Reflections

If you've taken the time to read the server history, you'll know the story. A little over a year ago two men started up a Minecraft server off of a crappy computer. They were fantastic builders, creating the Admin Valley, the first structure I've ever seen in Minecraft.

These two men, Knives and Phrixos, were dear friends to me at the time. We all came from the same environment that tossed us out after we fought for something we believed in, something we knew was right. We had all spent long amounts of time here, pouring our hearts and souls into this place, only to be beaten and tossed out like yesterday's rubbish.

But we found something new to pour ourselves into. Someplace where we were in complete control and what happened there would never be allowed to manifest again under our rule. To some, this is just Minecraft, it is just a game on the internet, just another non-factor sitting in-front of a computer.

But to us, this server is a sanctuary. Where people can come and rest easy, knowing that they won't be tossed to the wayside because of what they believe in. We are politically incorrect, we love a good laugh, and loyalty is our over-all expectancy. But this server is our pride and joy, and looking back over the last year, we're proud to have made it this far.

"The satisfaction of seeing people work together to achieve a goal is awesome. It's reassuring. Because I've got a lot of anxiety over the server, it's so fragile. The last thing I want is for all my hard work to just, crumble away. But the feeling I get when the server has had a good day makes it all worth it." (Knives)

Knives, the Head Administrator of the server, has put more effort into the server than most can claim. And his hard work has paid off in more ways than one, earning him the respect and loyalty of his staff and players.

"I like him, some other servers I have gone to before, the owner was soft and would give you whatever you wanted and there is no way you're getting free stuff from him. I also like that he still is around after all that he has gone through since the server has started. And as a person I think he is just all around funny guy." (Frenchie)

Frenchie, an Exiled player for about seven months, is now a senior moderator on the server.

"He [Knives] has great ideas. He puts a lot of pressure on me, but I feel that it motivates me sometimes. Because it's hard, running the server, taking care of all these people and keeping it all stable. It's a balancing act, but we pull it off. " (Lee)

Michael_Lee joined back in November, proving to be a great asset to Exiled Gaming. He not only aided Knives in overcoming the hurdle of Operation Valkyrie, but now assists him as a Head Admin, running the server along-side him.

"Having a server up and running that we can call home, working together with Knives to run it. Going through hours and hours of pain and seeing something actually work out is nice."(Lee)

Lee has dedicated himself to the server, spending countless hours and dollars making it run as smoothly as possibly tech wise and player wise. He's earned the respect of the players who communicate with him on a daily basis, as he's normally managing the server from his phone whilst out of the house.

" Michael Lee truly cares about the server and wants to help it."(Cole)

MasterCole, who joined about four months ago, is a CSR on the server.

In the beginning, Lee was only a builder, plain and simple. He never actually applied for a staff position. It was a one time only deal that Knives handed out to him, because he saw potential in the little Asian.

" I joined the server and I joined teamspeak. Knives said if I got a mic, he would make me a moderator. It just happened. If you had told me then that I'd be a Head Admin running the server in the near future, I would of laughed at you. Because that was the last thing on my mind."(Lee)

We have a lot to thank Lee for, those countless hours he spent has made our server a more enjoyable place to play. It's taken strides since the horrible rule of Pythros, who lagged the server with pointless plug-ins.

" It [the server] has progressed, we used to get a lot of random lag spikes when Pythros ran it. When Michael took over he stopped these and the server ran a lot smoother." (Rush)

Rush Scrub, who joined in April of 2011, is now a senior moderator on the server.

As you can see, it's been a long, but rewarding road for the Head Admins, they get back what they give out tenfold in the enjoyment of their players. But it hasn't all been roses and sunshine. Along the way, we've lost some good friends. Like Phrixos Raeburn.

"We created Admin Valley together, the splender of that place. I love that place. To have him just, disappear like it meant nothing, well. I dunno what to say to that. I just don't. We kept moving on, we always do. We always recover. But a part of me always wants to know why, why did he leave, why didn't he tell me?" (Knives)

Knives, reflecting back on the loss of a good friend, is never one to dwell long on the topic.

Phrixos was a good guy. He always had good intentions, he was the one who was able to make Knives take a step back and think things over. He was an asset to the server, and is deeply missed.

However, there's also Pythros. Someone we trusted, someone we thought had only good intentions, but we were wrong.

"I was speechless when he approached me and told me of his plans to take the server. I sat there for a minute trying to process it. But it only fueled my need to destroy his attempts. And telling me was his biggest mistake." (Lee)

Lee was the one to inform Knives of Pythros' plan to take over the server, remaining ever loyal, Lee remembers the moment Pythros confronted him about the idea.

In the end, we came out victorious with a new outlook on the server and a need to make it better, to make it outshine anything Pythros and his band of downies could ever create. We ended up with the competent staff, losing few to his failed attack.
When speaking with the staff, they were questioned about what made them stay with Exiled Gaming in the beginning.

" The community and how the server was run. I loved helping others with building projects and quickly made some friends on the server." (Scrubby)

" The community above all." (MasterCole)

"It was actually the first server I joined. It was on a test map and when I logged in I saw the amazing cliff-side castle Knives had made. Everything about it made me know, right then and there, that this was the server for me. That the people on this server were talented and dedicated. Not just some random people who play for themselves." (Lee)

"There was always something to do." (AxeofFury)

When asked if they felt the server had progressed since they began, the over-all response was that it had, improving in staff, community, and map-wise.

" I think the server has progressed in community and the way things are run." (Cole)

We have some truly talented players on the server as well. We don't just cater to the staff, here on Exiled. Jocular Donkey, who joined about two-to- three months ago, had this to say;

"[The Server has an] Organized map and staff, professional staff members, and the server stayed up for a over a year, which most servers don't."

Just after this new dawn, the reflection on our server is positive, nostalgic, and bittersweet. To see how far we've come, how much we've lost, how much we've gained, what we've learned. Our dedication only proves that this server is worth something, worth more than being referred to as "just another Minecraft server."

We'll close the article with a few words from the man who created it all, who put his blood sweat and tears into the server, and who deserves all our respect and loyalty.

"I feel like we take too much for granted, because nothing is a guarantee. We almost had our server torn out from underneath our feet because someone we trusted got power-hungry. It's still a work in progress. The server is always changing, always moving forward, it's never still. And I like that. I love that. And it will only keep on this path if we continue to work together. Because this is for everyone. This isn't only for my enjoyment, or Lee's, or Aydia's, it's for the players. Our server has something unique, something that keeps people coming back for more. And we all need to work for that, or we'll all be stuck with the same-old, 'I made a dirt house today, isn't it awesome?', shit. Minecraft can be so much more, and it is, right now. Because we've all made friends out of this, hopefully lasting relationships. And it gives us a place to escape to when reality gets just a little too rough. So, really, that's what's worth it. Not that I've got some pretend power over people on the internet. But that I can give a sort of, safe haven to people. And we work for that. We all work for that." (Knives)

Posted in: Server Events,Server Featured