User:LaZy Nation Article

= ''' What is LaZy Nation? It is a good idea gone wrong. ''' =

Author: Truthhurts 07:16, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

First and foremost this is not a Imperium bashing message, it is a message to bring about change hopefully to this once great alliance.

The high leadership is over-extended and focuses on shear expansion and projects to flaunt about, and make them seem like they are the best there is. Once this might have been the absolute truth I believe. Due to the leadership's headstrong attitude though, they have created many enemies in the Guild Wars community. It saddens me that something that once held the belief that they were a "mature family and community orientated guild" that has become something that is a sad joke to many that once held this guild dear in our hearts. The LaZy Nation started with rules that that the leadership had thoroughly thought over. These rules were intended to maintain an environment meant for families and mature players to have a great time harassment, violence, and foul language free. The guild had many families join that decided that it was a great place to play the game. The officers and leadership upheld these rules to the utmost of their potential, and due to this they attracted a crowd of players that were wholly dedicated to the betterment of this alliance. The leadership was very good at spotting talent within LaZy, and willing to give people chances to lead and help out to show how much they truly loved the alliance. These leaders were proud yet humble individuals happy to be able to have their chance at being part of such an upcoming guild. The leaders were energetic, helpful, and were selfless in nearly all their actions. They gave without expectation of anything more than the communities happiness. Over time though things changed after several attacks by various leaders or members that were discontent with the community. Changes were made and stricter rules put in place to prevent the damage that they had done from ever occurring again. Many of these rules were for the most part ok and everyone kept on gaming and enjoying the community. The rules were being enforced and things were great. Now the community was flourishing and even made GOTW, that's when they started getting a big head. They could have humbly accepted this award and kept on rolling, but they got cocky and started thinking of expanding. Well the first idea gone wrong happened. The possibility of a kurzick alliance. Now kurzick and luxon are the same to me neither matter, but the community due to guild wars communication capabilities would literally be split. We could not function truly as "One Dream, One Nation, One Vision" and therefore brought forth something that many did not want. Against the advice of many other leaders in the alliance the High leadership went ahead on many attempts to expand to a kurzick side at the members expense though the gold was willingly donated in hopes that it would be the last attempt each time. It eventually succeeded and the kurzick side was exactly what many had feared a place to get away from the leaderships rules and have fun free from a watchful eye. The leaders that were put in charge were lax with the rules and therefore drew in a crowd that had already been seeping into the luxon side, but this crowd was of a higher concentration and out of hand. By the time the kurzick side had succeeded the many families, and truly mature players had mostly left or gone inactive from the community.

Rule enforcement died over time, and peaked in failure with the successful creation of the kurzick side. The only times the rules were enforced was when it conveniently suited the leadership. Which except for a few select individuals, that I believe are no longer with the Imperium, the rules were never and still to my knowledge are not being enforced. The belief that moving towards a more mature guild involves dropping the rules and sweeping them under the rug or "being a bit more lenient" will make us a more "Mature guild" is a belief that someone in the High leadership I believe needs to change. I won't state his name for he knows who he is. The enforcement of these rules was what made the community a Mature guild. No matter the age, claiming to be of a mature mind set involves thinking about what your saying. It involves arguing in a civil manner when disputes rise. Maturity can be defined in many different ways, but to me the movement towards being more "lenient" with the rules is what ruined the alliance as a whole. I believe that the loosening of the rules came with the hardening of recruitment efforts the numbers coming in were less than those going out. My belief was that they were seeing that which I could not when I was in The Imperium. They saw that LaZy's soul was dieing and that The Imperium was a bottomless container the High leadership was trying to replace it with. A container that they tossed in LaZy Kurzick, LaZy Luxon, CREW Luxon, CREW Kurzick, and whatever expansion projects they have thought of since to try and fill that container to regain the soul that once inhabited the Great LaZy Nation.

If the kurzick side wasn't bad enough the High Leadership brought forth the nightmare that is the further over extension of resources that is CREW. CREW was an alliance that many thought and believe came about due to the temporary truce with KISS (the competitor of LaZy). The names were of similar naming etc. To get to the point the leadership all around was stretched thin due to the expansion of the kurzick side and lack of people wanting to give of themselves and lead but instead wanted to leech the resources that the community had to offer. The expansion to CREW was the biggest mistake of all in that it involved letting any and ALL players into an alliance and allow the use of the Imperium's resources and further lessening the rules. This only further proved to many that the Imperium was desperate for members, and numbers truly mattered more than quality a message that was falsely advertised by The High Leadership. LaZy and the Imperium's rivalry only turned into a big cock fight and turned what was once great into a "who can expand the fastest" or who can do the most stuff to get their name out there contest. It was and is a pathetic thing to have and be doing, and for moving that direction I am truly saddened and wish my disgust be felt by the High Leadership. Grow UP and be the mature guild you claim to be. Its not about who's SEEN to be the best its about who truly at heart is the best. At one time LaZy was THE BEST, what it has become is something to be vomited upon when looked at.

