. I stopped adding new content to the nation. I became content to watch the nation grow, rather than help it grow. The nation stopped growing, and now so much work has been undone. The fire is as dim now as it was when I first picked up this Torch of Seikai.

As I ponder the future of The Abh Nation, I've realized that my focus has shifted to the preservation of The Abh Nation, not the success of the Seikai fan community. I built the greatest Abh nation the world has ever seen. The Abh Nation has dominated the Seikai world for ages, like a new Roman Empire. However just as the Roman Empire collapsed, so too shall The Abh Nation. On that day, the Torch of Seikai shall hit the ground with a thud. There it shall lie until another great leader rises to the occasion. I know not who this leader will be, but just as the previous bearer of the torch let go, neither did she know who the new leader would be.

I come before you today, the 2,266th day of my administration as your Commander-and-Chief of the most glorious Abh Nation in the history of the world, to bring you news. Effective 1200 hours (GMT-6), April 20th, 2009, on the 2,301st day of my administration, I shall resign my position as your Commander-and-Chief. In doing so, I shall willingly do what I should have done a long time ago. I will drop the Torch of Seikai so that a new leader can bring the Seikai community into a new era of greatness.

I had deeply hoped to hand pick an individual to lead The Abh Nation into a new era of greatness. I have searched high and low for someone with the qualities I feel are needed to hold such a powerful position. Regrettably, after nearly two and a half years, I have failed to find that person. The Abh Nation will now be without a leader. The empire shall collapse, as all great empires inevitably do. On that day, as I resign my command of the nation, the doors will close. I cannot know what future awaits the Seikai fans that have called this nation home for so long. I offer my deepest sympathies in advance, to all those of whom will be sorrowed by my decision to resign. However I predict a brighter future for Seikai without The Abh Nation. Already, for the first time in many years, I have seen members working to revitalize the community. I have high hopes that from this group of dedicated fans will arise a new leader. This leader will build a new nation of the Abh. This new Abh nation will become ten times greater than The Abh Nation ever was. Eventually however, like the first Abh nation, this new Abh nation will falter, and collapse. It's leader will surrender the torch to yet another generation of fans, who will build an Abh nation ten times greater than the second, and one hundred times greater than the first. After all, together we built an Abh nation ten times greater than anything that came before us.

I cannot know what future awaits you all. I have been privileged to call many of you my friends. It is my hope that this decision will not bring ill will upon me. Two years ago I tried to close the doors if a certain level of activity was not reached. Though the forums never reached that goal, I held out hope and rescinded my decision. Since then, the amount of activity on the site has continued to plummet to fewer than 10 posts per day. The flame of the torch has almost died out now, and I must do what I should have done two years ago. This time my decision is final. The Abh Nation's Forum will close its doors forever. Approximately one week prior to my resignation, I will prepare the nation for a long rest. The main site will remain open to traffic. The, "Contact Me" page will be disabled. The main site will continue to operate under The Abh Nation's National Archives. When users access the site, they will be directed from a splash screen to the archives, where they can then navigate to the main site. The Abh Nation will live on, only as a reference for the new leaders of the Seikai community. And to those leaders I say, "rise now, for the honor of leading the Seikai community has now passed from me to you".

I will begin making the necessary preparations one week prior to my resignation. The forums shall remain open through the last day so that members can make last minute farewells and gather any data stored in their accounts. On my last day serving as your Commander-and-Chief, I shall address the nation again. It will be my last address to the nation, and shall be of a more personal nature.

I hope that in the years to come, a new generation of fans will look to The Abh Nation as the gold standard, and aspire to surpass that standard. The immediate future may seem bleak and difficult, but I have the utmost confidence in your abilities to lead the new generation of fans to greatness. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with you all.

Daïsaire Murainragh F'a Abh!

Signed,
ACIDSTEALTH, Commander-and-Chief of The Abh Nation

Dated,
March 16th, 2009.

