Welcome to the home of Musketeers!
Musketeers began on July 12th, 2004 as a linkshell on the Ragnarok server of Final Fantasy XI, and was founded on one central principle: the moment someone logs in, they’ll be met with fun and teamwork and a sense that, even though the rest of the world can be rough, this community is a place we can call home.
We started out as a handful of friends, and have grown into a fairly close-knit community. Since then, we’ve seen a lot of people come and go (and return), and we’ve branched out here and there to include communities on Steam and in Guild Wars 2. I’m proud of the things we’ve accomplished, and look forward to what we’ll do together in the future. But, no matter the setting, these are a few things that define the vision for our community:
- Real Life Comes First. Musketeers have spouses, parents, children, friends, roommates, and pets that come before the game. Musketeers attend high school, college, and daily jobs that come before the game. We don't expect anyone to neglect these things in the real world. When life happens, the game (and our community) yields.
- We all enjoy our online time, and enjoy the escape. When we can, we like to adventure with one another, and we try to help each other attain our goals in a positive environment of support and camaraderie. This community is our home, and its members are our family.
- We’re not cookie-cutter images of each other, therefore we are tolerant, respectful, and considerate of our differences (i.e., different playstyles, political and religious views, life choices, lifestyles, etc.). This community exists because we’ve established a safe environment for members, and I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way.
- We are not rude and abusive to each other. We do poke fun, horse around, and laugh; but when someone expresses discomfort with such poking, we apologize, are forgiven, and continue on. If you are uncomfortable, please tell whoever is making you so and work it out like adults. I am willing to listen and mediate.
- We all have bad days, and no one can be cheerful or understanding 100% of the time. However, if everyone does their best to contribute to the sense of respect and consideration, we can avoid making bad days worse. That said, the occasional rant or misjudgment can be overlooked; a consistently bad attitude cannot.
- You get out of Musketeers what you put into it. The more involved a person is, the more likely they’ll find others willing to join activities that they plan. We enjoy helping our Musketeers family, but we expect the same enthusiasm to be returned back when a member has the ability to contribute.
- Lastly, Musketeers doesn’t prohibit membership in other communities, but we do believe that a person who dedicates their time to a single group has the greatest impact on that group, and receives the greatest amount of benefit in return. It’s our hope to have a community that’s compelling enough that you want to stay.
There are two things that every member has a right to: the right to simple respect, and the right to leave. We can be a fiercely loyal group, and we like to help each another achieve things we can all be proud of. However, if you join Musketeers and find that it’s not the right fit for you, you can leave in peace and on good terms, knowing that we’re still available for adventuring, questioning, and general joking.
Musketeers has seen a lot of mileage and a lot of changes in the years it’s been around. I’ve become quite attached to this online family. I look forward to spending time playing with you, laughing with you, getting to know you better. In the end, we’re all here to have fun, share experiences, and enjoy each other’s company.
“All for one, and one for all.”
~Darketower