There were many things that were and probably still are great about The Imperium, but it is not the guild that it once was. The change of names from The LaZy Nation to The Imperium only solidified the statement.

One thing that stood out in many people's minds was the loss of overall interest by the creator of The LaZy Nation, with time it was becoming more and more apparent that a loss of interest was taking place by the leadership and High Leadership. With that loss of interest came the loss of overall leadership all together as they played other games more often and would lock themselves in their own rooms in vent to avoid others for various reasons. Loosing a friend is hard, I know, and it is understandable to want some alone time. This is a reasonable excuse by all means. Others did not have any excuse what-so-ever and for that I am displeased. The loss of leadership left The Imperium in the hands of many leaders that were and are still are incapable of properly leading and enforcing the rules and policies set forth by the High Leadership and the community altogether.

Again only to reinforce my earlier statement, this message was written to bring about change. It is only meant as constructive criticism and is not intended to bash The Imperium though my statements might hit home some.

If the expansion of the kurzick side of LaZy, and the formation of CREW weren't enough I was displeased to see that the Imperium was further strutting, and expanding their resources to include other games outside of guild wars. As if the million channels in vent weren't enough the High Leadership added in a few more to accommodate other games. All I have to say is that it wasn't a smart move further expanding your already failing system.

In closing I wish to say I am thankful to have experienced the old LaZy and am sad that things have turned out the way they have. As many others have tried to say but have had their voices fall upon deaf ears, focus on maintaining instead of expanding (you know who I am talking to) its not going to get better if you only further complicate and try to expand a system that is already and has been failing for a long time. I could go on forever and in more detail, but hopefully this page is all it takes. I wish the Imperium the best of luck in the future and hope that it corrects the flaws it has and the mistakes it has made as soon as possible before it is too late.

=  Guild of the Week  = Clandestiny of Solitude [LaZy]

Guild Information

 * The history of LaZy began with Araliuns creating the parent LaZy guild in July, 2006. From there, additional guilds were started in the months that followed. Today eight guilds form the LaZy alliance. These guilds share a common vision which they call "One Vision."

LaZy guild is special in the Guild Wars world, unique in its structure, vision, and values. The name "LaZy" was originally intended to be a whimsical convention for naming a guild; LaZy's guild names were parodies for laziness. The parent guild's original name "Insert Witty Guild Name Here," and other names that followed for the creation of additional guilds, reflected this initial approach. While players thought the names funny, they quickly identified a need to present a more serious and determined image to other guilds. "Insert Witty Name Here" was renamed "Clandestiny of Solitude" in January, 2007—as voted on by members. All 100 members of the original guild seamlessly transferred to form the new guild in a matter of 24 hours.

The LaZy alliance is a proud and strong group filled with eight guilds and 400+ friends and family members who enjoy and take pride in being together. As you might expect from such a large community, LaZy holds regular monthly events. The largest draw for the monthly guild event is the Great LaZy Nation Giveaway. The giveaway is an opportunity for all members to win donated prizes by using the game's /roll command. Throughout the month, members try to outdo each other by donating gold, weapons, mods, and mini-pets to the guild bank. At the time of the Giveaway, members roll in hopes of achieving the highest number for each package of items given away. Packages are random and include any combination of items and gold.

Another large guild event is the Great LaZy Nation SMACKDOWN. All members are encouraged to participate in testing their skills in a 1v1 competition for each profession. The winner from each profession is awarded the title "Defender of LaZy Nation." They continue the contest by pitting the winners of each profession against one another. Ultimately one member walks away as "Supreme Defender of LaZy Nation." All winners have their names posted on the website until the following month's competition.

LaZy has a diverse membership representing 13 countries from around the world. Members hail from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. They have father/son teams, mother/daughter teams, sisters, and even life partners—all enjoying the benefits of being together in one large "mega guild." Through playing the game, members have learned about each other's cultures and come to realize the world is not such a large place after all.

To manage the diverse and widespread collection of individuals, members rely on One Vision. The model is achieved by the leader, Araliuns, maintaining multiple game accounts to lead different guilds in the LaZy alliance. Each account contains one of the guilds within the LaZy alliance. The result allows all of the guilds to operate as one large guild. Members of the LaZy enjoy an expansive and cooperative environment, enabling them to interact with more players of similar interests and needs, and with more resources and talent than typically found in a single guild. United through One Vision, members collectively call the alliance "LaZy Nation."


