The 2011 Address to the Ultra RPG

2010 has been a defining year for the Ultra RPG. It has been a year of great change, great transition, great struggle, great work, and great hope. It has been a year where we’ve formed new friendship, new rivalries, and new beginnings. A year to remember.


A Tale of Two Forums

In April, we expanded the URPG to Bulbagarden, having existed solely on Pokémon Elite 2000 for 7 years. It was a transition that was faced with both expectation and skepticism. It was a grand opportunity for the group, a chance to gain new members and increased activity. A chance to be known not only on one community, but two. A chance to be greater than who we were. But it was also a farewell to the old model. A farewell to remaining solely PE2Kers (which many of us were). A farewell to an era that began when Flare first brought the URPG to PE2K.

I won’t sugarcoat it. The expansion has harmed PE2K. It removed one of the forum’s pillars of strength. And as Head of the URPG and as Vice Global Moderator of PE2K, I am truly sorry. We expanded for the best of reasons to help the URPG, but it, at least for that moment, did not help PE2K.

But I promise we will do all we can to assist PE2K’s revival. PE2K has been our home for a long time and we will never forget where we come from. In PE2K’s time of need, we shall help. We will continue our policy of equal opportunities on both forums and actively participate in major events such as the WAR. We shall contribute articles to the site, like Ataro’s strategy submission. We will gladly participate in any discussion regarding PE2K’s success.

We cannot change the past. We can only move forward. And truth be told, I would not change our history. Had we not expanded to Bulbagarden, we would have not met the many good and intelligent members that now support the URPG. We would not have established such wonderful friendships, experienced the many joys, participated in such intense competitions, and read as many heart-rending stories. We’d only be half of who we are now.

And I would not trade in those memories… those friendship… those beautiful moments… for anything.

I want to expand upon that friendship. Bulbagarden has welcomed the URPG with open arms, but we still remain the new guys on the block. For a community that has been around for more than a decade, we have only been a part of it for 9 months. We are thankful for BMG’s support and wish to become more coordinated with the entire forum.

Thus I encourage our members to participate in sections outside of the URPG. To establish friendships and participate in conversations. To demonstrate courtesy and respect to fellow members. Increased cooperation is in the best interest of both groups.


Our Grand Journey

Now, at the beginning of 2011, we face a grand journey ahead of us.

We are working on introducing fun activities to the URPG, such as Pokémon Art Competitions and D&D-based Roleplaying. We have a massive amount of tournaments coming up and the Summer WAR to capture our attention. We are updating our leadership roster in preparation for these adventurous times.

In early March, Pokémon Black and White will be released to the world. The fifth generation of games, the ones we’ve awaited for so long, will finally arrive to DS consoles across the globe. Fans, new and old, will have a chance to play a game based on a franchise we all love.

And those games will drive people to Pokémon sites like Pokémon Elite 2000 and Bulbapedia. It will drive people to the two forums. And it will drive people to join our Pokémon Ultra RPG in numbers we can hardly imagine.

This explosion will be greater than the Pearl and Diamond rush of 2007 on PE2K or the HeartGold and SoulSilver influx of 2010 on BMG. Our solid presence on both forums will surely attract the attention of new members. They will sign up and participate in the activities that we offer.

And it will be glorious.

But it will also be demanding.

I call upon the Refs and Rangers, the Graders and Judges, to prepare yourselves for the coming surge of members into the URPG, both on PE2K and BMG. I call upon the Officials and Moderators to lead us forward into the Unova Pokémon era, as we incorporate the generation into our own system. I call upon the URPG members to take the time to help out the new members, to demonstrate kindness, and perhaps to teach them a trick or two.


The Ultra Family

For only united as one group, one community can we handle the demand that will be placed upon us. So that we can thrive and emerge stronger than before. We may be either PE2Kers or BMGers, but we are all URPGers! We are the link that unites both forums. And we work hard to support our fellow members no matter what community they belong to. Why? Because they are our friends. They are our compatriots. They are our family.

Because we care.

Whether it’s BMG’s Project Overgrow or PE2K’s Revival, we support it. Whether it’s the Holiday Contests or the WAR, we support it. Whether its Bulbasaur or Lugia, we support it.

Because we are One. Because we are a community that builds, not destroys. A family that heals, not hurts. A friendship that supports, not condemns.

Because we are Ultra.

This is 2011. Let’s show the world who we are.

 

Here Here.....

looking forward to the membership influx

 

More members = Less chance of finding a ref. YAY. :mail:

 

It has definitely been an interesting nine months. I'm definitely looking forward to the new Pokemon (although already have 49.... I have too many) new gyms (new gyms= new leaders = easy to defeat in the first two week ;D). And I also have a bunch of new stories for the new year, which I look forward to writing So here's to 2011! *raises imaginary glass of champagne*

 

it also means more refs :spam:

 

^this.

And I hope the URPG and Bulbagarden/PE2K themselves expand. Bulbagarden because well, it's like an internet home to me, and PE2K because it is deserving of activity. The two sites have big hearts and stuff. I don't mean to get all squishy or anything, so I'll stop here.

 

"Dreaming of one day flying, it practices by leaping off cliffs every day."

"Salamence came about as a result of a strong, long-held dream of growing wings. It is said that this powerful desire triggered a sudden mutation in this Pokémon's cells, causing it to sprout its magnificent wings."

 

So we turn into X Men to help the URPG. BRILLIANCE!

 

Yeah, but how many months till new members become refs? 3? 6?

 

Sometimes 2...

 

Well, I'm not a new member (joined when URPG joined BMG, like day of) but I just became a ref. As well, there have been a huge surge of refs in the past... two months? And various others over the past year. In addition there are a number of hopefuls that will no doubt be taking and hopefully passing the ref test soon.

I'm really looking forward to the release of B/W and the nearly unlimited potential it has to redefine and enrich the URPG experience with new Pokémon to use and new strategies to devise.

I've enjoyed my time here so far, and look forward to the time to come.

 

Remember DP n00bs? Yea good times.

 

Wow, new year, new game, and new members. Thats gonna be a lot to take in but its gonna be great! ^^

Hopefully I can become a Grader during this year and help out a little with the noob rush

 

Why does this sound like we are going to war? :awww:

HAHAHA

 

Good speech Harry ^_^ I'm looking forward to 2011 and to the influx of new members expected in March/April.

I'm also looking forward to any signs of revival on PE2K. Black/White will be a great chance to help activity improve

 

A wonderful speech, HKim! Very touching and all that...

I am very much looking forward to the rest of 2011, where we all will find new friends, new rivals, new Pokemon, new activities, and more! Also, I'm pretty sure with the influx of new members, we would also have an influx of officials, refs, graders, judges, rangers, etc!

 

inb4 URPG Supremacy of Bmgf HOHOHOHO

Anyways, what a nice address and wonderful boost of morale to us!

 

The irony of some PE2Kers posting here instead of PE2K. :loopy:
Nice speech, btw Harry.

 

I think you mean WAR? (amirite?)

I'm just here cause no one touched the Pe2k thread =P

 

A wonderful speech HKim, very nicely said ^_^

here's to a great 2011