“We did it our way, looking back on the good days, there’s still not a lot I regret.” – Toby Keith, “Nights I Can’t Remember, Friends I’ll Never Forget.” Join Reporter Dillon in his very emotive essay on his experience throughout the Club Penguin Private Server army community.
Designed by Edu14463
Reflection
It’s been a long time. A very long time. For so long, in fact, many of the people that I remember clearly have been gone from this community for so long that now they’re more legend than human. Sweglord and Flame. Moonlocks and FelicityFox. But beyond that, so many have actually left. As in, they stopped showing up. Stopped caring. Left those they knew behind. I think many people, myself included, stop and ask themselves: Was this worth it? Many times, the answer will change from year to year. In my case, month to month, especially in 2018 after my retirement, when the revival was fresh in my head.
For many years, the answer was no. I should’ve let go. I should’ve realized that anything I did would be corrupted by people who didn’t share my vision for a post-Club Penguin army community. I should’ve spent the hours upon hours I’d stare at a laptop screen doing something else. I’d silently berate myself whenever real-life friends would bring up Club Penguin because one thing was always stuck in my head: I wouldn’t let it go. Admittedly, my regret ate me alive. I couldn’t look at CPA. I couldn’t stomach what the community had become from how it was left. And I especially couldn’t stomach who was in charge.
However, my perspective slowly but surely changed. It started in 2023, after withdrawing myself from everything Club Penguin for several years. I noticed, gradually nostalgia for what I had done showing up. Often, I found myself looking back and going, “That was fun,” or messaging people and going, “Do you remember this guy?” The nostalgia slowly built up. I found myself navigating the CPA Wiki and going, “do we really only have this much information on this?” “Surely we have more that just hasn’t been added, right?” or in cases of the Underground Mafias Army Civil War, outright historical revisionism (such as the name of my faction during it) that needed to be addressed. That’s what led to The First Year. But more than that, I realized that I had made genuine friends here that, quite frankly, I would’ve never met otherwise.
An hour into an intense battle – one of the first wars of the CPPS era
And now, 2 years later, I sit at my desk, listening to Eric Church’s Springsteen, and think. I think back to 2012, when Roberto recruited a certain 9-year-old wrestling fan into the Light Troops. I think about 2015, when that kid returned under a new name to a new army, the Blue Miners Army. And of course, I think back to March 28th, 2017, when that kid took control of the Underground Mafias Army from Bam117, Derek, and Eyes521 and started a whole new era of Club Penguin Armies.
I think for many of us who were around pre-CPPS, it’s much easier to pretend that CPA ever mattered. No matter how often we hang around, we’ve built up a wall between reality and how we feel currently that we refuse to take down. Armies were stupid and a waste of time. Nothing ever mattered here.
I know that the 9-year-old recruit would be awestruck by everything I have done. Literally recreating the community from scratch. Being given control of one of the most prestigious and well-known armies ever, becoming a legend in that army, and having the community acknowledge my contributions as well. So every now and then, I force myself to acknowledge that even if the actual game itself was a waste, there was good to extract from it. That confrontation, the reality of my time here compared to what I want to believe is the reality, puts everything into perspective.
Thinking.
Beyond that philosophical moment however, I met people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I would’ve never met Games, who I consider to this day to be a friend. Dino and I would never have debates over who is more autistic (he is, by the way). I definitely would’ve never met Aaron and spent years calling him fat. As Splasher99 once said, the value of armies comes from the abstract, not the concrete.
What I Did Right
There are many things I wish I would’ve done in 2017 that I just didn’t. Likewise, there are many things I did that I am proud of.
Let’s start with what I did right. I’m hugely proud of most of the people I brought in to help with UMA. Fudge Doge wasn’t the best choice, but Smurf, Sir Proditor, Games, and Sweglord were all fantastic pickups and people I loved working with. I’m also grateful that we were left to our own devices. I got to lead UMA as a noob basically. As I’ve told Bam, being given an army like UMA and then left to my own devices is something that I didn’t really appreciate at the time, but nowadays, I view it as a blessing. Also, Blitzkrieg. I loved the Blitzkrieg strategy, and it should’ve been used more, but it’s another thing I am very proud of. My lack of planning was also a strength at the time. It allowed me to adjust to vibes and overall just throw caution to the wind.