 * Requirements to become a member of the LaZy Nation include:

A mature attitude, a dedicated interest in having fun in the game(s) with other like-minded individuals, and a willingness to participate in a community of players who range in age from 14 to 52. For members who are 16 or older, an enjoyment of conversing through Internet chat software (such as Ventrilo) is encouraged. Sharing a belief in balanced guilds representing people from different countries, cultures/backgrounds, ages, and experiences. A desire to promote diversity and a belief that the best forms of synergy and energy are achieved by having all of these elements represented in members.

PvE Game Discussion

 * The LaZy approach to PvE is based upon member needs. They have found, for most players, there is a natural progression to playing the game. Typically it begins with following the logical progression of quests and missions in a campaign followed by earning titles. Along the way, members need to make enough gold to afford the things they want. They focus on helping members in each of these phases in PvE.

Planning is a key to success for players. Quite often LaZy members hear "can someone power level me?" or "can someone help me finish this quest?". Some players are comfortable taking matters into their own hands and others face a learning curve. Those on a learning curve require the assistance of "guildies." Part of that assistance comes from teaching members where to find information and knowledge on the Internet. LaZy would much rather help other players become self-sufficient—and then provide the additional resources and expertise needed to get a task done. This empowers members to become better players in the game and to overcome the learning curve that some players have.

Member Information
Meet some LaZy guildies.


 * Handle: Show Me the Health

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Preferred character: I just love the versatility of my Monk. As I played my way through Prophecies, I became very proficient as a healer and really enjoyed the supportive role in a team. I enjoyed my Monking experiences so much that I decided to see what else it could do. A lot of people were talking about this invinciMonk thing that I knew nothing about. Although I was broke, I made a goal to set one up for myself. After several failed attempts at 55-ing, I finally got the hang of it and BAM I was hooked. Knowing I could take on large mobs of critters all by my lonesome was just the coolest thing in the world. That one moment was a turning point because I realized that if a healer could kill solo, I could only imagine what the other professions could do. I still rely on several variations of the 55 Monk, and have recently developed a 55 Necromancer, solo with my Warrior, and now have a level 20 Elementalist who is learning the ropes. Why I Joined: I was part of a close group of friends who formed a small guild. I stuck it out as long as I could, but the lack of activity finally got to me. I talked to a couple friends who had already joined LaZy and asked them if they could fit me in to the guild. It was hard to believe there were close to 300 members. I figured it was a no-brainer and decided to give it a shot. When I first joined, my expectations were pretty low. I thought that with a large group like this,the bonds can't be that close except for a select few at the top. I sat in Vent and just listened to people for a while (which I still do a lot). Slowly but surely I realized that this truly is a tight-knit group and the ties go guild-wide. The bottom line is that LaZy has blown away all of my expectations about what a guild should be. And the most exciting part is that I'm now part of forming the future of LaZy Nation.


 * Handle: Beldin Darcmont

Location: British Columbia, Canada Preferred Character: I really enjoy playing the Elementalist class; Nuker is my most comfortable build. In general, I prefer casters because a caster has a better overall view of a battle and can keep an eye on the "big picture" and focus on team tactics. Why I Joined: I and a tight group of friends were looking to expand our GvG involvement. Araliun was well known to me via a former alliance that did not pan out. We had kept in touch and I really respected him as an unparalleled leader, dedicated to his members. Joining LaZy offered something with a solid future, and also supported us in our PvP aspirations. LaZy is an extremely well-managed group of mature people who dedicate themselves to each other and have a heck of a lot of fun in the process. The large amount of people who use Ventrilo make it a really good social experience and friends are made quickly.


 * Handle: Aoliaak of Redwood

Location: Montreal, Canada Preferred Character: Although I do play Mesmer, Elementalist, and Monk on a regular basis, the one that feels closer to me is still the Ranger. That's been a common thread in most of the games I've played. Something about bows just feels right—it brings out the Amazon in me! I'm currently running a few builds, mainly a speed trapper for DoA and UW (Arcane Echo, Echo, and Dust Traps galore!) and a Burning Arrow degen. I have a nice IA build for interrupts and also enjoy an old-school Barrage build if I'm out for carnage in Prophecies. Every now and then, I reserve two slots for my pet, Moo, and take him out for a run as a BM. Why I Joined: I was immediately impressed with LaZy's warmth and generosity toward its members. This truly, for all of us, is a second family. Throughout my stay, I've experienced a positive environment based on the sharing of resources and knowledge. LaZy is what every guild should be: Fun, active, and most importantly, dedicated to its members. LaZy Nation is massive with over 400 players spread across an entire alliance. One could fear a certain distancing of members across the guilds, but this hasn't happened, thanks to everybody's efforts in maintaining an open atmosphere. Although I've been part of some very good guilds, this is the first one to truly feel like home. In short, LaZy is the place to be!


