A Message from our Commander-in-Chief

Community First!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already since my first All Hands meeting as

the CIC. It’s even harder to believe my last All Hands meeting as CIC has come

and gone! I talked last year a little bit about culture change here in TAW. Here is

a summary of the culture change that has been made in TAW this past year, a

little about how it was done and the results we have seen as a result.

When I first joined TAW Fox and the then CIC Omega were both in VG with their

sleeves rolled up developing a system for spinning teams up into divisions.

What they were doing was reorganizing the way a division functions from the

field leadership level all the way up to the division leadership level. (I will write

more about Vanguard and the impact it is having on TAW in my blog next

month).

I knew after being elected CIC of TAW I would continue in the shoes of Omega

and Fox and take the TAW reorganization to the next level, the community. Cul-

ture change has been brought to the community through an aggressive cam-

paign of projects. Key projects in this culture change campaign are the TAW

Shop, TAW Cast, The Cutting Edge, the TAW@War tournaments, the TAW News-

letter and the TAW University. Late in the year as most of you remember we also

executed a complete structure overhaul of all positions in TAW.

This year we will continue to impact culture change with the launch of a new

website that will put even more emphasize on our community as a

whole. Be sure to keep a close eye on the front page of taw.net and

the newsletter as well as catch all episodes of TAW Cast for an-

nouncements regarding new community projects.

Now if you are results oriented like I am you are probably thinking,

yeah Hook I hear you but how do you know we’re on the right track

with a culture change? The answer is simple. Last year we doubled

TAW from 600 members to 1200 members and we’re still growing!

The 2011 TAW motto is ―Community First‖

GEN5_Hook

Commander in Chief of TAW

Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from

beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers. ~ Howard Thurman

Premier international online gaming

organization offering structured gaming

while holding paramount honor, friend-

ship, loyalty, and fair play.

From The Battlefield

Copyright © 2010-2011 TAW

Permission is granted to copy, distrib-

ute and/or modify this document under

the terms of the GNU Free Documenta-

tion License, Version 1.2 or any later

version published by the Free Software

Foundation; with no Invariant Sections,

no Front-Cover, Texts, and no Back-

Cover Texts.

All other trademarks, service marks,

and copyrights are property of TAW.

2

I Corps Spotlight— Ghost Recon Division

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

has been released since July 2007.

Yes, after nearly 4 years, the latest

version of Ghost Recon is still kick-

ing! The GR Division is supported

and planted in its’ roots with quality

and dedicated officers.

COL_Silentdeath, and COL_Doc,

have been around for a while and

know what teamwork does for a

Division. Interestingly enough, Doc

is a former Rainbow Shield member

that has brought his expertise to

GR . Silentdeath is a long time

member of GR and continues to

show virtues of a young, energetic

leader for the future. Together

these two are the best we have to

offer in GR.

What’s next after a game that’s four

years old? Mods, teamwork, and

creative skills. Every game has

Modifications that you can use, and

GR uses them well enough. Team-

work has led the Division to making

some fruitful decisions. What are

they you might ask? First, GR is

revamping their Division line-up to

better fulfill the needs of the future.

Mem-

bers

that are

forward

thinking

and

want to

help

create a

GR

within

GR are

excel-

ling. Custom Map building, Ad-

vanced Tactics, and Training that

goes well beyond that of normal

FPS thinking is helping shape the

near future of GR. Newer game

types such as Coop and TDM to-

gether. First if you don’t get shot by

the computer generated A.I., you

have to worry about your REAL Play-

ers at the same time. Homing

RPG’s anyone? Yes, we got those

too. Thinking outside the box in GR

is making it truly possible to main-

tain GR’s member levels, while cre-

ating openings in other roles within

the Division. Just ask the publisher

of this newsletter Cherrylanekilla,

who himself came from the GR Divi-

sion. Why? Outside skills not pos-

sessed by many, and the drive to

accomplish tasks and help the Divi-

sion and TAW.net. This is our Divi-

sion…..Strong….Ever Chang-

ing….Ever Adapting…..We Are One!!!!

MGN_ChicagoONE CC 1CC

3

Here are seven of my A B C's

for Great Leadership. Read

over them and see what you

think. Challenge your team to

come up with their own A B C's

for Leadership. Then talk about

them at your next meeting. Re-

member Leaders don't just

happen..They're made!

Accountability: In leadership

roles, accountability is the ac-

knowledgment and assumption

of responsibility for actions,

decisions, and policies includ-

ing the governance, and imple-

mentation within the scope of

the role and encompassing the

obligation to report, explain

and be answerable for result-

ing consequences.

