KoB 3.0

1.

I started our cartel in December 2015, a few weeks after I began playing Uprising in earnest. I was level 25. I had no idea what I was doing. In many respects, I still don't.

I did know, however, that if I was going to create a cartel, then the name needed to tie into the spirit of the game. The last time I checked, Yodi never ordered pizza, Han Solo wasn't Tony Stark, Nerf Herders was also a pop punk band, and Order 66 didn't end well. In other words, the name had to embody good purpose in the Star Wars universe.

Partly because I'm a soft touch, I chose to name the cartel after Bail Organa, the adoptive father of Princess Leia, who died when the Empire destroyed Alderaan. I would come to find out later, by progressing through the game, how well this name did indeed tie into the spirit of Uprising's storyline. And the "knights" part was easy. While reminiscent of Jedi Knights, the name "Knights of Bail" meant that you could still fire a rifle, lob a grenade, and fit in with your mates. Nobody in the game was close to being a Jedi. At least, not back then.

I'll spare you the details about just how difficult it was to recruit new members, develop a core of Officers, and ultimately build a strong crew of Regulars and Recruits. Suffice it to say, the process progressed slowly, but well. Until Chapter 2, that is. Suddenly, all the T1 gear we earned meant very little. In a word, most of it was garbage compared to T2 gear. Players generally became discouraged and stopped playing, many of whom were in our cartel. That was the end of KoB 1.0.

2.

Facing the loss of many cartel members, I decided it was time to rebuild, rather than fold. I doubled -- tripled -- my efforts to recruit new members and foster communication in Cartel Chat, especially during SBs, when co-op efforts consistently mattered. I found a number of great players, many of whom became Officers. Everyone was a daily player, grinding away for that next piece of gear, that next crystal, that next weapon, that next chance to blast an Imp.

More to the point, I changed the cartel banner design to reflect the new wave of energy that defined KoB 2.0. And I ultimately chose the Noble Court insignia since, well, we were named after Bail Organa, after all.

If you're a 100 lvl KoB member, you probably joined during the halcyon days of 2.0. You also solidified a crew who regularly crushed SBs and posted insane CXP numbers. Congratulations on making it this far into the game. Not many people do.

3.

The release of Uprising 3.0 reminds me of KoB 1.0, in that players generally grew disenchanted with the game and, in the end, stopped playing en masse. As my "Roll Call" post more than suggested, we, as a cartel, are very much in the thick of yet another transition period.

Our new cartel banner tells the story. With a Jedi Order insignia replacing that of the Noble Court, our goal now is to become Force wielding badasses with lightsabers. Some of us are already. Good badasses, to be sure, but badasses nevertheless.

What do I mean?

4.

Once upon a time, I came across a post in the forums on Force Power Abilities. The poster claimed that nobody in Uprising was a Jedi and that, moreover, dominating opponents wasn't the objective of the game. While I respected this opinion, the argument is specious.

Manipulating and, thus, dominating your opponent in this game is entirely the point. I mean, if you really want to shake hands with Purge Troopers who try to blast, gas, bomb, and/or barbecue you to death, then be my guest. And, more to the point, while it's true that nobody's a Jedi officially speaking -- what, like, Yoda must appear to induct you into the cult? -- I do wield a lightsaber and my four main Abilities are Force Powers. Hey, if it walks like a duck, ain't it a duck?

My point is, of course, that the general goal used to be leveling up gear, running SBs, and having fun doing so. Now, the majority of our crew is grinding away for 7* gear to run deeper into Raid maps, working on Force Power side quests, and ultimately looking forward to earning a lightsaber. In other words, our goal is to become a group of badasses. What's more fun than that?

5.

Any such change or revitalization of a cartel unfortunately means kicking a number of players who have been inactive for quite some time now, which opens up spots for new members who love to play the game.

All except one, that is. Grin Moon.

I recruited Grin when he was level 60-something. He brought incredible energy, heart, and humor to the cartel. Much more than I could ever muster, truth be told. He was one of the first recruits to join KoB 2.0, and he helped shape the cartel into its current iteration. We wouldn't be where we are without him.

Grin went dark when the 3.0 update went live. This is no coincidence. If you ever wonder how much time has passed since the first Lando Missions appeared, look no further than the number of days Moonie has been inactive. He has been sorely missed. And he will remain a recruit -- no, The Recruit -- for Knights of Bail. Goodnight, Moon.

So. This is as much to say: Welcome to KoB 3.0. Let's crush assaults, let's crush SBs, let's crush our way through the Raids -- let's crush anything and everything that obstructs our path to Force Powers and a saber. Crush it for us. Crush it for you.

In short, knights, let the badassery ensue.