[Kazuki]

Its a rather depressing time to see the site closing but i did enjoy my time here helping mod the forums and chat in the irc with you guys then had problems of my own of which im still trying to get over and had killed my website because of it

But i would hope that i can find another resource to get news and info on the series weather its new or just new to me as i just finished reading the english set of novels and really enjoyed them far more than the anime cause there was a lot left out or shorted and i would hope i can read the others IF they are ever released

I would hope when the time comes to close or when another community opens up we could get news of it as was just luck i stumbled on to this site about 4 years ago looking for more info of which i found the OLD site when had links to the new site on it which im grateful for (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

While its sad to see the site go if no one is going to bother posting on the forums it only seem natural to make it into an archive site for people to look at so that new comers to the series might have a great site to find info and what not on and not have it scattered around the net on different sites which only have small sections towards the series

[stonechitlin]

hm it is indeed a sad day, I definitely miss some of the great topics we have had on these forums. Unfortunately Seikai itself seems to have died down as well, a sign of which was the Banner of the Stars 3 OVA, and lack of any new translated novels from Tokyopop. I may never have said this, but just incase..

Thank You Acidstealth, you truly put in your time and effort into this website, be proud of your accomplishments. I have still to yet to see a more complete fansite than this to this day dedicated to any other japanese media.

[gothlauth]

I'm so sorry Acid, I love very much this site that you're created and developped, I don't think that I will see a site as complete on that serie that I love. You was a very good leader and I'm sorry do not have you helped to maintain more the site.
I hope that a site will retake the torch of abhnation and there will have new releases for the series.

Thanks for all; ACID and ABHNATION

[JGZinv]

Well, as leader of the DualFans... or what remains as not much more than a memory...
I salute you Abh Nation.

We began this journey together, at about the same time, with similar interests and ideals.
It is truely a shame that things must go this way.

At many times over the years, I have looked to the Nation as my inspiration as to how a forum should operate, how it should look, and so forth... as a shining example of hope as other sites have closed down around us.

The series of Crest and Banner of the Stars shall always hold a piece of my heart.
I only regret that I've not gotten to see the latest series/movie or read the manga.

I will say this much in encouragement to those that shall depart these hallowed halls, as someone that also carried the spirit flame of fandom. Each one of you still carries the light, even long after sites, forums, authors and more crumbles. You are the lifeblood of a series and a community.

While this may be a depressing time, understand there are other people, other series, and more life experiences to be had afterward. This is not just an end, but a beginning. You can still share what you know with other fans in the future, even if they may only be your children... the next generation of little Abhs. Each member of the Nation is as a tome, or a living chronicle of the events and knowledge that took place here. That which
made it great shall live on in spirit and in legend.

Fill the hole with those you love and go forth and seek out new goals to attain.
Personally, I have found faith in Christ to be a worthwhile endeavor of study and would encourage others to seek it out.

If anyone is interested, I can setup a free forum just for the sake of a meeting place or
perhaps for the people working on the game mod to have a home nexus. You can
email me at JGZinv@Gmail.com if you wish. If you want to keep in contact with those here, I'd suggest making a thread on how to contact one another or exchanging info now.

To my Abh brothers and sisters, a final salute:

(IMG:http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/GuardianZinv/Non%20Dual%201/abhsalute.jpg)

The ball is in your court... what will you choose to do with it?

[RecurringNightmare]

As you said, the collapse was inevitable, but it was damn fun gettin there.

Thanks for all you've done for the community Acid, and I wish you success in your future endeavors.

-Luke

[LilPinkWalnut]

In honor of the the honorable commander's honorable retirement from his honorable service, the Sock Ninja shall retire her socks and become...

...

...something else.

Thanks, Acid, for a really fun if sporadic oh-so-many years!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/Killer_loli_con.gif)

[Drakconus]

Ah man, I just found this place three weeks ago and now its shutting down (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Oh Well, I really enjoyed the Abh Nation. This has got to be the most complete fansite for any media (anime or not) that I have ever seen (it's better than most official sites). Nearly every question that I had about the anime, novels, or manga was answered by this site and if you didn't know you had a link for someone who did.

