AH community: Tarzan or Lord of the Flies?

[mthrockmor]

I've been an active member for about three years. I consider myself a pretty decent member though I tend to get a bit mouthy every now and then. I detest vulching and HOing. I mostly keep to myself as my squad will note. My disclosure.

When I first signed on with AH it seemed very common to have frequent missions and it 'seemed' there was a great deal of squad action. This action seemed to create a more colloquial environment; both a camaraderie as well as a culture of behaviour and excellence. There were strong personalities in the game that lead by both example and voice.

Now it seems we have devolved a bit. We have lost that sense of high expectation, group play and high standard. I am not speaking of the quality of individual sticks but instead the sense of honor within the community. The former seems to be a the concept of noble savage encapsulated in Tarzan. What I am seeing now is nothing more than Lord of the Flies, where a horde of noobs voice the whole.

Am I wrong in this? If I am not, how do we restore a higher expectation within the community?

For starters, the prominence of key squads that set the tone needs to be restored. More than anything this seems to be what we need. It is not easy to build culture out of chaos but I think we need to do this. Possibly a better culture could help us retain the 2-weekers?

Thoughts? [Read: flame on...]

boo
JG 5

[Arlo]

Honor, chivalry, the code ... worst thing that any individual or group pretended existed as a universal standard in the game.

Behaving in a specific manner, as an individual or group, is up to said individual or group. Fine.

Your expectations are yours to keep, realistically or otherwise.

When your specific code leads you to publicly ridicule other players for having different expectations or for falling outside your
expectations then it ceases to serve it's intended purpose. It will actually be more wearisome than the perceived failure of others.

If you want to set a tone ... let the tone speak for itself.

[olds442]

If you want to set a tone ... let the tone speak for itself.

Wise words.

[Wiley]

If you want to set a tone ... let the tone speak for itself.

This.

If anything deeds, not words will effect change.  People can type all day about how people should behave, but it's not going to make a bit of difference if all they're doing is talking about it.

It seems to me the last month or two the amount of venomous bile on 200 has increased a lot for some reason.  This place is starting to feel a lot more like other games than it used to.

Wiley.

[Copprhed]

I've been an active member for about three years. I consider myself a pretty decent member though I tend to get a bit mouthy every now and then. I detest vulching and HOing. I mostly keep to myself as my squad will note. My disclosure.

When I first signed on with AH it seemed very common to have frequent missions and it 'seemed' there was a great deal of squad action. This action seemed to create a more colloquial environment; both a camaraderie as well as a culture of behaviour and excellence. There were strong personalities in the game that lead by both example and voice.

Now it seems we have devolved a bit. We have lost that sense of high expectation, group play and high standard. I am not speaking of the quality of individual sticks but instead the sense of honor within the community. The former seems to be a the concept of noble savage encapsulated in Tarzan. What I am seeing now is nothing more than Lord of the Flies, where a horde of noobs voice the whole.

Am I wrong in this? If I am not, how do we restore a higher expectation within the community?

For starters, the prominence of key squads that set the tone needs to be restored. More than anything this seems to be what we need. It is not easy to build culture out of chaos but I think we need to do this. Possibly a better culture could help us retain the 2-weekers?

Thoughts? [Read: flame on...]

boo
JG 5

I agree entirely with your post, though it's really been an ongoing problem, with the primary cause of it's continuation and growth being players with the attitudes of the other respondents in the thread. They have no sense of honor in-game, and probably in RL also, their primary excuse or justification being, if there aren't specific rules against these things, it's ok to do them. If you can't exhibit honor in a freaking game, you're damned sure NOT going to exhibit honor in life.

[The Fugitive]

I agree with the op. There has been a change, and I have said it before. As to the lead by example, that is how we got to where we are. Squads like the V dudes and other bish squads that only touch the fringes of the game and cut corners by using numbers to win the war instear of skill and good game play.

[gyrene81]

what's all this "honor" poop? what honor?

[Changeup]

If you can't exhibit honor in a freaking game, you're damned sure NOT going to exhibit honor in life.

This is precisely why they DON'T exhibit honor...it's a game and it doesn't count towards their RL points totals.  It's meaningless so they behave meaninglessly.

In game, most want to win with as little risk and exposure as possible.  Then claim pwnage.  THAT is who they really are...

[ink]

what's all this "honor" poop? what honor?

you being a "jarhead" know full well what Honor is

and if you know what Honor is you know it is not a switch that can be turned on or off.......

you ether have Honor or you don't......sad to say most people in AH do not....that is not just a reflection of AH it is the way of the world.

[Changeup]

you being a "jarhead" know full well what Honor is

and if you know what Honor is you know it is not a switch that can be turned on or off.......

you ether have Honor or you don't......sad to say most people in AH do not....that is not just a reflection of AH it is the way of the world.

I disagree.  They have differing definitions of honor and when their definition of honor should be applied.  Some apply honor in all phases of their lives...others cut and paste it as they see it appropriate.  Chances are, they cut and paste character components in RL as they deem it necessary. Not a great model of character consistency...and it could be said, people are only as good as they are at their worst moment.  Essentially?  If you cross a character line....you're a line crosser.   Is having honor in an online game an appropriate environment to apply honor?  If you're an honorable person and consistent in RL, probably yes.  If not, definitely no.

[mthrockmor]

One example.

I remember there was a spat of 'alt-f4' answer to every question. How do I drop my landing gear? Alt-f4. How do I get in and out of the bombsite? Alt-f4. How do I change fuel tanks? Alt-f4.

I know there must be some humor in there. So many just giggle like little 10-year olds. On the boards there was a similar discussion and what was agreed by many of the veterans, or adults, is that we would agree to stop the 'alt-f4' hazing. The thought being, a 2-weeker that we need to build our community would be more inclined to leave than stay if they felt hazed.

Every time questions were asked and the answer was 'alt-f4' many of us would chime in with 'don't do it!' Then give them the proper answer. Finally, openly degrade the practice of giving that answer. It has reached a point where I haven't read on 200 the 'alt-f4' answer for months now, and in generally I rarely see it.

This is an example of the culture I'm thinking of.

boo

[ink]

I disagree.  They have differing definitions of honor and when their definition of honor should be applied.  Some apply honor in all phases of their lives...others cut and paste it as they see it appropriate.  Chances are, they cut and paste character components in RL as they deem it necessary.

thats not Honor.

[Changeup]

thats not Honor.

That's the point.  It's not what YOU or I define as honor.  They don't care about our definitions and therein lies the frustrations.

[SAJ73]

The two weeker's should only get access to the Training Arena, for two weeks! And during those two weeks they should be lectured and whipped by the trainers till they almost started thinking "it's not worth it" and consider going back to playing Playstation again.
That would put an end to many of the shades too, atleast it would not be as straight forward as it is today..  

I know it will never happen, but it was a fun to play with the idea anyway.  

[ImADot]

It seems to me the last month or two the amount of venomous bile on 200 has increased a lot for some reason.  This place is starting to feel a lot more like other games than it used to.

Two words:  School's Out