I have a different take on old Pink and LDI. Keep in mind, I'm not familiar with everything that went down and have fading memories.
He called himself Pink Floyd. He wasn't a particularly friendly type. Rough around the edges. But he was a keen number cruncher. As a number cruncher myself, I was a bit peeved that he was better at it than me.
In this game, if you love the numbers enough, they tell you their secrets. Pink learned many secrets. Away from the forums, the number crunchers sometimes have an interest in each others' math. That can lead to collaboration, spying, rivalry, or a combination.
Pink's biggest accomplishment was that he invented the invincible navy. It was a monster: a massive battle group that would wreck anything that attacked it. I remember looking at part of its math that someone sneaked to me and being jealous.
Pink developed some followers, and that became LDI. By then, the game had introduced war engine 2.0, which caused PvP to decline. Many disappointed veterans had left. With Pink's numbers, LDI had a competitive advantage.
In its early years LDI was active in PvP. Some wars involved controversial game mechanics. Eventually the gamemasters crippled guerrilla war and removed the invincible navy. PvP became too dysfunctional and boring but that's another story. Perhaps Pink left because the numbers were no longer fun.
LDI's apex was that it rid the game of a megalomaniacal loudmouth known as Laguna.
Laguna regarded himself as the god of number crunching. He often dissed those who disagreed with him. I would think that Laguna's attitude alienated Pink.
Laguna ran a fed called Valde Subsidium. LDI defeated it in some big wars. I think this was around 2009 or 2010. Laguna was emasculated and ashamed, and disappeared with his tail between his legs.
But it's sad that the most interesting wars were 8+ years ago. I believe Pink's doctrine was that the numbers provide fun. When the numbers aren't fun, it's time to seek fun elsewhere.