THANK YOU!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Almael]

I have hoped to see older friends and members of the past again, but it shall not be. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif)
It is really sad for the Nation to close.

Here, I have found a better community than at most places, for which it did felt homely.
Thank you, Acid, for holding the Nation together this long.
Thank you, everyone, for all the good and bad times together. It was really fun and nice all these years. I really wished it could go on.
I hope I will meet you all again somewhere or even in a new Nation.

Until then, of course, I will post my last posts here and hope for a new Nation.
I also hope for all who are working together with me on the various projects to keep in touch and maybe establish a group somewhere if not in a new Nation.
Or if necessary to bring the project to a close (Alex T.)

Even if the Nation doesn't exist any longer, remember you are an Abh. We fight until the end.

So, this is Goodbye, my friends. Live long and prosper.
Bring honor to the Empire wherever you go. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Solarchos]

Bar Abh Lepenu.

It was certainly a lot of fun while it lasted, and I'm certainly glad that I was a part of it all. Even if it was a very minor part. Still, at least I have a few very memorable things to take with me when "The End" comes. I've had some nice, in-depth, enjoyable conversations with most of the people here (AcidStealth and Alex T in particular), lots of useful information, and I did my part in the infamous "Twisted Skirmish" and helped tell that bunghole off.

Overall, I sincerely enjoyed this place.

[ACIDSTEALTH]

Don't just hope for a new nation, build one! I hope to see you complete the novel translation project. Let it be something to reunite the fans into a stronger community with a fresh start.

[Almael]

It's not like I don't want to. I have been leader quite a few times, so I had my share. I also don't think I can bring up enough time for a big community.

Maybe instead of one leader we should have a council of at least five (odd number). Mods are part of it and some non-mod Mod watchers. The watchers rule over the Mods. The Mods rule over the Nation. The community rules over the watchers.

[Solarchos]

Definitely make certain that the mods (singular and plural) never become so alienated, arrogant, and conceited that they start believing themselves to be above the rules. Whether they call themselves mods, admins, or ops, no one should ever be permitted to forget this universal concept.

Set the example for or be made an example of.

[ryuou]

After Acid gave out that ominous message, I just figured it was something like this coming. A sad day indeed. Like many of us have mentioned time and time again, this was a really fun place to visit. A true home for fans of this series. It's a real shame to have to part ways.

Acid, you've done well. Rest easy as you venture onto your new endeavors knowing that what you created was truly great.

Although the Nation will come to an end, remnants of the once great AbhNation shall remain. The translations will continue over at Baka-Tsuki. We members can keep in touch via other methods: jumping to other forums, or possibly joining a new Nation that rises in the future.

Truly fitting.

To my Abh brothers and sisters, a final salute:

(IMG:http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/GuardianZinv/Non%20Dual%201/abhsalute.jpg)

[JGZinv]

For those getting to this thread and like to skip posts, there is some talk of putting up a placeholder forum (or something anyway) in this thread:

http://www.abhnation.com/ipbmb/index.php?showtopic=4790

Please weigh in your opinions there if you'd like to transfer over, pick a new forum type, or stay in touch.. etc...

[ACIDSTEALTH]

@ Almael: The first time I tried to open a Seikai forum, it was a spectacular failure. Only a handful of people registered and I eventually dumped the project. The second time was equally abysmal. But I did not give up. I tried one more time, and look what happened.

I can't ask you to lead the community anymore than I can ask ryouo to do so. However you are in exactly the same position I was in 6 years ago, and now is your opportunity. Maybe more than one site will pop up. Thats how NationSafugnoff started. I was in a competition with two of my friends, Lemharth and Boerh Sertner.

