Lord Balian

Hello all, I pray that you are all doing well. It hurts me so much to say this, but I must leave the game in order to try to deal with my new illness, that being Stage 3 Colon Cancer. I already had 1/3 of my colon removed, along with the tumor. In addition, I had 3 out of 69 lymph nodes removed. No signs the cancer (right now) is anywhere else. However, in order to increase survival rates, I must do 6 months of chemo. With chemo, the odds that the cancer comes back is about 25-30%. As many of you know, I already have been dealing with Cystic Fibrosis, which i thought was enough to deal with. I feel so overwhelmed, sad, depressed, and, well...nevermind...I should not type what i am thinking here.....Anyway, thank you all (the ones I have had the opportunity to play with) for the great times over the last couple of years. You all have been so kind. Let m say this to you that are younger then 30; I know you have been told this before, and I know you go to bed at night not worrying too much about your own lifespan, but things really can change on the drop of a hat. One moment you are planning a trip with your wife, and the next you are wondering if you need to start planning your funeral. Many young folks would laugh at this, because of how awkward they feel about talking about such things. But trust me, this can happen to you too, and I pray hard that it does not. According to the American Cancer Society, at some point in their lives, 42% of men and 37% of women will end up getting a cancer diagnosis. Now, think about that. And no, this is no joke it is real. Look it up. Check out the stats yourself. Now some of those cancers might be little or minor like a cancerous mole that can be easiely removed. But there are some cancers that are not, like mine. On October 12th I went to the ER for what i thought was going to be a Cystic Fibrosis issue, dehydration and constipation. But after an xray and ultrasound showed no reason for my pain, the doc did a cat scan too. It was that scan that showed my tumor in the colon. When the doctor told me this, I just started to cry. On New Years last year I thought that turning 42 and that 2017 were going to be amazing for me. Instead, I am living a nightmare. So please dont take your life or the people in it that mean something to you for granted. Tell them each time you see them either that you love them, care about them, or simply reaffirm your friendship with them (if you are too young yet and think telling a friend that you love them is stupid or something). I am 42 years old, and I was planning, with my CF, to make it to at least 60. Now, I pray to make it to 47, another 5 years. God I am so scared about this. I truly wish you all the very best. If you ever want to write me, feel free, but please do so at my email address at: [email protected] Blessings, Daniel Rouan

Agree about the "shitposting" from other members. I don't get offended easily but if a person is sexist, racist , homophobic , or against another's religion and verbally talks smack about, then they need a life and need to put things into perspective a bit. When you are told you got 5 years to live , all that stuff gets minimized and you begin to see not only what is important but also begin to see that there really is so so much that binds us as oppose to divides us. Listen, I'm not trying to create a Dr. Phill moment here, lol, but I just wish to see us continue to be kind and respectable to other players. You really never know what a players life is like on the other side of the computer/iPad screen. Blessings, Lord Balian

Could not agree more!

Well regardless I still think PW is by far a much nicer environment then (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways). And again thank you guys for being understanding about why at times I need to step away from the game and for sending me encouraging messages when sick. When you are laying in the hospital sick, bored, and feeling down, those messages that may seem like a small thing, end up being something much bigger. I like that we , for the most part, can while we are IC we can have feuds, wars, arguments, and talk crap but at the same time, IRL, we get that this is just a game and are cool with each other. Shows maturity compared to (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways). Not to sound redundant but thanks again guys. Blessings, Lord Balian PS: I say this regardless of what alliance you are in, if you are ever in a shitty situation and need a person to run things by or whatever please feel free to message me, it's the least I can do after many of you have helped me out.

Thank you so much Syrup!! Awesome to meet you and I hope to interact with you in game too! Blessings, Lord Balian

Thank you so much!! Nice to meet you!!

Do you mean that people have become more immature and hostile toward each other or do you mean specific alliances?

I have heard a lot about this game but have not played it. Is it only on Windows? Are there tutorials for those who are new to the game? It looks like a good war game but I was wondering how much control do you have in regard to the economy, diplomacy, trade, etc.?

Sounds reasonable! Thanks Thalmor!