As a Leader you will be ac-

countable to your Chain of

Command. You must be ac-

countable to your unit and to

(Continued on page 7)

“A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest

person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that

the biggest and most powerful possess.”

- Philip Randolph

Corps II Spotlight -

It was great to see so many people

at the All Hands Meeting!.

II Corps has a new member, Beer-

stud after Hibernator became part

of Army Command earlier this year.

BeerStud came from the BC division

and brings with him, maturity and

hands on experience and it's great

working with him.

One of Hook's opening comments

was about Community... something I

have always felt is one of the most

important elements that will help

ensure a continued success for

TAW.

If you look up the definition of com-

munity it will be something like this :

a social group of any size whose

members reside in a specific local-

ity, share government, and often

have a common cultural and histori-

cal heritage.

Our social group is TAW, our size

keeps growing, we reside in TS, we

share a government within our lead-

ership... and, we have that common

'culture' culture being, the total

range of activities and ideas that we

each contribute and how that it is

reinforced by its members. Plus

look at the history we have as a

long running gaming organisation.

So we really do cover all the bases

defining that word.

What do we need to do, to help our

community continue? Everyone

here from Recruit to CiC- is a part of

it.. We all make it count. By working

together.. and what I mean by that

is, showing support to each other -

showing up for your team and being

a regular part of it, that's committ-

ment from you. Building our friend-

ships and funfactor - that's a great

strength... whether you're an exisit-

ing or new member, getting to know

one another is what helps build a

team and making sure we are all

enjoying being here playing these

games with each other.

Something else that's important is

recognising potential in ourselves or

others and helping each other ei-

ther in game or in roles.

Because : Running a division takes

constant organisation and each

officer needs to rely on each other

for it to work well, this only comes

from presence and communica-

tion. .... this is how it can keep

growing.

Being a Core Commander & part of

Central Command is no longer just

looking out for just one divison. The

responsibilty increases but so does

the support. It's about managing but

not micro managing. you need to

show guidance but still allow the the

leadership skills to develop and

grow. and with that I just want to

finish off by saying I am really proud

of the great job the divisions as a

whole are doing in II Corps.

4

This month in Vanguard

The Oceanic Regional Officer

position is open and Vanguard is

looking for someone from that

area of the world to fill it. If you

are from that area and are inter-

ested please email

feanor@theartofwarfare.net

Vanguard grew to become the

largest current division in TAW

with over 225 members!

Thanks to all the hard working

recruiters, Drill Instructors and

staff down there who are mak-

ing it happen!

From the trenches...

Bloodline Champions continues

to grow in terms of team size,

event structure, culture, and

leadership. Under the wise lead-

ership of the Vanguard staff and

great guys like Denied, Zcuron

and Depiction the BL group is

well on their way to launching.

With over 82 members and new

recruits the battalion is poised

to launch May 15th to full Divi-

sion Status! Congratulations and

well done!

Company of Heroes breaks 50+

members and has developed a

strong leadership and event

culture. Like Bloodline Champi-

ons, they are close to launching

as well and the North American

(Continued on page 10)

5

Online Game communities are social in nature By Cindy Ahuna

Who are the friendly characters that will play with you if you play with them?

In 1969, "SpaceWar", developed by Rick Blomme, was the first two-player game designed to play on PLATO. In 1961, the

"Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations" was the first network to run on the Illiac computer system. PLATO

was created by Professor Chalmers Sherwin, under the direction of electrical engineering professor Don Bitzer, co-inventor

of the plasma display pane at the University of Illinois.

During 1970 through 1977, multiplayer games included "SpaceWar"; a version of "Star Trek"; "Avatar", a Dungeons and

Dragons-style game; "Airflight", a flight simulator; and "Empire", which supported 32 players on PLATO. In 1972, PLATO

hosted 1,000 simultaneous users. In May 2001, Sony's "EverQuest", a massive multiplayer online role-playing game,

hosted 60,000 to 80,000 players daily.

In 1973, David R. Woolley designed "Notes", a communications software for PLATO. Due to the release of this software,

"Talkomatic", precursor to IRC with handles and chat rooms, was developed for PLATO. A maximum of five people wrote and

read each other's messages on the same screen. Chat rooms were open and uncensored. A player logged on using their

real or an anonymous name, and played either gender role.

In various online chat rooms found on AOL's games and in Sony's "EverQuest", text is censored when gamers use brand or

offensive words. Role-playing genders, sometimes referred to as gender swapping or multiple representations, is possible

when gamers change or hide the genders of their characters using anonymous names.

