To say that this is a strange topic to write is a huge understatement. I can't quite believe that what started out as 2 people, and grew into a huge online community, is still going after ten years.
I'm going to quote from our clan ethos, something that has remained officially private since it was written out formally in 2012 (although I'm sure it's been viewed by outsiders).
This clan was formed to create two things.
First, the strongest group of fighters in VC:MP. At the end of the day, this is a DM clan. If you can't fight, then learn. If you can fight, then teach. Do not lose sight of the fact that we are here to kick ass.
Second, a group of friendly people who are welcoming to newbies. I've seen a lot of people say 'It doesn't matter if you can fight or not, VU's about being a cool guy not about fighting.' This isn't quite right. The clan is about being cool and friendly, but it's also about fighting. Our theory has always been 'if you can speak English and you're not an asshole but you can't fight, then sure you can join. We can teach you to fight.' Everyone can learn to fight, not everyone can learn to be a good person.
It's important that we remember that the goal is to make a team of people who can pwn anyone who comes our way, but that is also humble, kind and fun.
I can honestly say that these were the two core intentions behind VU, and I can honestly say that I think together we have achieved them year after year after year.
The one thing I would perhaps modify is 'Not everyone can learn to be a good person'. This was written when we expected to hold onto members for a year or two maximum, and wouldn't take a significant place in their life. We thought it out of the purview of our engagement to make any meaningful difference to how anyone saw the world beyond the game, and how to interact with others.
We were wrong. We had no idea this thing would last ten years. What we've seen, in fact, is a whole host of people who have been able to use their experiences in VC:MP, with VU as their guides, and improve their personal attitudes. I always thought that VC:MP, and the community around it, was like a mini life-simulator. We get to adopt certain responsibilities and powers, and are given voices, way before it's possible in real life. And the process of navigating these responsibilities, powers, voices and the relationships that tie them together allows us to learn things about how the real world works. I can't count the number of people who have openly stated 'VU changed my life', and I am among them. VU changed my life.
When I think about VU, I also think about the extended community that surrounds it. We've been incredibly fortunate to have a lot of supporters over the years, and ultimately they have outnumbered the people who wanted to see us fail. We wanted to create a platform where the whole community could get together through events, servers, and forum chat, and that relies on people continually coming here and contributing their thoughts. So thank you to everyone who has been involved.
While the whole VU family is incredibly important, I'd like to single out a few people in particular who I think have had a foundational impact on VU, and certainly my journey in the clan.
aXXo - you were there with me from the very beginning. We met in MK and you agreed to follow me out into this new adventure. Endlessly creative, intelligent, insightful, funny, and kick-ass ingame, you're a cornerstone of this clan. Although our periods of activity rarely overlapped, we held it strong over the years and I'm so happy to see you're still here.
Thijn - what can I say dude? You are truly unique in VC:MP - resourceful, helpful, committed, level-headed and insanely generous. Even barely stepping ingame for years, you've maintained the clan vision and stepped in with authoritative insights whenever you've felt it's necessary. You are VU to the bone.
Knucis - my original partner in crime when growing and maintaining the clan in its first couple of years, VU wouldn't exist without you. You provided the motivation and support to continue even when things were at their worst, and you never let our (previous) mountain of enemies bother you - you truly didn't give a fuck about them, because you understood the clan vision from the word go.
TheKing - you're one of the truest leaders in VC:MP. From day 1 of knowing you, I've been bowled over by how kind and inviting you are to newbies, how good you are at steering people in the right direction, and how you understood the concept of open recruitment, against the backdrop of the then-elitist VC:MP orthodoxy. Beyond that, you're wicked fun. I'm delighted that you came back.
GangstaRas - in my eyes you've been the king of VC:MP for a few years now. For the first couple of years I thought you would fade away, given your long periods of absence, but true to your word you came back every summer, and brought with you all the enthusiasm, commitment and dedication that you started with. Now you sit at the top of the game, making outstanding events and acting as a true role-model for everyone in the clan and those in the community too. Simply put, you're a hero dude.
Veteran - my VC:MP soulmate. What can I say dude? You're the VUest of them all. Your ability to not get wrapped up in all the drama bullshit, and just play the god damn game, has always brought us down to earth. Many of us sometimes forget that VC:MP is supposed to be a fun shooting game, you never do. Consistently one of the friendliest, most skillful and admirable members of this community.
Wilson - you're fucking insane and I love it. Every team needs one person who will just go balls-to-the-wall crazy to defend everyone else. If anyone comes close to harming VU, you don't give a fuck about your personal reputation, you go after them with everything you've got. It's been a tumultuous few years for you in the clan, and we're all better off for them.
Ferrari32 - much like Veteran, you serve as a constant reminder to just shut the fuck up and play. You give an old school edge to clan discussions and plays, cutting through bullshit with hardline stances informed by sharp insight. I've been particularly impressed with your habit of choosing a few trainees who a lot of people don't have faith in, but seeing something in them, and guiding them in the right direction. You will defend them against the rest of the clan, and usually you are right. You can spot talent where others can't.
Stormeus - wherever the fuck you are, for years you provided a voice of measured reason, completely in line with VU principles. Like Thijn, you rarely strayed ingame, but you nevertheless dedicated hundreds of hours to helping the clan run smoothly, and guiding people in the right direction when it came to making decisions.
Siezer & Joker - I've put you two together because I think of you as two of the people who seriously continued the VU vision when some of us older guys became less involved. You both have inspiring individual stories, and have come to define what being a VU is for the new generation of members.
Of course I could go on and on, but I will leave it there for now. All I can say is that I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who's been a part of this great community over the years. I can't see it lasting another ten years, but I could be wrong.
I'd like to encourage anyone to share their thoughts/reflections/experiences of VU over the ten years in this topic.
Viva la VU!