Hey there, Dogfight!

I know many of you probably don't know me well, and the handful that do are the remnants of players that have been here as long as I have. Many of us are now quiet and generally inactive, or have completely left the community and game altogether.

I came across this game three years ago, while sitting bored in a hotel room, vacationing with my family. I had recently gotten a Kindle Fire as a gift, and I was searching for a good game on the App Store to pass the time. Airplane sims came to mind, and I found Dogfight.

I played the game, and I really enjoyed it, but after visiting the forums several months into the game, I was absolutely hooked. Something about meeting a friend in the game that you know from the forums was just amazing; shooting the breeze with forum friends in the game was just as fun as actually shooting planes.

Some of my fondest memories of Dogfight involve general nonsense and carefree fun. Sure, there were times when things got a bit out of hand, but there's not much that I regret.

Time passed, old friends left and new ones came. During that time my sister (who started playing after my suggestion) and I decided to leave the 111th Falcons to start our own squad. From that came the New Lunar Republic, which was just a fun idea that really wasn't something either of us took seriously. The squad slowly grew, not large like MOM, Misfits, LFE, GI; but we gained a positive reputation through loyal and faithful members, that still hold high, something I'm immensely proud and grateful for.

We've been through a lot, this community. Despite our skirmishes and disagreements, I've seen the people of Dogfight do wonderful things.

You've helped and supported others in times of personal financial and emotional need.

You've rallied under noble and worthy goals.

You've created incentives, activities, and awareness that aim to help and unify the community at large.

You've honored those who deserve it, and humbled those who don't.

You've saved lives. I can personally vouch for that one.

I am leaving for a long time this upcoming new year, leaving for deployment for over six months. After all the negative things I've been hearing from the community, I wanted to just leave without saying goodbye. But, I remembered all the good I got from the community, and I believe I am obliged to give a proper farewell.

After my graduation of high school, I thought I would leave Dogfight to focus on my adult life, but clearly I couldn't pull away from a thing I held so dearly. I think, now, I will be leaving for good. Not because of negative reasons... it's just I believe it's time for me to leave. I am taking a huge step in my life and I think I need to let go of some things. I've been spending less and less time with Dogfight, and it's better for me to write this instead of just slipping away.

It's a bit hard to explain and it all sounds sappy and corny, but my reasons still stand. This is my farewell address, and I want to make it a good one.

I'm going to acknowledge those who've impacted me during my time here, to the best of my memory and ability. Many of these people are long gone, but they still hold a place in my heart, and that's enough for me.

Thank you, Calvin, for being the first person to welcome me in the community. I'm glad you're still around. The community needs your vigilance.

Thank you; Josh, Isaac, Von Pay, and Skydavis; for welcoming me into the 111th Falcons and showing me how to survive this crazy game.

Thank you; Sputnik, Blain, and Hamers; for showing me that it's okay to have fun and let go every once and awhile.

Thank you, Slenderman, for showing me when it isn't.

Thank you, Manfred, for showing me how to be the voice of reason and neutrality. I'm still learning now.

Thank you, Parrotthead, for supporting and influencing my life decisions, and giving me confidence where I found little.

Thank you, Paul, for being a shining example of altruism and kindness. You've brought magic to all of our lives that I won't soon forget.

Thank you, Bellsaj, for showing me how to be understanding of other people's circumstances. You've helped teach me how to walk a mile in others' shoes, and how wonderful it feels to help those who can't.

Thank you, Jacklpe, for giving us friendship and camaraderie. We need more of that, both in Dogfight and in the real world.

Thank you, Dixie, for helping me help others, when no one else would.

Thank you, Mac, for being frank when no one else would dare. I admire your steadfast and confident attitude, something I wish to have in a world that continuously tries to beat you down.

Thank you, Jasmine, for being such a faithful and loyal friend, and for always believing in me.

Thank you, Reid, for choosing and supporting the NLR from the start. The squad wouldn't be the same if you hadn't joined.

Thank you; Big Joe, McFate, and the Blue Fighters; for guiding the NLR when I could not.

Thank you to all the members of the NLR, past and present, for upholding integrity and respect, even in my absence.

Thank you, Octavia, my dear sister, for being my best friend both here and in real life. I miss you dearly.

Thank you, Zuperman, for creating this game and as a result, this wonderful community. Despite what people think about the game now, you are the reason I got the opportunity to meet everyone here. Your presence is always appreciated, and everyone here knows it, even if it's not always said. People in the community still have faith in you, and I hope you still have faith in us.

Thank you, Wig, for literally saving my life. You truly deserve all the thanks I could possibly give you and more. I would not be here on this earth if it were not for you, and I am glad you are my friend.