In "EverQuest", with more than 360,000 subscribers, thousands of gamers play characters of the opposite gender. Gamers

are free to explore relationships while in character. Male gamers find that female characters generally get treated better in

male-dominated virtual worlds. Sometimes men find it easier to chat with other characters and escape the competition. In

online games, multiple representations allow players to see how other players solve problems. "There are a lot of rumors

and anecdotes about people referring to play games as men or women because they are treated differently," says avid

gamer J. MacLean.

In a lecture titled "Programs, Emotions and Common Sense", Marvin Minsky emphasized in his book the idea of multiple

representation. "If you understand something very precisely in one way", Minsky claims "you don't understand it at all." "You

know it by rote. What does the word understand mean? Understanding means having many different ways to deal with

things," said Minsky. Children memorize history by rote, but they usually don't understand it. Sometimes gamers falsely as-

sume they are interacting with a person who matches the gender's name. Perhaps on one level, Minsky's definition can be

applied as a working analogy for multiplayers who role-play playing games. If multiplayers had more ways of identifying the

characters, they might be able to understand who the friendly characters were when they played with them, but then again,

that might take all of the fun out of the game.

Artist/curator Anne-Marie Schleiner, describes social developments in gaming: "Multiplayer games can be very social. In the

shooter genre, players sometimes band together into "communitys", groups who fight against other groups. Sometimes the

social bonds developed in these communitys extend beyond the game into friendship and players offer each other moral

support through personal hardship and help each other find jobs," said Schleiner.

Social environments evolve from online game communities. "A great example is "Air Warrior", a WW2 flight simulation with

players are so dedicated, they've held conventions. Massive multiplayer role-playing games are also famous for the strength

of their communities "the guilds in "EverQuest" are a great example of this phenomenon," says MacLean. In contrast to sin-

gle player games, communities are vital depending on the game. For example, "for a game like chess, where skill levels can

be critical, many people prefer to play with someone of relatively similar skill," says MacLean.

The past month in Operations Support has for the most part been business as usual:

TAWcast is continuing to develop its new format of shows, using smaller segments than in the past. The fre-

quency of the shows is very much dependent on the amount of content contributed, so if you’re interested in

getting involved please get in touch with DaSniper or a member of his team.

The TAW University recently held a very informative interview with Feanor on the role and day to day operations

of Vanguard. The recording, as well as previous ones, is available on the TAW University page.

As I mentioned last time, the development team received a good response for our request for new coders.

Around one month on, they are getting to work alongside the other team members at hammering out the bugs

and wrapping up other code. Like Icarus mentioned at the All Hands Meeting, the project is currently at around

80% completion and is coming together nicely. If you missed the meeting and the sneak peek screenshots we

showed there, they will be going up alongside the recording, so keep an eye out for the thread. If all goes well,

we should be in a position to set a release date in the fairly near future.

I’d also like to add my congratulations to HeyManNiceShot on his promotion to Brigadier General and on becom-

ing the Information Security Lieutenant Commander. He has been putting in consistently great work towards

both the current and new sites, and has been pretty much the right hand man to Bones for some time now, but

now it’s official.

The purpose of the

Member’s Spotlight is

to honor and show-

case TAW Members

who have risen above

the norm, be it

through acts of Meri-

torious Service or

through acts done on

the Battlefield. This

month as a continua-

tion of our ―Community‖ theme, I have interviewed

LGN Hibernator of Army Command. His honest ap-

proach to leadership has always impressed me and if

you have the change to hear him speak, you too will

be impressed.

Thinking back, what drew you to TAW?

I was playing the Call of Duty game in a server with a

lot of people that were not cheating, hacking and

cussing and then I received an in game text from

someone called ―OKC Sooner‖. He invited me to

check out the TAW clan and ever since was very im-

pressed with the organization.

What do you find most challenging about TAW?

Dealing with all of the wide and varied personalities.

Most everyone thinks they should be in charge and

when someone else is promoted over them, now you

have to deal with that situation and it depends on

the age of the person, their background, experiences,

etc. Always a challenge with just about every decision

in TAW because it affects each person a different

way.

What's the best/worst thing to happen since you

started working with TAW?