Thank you Partisan!! You do as well. Many people here have been very nice to me and supportive when they found out about my illness and my prognosis and I have made many friends in Orbis, not just in my specific alliance. Before I got sick in RL I was a hospice social worker caring for the dying as well as a counselor. I really enjoyed helping people when I could and it is nice being helped as so many players here have offered their prayers and well wishes. Means a lot. Anyway, nice to meet you Partisan and I hope you are doing well!!

Thanks man!! I am going to be interested to see how the War Systems changes will go over that Alex has mentioned. It sounds like a total overhaul almost. If anyone didn't get Alex's link to that announcement let me know and I can post it.

Will do Lord Floof Floof, lol. Now I see you are in Sparta. In (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways) there is also a 'Sparta' as well. Are you guys one in the same or is the (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways) one totally different? I hope you have a great time in Hawaii man!!

Agreed. I use to belong to a neutral in (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways) and after I got my nation to where I wanted it, the game got boring. Also neutrals are also not very active politically either, so that removes an aspect from the game too. Now, to each their own and you should be able to run your nation as you want. But I do feel every once in a while neutrals need to be controlled or what Woot said above can come to pass.

Thanks Doom Marine for having my back! Lol. Comments like that don't both me though, I've been thru too much and have overcome too much in the RL so it's all good Thanks Dylan!!

First, let me say thank you to all of you that have wished me well, have prayed for me, and or sent me encouraging messages during these last few months. Having Cystic Fibrosis sucks with the revolving door that leads to the hospital, the 10 breathing treatments daily, and the 45 daily pills that need to be taken. And having to emotionally adjust to my doctor informing me of my 5 year prognosis has not been a cake walk either. Thank you guys also for supporting my Last Wish type of thing in being able to take my wife on a final vacation. We were planning Europe, but if I get sick it is important I stay in the USA, so we have decided to go to Hawaii instead. Thanks to all of you that have donated, it looks like we will be going in March 2017. You guys really brought tears to my eyes doing this for us and I want you to know that you have really made a difference in my life, and that means the world to me. I hope in turn that I can have the chance to be your actual friend too. This goes for all here in Orbis. When bad things happen to you, you begin to realize what is really important in life and what is not. For me what is important is the relationships that I get to form while I am alive. With that said, regardless of alliance in game or whatever, that all of you have a friend in me. Before I got really sick I was a social worker caring for hospice patients as well as for people having a hard time dealing with a loss ( be it a job, loved one, health, relationship, etc). I say that because if any of you are going thru some crap and need a person to talk to or run things by, please know I am here. The way I see it is that so many of you have been so nice and giving to me, it would make me feel great to give back and help,out any way I can. So please keep that in mind!! Thank all of you again!! Blessings, Lord Balian

Hey guys! I play both games, when I can due to my illness. But one thing I have noticed is that the players here are far nicer and kinder, don't take themselves or things too seriously, and are by far more fun to interact with. I have noticed recently in (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways) that there is real hated between players of various alliances to the point of real anger , etc. I mean, I am invested in both games and spend a good deal of time with them but I still know it is just a game and I don't take it personal if someone declares war on me. In fact, I see it as an opportunity to meet another player, which is cool. I am sorry I can't be more active as my cystic fibrosis is just getting worse and worse and it seems I am always in this damn hospital, but the people I have met in PW have , except for maybe one or two, have been awesome and have always wished me well when sick. What are your thoughts? Is there a different 'culture' or mentality here as opposed to over in (That terrible game that is totally irrelevant and I shouldn't be bringing it up anyways)?

