New Games, New Direction

Last year with the start of the Sacred Seven, we started something more than simply a traditional "Battle Clan" who got together to play competitive online games. We started a fellowship of like minded players, who get together for the camaraderie and enjoyment of playing with friends who hold the same ideals and values of online play. The competitive spirit is still there, but the brotherhood is what strengthens our clan and keeps the members coming back and seeking out clan mates to game with. This is evident in a game like Forza, which has a strong following on it's dedicated night, and runs competitive tourneys even though it's not a clan supported game in the traditional sense. The same can be said about the big turnouts for the COD and other intra-clan tournaments.

Traditionally, having a "supported" clan game has been with the goal of fielding a competitive team and competing in clan matches on a ranked ladder. This involves not only playing clan matches, but also having structured practices to learn necessary strategies and tactics. One thing that has been difficult is playing actual clan matches. Most of that falls on the GameBattles system, and the complexity and hassle of getting a match scheduled and played. While at the same time we are having practices to learn strategies to play in competitive clan matches, we rarely are able to play those clan matches, and the interest seems to be lukewarm at best. Of course these tactics we practice on a weekly basis aid in demolishing the public on a given night, but are intended to give our team the advantage in actual competitive play against other proficient teams of players. It seems many people are showing up to practice mainly because that is THE night to play that particular game, and the majority of the clan will be on to game together. It almost seems a waste to spend so much time on tactics for clan matches, when that time takes away from the more enjoyable time of teaming up and smashing the public or even each other in head-to-head intra-clan skirmishes.

The CC wants to propose a new style of organization for our clan games. The idea is to focus on the fun and camaraderie that having a supported clan game brings by getting all the members together to play at a set time. What we want to do is support a game, and have an official "game night" for that game. It will work much like the current practice nights, but without the complexity of having a formal practice. What we will do is simply pick the night to get together and play and compete in that game. Each game will still have a Game Commander, but their job will be more of the planner and mediator for the game- more of a Game Coordinator. The GC will set up the game nights, help divide up teams, come up with special game modes and/or competitions, etc. depending on what the member base wants to do. Maybe we will all just get together and split up to take on the public, or perhaps we will have some intra-clan shotgun only matches, or possibly we will even have a member who has donated a prize and we run an impromptu intra-clan tournament. No matter what, we will all know what day and time to get together and play that particular game and build on the brotherhood that gaming together as a clan provides. Also, if the game proves to be successful, we can later add more formal practices and game officers to aid those who wish to compete actively on a clan ladder.

Let us know your thoughts and ideas on what has been outlined above. We would like to begin this with the next two online multiplayer games coming out- Homefront and Crysis 2. There will be a poll up soon for what nights you would like for each game, so be sure and vote if you have an interest in when that is.



S7 CC

One of the advantages I see of this system is with my ever expanding library of games I want to play, even if I'm plugging through Dragon Age 2 trying for those last insane achievements, I'll know Wednesday is Crysis night and I can plan on taking a break from 'chievo whoring and play it with the clan that night and rank my tech-suit up a few notches. Or when I want to play Homefront but have a hard time catching enough people in the clan on to make a team, as the lobby maybe has been full of 12 year old campers who never advance my teams objectives, I will know Monday is the night I can count on having a full S7 lobby to own those 12 year old boy scouts. Either way it keeps more games active longer, and should be better than the 1 month honeymoon of burning a game out and moving on to something else. Plus, it doesn't mean I can't play my favorite every night and still group up with fellow clan mates.

~mrmiller

I like the sound of it a lot.
What do we do about members that do want to compete and play ladder matches? Will there still be an official S7 GB team, or is that up to the players?

It will depend on the game, amount of support and players. But rest assured, if you want to compete, that will be an option. We are just taking a new approach to "supported" games. Competition is still the ultimate goal if it's viable but we don't want to hold our selves back if it's not. As Miller stated, we are about more than just competition. We are a brotherhood of like minded gamers who want to get together and have fun. We are a new clan with a new focus. We don't need to be caught up in the old stigma of what made a game "supported".

Too often we let games come and go just because it's not perfectly suited for clan matches. Battlefield anyone? It was decided that we really couldn't compete due to the fail lobby/chat system. So we dropped a good game and moved on. Seems like a shame since we could have been playing for fun all this time.

By switching our approach we are hoping to support more games with less pressure to compete. If it works out for competition then great, but some games just don't work well for competition. Even if it's not great for clan matches, there is no reason we can't all get together and have fun. Have friendly scrims, pwn the public or even host inter-clan tourneys.

Basically if a game has people showing up to play it, we will support it with an official game night, scheduled events and tourneys. Even strats, practices and clan matches depending on the level of support and interest. It should be a great opportunity to expand our library and play more than just one or two games over and over again.

Good point Atrum. The idea with this new thought/approach is that we have not had many interested in clan matches but we do not want to stop those interested in Playing them from being able to compete for s7. Once people become interested in playing matches for new games or older games we can get that organized and take it on a game by game approach for being competitive on game battles or what ever the ladder or league.

Sounds good, that's pretty much how I used to Run CS and that seemed to work ok, considering the few members we had...

Could've been a top team had we not had to fill spaces with Sharpest Edge and the like, lol.

I like the sound of it all. just don't forget us late nighters. I volunteer myself for running/supporting a late night game on a fri or sat, or we could just have a "this is what game will be playing on x night" or just let it roll, I always seem to be able to game with plenty of peeps late at night.

DROOPYmcC00L wrote:I like the sound of it all. just don't forget us late nighters. I volunteer myself for running/supporting a late night game on a fri or sat, or we could just have a "this is what game will be playing on x night" or just let it roll, I always seem to be able to game with plenty of peeps late at night.

Friday nights have typically been our miscellaneous games night. It’s a good time for anyone to set up and play any game or game modes they want. I know we have had a few tourneys on Fridays and the COD4 crew seems to put on frequent game nights for Friday too. Not to mention the epic Friday anniversary events. Really, anyone wanting to plan something on Friday is good. I would suggest planning it for later than most nights, but not too late as to loose a lot of people or conflict with the late night Forza events going on right now. Say if I was going to host an Atrum’s Choice Halo night, I would schedule it from say 9-12 EST. I think it would be cool to see every week someone post something different up for Friday nights. One week might be Uncle Charles Rainbow Six night, and the next might be Agent’s COD4 night. It would be a nice change of pace from week to week and a good way to play some of the older titles we still hold on to.

~mrmiller

Interesting concept. I like it particularly since I am not a clan match player. Although I have always participated to help "train" with those prepping for clan matches, for me I was really there for exactly the reason stated in the new concept - because it was the night I could play with clan members. Besides, perhaps more opportunities will be taken to play the public rather than just against ourselves all the time. Gives us food for more new "war lies". ;-)

I look forward to seeing how this works out.

Air7Cav

Wow, I totally missed this post but I like this a lot, I don't get to play with you guys often because of my work schedule but this is more flexible and enjoyable. Also I will be on stay-cation on the week of battlefield 3 release and will be on with you guys and with a mic!

It's good to see that someone else has been "enlightened" and that I wasn't the only one that missed this post when it originally dropped.

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:Wow, I totally missed this post

n00b!!!!

S7 K1ll3rKlown wrote:

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:Wow, I totally missed this post

n00b!!!!

Lol!

I missed that too. Of course, I've been missing in action for a while but that's what I get for being away, lol.

Let's not spam the "sticky" informational posts.

~mrmiller