I hate to see players make bad decisions and try to

―game‖ the system. The rules and policies are in

place as guidelines but lots of folks try to see what

happens when they push the limits. Most of the play-

ers are good guys and gals but go over the line some-

times. And just like any military organization you

can’t have that. We are a society that lives by certain

standards of conduct and rules and when you go

outside the boundaries, you can’t participate in that

society. Speaking of civilization....one quote from a

famous football coach sums it up, ―Individual com-

mitment to a group effort - that is what makes a

team work, a company work, a society work, a civili-

zation work.‖ -Vince Lombardi.

(Continued on page 7)

6

Operations Support —

In the Scope P.I.O. Interview with LGN Hibernator

Fox’s Maxims:3. Ninety percent of all strife, drama, and member flame-

outs in TAW are directly or indirectly the result of someone feeling they

are entitled to a rank, position, or the ability to make the key decision.

your leadership. If you fail, at be-

ing accountable, to either.... you

will influence both those who look

up to you and those that depend

upon you, in a negative way. Take

a lesson from a Basketball

player...when he fouls and the

whistle is blown...he raises his

hand acknowledging his mistake.

Bearing: In leadership your Bear-

ing is a reflection of the manner

in which you conduct or carry

yourself, including language, ges-

tures and attitude.

As a Leader you will be placed in

many situation, some good and

some bad. You must always be

on guard never to disappoint

those you lead and those you

serve.

Your "Bearing" is what people

know about you,without you say-

ing anything.You can use your

Bearing as a tool to let people

know you are in charge without

saying much. Think about the

strong leaders in history who's

calm, cool presents lead their

troops through good and bad

times.

Consistency: In Leadership con-

sistency is harmony of conduct or

practice with profession...As a

leader you will want to show con-

sistency in all aspects of your

leadership ability. Consistency

may be the more uninspiring ele-

ments of your command pre-

sents, however it is one of the

hardest to master.

Think how easy it is to discharge

the newer member when they

(Continued from page 3) TAW

University

(Continued on page 14)

TAWcast is the beginning of an all new generation of TAW Media Entertainment.

The goal of TAWcast is to bring the aspects that make TAW great into a media

environment for everyone to see. Striving for Quality and Entertainment, TAWcast

Staff hopes everyone enjoys each episodes as much as we enjoy creating them.

9

If you could change one thing about TAW, what would it be?

Pay the folks that are working behind the scenes to keep TAW up and run-

ning. There is so much going on for so many for no monetary gain. There is

an incredible amount of work being done by volunteers behind the scenes

that most players are not aware of. Jobs such as money management,

server management, website coding, bringing new games to TAW. I could

go on and on and all of these volunteers have other things they could be

doing but are dedicated to providing outstanding support to the TAW Com-

munity. My hat is off to everyone that donates their time and efforts for the

good of the TAW community.

What do you wish other people knew about TAW? See above.

What would you say are some of your strongest beliefs about TAW?

Leadership should take care of their people. If you take care of your people,

they will take care of you. CC, DC, DO, CO, XO, SO, SL, etc. all have a role to

perform with managing their personnel. When everyone does their job cor-

rectly, everything works like a well oiled machine. But when folks do not do

their admin, or do not protect their people, things start to break down.

Every leader should know who is under them, their names, their issues,

their concerns, their goals. In order to be a good leader, you have to care

about your troops and you have to take care of your troops.....If I see a per-

son in a leadership position not doing those things, I am looking for their

replacement.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

My age, my stamina, my work related travels.

What do you think will change about TAW over the next five years?

That depends on the leadership core. If we promote knuckleheads, it will

die on the vine. If we foster, promote, train, teach, encourage the next gen-

eration of leaders, there are no boundaries.

(Continued from page 6) In the Scope

8

How Does Online Gaming Affect Social Interactions?

ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2007) — Online multiplayer communities are social networks built around multiplayer

online computer games. Members of these communities typically share an interest in online gaming and a great

deal of the interaction between them is technologically mediated. Marko Siitonen from University of Jyväskylä

studied social interaction in online multiplayer communities in his doctoral thesis of speech communication.

Online multiplayer gaming is a playground which can give us clues about the future of social and technological

developments, Siitonen states.

Online multiplayer games enable the formation of lasting relationships

Online multiplayer games typically encourage interaction between players: some go even as far as demanding

it. Collaboration with other players may be a prerequisite for making progress in a game, or a game may be

based on competition between players.

Typical online games can be played fairly independently, without seeking closer contact with other gamers.

However, social interaction is a strong motive not only for playing multiplayer games, but also for forming lasting

social relationships with other gamers, Siitonen says.

Online games are based on the possibilities of computer networks. This shows in the scope of modes of com-

munication that typical multiplayer games offer. A single game can support communication based on text, im-

age, and sound. In addition, a game may provide tools for interaction between two people, as well as enable

communication between whole groups and communities.