 * Handle: Pk Kille

Location: Tennessee, USA Preferred Character: My main PvE character is Achilles Judgment. I have many builds for him, but generally, I like to use a Condition build. There's nothing like sitting there watching your target's Health rapidly decrease. Recently, I have restarted playing my Warrior, Pk Kille, who I created a little before Nightfall. When Nightfall came out, I left him in the dust and made a Paragon. Currently Pk Kille is trudging through Prophecies as a standard axe damage build. In PvP I like to play Mesmers. Usually I run a Domination build with Echo Backfire. I love it when Monks cast through it and then ask "Where'd all my Health go?" Recently I have been trying out some Illusion builds, especially anti-Warrior ones. Why I Joined: I was in a big guild before LaZy. Then our leader left, and the guild broke up. I wanted another big guild and my friend (who was in LaZy at the time) suggested I join LaZy. He started telling me about the guild and after about the second sentence I knew this was the one for me. LaZy is an amazing alliance/super-guild. From the start, when you enter a guild you get your name said over alliance chat. In reply comes about 50 welcomes. LaZy is great because, even with almost 400 members, we all act as one big family and no one gets left out or feels lost. One reason for this is our officer staff. They know what they are doing and are always around when you need advice or help. They are the backbone of our guild. LaZy members feel that it is not only the officers' job to help other people. All members step up to the challenge to advance LaZy and make it a better place for everyone who loves Guild Wars. No matter what you like to do, LaZy will have you feeling that you are right at home.


 * Handle: Peter the Fearless

Location: Wisconsin, USA Preferred Character: I am a runner, pure and simple. My primary character is a Ranger. I'm always responsible for flag duty during GvG, but I enjoy it. I also believe that the Ranger reflects my personality in the sense that I enjoy the journey, not the destination. Why I Joined: I had been with a few ragtag guilds before and none of them were very close at all. I was in Lion's Arch and, by chance, found a LaZy recruiter. I felt like it could be a new adventure for me, so I asked for an invitation. LaZy is like a family to me and probably to many others. Its structure is incredible and how it is kept together is astounding. I am proud to be able to call myself a LaZy member. I have had nothing but warm welcomes and friendly help in the guild. To wrap it up, LaZy has to be my best Guild Wars experience, and I hope to stay with it for a very long time.


 * Handle: Sinister Fantasy

Location: Virginia Preferred Character: I have tried Elementalist, Warrior, and Assassin. I have to say that I love the Assassin the most. It's a very flexible character that can adapt to many situations and also tank. I'm addicted to Palm Strike and Death Blossom for great AoE. Why I Joined: I actually did my research and watched the guild for two months prior to joining. I wanted to make sure I would be joining a guild with a great reputation for taking care of its members. After a couple months I just PM'd the guild leader and asked for an invite, went through a pleasant interview, and the rest is history. The experience of LaZy is amazing. Most guild members would give you the shirt off their back if you asked. Alliance chat is mainly used in-game, and with several LaZy guilds, there is always someone willing to help. We also have a website and busy forums, updated daily. Of course there are guild rules and policies that are followed, which ensure that every member is treated with respect. The alliance of guilds just proves that several hundred gamers from different countries can come together and support each other in an extraordinary way. I am definitely glad that I joined LaZy and have no plans of leaving. . . ever!


 * Handle: Endbringer of Keld

Location: Philadelphia, referred to as Philly, known as the City of Brotherly Love Preferred Character: My Primary is the Warrior, and it is also my preferred character to play in Guild Wars or any other game. I have always favored melee characters over casters. With the Warrior class I can enjoy being in the thick of battle, not worry too much, and just focus on my target. From day one I was a W/Mo and still am. Choosing Monk as my secondary allows me to be a self-sufficient tank and, if need be, I can assist the other members of my team. Currently, the skills I'm using are: Sever Artery, Gash, Final Thrust, Bonetti's Defense, Healing Signet, Healing Hands, Healing Breeze, and Resurrection Signet. As soon as I can, I use Sever Artery to get my target Bleeding. I follow-up with a Gash, wait for my target to get below 50% Health, and then use Final Thrust. I Activate Bonetti's Defense when I'm taking too much damage or am low on Energy, and heal myself or a friendly target with Healing Hands and Healing Breeze if I have to. Lastly, I always equip Resurrection Signet for a fast resurrection of a fallen comrade. Why I Joined: I joined LaZy because it's different, friendly, has a diverse community, and it's still growing. I believe we don't have to be the best in PvP or the best in PvE. But we're trying to be the best to our members and let everyone enjoy Guild Wars for what it is and have a great time doing it. I joined LaZy by a chance meeting at the Temple of Ages. Running Fissure of Woe with LaZy there for the first time gave me insight into the tight bond of friendship and communication that LaZy has. Since joining LaZy I have come to know a lot of good people and great leaders of the LaZy Nation. I'm glad I joined. I'm proud that I am LaZy and a part of this ever-changing guild. One World, One Nation, One Vision.


