The Cn-Alliancenamehere.com Bubble
Entry posted by crushtania
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During my time as Triumvir of The Aquatic Brotherhood, I witnessed three breakaway alliances form; PWC, Arctica and Pendulum. At present, now with the folding of Pendulum, none of them now exist. I often wondered, after the initial punch to the gut subsided (hey, it happens to everyone) why so many alliances decide to break away from their alma maters to forge on their own rocky paths that ultimately lead to no where?
The reasons are twofold; lack of promotion opportunities and the new style of individual-oriented leadership that emerged after the Unjust War.
In any alliance, especially a functional dictatorship such as Pacifica, RoK or MK, there is crowding at the top; executive power rests in a few individuals and advisors behind closed doors. People have, and still have to have faith that their leaders are doing right by them and the general will. Prior to the UJW, N00bs and government functionaries (Secretaries, assistants, dukes, lieutenants and what have you) saw their positions as a privilege and not a right. Many players took the social contract and their place in the alliance as a given - if you were not Triumvir, King or Imperial Officer, your contributions, however small were beneficial to the alliance as a whole; as long as one was doing their job and doing it well, it didn't really matter who was where in the greater scheme of things. To the n00b member wishing to oppose an incumbent, especially if he/she is a founding member with political capital in abundance, the inner circle seems impenetrable.
One can seem to "languish" as Deputy Minister, Assistant etc. for so long until they feel that a promotion is in order. Ambitious types who believe themselves to be just as good or better than their former leaders find that their opponents are almost impossible to displace and forge out on their own to become leaders in their own right, governed not by anyone but their self-proclaimed mandates. I believe there is nothing wrong with ambition - but save it for your alliance as a whole, and not just for yourself. If you want to win, you have to be a team player. It seems that the new micro-alliance start ups are fragmenting and disintegrating due to this lack of congruity and an overabundance of egoism.
Cults of personalities are seldom avoided in CN and many wish to have the clout and allure of established "big name" players when they themselves may be heroes of their alliance for sacrificing nation growth to send out aid, taking nuclear strikes in wars and leaving witty remarks in friendly alliance embassies. Not everyone can be King or President of their alliance; there is only one position and that's usually always filled. I can tell you now; being King is not as fun as it looks; with great power comes great responsibility and great toil. If you think you're going to bask in kudos during your reign, you're also wrong; a leader is expected to come up with the goods consistently; it's in the job description.
I remember when I left TAB and was mulling over my next move, many good friends wondered if I wanted to start my own alliance. I thought to myself: why bother? I play to win, and starting from Square One would just burn me out and have me resenting my decision one or two months down the track. Most alliances fail because functionaries used to a light workload suddenly are overwhelmed with constant alliance administration and maintenance and give up trying to plug around 15 holes with 10 fingers.
Yes, I have been a leader in CN - I've been a Division Commander, Deputy Finance Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Head of State; I furnished my alliance with my skills and in the capacity that best put them to use. Chasing power for power's sake is folly. Your position should be of no importance; the fact that you strive to take pride in your and your alliance's achievements should be reward enough.
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