In addition to using the modes of communication offered by games, members of multiplayer communities may

keep in touch face to face, over the phone, via email, or in IRC, Siitonen explains.

Long-term interaction lays the foundation for a feeling of community

Social interaction between members of multiplayer communities shares similarities to interaction in face-to-

face groups. Shared values and goals are the basis on which a shared understanding and a sense of commu-

nity are built on.

Negotiating values and goals is an ongoing process that takes place throughout the existence of a community.

They are reflected e.g. by how new members are accepted n the community and by how the roles that are sig-

nificant to the operation of the community are cast. Disagreement concerning these issues may lead to con-

flicts within communities, yet solving these conflicts can serve the purpose of strengthening or changing the

community’s foundations.

The traditional building blocks of identity, such as appearance or age, are often insignificant in multiplayer gam-

ing communities. A 13-year-old French schoolgirl, a 27-year-old Swedish housewife, and a 44-year-old American

engineer can all be members of the same community. When the members never meet face to face, they form

perceptions of each other based on e.g. how active or reliable they think the others are, Siitonen describes.

Forming images of the other members can be quick in a technologically mediated environment. Still, reputation

based on long-term social interaction does have real significance in online multiplayer communities. Activity and

motivation are emphasized in technologically mediated communication, and the most active members often

hold the leading positions in the communities.

11

Online multiplayer communities are susceptible to changes. Old communities perish and new ones are born constantly,

and gamers frequently shift between communities. However, the social networks and personal relationships that form

the base of these communities may survive even though the disbandment of a community. It is possible that a new mul-

tiplayer community rises out of the old one’s ashes.

Siitonen used interviews and information gathered by participant observation as the data for his study. The observation

data was collected from two different communities within an online multiplayer game called Anarchy Online.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not

necessarily reflect those of The Art of Warfare or its staff.

(Continued from page 8) How does online gaming affect social interactions?

Brink and Section 8: Prejudice come to TAW!

TAW is excited to announce the creation of two new Vanguard

units: Brink and Section 8: Prejudice. These games have

been highly anticipated by the computer gaming community

for a long time, and now TAW is proud to offer them to gam-

ers from around the world.

Brink is a new First Person Shooter game by the award-

winning developers of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and En-

emy Territory: Quake Wars. In fact, most of the game’s code

directly pulls straight across from Quake Wars including the

idtech4 engine, the server launcher and the majority of the

netcode. Brink is an infantry-only FPS that will ship with 8

maps. It will have objective and team-death match game modes and has team size formats of 8 v 8 and 6 v 6.

Brink will feature user-end dedicated servers, allowing gamers to host servers out of their own houses. This will

also allow groups to rent dedicated servers from Game Service Providers and get full remote windows access on

those machines, unlike most of the FPS games released in the last 2 years.

Brink is also featuring a revolutionary movement system known as SMART or ―Smooth Movement Across Random

Terrain.‖ Gone are the days of being unable to jump over a large rock or having a wall or fence block you. The new

SMART system will parkour the player across any terrain in creative ways. Brink will be a Steamworks title, so it

does require Steam to play the game. If you are interested in applying to Brink, please apply on the website or if

you are an existing TAW member contact your Division Commander and request a transfer to Vanguard. Brink is

being released May 10th and TAW is participating in a net-based launch party hosted by Brink.tv on launch day.

http://thebrink.tv/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37

Section 8 was a First Person Shooter released by Timegate Studios in 2009. It unleashed many ground-breaking

concepts and was a highly-tactical FPS. The game introduced the idea of ―spawning from orbit‖ as players could

choose anywhere on the map they wanted to deploy and then ―burn in‖ like a meteor falling to earth. Skilled play-

ers could even aim at and land on enemies as they re-entered the atmosphere and crush them on impact. The

game had many elements from other successful FPS titles such as configurable suits like in Crysis and large scale

maps, huge teams and objective-based gameplay like in Battlefield. The team size format is 16 v 16 and the game

features mixed infantry, vehicles and turrets on giant maps.

10

squad has picked up recruitment also.

Things are looking up here to have this

join Starcraft as TAW’s 2nd Real Time

Strategy game!

The Crysis group has struggled to keep

their numbers up and if anyone is in-

terested in transferring over please

contact the VG staff immediately!

Homefront has continued solid recruit-

ment efforts now with 18 members

and 3 European members to boot!