And finally, thank you to those I've forgotten or failed to acknowledge. Even if you or I don't remember, you've still left an imprint that will last forever.

Many people think the internet/online communities are a pointless waste of time, regarding them as simply outlets of entertainments. For the most part, real life holds a much higher precedence than these forums. However, my time here has shown that the notion is misled. The people I've met here are real people, and our interactions are genuine. I've spent the majority of my late-teenage years as a member of this forum, and I'd be lying if I said that it hasn't impacted me on a personal level.

Even if it is hidden behind a wall of text, pixels, and binary code, we are a real community, with very real ability to affect one another. Certainly, our real lives hold more importance to us, otherwise I wouldn't be leaving; but our time here can still be held in high regard.

So, my friends, keep interacting with one another. Make each other feel happy, sad, angry, excited, threatened, appreciated, ignored, hated, loved. Acknowledge each other and acknowledge yourself in the community. Enjoy each other's company or loathe each other's existence. Above all, have fun, even if it's difficult at times.

These are very natural human feelings of passion, and I believe it's absolutely magical that they can be brought about through these little electronic devices. Don't you think?

I hope all of you come to appreciate and love this community as much as I do. My advice? Banish the TL;DR attitude. Learn and take advantage of your experiences here as you do in real life. It'll be something you will cherish in the end.

I know I do.

Goodbye, Dogfight! I won't be playing the game anymore, but I will check up on the forum every once in awhile. This is a formal, but not a true, full goodbye. Best hopes and wishes,

-Luna

Dear Sir,

hope all is WELL and Best wishes with you for your future...!
we miss you always there in sky..




. ! M

Luna,

Dogfight will be a little less without you, and I hope you know what you've added here. Everyone who's read a Luna post has learned at least a bit, and more typically a lot. I know I have. You have been a beacon of reason, and a constant force to make us look at ourselves from the outside in.

I only hope my own daughters grow up to be as introspective as you. As painful as that perspective may be sometimes, it's a rare feature, and one that is plainly necessary to appreciate the world around us while at the same time not take it for granted. I'm not sure how you wound up with such balanced character, but maybe try to bottle it and send it around for the rest of us.

Best wishes on a great adventure in your deployment. Many thanks to you and your peers for serving your country.

Manfred

Such a well written post!! Wise beyond your years!!

Thank you for sharing and not just leaving quietly....

Hope to see you back in the six months or so!!

Good luck and God Speed!!

Oh my, so sorry to see you leave Luna. I remember you ripping up the sky's when I started. You taught me how to survive in the game. You will be sorely missed around here. Good luck with you future endeavors in life.

GreyGhost

Thank you, Luna, for letting me welcome you, and for sticking around for so long.

Thank you for always being a voice of reason and moderation, even when you were younger than I am now. Even more so for always having a blast while doing it. Thanks for somehow losing your cool less than grown ass men did, when you were only sixteen, despite all you got put through (Tell Octavia the same- your family's pretty cool.). Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into this forum, even as it's evolved into it's current state. Thank you for that stupid blue text thing that you've done for two years now . Thanks for being the first brony that I really liked. (I still don't get that show. ()) Thank you for putting up with everything that we put you through, being the first girl roughly our age here (Okay, maybe that wasn't SOOOO much me. ) Thank you for listing me first . Thank you.

Since you're going, let's take a look at a couple of my favorite Luna-moments that I found when I was looking for one in particular.

The one I was actually looking for. This is where this started.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/8-squad...l-stand-strong#66719

The one that I really shouldn't link to, (Manfred, very sorry. Special times, special measures and all that.)
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossi...-luna-sitcom-planing

This one, which isn't interesting for anyone who didn't know Vortex. At some point, we actually liked that guy, apparently.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossi...on-of-the-year#42257

This one, to show us why he got banned three times, and for you being awesome as usual, Luna, and summing up the forum at that point in time.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossip/30884-say-thanks

This one, because it made me laugh.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossi...e-names-ingame#44011

Everything that you said for this whole conversation (Going back a page or two). Great job.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/enigma-...ead?start=1540#42095

Just this particular post off of this thread.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossi...anguage-thread#40177

One of my favorite posts ever on the forum. (And in black text!)
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossi...cover-dogfight#18891

And one of my least.
dogfightplay.com/index.php/forum/2-gossi...-the-good-in-goodbye

Luna, I really hate to see you go, and I know we all wish you the best of luck and safety in the Navy (Or did you change your mind and go AF?). You were always awesome, and I wish we had've had the opportunity to know each other longer. Know that the forum will be infinitely worse off without your presence here. Also, know that I almost never cry, and I'm tearing up just typing this.