I know there are a ton of changes coming to the war system, but Alex is testing them in beta right now I think. From his announcement a few days back it sounds like it will completely change how alliances go to war as well as how they interact. Should be interesting

Hello all! I pray that this finds you all doing well. I wanted to give you all an update on my condition, what all went on, and where things stand now. First however, I cant express enough my gratitude for all of you that have wished me well, sent me encouraging messages, and keeping me and my wife in your thoughts and prayers. It really means so very much to me. As far as where things stand with my health: I had a small portion of my lower left lobe removed due to the fact that it was pretty much dead tissue. The good news here is that it should not affect my lung volumes in a bad way at all. This is a good thing since my volumes are around 43% when I feel good, and dip down to about 28% when I do not. Right now, the major concern is regarding a bacterial infection that has taken up shop in my lungs. With Cystic Fibrosis, (a terminal genetic disorder that damages lungs) once a person gets a particular bacteria in her/his lungs, that bacteria stays forever. At that point, the main goal then is to reduce the 'count' of the bacteria in the lungs as much as possible. When I feel OK, the count is low, when I am sick, it is high. With this new bacteria however, it has a reputation of making Cystic Fibrosis (CF), progress much faster. For example, once a person gets this, they usually pass away in approx 5-7 years. Before this infection, I was already being hospitalized up to 12 times per year. So far in 2016, I have been impatient three times. So now my wife, family and I are very concerned that this will only increase the amount of stays in the hospital. There is some good news however. There is a new antibiotic that I am on that 'might' be able to stop the bacteria from making my case worse, or at the very least, slowing the progression of my case. It is way too early to tell if it is working or not, and I probably wont be able to get an answer if it is or not for a few more months. But I have chosen to stay positive, to have faith, and to fight the good fight. I do not allow myself to fall into pity. The average length of life for a person with CF is 37,and I am now 40. I have held children in my arms that have died of the same disease that I have, often wishing I could trade places with them. So, I am not going to feel sorry for myself one bit. I have a great wife, family, and now great new friends here in P&W! I put myself thru grad school, had a great career as a hospice social worker caring for the sick/dying for over 8 years, have participated in high-risk clinical trials to try to find a cure, and have been very active politically to the point of testifying before the Michigan State Senate and House advocating for a state insurance program that cared for kids with severe illnesses. It was going to be cut, but thankfully we were able to convince the Governor to remove that cut from the budget. So...I know I have been blessed, have been able to make a difference and help folks, I feel that I have lived a full life, regardless of what happens next. I also want to thank all of you that have donated to my gofundme account so I may take my wife on a nice vacation before I pass on. I have ben touched by your kindness and concern and it really means the world to me. When I first became ill this time around, so many of you were so nice to me and were wishing me well. It felt nice to know that so many were hoping that I would pull thru. Although I was surprised by some people here in the game that were taking the game and the war way too seriously to the point of throwing insults and hurtful messages my way ( I will avoid the names or the alliance that said most of these things in order to put this behind me), I know that the vast majority of you, while you take the game seriously in that so many put so much time into it, you dont take it too seriously to actually hold resentment towards those your nation/alliance is in conflict/war with. I really enjoy this game, I invest in it (including money in the past), and spend a great deal of time playing it, but I never loose site of the fact that at the end of the day, this is still just a game. For me though, it has been a great way to distract me from what all is happening. This keeps me going, keeps me sane. And it has been a great way to meet new friends, and at the end of the day, this is by far the best thing about the game, the ability to meet new friends! So again, thank you all so very much for being the people that you are. I do not have a large support system in RL. I mean, I have a great wife, a small family (that doesnt want to talk about my CF), and a handful of friends. But to know that so many of you were really behind me, wishing me well, all that ment so much to me. I consider you all friends, and I pray that you too feel the same. I say this regardless of whatever alliance you are in, or whatever differences there may be. Because at the end of the day, those things are meaningless. While there may be different alliances here in game, i consider all of us part of the Family of Orbis. Having that support behind me, your support, gives me strength to keep fighting. I have every intention to keep fighting. Regardless of what doctors say. Again, thank you all for being there for me these last few weeks! Many Blessings, Lord Balian