With the release of user-end dedicated

server files for the game, TAW will be

expanding the number of servers that

it hosts. If you are interested in large

scale 16 v 16 combat with mixed in-

fantry and vehicles & different game

modes, then this game is for you!

Transfer or apply today!

Star Wars the Old Republic is still

meeting once a week, every week with

Hook and Omega @ 900pm EST down

in the SWTOR channel. Come take part

in fiery discussions about the Force,

smuggling and what makes a great

MMO!

World of Tanks has exceeded 60 mem-

bers and under the personal leader-

ship of TheGame and Toxyn as acting

COs and XOs, the SOs have been able

to focus their attention on recruitment

and onboarding swelling the ranks of

our members ever greater. Come see

what all the rage is about as TAW gets

ready to make WT it’s third Multi-

Online Battle Arena game after League

of Legends and Bloodline Champions!

Coming in May...

Section 8: Prejudice, the sequel to the

first Section 8 game releases May 4th!

(Continued from page 4) Fresh Blood

Easy Ways to Work on a Virtual Team Without

Conflict

Alan Henry — It doesn't matter whether your work remotely or from home, or if your

colleagues or classmates are scattered across the globe, trying to coordinate ef-

forts when everyone is in a different time zone or working from a different location

can be difficult. Here are some ways to smooth the distance over and stay produc-

tive.

Working from home has serious benefits, and we've already talked about how to

make sure you're productive when you work from home, but what about your team

or your coworkers? Making sure you're all on the same page can be frustratingly

difficult. Whether your virtual team consists of other paid employees or a distance

learning class full of people across the country, Square Jaw media has some tricks

can help bridge the divide.

For one, set expectations early, and reinforce them often. Even if you don't man-

age a group

of people or

you're not

the team

leader for a

specific pro-

ject, you

have to let

e v e r y o n e

else on the

team know

when you

expect to do

your part and

what the

level of effort

is. Essen-

tially, set

your own

deadlines before someone else does it for you.

Another great tip is to respect everyone to get their work done. Sometimes working

remotely or working on a virtual team can lead to a sense of distrust among the

team members: everyone feels like no one else works as hard as they do. Try tak-

ing the lead and make a point to tell everyone that you know they'll do what they

have to do to make the class project or the company project a success.

Most of the tips in the article are designed for people who work on a virtual team,

or who manage employees scattered around the globe. Still, most of them work

just as well when applied to distance learning classes, which can be more frustrat-

ing because of cultural nuances or differences in classmates' ages, work hours, or

life situations. What are some of your favorite tips for working with people you

don't see face-to-face? How do you get the job done without stressing yourself out

in the process? Leave your tips in the comments. Photo by Soctech.

11

Electronic Book Review

Communities of Play: The Social Con-

struction of Identity in Persistent

Online Game Worlds

Celia Pearce | Artemesia

The key conclusions outlined here are

a start at unpacking the relationship

between game design, emergent group

dynamics, and individual identity for-

mation. Probably the most significant

finding is the formation of individual

avatar identity through emergent social

processes. Furthermore, when moti-

vated and supported by group cohe-

sion, these identities can be portable

and malleable over time, and lead to a

high level of productivity (Pearce 2005;

Poremba 2003). When motivated by

the group, players find in themselves

new talents, abilities and skills, which

are further enhanced through a proc-

ess of group feedback. Furthermore,

based on the type of games players

gravitate towards, we can, to a certain

extent, anticipate overall patterns of

emergence based on players' play

styles, predilections, and resident

skills.

Click Here to read the article

In a global point of view, the Internet is the living organism that hosts many online

systems. Boundaries of geography, economy, culture, degrees of education and

family traditions have disappeared. Gamers are co-authors that take part in the ex-

perience. Communities are playing fields for social interaction. When gamers send

messages to other gamers, they are free to exchange email addresses and meet

beyond the game community. Communities have become an extension, a new me-

dium of human touch.

When communities form, a semantic world of sharing knowledge, solving problems,

working as a team, playing, building, quarreling, cooperating, planning and forming

relationships develop. Games are formal because they have a set of rules. A game

is a system because it has a collection of parts that interact with each other in com-

plex ways. In "EverQuest", the Game Masters hold the most power. Online games

run on a '24x7' calendar. Generally, online the role-playing games are maintained by

paid subscriptions, whereas, online fighting games are free. Communities exist in

time by free and paid subscriptions. Gamers occupy real estate within the online

game. Communities live in both space and time. Thus, it is a lifelike system.