 * Handle: Little Tourniquet

Location: Proctorville, Ohio Preferred Character: I think my most played character AND most preferred would have to be my Monk. I love being able to stay in the backlines, healing everyone. It's such an intense role, especially in PvP. I'm one of those gamers who enjoys the pressure of being a Monk when everyone depends on you to do your role correctly. I think my most favored build is a Mo/Me Light of Deliverance Hybrid for PvE. His skills would include: Light of Deliverance, Orison of Healing, Dwayna's Kiss, Dismiss Condition, Reversal of Fortune, Protective Spirit, Holy Viel/Inspired Hex, and Rebirth. My strategies/tactics for this build are simple. Instead of worrying about who to heal, I just cast Protective Spirit on the tank and use Reversal of Fortune for a quick heal. I use Light of Deliverance when the group gets spiked, or 2+ members get below 80% Health. As far as tactics, I would recommend conserving your Energy and not spamming skills. Also, stay at the backlines and only move up if you need to get in range to heal a teammate. Why I Joined: I first joined the guild with plans to leave and join an upcoming farming/running guild. After hearing the new guild wasn't going to be accepting until early March, I decided to stay and give LaZy a try, and I'm sure glad I did. My thought so far is that LaZy is a great guild. It's been a pleasure for me to assist the family members of LaZy. When I first joined, I was greeted with open arms, and a few nice whispers from officers explaining how they loved having me come aboard; it was a very welcoming environment. The people here are far more mature then your average guild; there is never any "bashings" of other members, and everyone gets along. Our leader is also someone I wish to aspire to be someday. He is a great person, always caring about the welfare of others; putting the guild before himself.


 * Handle: Moligard Calteran

Location: Nyssa, Oregon Preferred Character: My preferred character would be any of the midline support roles. I like seeing what's going on in the battlefield and reacting to the changing situation. Also I like to go questing; usually on my Ranger I do every single quest in-game to get the most satisfaction. Why I Joined: I was looking for an active guild in both PvE and PvP so I could really get into elite missions and high-end PvP. I also wanted a guild with a friendly and helpful environment. LaZy has more than fulfilled those roles for me. Since joining LaZy I have been really impressed by the amount of time, blood, and sweat that the leaders and officers of this guild have donated to us, the members. LaZy also has the best atmosphere of any guild I've joined. And hey, who can complain when there are 400+ members to help out?


 * Handle: Angel of the Nimu

Location: Hamburg, Germany Preferred Character: Monk—mostly as Prot, but Healing as well. I've enjoyed playing the Monk in PvE for quite some time now, and have just recently gotten into the PvP aspect of it. My next favorite would be the Necromancer (MM or SS standard) and the Paragon class—for its versatility and fun skills. Since I am a horrible Warrior, I really like the Paragon for the ability to combine Monk with a melee character, yet with more style—I LOVE the wings! Why I Joined: I had been looking for a guild in which members were actually ONLINE, present, and active. I wanted a friendly, caring atmosphere where I could learn more about the game, and offer my help and expertise as well. One of my best friends, who had been with me in our previous guild, was impressed with LaZy and recommended I join. I LOVE this guild, and I am very, very glad I joined. I have made some good friends and have come to enjoy the game much more because of it. I am proud of how far we've come in the past months and am glad to be a part of this. LaZy is truly unique in my GW experience, and I know it is perfect for me, and for many others.

=  A note from the LaZy leader, Araliuns:  =

"In all, I have lead and continue to manage all of the LaZy guilds since our inception in July, 2006—the same time I began playing the Guild Wars games. My own personal journey in learning the games, evolving technically as a player, expanding our guild, and creating our own alliance of all [LaZy] guilds created by myself, has all been wonderful. I truly believe that [LaZy] has come a long way in the process—and still has a long path in front of it."