What I Would Do Differently Today
Now for the stuff I wish I had done differently. Let’s start with this: I wish I had taken better care of the site. I should’ve held that site with an iron fist from the start instead of letting it get defaced twice and then realizing I needed to control it. A lot of UMA history is lost because of those mistakes. Also, looking back, I should’ve made Romans a UMA colony rather than trying a rebrand. Making it a colony would have ensured that it remained under UMA control and would’ve served as a fantastic way to let potential future leaders get their feet wet without leading UMA. I also wish I did more to prepare future leaders. I had always planned on being retired by the time I was 18, so I should’ve been preparing them for a reality where I was gone.
Another massive mistake I made was not fighting harder for Elmikey and the Rebel Penguin Marines to remain in the New Viking Alliance. The NVA’s military might was built on the UMA-Dark Knight Empire alliance. I should’ve put my foot down and made it clear to the United Republic of Penguins and the rest of the NVA that there was no way in Hell we were losing a crucial ally and the greatest army leader of all time just because the Romans got upset that Elm was involved. I should’ve made it clear that UMADKE had the final say, and the other armies were just along for the ride. If we had kept RPM involved in the NVA, I have no doubt that we could’ve taken on RPF in 2018.
Finally, I wish I knew when my time was up. 2018 should’ve been a transitional year for UMA, rather than a year marred by shutdowns and failed revivals. I should’ve passed it on to Games and let him continue while acting as an advisor.
Acknowledgements
UMA
I just wanted to do some quick acknowledgments of those who were around for the origins of the new era.
Sweglord – Sweg is more legend than person in CPA nowadays, but he was very much real and his contributions should not go unnoticed. The Mafias-UMA war that kickstarted the generation wouldn’t have occurred without me and Zeke rebelling from the Mafias. He was a lifesaver in June when Zeke defaced us. He took over and led with Game and I for a bit, until going back to school. Sweg will always be remembered for his contributions—both as opposition and a crucial figure in the army.
Fudge Doge/Zeke – The 2nd UMACPR leader. As time has gone on history definitely doesn’t look at him favorably, but he was still a huge part of UMACPR and was around for basically every gen I was.
Games – You cannot tell the story of CPRA without Games. He was instrumental in everything UMACPR for 8 months. From saving UMA from the RPF, to our merge into Romans, to my coup, to taking over as the main leader. Once Games got to leader in July, he became the heart of UMACPR. More than that, he has been a friend.
Mason Cooper – Despite everything, Mason definitely revitalized UMACPR. Especially in February 2018. Though UMA didn’t win those wars, the fire he lit under us was invaluable.
Twitchy – Twitchy gave us the first real chance at truly making UMACPR a genuine UMA entity. He gave us the site that UMA Rewritten still uses and acted as a de facto guardian while Bam couldn’t.
Non-UMA
Manifest Red – While Manifest’s style of leadership didn’t mesh well with UMA, favoring influencing the community through political alliances rather than strength and war, she was still a huge part of this first year. The New Viking Alliance was a genius idea, even if destined to fail.
Edu14463 – Terrorist. On a serious note, the Elite Guardians is a phenomenal army nowadays, and despite my hatred, was always great. Despite the fact that Edu engaged in terroristic actions (attempting to make UMA into a NVA puppet state), he’s a phenomenal leader and is also very funny. And also, he’s the only editor I trust with my posts, so that counts for something.
Elmikey – Possibly, no, THE greatest leader of all time. Elm’s contributions to the modern community came after his removal in RPF, and he ended up becoming a critical player in the growing tensions between the NVA and UMACPR. He also played a humongous part in ensuring that UMA won the War of Roman Subjugation. I don’t often express it, but I appreciate him more than anyone knows.
Cobra – Cobra really could fit in either UMA/Non-UMA, but his contributions to the community were more so in EGCP/DKE. The UMADKE alliance was a stroke of genius, and was huge in the victory against Romans.
Smurf – Smurf’s in a similar boat to Cobra, he could fit in both categories. Starting in RPF, ended up coming to UMA, but stuck around Romans. Romans at the time were definitely UMA’s biggest adversary.
And for everyone else not mentioned, regardless of the era you’re from, thank you. Everyone has played a part in this insane, comedically unserious world of Club Penguin Armies. From the people who attend an event and leave to the people who can’t leave (Aaronstone42).
Have you enjoyed reading this essay of Dillon? What mistakes have you made throughout your army career? What about your successes? Who do you wish to acknowledge? Regardless of who you are, you have made history in the Club Penguin army community.
Dillon
Reporter