Popular game boxes vary from Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2; Nintendo's

GameCube projected to ship Nov 5, '01 in the US; and Microsoft's Xbox projected to

ship Nov 8, '01 in the US. "Although game boxes offer higher resolution graphics in

comparison to PC gaming, they are a closed hardware platform and less amenable

to multiplayer social games. Multiplayer gamers cannot insert their own character

skins into shooter games in a game box or with a multiplayer game, such as

"EverQuest". "EverQuest" can easily receive updates on the game over time that get

rewritten over the original game software," says Schleiner. Many gamers develop

friendships with other gamers in different countries using the chat session in

"EverQuest".

In some ways, there are as many different types of gamers as there are games.

General definitions include:

* Generally, casual gamers are people who enjoy simple decision making games

and typically play less technical 3D graphic games.

* Generally, traditional gamers are people who enjoy a more complex game.

* Multiplayers (simultaneous players) are defined as those who play with other

gamers in the same game.

What makes an online game exciting, interesting, social or more fun than another

game? Motivation evolves from sensory gratification, role-playing, personality, taste,

adrenaline, sociology, immersive and engaging environments, and the element of

fun. Games in general motivate ideas. Topics include life, survival, strategy, role-

playing, and building relationships. In all circumstances, the player learns by play-

ing. "Building colossal virtual worlds are very important. In a virtual world, everything

has a purpose. I love games, " said Minsky during his lecture, "Programs, Emotions

and Common Sense".

(Continued from page 5) Online Gaming Communities...

(Continued on page 12)

In Star Trek CCG, gamers can buy and sell, trade and collect digital cards, watch or judge games, and attend

tournaments. One disadvantage, prior to downloading the plug-in, a high risk is indicated. The risk is associ-

ated with the possibility of gamers accessing your computer if you proceed with download. This warning ap-

pears with this statement: "JavaScript or a java applet from DigitalDeck, Inc. is requesting additional privi-

leges." This plug-in is required to run the application.

Because game communities are social in nature, knowledge and understanding are more apparent in virtual

worlds. "Wouldn't it be nice to connect two thoughts," said Minsky.

Who first revolutionized interactive web authoring in the twentieth century?

In June 1995, Macromedia first announced the development of "Shockwave", a plug-in based playback engine

for Director content. This project was produced in partnership with Netscape. In November 1995, developers

were given access to the first beta version of the Windows Shockwave plug-in. In December 1995, the public

was given access to the beta version of the Windows Shockwave plug-in. In January 1996, developers were

given access to the first beta version of the Macintosh Shockwave plug-in. In March 1996, the first version of

the Shockwave plug-in for both Macintosh and Windows was released to the public as a final product. This

Shockwave release was soon followed by the release of Director 5.0 in June of 1996. Director 5.0 published

content for web-playback using the Shockwave plug-in. This version utilized the use of a compression utility

called "AfterShock", a utility that is no longer used in the current version.

During the summer of 1995 through 1996, other interactive authoring tools were available, such as Hypercard

and Mtropolis, but none of them offered a web based player option during the time Macromedia released the

first version of Shockwave. There were other browser-based competitors, namely Java which was announced

by Sun in June of 1995 and VRML. The three competitors involved Shockwave, Java and VRML. In addition,

RealNetworks produced their first browser plug-in at the same time. This was the dawning of the plug-in era.

(Continued from page 11) Online Gaming Communities...

12

Support TAW and your division by purchasing our fine and

highly fashionable goods. These products are completely non

-profit, and every sale gives 3$ / 3€ in donation to TAW. If

you buy a division specific item, then the donation goes to

that division.

The TAWSHOP team:

Dogstar - dogstar@theartofwarfare.net (Project Manager)

DeadXOn - deadxon@theartofwarfare.net (Project Assistant)

Jedi - jedi@therartofwarfare.net (orders/accounting)

13

Book Review Corner

Play between worlds:

exploring online game culture

T.L. Taylor

MIT Press, 2006 - Games - 197 pages

In Play Between Worlds, T. L. Taylor

examines multiplayer gaming life as it

is lived on the borders, in the gaps—as

players slip in and out of complex so-

cial networks that cross online and

offline space. Taylor questions the

common assumption that playing com-

puter games is an isolating and alien-

ating activity indulged in by solitary

teenage boys. Massively multiplayer

online games (MMOGs), in which thou-

sands of players participate in a virtual

game world in real time, are in fact

actively designed for sociability. Games

like the popular Everquest, she argues,

are fundamentally social spaces.

Why Battlefield 3 will go a long way to deciding

the future of PC gaming.

