I don't know his actual name, but when we played Protest the first time in R23 we had someone called Treatid, and he pretty much held that alliance together. Brilliant organiser and great knowledge.
I remember treatid! <3 Wondered why I never heard of him again, thought he quit :/
I remember Treadid too, we had a hilariously awkward "accidentally answered prank" conversation in Protest, good player.
My sentiments are very similar to Toby in that I only started playing "properly" well after the game was in it's prime, and therefore I can't offer a fair assessment pre-round-19.
Names that I haven't seen mentioned (read: not
Darksider xD) that I think deserve a mention:
1) There are people who can solo... and then there are people who can REALLY solo. They may not have been movers and shakers in the alliance scene, but give them a bit of space on their own and they can kill/bounty hunt/land like no other. In this category I would include:
Cid - I always got on well with Cid, give the guy a few PBs and he's a monster. Spent a few rounds as rank 1 as a solo a week in I believe, and also rank 1 when allied.
Iamsmart - Just an amazing player. So active, so contactable, so knowledgeable, when he and Cid were PNAPed they were pretty unbreakable, only fatigue and the passage of time wore them down. Also an amazingly accomplished alliance player to boot.
Jeff54321 - He spent a stint at rank 1 as a solo... puppet. Crazy. Also spent time rank 1 as a solo bunker I think.
Zaheen - Played the game to the point of obsession, but nobody could argue that his persistence was an asset to success in his gameplay. Arbsurdly high ability at solo gameplay.
Cheese - Never the best manners, but always the best tactics. He could unravel my entire alliance just with a few mind games when he was a solo puppet, was a very intelligent adversary.
Deloitte - Mass Jeep rushing in Hell round. Repeatedly comes back and does fantastic at bounty hunting.
Maickesh - For his insane bribing, and as a UC player? Great all round game. His hypnos are coming for your troops. Whether you like it or not.
2) Leaders, people who can inspire action in their members, while also being commanding respect from their enemies. In this category I would like to add:
JJ - He turned Hounds around into a real fighting force, and then later managed a rank 1 finish. Very skilled player, and often while playing UC, deserves much credit IMO.
Martin - Great leader, great conversationalist, very easy to respect.
Melendil+MattM - Fantastic guys to play alongside in the first incarnation of Protest, did something totally different in the game at the time and for a lot of it managed to upkeep rank 1. Incredible intelligent pair and hilarious to chat alongside.
Podunk - Much respect for Pod, good player, good character, good leader.
Leeroy+Flamey - Always able to organise something good in terms of attacking, and yet never take themselves too seriously. Guaranteed fun.
3) Alliance game changers. These aren't necessarily the leaders, but they are the people who stand next to them and make things happen. They are organisers, moral beacons of hope and are the characters whom, if you were fortunate enough to recruit them, would literally turn an entire round on its head. First and foremost:
Ed - This guy seriously has the midas touch. Doesn't matter where he goes, success and victory will come. Whether it is The Trivial Bunch or The Boat in terms of outright victory, whether it is being recruited to Heart Collectors and breaking the deadlock, whether it is going solo and causing the rank 1 alliance to quake in fear or a bounty rush, whether it is harrier rushes from a Prevailing Swift Kink... I could go on but I need not say more.
JamesNchina - Late to the scene, but an absolute powerhouse. If you recruit this guys you know that you stand a chance against anything. First in defence, first in attack, first to post in pols and first to make a breakthrough. All while being a hilarious character and not taking things too seriously.
Dachi - Supreme attack planner, at his peak he can co-ordinate vaste swathes of IDs, routes and merge them together into a less of a wave and more of a Tsunami. I have been on both sides of the crashing surf and always learn something new as I either stand in awe of the glory or rush frantically to pull together a tangible defence.
Quitus - Some players thrive on their skill. Some thrive on creating fear. And others thrive on sheer activity. I think Quitus comes under all three of these categories, particularly the latter. He's always online - he is always there. If you are attacking his alliance, he is there defending. If you are in the rank 1 alliance - he is there rushing you. Over... and over... again. Doesn't take no for an answer, and in my mind deserves a strong mention.
Toast - Strong in both offense and defence, solo or allied, would often be at the top and partcipating in game changing events. Personal favourite being the RPG bounty on Zhouj of course.
CK - For better or worse xD He still altered bushtarion landscapes over the years.