Well, I've waited a few days to post this - I wanted things to simmer down a little bit so that hopefully my views won't instigate yet another flame-war. I could just start a new thread, but this thread title is spot-on what I'm about to share. Before I do though, I want to make it *clear* -
this post in no way is a personal attack on the KA, any guild in the KA, nor any individual in the KA. With that said, here goes....
In my opinion, the Karavan Alliance has grown larger than itself. I'm sure when it first started and had but a few guilds in it, it made perfect sense and was probably a "good" thing. However, it has grown to include almost every Karavan guild which is (just guessing) probably 7/8's of the guilds on Atys. Because of this, and because of the KA's very charter - it has become a major issue in OP declarations....and actually using OP's for what they were intended to be about.
What it boils down to is most of the server's guilds *can't* declare on an OP they might actually want to take...just for pvp's sake, or just for fun...because "omg" it's an Alliance-held OP. So, if they want to actually have an OP battle then they have to declare on those that are already somewhat oppressed by the huge Alliance (again, please don't anyone take this personally, it is just a general observation of mine)....but of course, not those that have been "friendly" to the Alliance either. So we get down to there are only about 2 or 3 OP's out of ALL of them that can actually be declared on without the entire server going into a downward spiral.
What I'm basically saying is that OP's aren't even "FvF" anymore....they have gone beyond that....they are "AvNA" (Alliance vs. Non-Alliance). I see this as a major problem. Because of this, guilds are "afraid" to declare on another guild's OP (even though that *is* what OP's were designed for). Now, because of *this* a lot of players are getting bored because not only have they done all the current PvE that's available, but they can't even really do the GvG/FvF "new content". And it's alllllllllll because of one word: Politics.
Although what happened this weekend with the Samsara OP was a different matter all together (and frankly we've kicked, quartered and eaten that dead horse enough), everything that happened this weekend is kind of related to what I'm saying here. If folks wouldn't have been bored and tired of *not* being "allowed" to declare, a lot of what happened this weekend would not have happened *the way it did*.
Since I don't like to point out what I see as problems, and not offer any ideas for solutions, here is what I think could be a solution...
I think the Karavan Alliance should disband (dons her flame-retardant suit). Not out of dishonor or anything BAD....I just think maybe several *smaller* Alliances could form and Atysians could go back to having some fun. I would venture to guess that not *everyone* in the Alliance has the exact same ideals, so maybe if you broke off into smaller "splinter groups" that truely do have the "same mind", then there could be even more happiness throughout.
This is just an idea, and obviously this whole post is only my opinion. I hope that it will be taken in the spirit in which it was written. Not to start trouble or cause flames, but merely my attempt to help fix what *I* think is part of the problem. Again, I mean no disrespect to anyone by anything I've said here, and I certainly hope no one takes offense.
Take care and have fun!