Godspeed, Luna6. I wish you all the best for the rest of your life. Stay safe, keep your head up, shoot straight, and always remember: Even ISIS doesn't deserve to be spawnkilled.



:EDIT: Oh, and because I wasn't here two months ago: Happy belated birthday!

dear moon, I hope it all goes well, her words are wise, the hechare less like those of macfate.espero to continue to post their lessons razonamiento.sus always'll have in my mind definitely a big loss if nod leaves big hug.

Luna,

This is an incredibility thoughtful, mature, and well written post. I want to thank you for your massive contributions to this game and the DF community.

I especially want to thank you for putting together the faces of DF thread which allowed us to put a face with the name. I feel like i have a tighter connection with the players who have posted their pictures there. They seem more real / genuine. I don't know hard to explain.

I don't think we ever met but I have read many of your posts on forum and I was always impressed. You are intelligent, articulate and the picture of you and Octavia on Faces of DF thread is beautiful.

Losing quality people like you and McFate definitely hurts. You both are the kind of people that bring the whole community up and set a positive example for us to follow. I understand that you are leaving mostly because you are entering a new stage in your life. But this announcement on the heels of McFate's recent goodbye post really forces you to take a look inward and ask yourself if you are part of what is driving these players away.

I have heard many stories of the early days of DF. Where flying with honor was more important than KDR. Where players switched to help the out the outnumbered pilot. I realize that as the game gets more popular recreating that environment may be unobtainable. That said, it sounds pretty good to me and I don't want to lose anymore quality people from this community. So I am redoubling my focus on being a more positive community member. Thank you for the inspiration.

I wish you the best and much happiness / success as you enter this new chapter of your life.


Warm regards,

Lowdan Clear

Wow Ma'am Luna,

What a post. When I think the previous post was the best you come up with another one.

Please don't deprive us with your wonderful posts!

We know that you be off for six months but you can always write and share whatever and whenever you feel but don't stop writing.

I requested McFate also who too write so well that I always wait for the next post.

Hope you will continue posting for the DF Community especially for NLR and will not disappoint us.

May God bless you. Wishing you all the best in all your endeavor.

Luna too?

Bummer!

Wishing you all the best,......and if you go for second best,......you know where we are.


Ed

Awesome send off!

only flew with you a couple of times, but you showed class then and your goodbuy post shows class now. Stay safe during your deployment, and throughout your life.

Dear Luna,

It has been a pleasure getting to know you here on the forum and in the game. I have only seen you a few times in the air, probably because we are in different time zones, but it has been a pleasure to fly with or against you.
I will not say goodbye, but I will say farewell. Farewell and Godspeed. Farewell in your deployment and Godspeed for a safe return. You know you won't be able to stay away for long, this place is too addictive for that! Also, Manfred will be lost in the Jolly Roger without your good self behind the bar, he can hardly get to grips with his phone, let alone beer taps and a cash register!
All your DF friends will be here awaiting your return. Until then, know we are all in your corner (I don't know why I have been given spittoon duty, but hey-ho).

Hope to see you sooner rather than later,

KK

Never really got too know you Luna but I hope the military go's well I know u will be missed here in the world of dogfight

The game is great because of the good people like you Luna. Drop by again when time permits.

Jeez. As if ur first departure wasnt hard enough. Dang luna, i really hate to see u leave. U and i sure had our fair share of fun games when i was a rookie. Amazing how fast 3 years fly. I understand ur call of duty, but please promise u will check in once in a blue moon. Ive always looked up to u as a friend, a fighter, and an all around golden hearted and compassionate person.
You will be greatly missed! By all the NLR, All the old players, some of the newer players, and by me. U have been an inspiration to my flying. It has been an honor to fly by ur wing when u where blue and die by ur bullets when u where red. I sure hope u can stop by every now and then. Please stay safe while ur out there. Till then.
Farewell my friend. Aloha Oè.

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Very little gets me to post lately but this one qualifies.

Luna - I've always been impressed with your posts and enjoyed seeing the amazing person I know you are through the words you wrote. I'm very proud for your service and I know you are in store for a great life. Keep taking chances and limit your regrets. I shall miss your virtual self. - Robert

Thank you Luna for the time you spent trying to educate an old fool like me.
I'm glad I could give you something in return.
You are truly one of those I'll be missing.
Good luck in life and take care.

Luna,

I miss you already

Luna you're a class act & they broke the mold after they made you.. Good Luck & God Bless

Luna, I owe you a lot.
Já sinto saudade!