At any rate, as I mentioned before, I gave much careful consideration to the idea of having a senate or council run The Abh Nation. However I eliminated that as an option because as much as I have faith in the abilities of the staff to enforce the laws and cooperate, I do not believe that they will all cooperate forever. Of course you are free to design any kind of government you wish. My preference was democracy, and the system worked extremely well. We have never had issues with harassment, god modding, or flame wars. That is not to say the system is perfect though. There is a lot of red tape. In the end, whether you decide to lead or not is entirely up to you. I would be hypocritical to look down on you for declining such an opportunity. After all, I am resigning a position of great influence myself.

But on the subject of the council idea, there was also a more personal factor. After investing so much time and energy into The Abh Nation, I couldn't bear to see another leader or council alter the nation. It would be like asking the captain of a ship to surrender the helm to a steering committee. I could not stand to see someone change what I worked so hard to create. Of course I certainly hope others will make even better masterpieces than mine.

I've already seen potential leadership qualities in many of you. JGZinv, Almael, ryuou, Alex T, and others.

Also, I would be happy to write the forward for the novel translation. I have not had a chance to read them yet, but I will. Just tell me what you would like me to say, how long (about) you would like it, and I will try to write something memorable.

Thank you for all your compliments everyone. I know I've not always been the best leader, but I hope I've done more good than foul.

[JGZinv]

My only complaint with the situation Acid, is that by essentially locking down the system, it also reverses the course of time to what you had with the original Nation.

I may have misunderstood, but my sense of the situation is that you plan on keeping the site open, but only as an archive, and the forum would then be closed/locked.
So far I don't believe I've seen a statement saying the "forum" will remain open for viewing, just not registrations or posts. So I have to assume that the forum would disappear.

If it is to remain open for viewing only, that'd be fine. If not, then we're not only wiping out a significant history, but a great deal of information that is ridiculous to try and archive because it's often 2-3 very useful posts buried in 30 pages of less useful comments.

That is the one thing I sincerely disagree with, as it is tantamount to having a hacker crash your forum and wipe you clean. I know how it feels, as it happened with Dualfans and coupled with the fact very few could find the new forum... killed us right then.

Ultimately Acid yes you've done the best you could. I can't say this is really much of stretch from what I had in mind for my farewell to Dualfans, however I don't have the knowledge of web editing to follow through with it, sadly. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Our old admin Kazuki tried the same thing actually, but never could finish it.

But as I said previously, the fandom thrives in the fans themselves. I've seen where a bulletin board was more active with rabid fans than a fancy forum system. It's the people that make a community.... not a site, or feature, and not a single person. People may scatter to the four winds, but you can't change who they are or what they've learned.

[Katz]

Perhaps it is because of members like me that just stopped posting one day... I received your E-mail Acid and it nearly made me cry.
I always thought that even though I left - you all would carry on and remain the same but nothing ever does in life.

I'm filled with sorrow in a way I never thought a site or community online could make me. I may not have been around but this was still a wonderful place I cherished with all my heart.

I'm sorry you feel the light at the end of the tunnel is dimmed and wavering but night must come so the day may be seen again. It was intriguing signing back on this site and seeing some of your nicks again... as if I was looking at familiar faces of old friends instead of letters and words. I'm sorry I never realized how much I missed you all but...well my life has become complicated as of late...but I rose to the task as best as one could I think - So I really can't regret my absence.

I can only hope that the end of this place brings a even more beautiful beginning somewhere.... and I think this site has touched all the lives of those who made up its walls, so that in some way those seeds where sown and will grow again.

Farewell my old friends - May the paths of life grant us meetings again.

~Katz

[lymhfeubdach]

I understand you feels on this matter and proud be proud of it.

[JustDJR]

Thanks for all your hard work. I enjoyed talking with you guys on the fourms although I was certainly not active enough to expand the community and wish i had more time to maybe help out.

Have a good one everybody, if you want to keep in touch with me theres always My Anime List and i'll probaly migrate my couple posts a month to AnimeSuki like many others.