If you were to ask me what my favourite FPS game of all time was, I wouldn’t hesi-

tate to answer ―Battlefield 2.‖ It’s the game that first got me into TAW, and I’ve

massed a huge, and rather depressing, 1770 hours playing it over the past 6 years.

Others may answer ―Quake Wars‖, ―Delta Force: X‖, or ―ArmA‖. One thing’s for sure

– they all pushed the boundaries of PC gaming and took it to an entirely new level.

Sadly, many of those games are now forgotten, if ever really recognised. That’s why

Battlefield 3 is the game that could bring a breath of fresh air to a platform that has

become awash with console ports in recent years. We have a major developer that

is going out of their way to enhance the game for PC gamers. Not only will we see

destructive environments taken to an all new level with Frostbite 2, and the ability

to drag fallen comrades to safety, but also the return of 64 player maps, jets, and

prone. Oh, and dedicated servers! Every indication so far is that it could finally be

the game to remove the recycled Call of Duty franchise from its throne.

If the trailers so far are anything to go by then we’re in for a treat. I for one am also

very excited to see the revival of the once great Battlefield Division in TAW, and I

know I’m not the only one.

But while the prospect is great there is a flipside. Success in terms of both profit

and reception could lead other major developers to do the same as EA DICE, and

we could see many other major developers focusing more on the PC. But failure

could shy them away for good, and once great titles will continue to be converted

into console games.

One thing’s for sure – this is one game that all PC FPS gamers should be keeping a

close eye on.

See you on the Battlefield.

Lieutenant General Cutthroat

Central Command | Support Lieutenant Commander

One of the most unique aspects of the S8 franchise is that multiple objectives

are occurring at the same time on different parts of the map. This forces a team

to use good resource management in deploying portions of their force all around

the map at key points. The game is also famous for its customization. By default

the game allows you to choose between different preset classes of soldiers, but

these can be interchanged and completely personalized with different weapons

and suit modules. S8: Prejudice promises to continue on the grand tradition that

the first one set as being one of the most tactical FPS games ever released. If

you are interested in joining TAW’s S8 group then apply on the website or if you

are a member then email your Division Commander and request a transfer to

Vanguard. S8: Prejudice released on May 4th and is available online at direc-

t2drive, Steam and other digital vendors.

(Continued from page 9) Brink and Section 8...

14

break a Major policy...the a good friend

does the same thing...It will be hard to

be consistent but as a leader you are

expected to do just that..Be Consis-

tent. Creating an atmosphere of con-

sistency will allow your team members

to know what they can expect from

you.

Dependability: In Leadership that

means you can be relied upon to

perform your duties properly. It

means that you can be trusted to

complete a job. It is the willing and

voluntary support of the policies and

orders of the chain of command.

We all know someone in our lives that

would be great at what they do...if they

were on time or did what the said they

were going to do. You can have all the

right traits of a leader but if your not

dependable then what's the use...As a

leader you must be dependable to eve-

ryone in your CoC.

Enthusiasm: In Leadership enthusi-

asm is defined as a sincere interest

and exuberance in the performance

of your duties. If you are enthusias-

tic, you are optimistic, cheerful, and

willing to accept the challenges.

What's worst then being around a boss

that's just going through the motions.

As a leader show some enthusiasm for

your job. It will be contagious to your

team!

GEN_SoonerOKC

TAW University Commander

Shaping Minds for Servant Leader-

ship...

(Continued from page 7) TAW Univer-

sity

Corps III Spotlight

In World of Warcraft the 4th Battalion Alliance has taken the lion's share of server

first boss kills on Winterhoof and now the 3rd Battalion Horde is making its debut

on Black Dragonflight as a pvp centered experience.

3rd Battalion is focusing on Rated Battlegrounds, these new Battlegrounds were

introduced in Cataclysm, the third expansion in the World of Warcraft series, and

offer new challenges to players in a familiar setting. These battlegrounds require

coordination and communication to ensure victory against another team intent on

winning. With end of season rewards and titles being offered for the highest rated

teams competition in these battlegrounds is fierce.

Arathi Basin is such a battleground within the Rated Battleground system, in Arathi

Basin you need to take your force, consisting of ten players, and control a minimal

of three of the five contested areas until you reach the necessary points for vic-

tory, all the while keeping the opposition from gaining control of those areas. With

the distance between the control points reinforcements will take some time to get

to the point that is under siege so being able to hold out until reinforcements ar-

rive or being able to crush the attackers is paramount.

Victory is well earned in these Rated Battlegrounds and we look forward to them

taking some of the best titles available from it.