***UPDATE*** This is Daniel's wife, Anne. In the past, when he and I were a members of BoC, I would logon either in-game or here to post updates on his health. Sadly, this is nothing new, meaning that this has become a sad but normal thing, him being ill so often. I wanted to tell you all that while the surgery has been successful at sewing his left lobe back, he has had an abnormal amount of lung swelling, according to the doctors. They dont think that this will lead to additional problems, but the swelling is making it very hard for him to breath without being in severe pain. They have him on 1mg IV Dilaudid, which is a super pain killer, and it still isnt enough. I am allowed to stay with him overnight most nights, as he has his own room. But watching him in pain at night while he tries to sleep and is clenching my hand is just horrible. I feel so freaking helpless with all this. First, thank you all so much for your support and love. It brings tears to my eyes knowing that so many people here, regardless of alliance, have come out to be so kind, supportive, and caring. It is just so beautiful and amazing. And yes, he is Christian, but I must say, a very progressive one in that he feels all religion is a way to God and as result, he has built deep lasting friendships with people of many different religions. We both accept all prayers that are based on kindness and love. All that I ask is that no one push their beliefs on him, at least not right now. I promise to keep all of you guys updated. And just FYI, he personal email is: [email protected] He is in total rest mode right now, and I expect that to be the case at least until he lung swelling goes down. Once that happens, he will logon here himself and give you guys updates. He is aware of the overwhealming show of support, and I can tell you it really lifts his spirits....and he smiles, which makes me a very happy lady!! Once that swelling comes down, he will be able to come home with me, but will be on home IV's for 3 more weeks, in the hope that this horrible new infection can be taken care of. If not, things could get worse fast...but lets handle one crisis at a time, K? Again, thank you all so much for your love and support....I know it means a lot to him, and I can tell you it means a TON to me! LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! THANK YOU!!!! Anne PS: I will update you again every 2 days or so

Thank you so much Sheepy for thinking about this and what my concerns were in my message to you the other day. I think this is a great idea. Of course there are going to be some who are against this because they use this to their advantage, and to the disadvantage of new players/nations. This change will further protect the players and the integrity of the game. I can see situations where a new player, who is just starting out, just learing, never gets a fair chance to learn the game, build their nation, and as a results, simply quits the game, which is not a good message the game whats to put out there in the online gaming community. This move protects the players, makes the NS ranges more fair, and also protects the game, your investment as well. By all means, please make the change asap!

Wow. Just wow. The reason I asked is because I have been away for a while and wanted to get caught up on any changes to the politics of the game, any major global Orbis changes, alliance changes, etc. I wanted to find out the reasons for the current conflict, and if is still going on. There was no secret motive to my question. I asked specifically about Mensa and who their enemies are/were because when I looked under the 'conflicts' section in-game, i saw mostly Mensa HQ nations at war, and wanted to know if the current conflcit was mostly directed to them, or how many other alliances were in this conflcit, and most importantly, why. I have been gone for about two months due to something called Cystic Fibrosis, which is a terminal genetic illness with an average lifespan of 37, and I am 40. I have been hospitalized 10 times alst year, and 5 times so far this year. A few months ago, i almost died. And what brought me into the hospital this time around was the grief and stress of having both my mom and sister killed. So if people could please be kind and not jump down my throat, as all that I wanted to do is get caught up in the developments of the game. Thanks.

Mensa Members: I guess what I am wondering is, what alliances have been historical foes of the past? Are there any alliances that you have just never gotten along with and have a historical grudge with? Would that be UPN? BoC? Rose?

Hello there! Hope this finds you are doing well. Not that we have had yet another war, what alliances out there in Orbis are Mensa's greatest enemies/threats? I am just trying to get a picture of the current state of Orbis after being away and in the hospital for so long. Thanks!

Thank you Sheepy for working so hard at bettering the game. The game is fun to play, and it is nice to see the owner/creator so involved and invested in its success. Good job bud!

This is for sure not what the devleopers of the game what out there, folks knowing how badly the game has been hacked or interfered with over the last few months. This time is by far the worst. And a reset would do NO GOOD AT ALL, if Sheepy is unable to find out how this hacker did what he/she did. Otherwise after a reset or rollback, it could just be done again. This reminds me what happened to Project-Terra when back in August 2012 the game went down due to hacks and really never returned. I hope to god that does not happen here....I dont think it will because Sheepy actually cares about the game and its members where the owner/developer of PT, Chris, did not. I just hope this gets fixed soon and we come up with a way to prevent it from happening again. I also hope we find the prick who did this....