Dododex
ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion
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Hmmm…
How to put this?
Alright, listen.
I am the former Dododex user and FDFC member known as Sovereign Spino. Some of you may alternatively know me as “that guy who wrote two poems two years ago.” Initially, I had no intentions of returning to this place. However, due to some recent events, I have come to understand that there is some civil unrest among the new generation of fanfictioners.
Many of you believe that we, the “OGs”, as you put it, abandoned Dododex because we didn’t care about anyone else or who it might affect; that we were selfish. To be completely honest, I didn’t expect so many new members to fill the empty space left in our absence. What you have to understand, is that you can’t understand exactly what it was that made us leave. We ourselves really haven’t pieced it all together.
This community was born from a time where the entire world has been flipped on its head. When nobody knew how to navigate this new world they lived in, and everyone felt trapped. We were brought here was wanderers, with a collective interest in Ark and a love for storytelling. We found solace in each other’s presences, but we were all still just confused kids.
When I first found my way to Silver Dye, it was clear that the community was already declining. As the world opened up again in a post-pandemic era, people once again began to go off and do things, to grow as people, to experience the real world again. This left less time dedicated to fanfictioning and to Dododex as a whole, and that’s alright. People change.
That’s the point I’m trying to make. Growing up hits you hard and fast. You never now it’s coming until it’s right there, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. When you’re young, you convince yourself that you can keep up whatever you’re doing forever and that change will simply look the other way. Eventually, you stop being able to uphold those illusions. And that’s what happened to us. As we grew, we eventually grasped the reality of our situation. Dododex didn’t provide the platform we sought to suit our needs. The desire, motivation, and time to write stories eluded us, but to maintain contact, we moved to Discord.
There, we found a method of communication hitherto unimagined by the likes of the Dododex platform. Whole conversations could be carried out in a matter of minutes, not whole days. This move wasn’t motivated by any malicious intentions, but more so out of convenience.
I speak before you today not to condemn your misguided anger or to attempt to change your opinion of us in any way. It is true that we’ve joked about the current state of the site several times (though this has always been lighthearted in manner). What have to say for you is this: enjoy your time in the glory days of your community while they last. Don’t waste your time eating campaigns against us who came before you. Focus on living in the present, because one day, whether you like it or not, you will outgrow it. Savor the good moments.
I feel that now, I have said all that needs to be said. Take the information as you will. I hope you heed my message. Take now to your stories, and write to your heart’s content. Take criticism from your peers, and don’t fight amongst yourselves.
Goodnight,
Sovereign Spino