On GWDFI... As most of you know, GWDFI is will be closed indefinitely soon. I believe later in the day on August 2nd. Why? Many reasons. The reason I believe is the strongest is that GWDFI has been increasingly unsafe for its target audience: young people. A lot of people who are already going through struggles in real life have met even more in GWDFI. Do I agree with this 'indefinite timeout'? Well, it wasn’t my decision to make. Honestly, it doesn't matter. What really matters is.... What happens next? It's quite the question. Well, on a literal level, I can at least tell you a few things. GWDFI Camp Still happening! I have permission from the other managers to continue it. <3 I'm currently working on finalizing the list and finishing up chapter one of the game. If you sign up late, I'll still try to sort you, even if late! GWDFI Well, the closure is 'indefinite,' but likely not forever. Krm, the Manager Unsure! I may not return to manage as closely as I used to if/when GWDFI reopens. :’) I've enjoyed managing GWDFI so much. <3 This experience has been so dang rewarding for me. The fact that I got to make a difference to so many people, even if that difference was tiny, means infinite amounts to me. I cannot explain how much you guys have impacted me as a person. <3 However, if GWDFI opens again, there's a good chance I won't be working as closely and frequently with GWDFI. I'm in high school—and dang, am I busy. I'll still be around Scratch, but I'm hoping to be a little less active. And you. Well, what's next for you? That's for you to decide. GWDFI has been a big part of my life and many of yours for quite a while. There are other things which can fill that space, though. For many of us, school starts either in August or September. Use that opportunity of a new school year to try something new. Join a club. Take a class you wouldn't normally take. I've found that you can achieve incredible things by doing something entirely mundane. You might not be on GWDFI, but you can still make a difference. In other people's lives, of course—but also, in your own. Don't be afraid to shake your schedule up a bit. Don't be afraid to do something which could change your life. Hang in there, folks. <3 You're awesome. I'll see you on the other side. [Hamilton reference??] Forever grateful, Krm, GWDFI Manager
On the Game Master.... Immediately upon hearing that GWDFI, my part time home for two years, was closing, I was certain of one thing: I had to make a game. The next few days were a whirlwind of my thoughts. I sat with the idea of an indefinite closure. I pondered the past, current, and future of GWDFI. But this was all quite a lot to think about, so I often fell upon a crutch I was at least slightly more familiar with: the game. Games, for me, are not escapism. I strive to use my games to express real life emotions in an engaging, interactive, and immersive way. Sometimes, these emotions are mine; sometimes, they're that of someone else. As I grappled with the timeout, I translated my thoughts into the game. I wanted to talk about moving on. I wanted to talk about finding new things in life, even if it's scary. I wanted to say that awesome things can end, and it isn't all bad. I wanted GWDFI to make the decision, in some way, to move on. And that was the way they would win the game. And thus, after much brainstorming, the Game Master was created. The Game Master, unlike me, does not use games as a communication device. He escapes into his games—it became obsessed with playing. They became obsessed with pursuing a game in favor of actual meaning in its life. Games are his pretend simulation of life, and he was happy to live in it. First, I created 'Boss Rush'—I tied up my loose ends. Said goodbye to Bill Cipher, Luigi, and the other creatures lurking in my games. The Game Master said goodbye to them too. According to the story I created, all of the characters were his. Now the final boss: the Game Master himself. He had only GWDFI to play games with. So they played games. Each time GWDFI managed to knock his health down, he would heal from the sheer excitement he got from each game. When GWDFI finally knocked them down to one health, it exploded in fear. It faced the possibility of a goodbye. So it rigged the game. Gave itself millions of health. There was a stalemate, where GWDFI tried to attack it through more games and dealt with nearly no damage. The only way to defeat him? It seemed as if it was impossible, at first. But ... GWDFI banded together. Closed the comments using my 'emergency timeout button'. And for 10 minutes, GWDFI and the Game Master alike sat with a 'comment closed' screen. There were no more games here. There was nowhere to hide. So the Game Master moved on. He's living a wonderful life now, with the friends I presume he's made. And it's happier now. In the real world. Now, we all have to face that 'comments closed' screen. Except, it's for a lot more than 10 minutes. The Game Master is fictional, yet a little bit real, in all of us. I suggest we take a page or two from the Game Master. I believe that GWDFI's closing is about healing. About moving on. About finding the time to chase something you love. Not as a manager, but as a GWDFIer, no—as a /person/, I believe that the GWDFI closure is an opportunity. For all of us. It's sad, because GWDFI was beautiful. Really, truly, beautiful. But also, this can be beautiful too. A lot of us need to move on. A lot of us have loose ends in life which we've pushed aside. I hope we can all learn from the Game Master. Learn to be vulnerable. With real people. The Game Master was my magnum opus, my homage to GWDFI. He was my goodbye. They were my thank you to everyone I met and I changed and who changed me. But also, it's also a lesson. A lesson I hope you heard—understood, even. A lesson that sometimes, it's okay to move on. We are to GWDFI as Game Master is to his games. Life is unfamiliar, but nothing truly familiar is as rewarding. I invite you to step outside your comfort zone. Step outside GWDFI. Step outside, even. I know it's not easy, and I know we all have different circumstances. This is not an end. This is a new chapter. Thank you so much for all that you've taught me, GWDFI. This is another lesson I've learned here: how to let go. Thank you all for being the most wonderful participants I could have asked for. I love you all. <3 I'm always here if you need me. :) Even if I'm not, I'm sure you can guess what I'd say. Never stop believing, never give up hope. You're worth hanging in there. You're worth making it through whatever life throws at you. You're worth the world, each and every one of you. I'll see you around— I can't wait to see what you all do. Looking forward, Krm P.S. I've included my little drawing of the Game Master here. <3
